Alaska Cruise from Vancouver

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Irish Lassie

Guest
WE are sailing out of Vancouver on September 17th on RCCL Radiance. We have been given the choice of arriving in Vancouver on either the 14th or 15th and need some help in deciding!!

Bearing in mind that the day we arrive it will be 4.30pm and the day we disembark the cruise we will not be flying out until 6.30 pm (an internal flight to Las Vegas). Therefore, the choice is really 2 days or 3 days in Vancouver.

Forgive my ignorance, but can anyone suggest things to do (besides shopping - I have that one figured, shopaholic that I am!!). Are there any nearby day-trips worth taking?? And is it worth flying in the extra day??

HELP!
 
G

GloBug

Guest
If I could, I would fly in 3 days early. I know there are lots of things to see and do in this beautiful city. I know the natives will chime in, but IMHO, go as early as you can. Lots nature at it's finest here...
 
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BSeabob

Guest
We have great thngs to see and do/ Come early Stay late. Look here!!
<http://www3.telus.net/cruise_watch/info.htm>
 
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Irish Lassie

Guest
What an excellent website BSeabob. We have booked our flights and arrive in Vancouver 3 days before our cruise and now I just can't wait to get there!! Thanks for the advice
 
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IBCAR18

Guest
BSeabob......What a great site there. I checked it out and really enjoyed it. Thanks! I am debating on either staying in Seattle pre-cruise one nite and taking the Amtrak train into Vancouver morning of cruise 8/27. After viewing this website I might have changed my mind. I just might head for Vancouver once our plane lands and stay there pre-cruise!!!
 
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BSeabob

Guest
IBCAR18
You can't go wrong either way actually. Seattle is nice also. If you do consider the train (Amtrac) make sure its really the train. There is only one each way everyday the rest of the routes are done by busses.
 
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IBCAR18

Guest
BSeabob.............After much debating, I think we have decided to play it safe and head towards Vancouver once we land on Friday morning in Seattle. I'm am just concerned about the 0745 train Saturday morning to Vancouver. My luck, something would happen and we'd miss the ship!!! So, with that being said I am going to go ahead and book at room at Vancouver on Priceline. I understand this is the way to go........your thoughts?
 
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BSeabob

Guest
About coming straight up...go for it........ its supposed to be a holiday so stay in YOUR comfort zone..
Haven't done Priceline myself but from what I have read and heard shud work just fine and get you a good rate.
 
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IBCAR18

Guest
Anyone used skyauction.com for room bidding? They have the Marriott Pinnacle downtown Vancouver on there. Looks like someone got it last nite for like eighty something dollars! Not familiar with this site at all. Has anyone used this site and can shed some light on it?
 
J

jrmende63

Guest
BSeabob Wrote:
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> you are
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> give me a shout if I can be of more help on
> specifics
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> THE INFINITY in:
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> "We're all Here Cause we're not all there (yet)"
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> Edited 1 times. Last edit at 01/25/05 02:17PM by
> BSeabob.

Hi there BSeabob...I have our hotel booked at Richmond .. Sandman hotel...questions are: how long will it take (approx) to get to Canada place by taxi? And do you know anything about this hoteL? And where would you eat for Dinner and Breakfast before going on our Dream cruise, May 17, 2006 to ALASKA! It is our 25th wedding anniversary trip! thanks Julie
 
C

campngrl

Guest
We are flying out of Vancouver to Atlanta when we get off the Radiance. How soon will I be able to find out what time my flight home will be? I know we arrive in Vancouver at 7:00 am according to itinerary but I dont know how much time I have to look around Vancouver before my plane leaves. My TA said she cant tell me that information that I would have to wait until I receive my papers which will be 2 weeks before we sail. Does that sound normal?
Lynn
 
Y

Yukon

Guest
There is no solid connection between your cruise and flight - your TA is just being lazy. Normally the flight is tied fairly tightly to your ship arrival, though, so there is no time to see Vancouver and you transfer directly to the airport. Staying in Vancouver for one night is highly recommended and only slightly more complicated. Car rentals are cheap in Vancouver, and allow you the freedom to see Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain, the UBC Museum of Anthropology (one of the world's finest totem pole collections), and lots more.

Murray
 
B

BSeabob

Guest
jrmende63 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hi there BSeabob...I have our hotel booked at
> Richmond .. Sandman hotel...questions are: how
> long will it take (approx) to get to Canada place
> by taxi? And do you know anything about this
> hoteL? And where would you eat for Dinner and
> Breakfast before going on our Dream cruise, May
> 17, 2006 to ALASKA! It is our 25th wedding
> anniversary trip! thanks Julie
> Julie
> Proud mom of Andrew , X-ray tech and Dustin, USN
> :USN

Hi Julie

Missed this while I was away.

Sandman is a mid range hotel chain with a fairly good rep througout the Province. I don't known this property personally but being in the Richmond area will be your usual airport adventure I'm sure.

By cab its almost as far to the Port as the Airport so depending on the time of day will take youa while. If traffic is lite 30 mins if bad more.

Vncouver is full of restaurants and mostly good. Go to Granville Island and eat there somewhere ..lots of choices and you will not go wrong.

Enjoy the planning
 
C

Cruizer

Guest
IBCAR18 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BSeabob......What a great site there. I checked
> it out and really enjoyed it. Thanks! I am
> debating on either staying in Seattle pre-cruise
> one nite and taking the Amtrak train into
> Vancouver morning of cruise 8/27. After viewing
> this website I might have changed my mind. I just
> might head for Vancouver once our plane lands and
> stay there pre-cruise!!!
>

Do NOT count on the train to get you to the port on time the day the ship leaves! Amtrak does not have a good on time record. Now I realize you are thinking, it is a short trip, so what if it is 30 minutes late, I'll still make the ship. Well, the train from Seattle has to come from somewhere. I took the train once. It was two hours late on a 13 hour trip. And that was good. The train going the other way was 8 hours late, as was the train I was supposed to take back home. Eight hours late meant I would not make it to work the following day. I flew home (and received a refund from Amtract). If the train gets into Seattle 4 hours late, it will leave four hours late, and you could end up missing the boat - literally!

Taking the train the day before would be fine. But taking the train the day the ship leaves is much too risky.
 
B

BSeabob

Guest
FYI
Trains from Seattle run only in the AM and the Train STARTS there around 7:30 AM. It does not come in late from anywhere. The train is suppposed to arrive in Vancouver around 11:40 AM.

Recently I took that route and it was indeed on time...and we even had to stop once to fix the "frim fram" under one of the cars.

The cab guy that we rode with in Vancouver said that the train is usually in between 11:30 and 12:30 so ...take it from there. I highly recommend the experience (go business class)

One always must be prepared as best possible for delays. User beware of course.

NOw trains further south along the coast always come from somewhere else (except Seattle in the North /LA in the south?)) and indeed are almost always late and this summer were running up to 6 hrs. late. sometimes.
 
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