Day 1 and 2: Burlington to Vancouver and Boarding

Day 1 and 2: Burlington to Vancouver and Boarding

We started off the day at 3:00 AM Tuesday, July 26, 2011.  Off to the airport by 4:00AM (thanks Steph).  Each of our bags made the 50 pound limit.  We each had two carryons.  One of mine was stuffed with electronic equipment (chargers for ipod, itouch, two phones and two cameras, tripod, etc.), so the TSA agents took the bag apart.  They did help put it together again.  Doreen was wearing a flowing dress, so she earned a patdown. Onto the plane and off we go at 6:00AM.  Into Chicago on time.  Flight from Chicago to Vancouver was packed. Unfortunately, Doreen and I had to sit three rows apart for this four hour flight.  United offered only soda or water.  If you wanted snacks or meals, you had to pay for it.  $9.00 for a ham sandwich! 

Got into Vancouver airport on time at 12:10PM Vancouver time.About an hour to get then customs, then finding our bags and grabbing a taxi.  Interesting that all the taxis are Prius'.  It's about a half hour drive to the Pan Pacific hotel in Canada Place from the airport.

Checked in at the hotel and dropped off our stuff.  By now it is about 2:30 and we are starved.  So, we walked over to the Steamworks Brewing Company. Great food!  Love their dry ribs.  They are basically ribs that have been fried like chicken wings.

By the time we were done eating, it was about 3:30.  We had planned on going over to Granville Island, but figured that by the time we got over there everything would be shutting down.  So, we decided to walk around Canada Place and check out possible tours.  Most of the tours are shutting down by 5. We went back to the hotel room.  Wrong decision!  We were suffering from jet lag and were really tired.    So, we ended up making calls back home and then settling down for the night.

Day 2 - Vancouver and Boarding

Awoke at 6AM Vancouver time.  Went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant - buffet style.  Has a great view of the bay.  We noted that the Island Princess was already in.  We watched the Holland America cruise ship coming in.  We decided to check out a city tour since we couldn't board until at least noon.  We found a booth right outside the hotel.  We chose the pink bus tour because there was a real guide on board.  We noted some of the tours had a recording.  Also, the bus is a double decker bus that is covered.  The tour takes two one hour loops through the city: the first loop through Stanley Park and the West End and Yaletgown, and the second loop through downtown,  gastown and Chinatown. If you want to take the ferry over to Granville Island, it is included in the price of the ticket.  Also, they will give you tickets to the Klahowya Village in Stanley Park.  Unfortunately, we figured we only had time for the two loops.  It was very enjoyable.

We got back to the hotel at around 11AM and checked out of the hotel.  We placed the Princess luggage tags on the luggage and arranged for the hotel staff to transport the luggage to the ship.  Then we decided to go down and fight the battle through customs.  The lines were about as long as they were at the airport and it took about an hour to get through.  After that, getting through the Princess line was a piece of cake.  We got our room cards, got our first pictures taken and were on the boat by 12:30.  We went to our room and met our steward (her name was Maryknell) and arranged for the extension cord for Doreen's CPAP, some extra pillows and bath robes.  Never had to ask again.

The treasure hunt didn't start until 1, so we decided to go to lunch in the Horizon Court.  We got a good idea of what was available ( a large variety).  Then we did the treasure hunt which consists of visiting about 9 different areas, such as the Lotus Spa, the exercise area, the photography area, the universe lounge, the casino, etc..  The Lotus spa tour was the longest in that they went over every specific area.  Of course, my wife enjoyed this part. We also picked up a coffee card and mug for Doreen.  Muster was at 3:45 and the bon voyage party was at 4:30. (Note:  when you come out of the elevator at the bon voyage party, you are presented with a drink and then asked for your card.  This was our first mistake, as we were charged $10 per drink.  Oh well, at least we got a plastic Princess glass as a keepsake).

After hanging around on the Lido deck as we left Vancouver Bay, we decided to head back to the room.  One piece of luggage had arrived.  Luckily, we had set a change of clothes in our carry on packs.  We decided to head for dinner at 6:30 PM (we had anytime dining).  As we were walking down the hallway to dinner, we could see our luggage heading to our rooms.

There was a line at the restaurant.  Those who wanted a separate table were given a pager.  If you were willing to share a table, you were seated right away.  We accepted the offer to share a table and were whisked to a table for 8.  This turned out to be great for us.  The other three couples were nice and we had some good conversations.  We had prime rib and salmon cutlets and some excellent desserts.   

After dinner, we decided to walk around and get to know the areas better.  Had to walk off the dinner.  Then we went back to the room, opened the balcony door and enjoyed the fresh air while we unpacked.  We fell asleep with the balcony door open

Vancouver pictures
Island Princess Pictures