Vancouver Info if needed

[Kugel]

I'm 99% sure ell52 is correct that the hubster means Hon's (there is a chinese resto called Won More but that's down by English Bay). That branch of Hon's isn't one I've tried (I'm much closer to their Keefer branch) but in general the reviews for the whole chain (there are now 4 I think) are on a downward trend.

 

If you want noodles there are more options than you can shake a stick at downtown - many closer to your hotel than Hon's. Personally I think Jinya's pork broth makes it the best in town, and it's 300 metres closer to you

 

If it's a full-service Chinese restaurant you want, Kirin is slightly nearer the Holiday Inn than Hon's and is very well-respected. Pricier than Hon's though.

 

NB: you said Holiday Inn Express above but mentioned Howe St - the HI Express is waaaaaaay out east, almost outside the city. Be sure you name the hotel correctly to the driver, preferably giving the intersection (Howe & Helmcken for the 'Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown') to avoid any surprises - there's also the 'Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre' on the other side of False Creek at Broadway & Heather as well as the Express out at Hastings & Renfrew.

 

 

Thank you it is Hon's. Also it is the Holiday Inn on Howe. Going to look for Jinya's also. We have been stay at HI express so much here in Florida I just automatically called it express. Actually we have stayed at the same hotel twice before. Much less than most and certainly good enough for 2 nights. Do not plan on being in the room much. Coming in late on a Wednesday night, Thursday going to Whistler for the day, Friday leaving for the port.

[Kugel]

If you want a Meet & Greet that will be about the rate but there will be lots of limos at YVR and on a walk up basis a 6 pax limo will run you $55 plus tax and gratuity . Aerocar has this as a contracted flat rate with YVR.

 

http://aerocar.ca/rates/flat-rates/

 

thank you that is what we are going to do!

[usviking]

Does anyone know the current tax rate that is applied to the Aerocar service?

 

I'm trying to fine tune my cash needs for our visit later this month.

.

[Putterdude]

Does anyone know the current tax rate that is applied to the Aerocar service?

 

I'm trying to fine tune my cash needs for our visit later this month.

.

 

Your fare will be subject to a 5% federal sales tax (GST) and a 7% provincial sales tax (PST) for a total of 12%.

[usviking]

Your fare will be subject to a 5% federal sales tax (GST) and a 7% provincial sales tax (PST) for a total of 12%.

 

Thank you.

.

[mcmarya]

With the Stanley Park shuttle not operating, how much of the park can you see without spending a fortune on a taxi?

[Putterdude]

With the Stanley Park shuttle not operating, how much of the park can you see without spending a fortune on a taxi?

 

You can take the #19 bus into the park and from there you can visit the Aquarium, Rose Garden, Totem Poles, Brockton Point which constitute the east 1/3 of the park. However other options for transportation within the park include the Vancouver Trolley's Shuttle if coming next year or the horse drawn carriage that operates within the park. http://www.stanleypark.com/index.html

[ell52]

With the Stanley Park shuttle not operating, how much of the park can you see without spending a fortune on a taxi?

The Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Carriage rides are still operating: http://www.stanleypark.com/

 

I don't think many people take a taxi to see the park. You can also take a bus to the park (or get a taxi to drop you off), then walk around the sea wall or take the many trails throughout the park.

Edited August 9, 2013 by ell52

[ell52]

Sorry, PD. I guess I'm just too slow posting. :(

[Putterdude]

That's no problem....I guess if the poster is interested there is also the opportunity to rent a bicycle and pedal around the park and of course if coming this year the HOHO's do make stops within the park....or at least around its perimeter.

[jer_l]

I posted several times here prior to our cruise. Everything went great thanks to the help I received from those of you who know Vancouver. We stayed at the Sheraton in Richmond overnight. After lunch I found the BC Liquor store nearby where I bought a bottle of sparkling wine for the hotel stay and received good recommendations from a young clerk on BC wines which we purchased the next morning near Canada Place after we had checked in and had lunch on the ship. There was a grocery store in the same center as the Richmond BC Liquor Store where I bought cheese, blueberries and rolls to go with our wine and pastries for breakfast. (We had planned to go out for dinner, but decided to relax in the hotel and spend some time in the jacuzzi where we met two other couples from our cruise. After all, we knew that we would have several days of overeating ahead of us.)

 

We rode the Canada Line from Brighouse Station which was only a few blocks from the hotel. In fact, we saw a young couple walking somewhere for breakfast who had planned to ride the hotel shuttle back to YVR and take Canada Line form there. When they saw us wheeling our suitcases they stopped us and found out how close Brighouse Station was and decided to follow the same plan. We found we much preferred Canada Line to the taxi rides we experienced on previous cruises. It took less time, cost much less and was much more relaxing than riding through traffic.

 

So "thank you" to all who answered questions.

[Pisgah]

Putterdude,

 

We are staying in the Blue Horizon on Robson for 4 days Sept 13-16. Can you recommend any breakfast restaurants in walking distance. Nothing expensive maybe reasonable prices.

 

I posted this several days ago and did not get a response from Putterdude. Does anyone else have any ideas.

[Flatlander204]

I posted this several days ago and did not get a response from Putterdude. Does anyone else have any ideas.

If I am not mistaken there was a restaurant just down the street form the hotel but everything is within walking distance on Robson.. it is a major street in the Downtown area of Vancouver..

Have a wonderful cruise!!

[Putterdude]

I posted this several days ago and did not get a response from Putterdude. Does anyone else have any ideas.

I am very sorry, your post got by me.:o There is a Tim Horton's almost around the corner from the Blue Horizon on Alberni St. which has a number of breakfast items as well as doughnuts. There is a White Spot which serves up great breakfasts but is a solid 5+ block walk at Georgia & Cardero Sts. There is also a crepe restaurant nearby on Robson but the name is gone from my head. You will find any number of Starbucks within a block or so of the hotel.

[martincath]

... There is also a crepe restaurant nearby on Robson but the name is gone from my head...

That would be La Bretagne Crêperie PD - or possibly Bon Crêpe across the street if it was Japanese style you meant. There's also a Café Crêpe two blocks down @ 1032 Robson. With so many nearby it's no wonder you couldn't recall the name;)

[LeftcoastBC]

I posted this several days ago and did not get a response from Putterdude. Does anyone else have any ideas.

 

& your hotel did have a very good selection of Eggs Benny when I was last there.

[sheba2008]

I will board the Statendam in Vancouver in september. Hotel is Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport Richmond 2 nights (one full day in vancouver). My question is can i buy Ginger Ale cans to bring on the ship not to far from my hotel? I will also go to the Capilano Bridge as a daytrip. Where can i buy the cans close to my hotel or cruiseport (taking skytrain to pier).

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Linda

[Pisgah]

I am very sorry, your post got by me.:o There is a Tim Horton's almost around the corner from the Blue Horizon on Alberni St. which has a number of breakfast items as well as doughnuts. There is a White Spot which serves up great breakfasts but is a solid 5+ block walk at Georgia & Cardero Sts. There is also a crepe restaurant nearby on Robson but the name is gone from my head. You will find any number of Starbucks within a block or so of the hotel.

 

Thank you

[mcmarya]

Thank you for all of your helpful information!

[martincath]

I will board the Statendam in Vancouver in september. Hotel is Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport Richmond 2 nights (one full day in vancouver). My question is can i buy Ginger Ale cans to bring on the ship not to far from my hotel? I will also go to the Capilano Bridge as a daytrip. Where can i buy the cans close to my hotel or cruiseport (taking skytrain to pier).

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Linda

There's a T&T Supermarket almost next door to your hotel - while they predominantly carry Asian food they have a decent selection of Western stuff too, including various flavours of soda. Unless you're super picky about your brand of ginger ale you should be able to get some there - and if they don't carry your preferred brand, the Real Canadian Superstore a few blocks certainly will.

[sheba2008]

There's a T&T Supermarket almost next door to your hotel - while they predominantly carry Asian food they have a decent selection of Western stuff too, including various flavours of soda. Unless you're super picky about your brand of ginger ale you should be able to get some there - and if they don't carry your preferred brand, the Real Canadian Superstore a few blocks certainly will.

 

thanks for the information martincath

 

Linda :)

[ell52]

I posted several times here prior to our cruise. Everything went great thanks to the help I received from those of you who know Vancouver. We stayed at the Sheraton in Richmond overnight. After lunch I found the BC Liquor store nearby where I bought a bottle of sparkling wine for the hotel stay and received good recommendations from a young clerk on BC wines which we purchased the next morning near Canada Place after we had checked in and had lunch on the ship. There was a grocery store in the same center as the Richmond BC Liquor Store where I bought cheese, blueberries and rolls to go with our wine and pastries for breakfast. (We had planned to go out for dinner, but decided to relax in the hotel and spend some time in the jacuzzi where we met two other couples from our cruise. After all, we knew that we would have several days of overeating ahead of us.)

 

We rode the Canada Line from Brighouse Station which was only a few blocks from the hotel. In fact, we saw a young couple walking somewhere for breakfast who had planned to ride the hotel shuttle back to YVR and take Canada Line form there. When they saw us wheeling our suitcases they stopped us and found out how close Brighouse Station was and decided to follow the same plan. We found we much preferred Canada Line to the taxi rides we experienced on previous cruises. It took less time, cost much less and was much more relaxing than riding through traffic.

 

So "thank you" to all who answered questions.

Thanks for the report back. It's always nice to hear what visitors end up doing and how things worked out for them.

[sprez]

Thanks for the report back. It's always nice to hear what visitors end up doing and how things worked out for them.

All your information is so helpful. We leave on Aug. 19 for a land /cruise and arrive in Vancouver on Friday the 30th early in the am. We (4 of us, all retired) are booked in the Holiday Inn on Howe. We leave on Tuesday afternoon the 3rd so really do have 4 full days to explore.

 

None of us have been to Vancouver before. I am having trouble deciding if we should take the time to go to Whistler or Victoria (both would take basically 1 whole day each) or just stay in and around "town". I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

Also, are there any Labor Day activities, fireworks etc. we might see on Sunday or Monday?

 

Things I am interested in so far are the two trips mentioned above, a 4 or 5 hour city tour, the hop on hop off troffy, the suspension bridge, the harbor, the aquarium, Grouse Mt. I love markets and the food cart gathering sound like they are fun as well. We need day and evening activities. ( we are not late night people)

 

Love to hear what good places are near our hotel. Thanks for your help one and all.

 

PS Getting very, very excited for this trip!

[martincath]

All your information is so helpful. We leave on Aug. 19 for a land /cruise and arrive in Vancouver on Friday the 30th early in the am. We (4 of us, all retired) are booked in the Holiday Inn on Howe. We leave on Tuesday afternoon the 3rd so really do have 4 full days to explore.

 

None of us have been to Vancouver before. I am having trouble deciding if we should take the time to go to Whistler or Victoria (both would take basically 1 whole day each) or just stay in and around "town". I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

Also, are there any Labor Day activities, fireworks etc. we might see on Sunday or Monday?

 

Things I am interested in so far are the two trips mentioned above, a 4 or 5 hour city tour, the hop on hop off troffy, the suspension bridge, the harbor, the aquarium, Grouse Mt. I love markets and the food cart gathering sound like they are fun as well. We need day and evening activities. ( we are not late night people)

 

Love to hear what good places are near our hotel. Thanks for your help one and all.

 

PS Getting very, very excited for this trip!

Sounds like you could do everything you list above in your timeframe as well as one of Whistler or Victoria. From your arrival date, I'm guessing it's the Millie you're on, so no stop in Victoria en route, correct?

 

For me I'd prioritize a day in Victoria over one in Whistler - unless you really, *really* love mountains. Butchart Gardens has fireworks on Sat 31st Aug.

 

Local events happening over your time here include Taiwan Fest, Gastown BBQ/Chili Fest, and Food Cart Fest.

 

If you're doing a HOHO, you can probably skip an in-town tour - there may be a couple of extra sights as the HOHOs don't get outside the downtown core, but most of a 4 hour tour would be redundant.

 

Granville Island can easily eat up a half day if you wander the public market, watch some buskers, shop a bit, have lunch or dinner. Late afternoons tend to be quieter, and if you time it right you can still see all the public market & shops, then grab dinner (Edible Canada is excellent) and finish up with a mini-cruise on False Creek on the Aquabus or False Creek Ferries when the light's at its best for photography (sunset will be just before 8pm when you're in town - the ferries usually stop just around then).

 

You might want to have some bad weather alternatives - tours/HOHO and aquarium are all-weather, but Grouse & Capilano are much more outdoorsy and a big part of visiting Grouse is the view of Vancouver (low cloud/fog/heavy rain = no view). Would an Art Gallery or Museum would be of interest to your group?

[Zannagirl]

Hi there..I live in Vancouver and have worked at several of the hotels in the city..and have also worked on cruise ships before, so I've done more Alaska cruises than I care to admit..I'll gladly answer any questions about the city, cruising or what have you! :)

 

Hi Shoppie,

 

Thank you so much for offering your knowledge. My husband and I (from Australia) are heading off on a cruise on the Diamond Princess on 14 September(for 22 days). This is part of an overall package which has been marketed a fair bit in Australia and there are quite a few Aussies in Vancouver in the couple of days prior to the cruise. I had the bright idea of arranging an Aussie Meet and Greet in Vancouver for the night before the cruise (Friday 13th at 8.30pm). I've so far got about 30 people keen to attend but.... I'm really struggling to find somewhere for us to meet. Many of us are staying at the Rosedale on Robson but their function rooms are all booked for that night. I've emailed about another five places but no-one seems to be interested in replying. So far I've tried Rosies on Robson (the suggestion from the hotel), the Keg, Regis Hotel, Sutton Place, Hyatt and Westin Grand. I sent my last batch of emails off on Friday so allowing for the weekend and time difference I'm hoping I might get some responses tomorrow. (It's Monday night here). Do you have any suggestions of anywhere else close by the Rosedale on Robson that I might try? Don't want anything elaborate - the idea was just that we all get together have a quiet ale or two and introduce ourselves. If I don't have any success my other thought was to contact Princess and see if we can just meet on the afternoon of embarkation in one of the bars on board. What's your thoughts. Any suggestions or ideas would be very much appreciated. Sorry for the epistle!

Kind regards

Anne