Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[krogerlady]

Aquariva has a $22 value coupon in the Vancouver book too!! Sent your link along to my crew. BTW, here is the link again...hasn't been posted in awhile.

http://vancouver.entertainment.com/discount/browse.shtml

There is a coupon for the HOHO trolley, and hundreds more. PD gave us the names of restaurants that have coupons and are close to our hotel, so i have them all marked. The book is thick, about the size of three or four Reader's Digests...and with a whole day in Vancouver it is going to more than save us the meager cost.

[NoWhiners]

PD

 

We'll be looking for you and waving. About 6 pm on June 20! We'll have a beer for you on the sailaway (and there are 12 of us!!).

 

Thanks again

ML

[macmax]

There is a very good restaurant across the street in the Pan Pacific called the 5 Sails. About 100 paces to the east is the AquaRiva and if you would like to walk west along the seawalk there is an upscale marine pub called Carderos. I will attach links for your convenience:

 

http://www.fivesails.ca/

 

http://www.aquariva.com/

 

http://www.vancouverdine.com/carderos/home.html

I appreciate it, thanks.

[Joy2theWorld]

If we decide to take Quick Coach to Seattle instead of renting a car, does it leave right from Canada Place? Any other options to head to Seattle the morning we return to Vancouver? Our flight leaves Seattle the next morning. We are taking the train from Seattle to Vancouver.

[Urban trekker]

The answer to your question will depend on which day of the week you are traveling as they provide that service only on those days that there are ships in port at Canada Place.

 

Here's the link to their web site:

 

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm

 

Even if you have to go from the Central departure area of the Holiday Inn that is only a few blocks away from the pier.

 

The other option would be to take the Amtrak bus but it is further to get to the bus station than to the Holiday Inn

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[vjh8799]

I need help today for hotel suggestions! I’m sure the answer to my question is here, but it will take me too long to read through all of this. I’ve just booked a cruise-tour that leaves in about a month. My grandsons and I will arrive in Vancouver p.m. after traveling for 11 hours. Our requirements are simple; we will need transportation to hotel, a pool for the boys, a place to eat dinner and breakfast and transportation to the RCCL Radiance wherever she docks.

 

Thanks a lot

Velma

[Putterdude]

Velma, none of the downtown hotels offer shuttle service from the airport and very few offer shuttle service to the cruise terminals. The Radiance uses Ballantyne pier which is in an industrial area of the city just east of the downtown core so you will want to stay in the downtown area. A cab fare from the airport to downtown will run about $35 and from hotel to Balllantyne $15 tops. Most of our cabs are compacts but if there are 3 or 4 of you you can get a mini-van cab for the same price.

The downtown hotels are all within a mile of one another so it really comes down to budget as rooms run $150 to over $300 this time of the year. I have been recommending bidding on Priceline.com as we have been seeing room in 4* hotels going for under $100 this season...things are a bit soft up here as well. You go to the bidding section of Priceline and bid 3.5* or better in the Downtown-Vancouver area and start bidding at $65.

If you want a sure bet then I would suggest something like the Blue Horizon on Robson St. or Hampton Inn on Robson St.

[Urban trekker]

Cascadia Hotel and Suites has a nice indoor pool and the Quality Inn on Howe has an outdoor pool that I can see from my condo.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[F19810]

the menus for both Caderos and Aquariva look good. How dressy are they and will I need a reservation for one? Also is there anything on the menu that you would highly recommend?

Thanks

Judy

[Putterdude]

Carderos is very casual no res needed, I like the seafood wok, the Cajun snapper or ling cod or the crusted albacore tuna ...tonight it would be the tuna. Aqua Riva would be just a little more country club to business casual and I would make a res; you are coming out to salmon country...go with the wood grilled wild salmon however if they have a fresh sheet with halibut on it then go with it as there has been a lot of halibut hit the market in recent weeks and I prefer it over salmon....but that's just me.

[F19810]

Thanks PD. I can't believe that I'll be in Vancouver on Thursday. On Saturday, I'll wave to you shorly after leaving Vancouver!

Judy

[Choozin Croozin]

ling cod or the crusted albacore tuna ...tonight it would be the tuna. me.

 

PD - I have never heard of Ling Cod but have seen it on the menu at Dockside too. I'm thinking that this would be the place to try it. Can you tell me if it is a mild fish? I'm not fond of "fishy" fish....... My chef friend is laughing like crazy in heaven right now because he used to yell at me and say, "it's fish, it's supposed to taste like fish". LOL

[Putterdude]

No problem it is a large (long) white fish ... not really cod but but referred to as cod. It has virtually no taste of its own, much like halibut,so relies upon what it is cooked or seasoned with. So if you like white fish like cod, snapper and halibut I am sure that you will enjoy it. If you do a Google search you will find a great deal of information about it.

[Choozin Croozin]

No problem it is a large (long) white fish ... not really cod but but referred to as cod. It has virtually no taste of its own, much like halibut,so relies upon what it is cooked or seasoned with. So if you like white fish like cod, snapper and halibut I am sure that you will enjoy it. If you do a Google search you will find a great deal of information about it.

 

Thank you, AGAIN! This is one more thing I need to add to my list of "things to try on my trip". Believe it or not, I've not had halibut either (also on my list), but I have had whitefish which is available where I live (at least up north), along with cod. This is certainly going to be a trip of new experiences!

 

Well boy, I am sure an idiot. I just went back to the menu at Dockside and it wasn't Ling Cod that I saw, it was Artic Char that I saw, another that I am not familiar with. I will for sure be trying the Ling Cod somewhere though. :)

Edited June 3, 2009 by choozin' cruzin'

[cruiseryyc]

Okay in case you don't know - Arctic Char is very much like salmon, but much better!!

[Putterdude]

Okay in case you don't know - Arctic Char is very much like salmon, but much better!!

 

Now only a person from Alberta would say that.:rolleyes:

[cruiseryyc]

Well I must confess, in my past working life we used to get fresh Arctic Char given us to every Christmas. It was caught one day and we had it in hand the next - fresher than any salmon we can find here! However, fresh BC salmon is the best there is.

[lavalcruiser]

Hello to my fellow countrymen (countrywomen). I am looking for a room for one night prior to our upcoming cruise. Do you know the Hotel "Pacific Palisades" and if so, what do you think about it.

 

Thank you for your answer. :)

[Putterdude]

Well I must confess, in my past working life we used to get fresh Arctic Char given us to every Christmas. It was caught one day and we had it in hand the next - fresher than any salmon we can find here! However, fresh BC salmon is the best there is.

 

I have had seafood in Calgary and Edmonton.....and prefer beef while there.:D

[Putterdude]

Hello to my fellow countrymen (countrywomen). I am looking for a room for one night prior to our upcoming cruise. Do you know the Hotel "Pacific Palisades" and if so, what do you think about it.

 

Thank you for your answer. :)

 

Good hotel in an excellent location on Robson St....kind of a St. Catherines St., lots of shops and restaurants; easy walk to Stanley Park and most other downtown attractions. A good choice.:)

[gracecarmo]

Do we need Canadian dollars for payment or can we use US dollars? Also: aproximate amount? I like to get everything listed on my handy "spread sheet"

 

thanks....

[judynorth]

Do we need Canadian dollars for payment or can we use US dollars? Also: aproximate amount? I like to get everything listed on my handy "spread sheet"

 

thanks....

 

US $$$ are fine unless you are going to be there several days. We paid for most things with a credit card, even the taxi, and we were there for 3 days. We got some CDN $$$ at the atm at the airport but really didn't need to. We wound up spending the last of it at the airport on the way home.

Edited June 4, 2009 by judynorth

[Putterdude]

Do we need Canadian dollars for payment or can we use US dollars? Also: aproximate amount? I like to get everything listed on my handy "spread sheet"

 

thanks....

 

The short answer is no you do not need $CDN in Vancouver.

Now for the longer answer. You certainly can use $US almost everywhere in the city. That said with the CDN$ closing today at about $0.90 US and has been as high at $0.92 this week, do not expect any exchange from retailers, restaurants, etc and you will get your change in CDN. You certainly can use your credit card but I would advise you to check with your credit card company to see what kind of exchange rates and fees they charge on foreign transactions....from experience I can tell you that BofA knows how to charge very well. If you do decide to get some $CDN there are currency exchanges at YVR or you can use an ATM there or at a bank downtown. As an aside, businesses are loath to accept to accept US notes larger than $20 as there has been a fair amount of counterfit $50 and $100 in circulation locally. If you are here just overnight I probably wouldn't bother...for a longer stay, well I might consider it.:)

[BayStateguppy]

Any suggestions for our day in Vancouver if it is raining?

 

I assume that it's not much fun to visit Stanley Park in the rain. I know there is an aquarium but I have older teens and don't think this will hold there interest for long.

[krogerlady]

Sort of wondered about that myself. The weather forecast is not looking good. Ride both loops of the trolley, eat dinner, sleep?