VANCOUVER AND CANADA PLACE

The driving distance between Medford, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia is listed as 588 miles and takes 10 hours. After deciding to book a 14-day Alaska cruise that was going to depart from Vancouver, driving seemed the reasonable option. After all, my Prius averages 48 mpg. That was BEFORE I checked airfares. 

July 27, 2019 was the first day I went online to check flights to Vancouver. I was right. Vancouver was very expensive and driving seemed the best option.  To my surprise however, the fare was only $49 for a one-way flight to Seattle. I know what you are thinking – but Seattle is still 150 miles from Vancouver.

Let me introduce you to Quick Shuttle. 

I began using Quick Shuttle several years ago and have always been very satisfied with their service.  Why?  

·       Multiple departures every day

·       Multiple pickup locations

·       Free high speed wi-fi

·       USB ports at every seat

·       Free on-board movies

·       Unlimited changes

·       Tickets valid for one year

·       They offer senior rates

But none of these benefits represent my number 1 reason for using them. I will reveal that a bit later.

Once you land in Seattle and have claimed your baggage, walk to the far south end of the baggage claim area.  You will find a large waiting area just to the right of door 02 and door 00, near baggage carousel 1 and adjacent to the Gina Marie Lindsey arrival hall.

Waiting area at door 02 and 00

I typically wait here until 10-15 minutes before departure and will then exit through door 02 and make my way to the loading bays.

Door 02 exit

I normally wait under the #2 or #3 bay but Quick Shuttle will pull into any open slot. There are also very few outside seats available for waiting so you may want to stay inside until you see the bus pull into the bay. You will be looking for a maroon bus with yellow letters clearly marked QUICK SHUTTLE on the front and side. 

Quick Shuttle Bus

I have boarded at various locations over the years.  On one occasion I opted to board in Bellingham Washington, leaving my car in their long term parking lot. 

Now to reveal my #1 reason for using Quick Shuttle. It is for the ease and convenience of crossing the US/Canada border.  The Quick Shuttle route crosses at the Blaine-Surrey border, also called the Pacific Highway border, one of the busiest border crossings between the United States and Canada. 

Depending on the time of day you might have been trying to cross the Blaine-Surrey border on Sunday, August 25^th of this year, you could have found yourself delayed several hours. 

Blaine-Surry Border Crossing

I have taken Quick Shuttle numerous times between the USA and Canada with a maximum crossing time to be less than twenty-five minutes.  Both my Northbound August 25^th and my Southbound September 9^th crossings were no exception.  In fact, on the September 9^th crossing, all passengers aboard the Quick Shuttle bus, who disembarked from the Norwegian Jewel and boarded that morning at Canada Place, were not required to have their luggage screened.  We were given a “pass” and our luggage remained on the bus while we went inside to clear immigration and customs.  

One of my favorite little boutique hotels in downtown Vancouver is the Victorian Hotel. Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the Victorian Hotel is a newly renovated property in a beautiful Victorian style brick building that dates back to 1898. With 47 beautifully appointed rooms, the Victorian Hotel is within walking distance of Rogers Arena and BC Place Stadium and just a short stroll to Gastown, Yaletown, and the Robson Shopping District. The Waterfront Skytrain station is only 3.5 blocks away.

Quick Shuttle’s closest stop to the Victorian Hotel is the Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver at 435 West Pender Street. This is just a block from the Victorian but quite often the driver will let me off on the corner of Homer and Pender.

 

The Victorian Hotel is not a handicap accessible property nor does it have an elevator. General Manager Brian McLauchlin tells me that the next renovation will include street access, an elevator and an expanded breakfast room.  Without street access or elevators you must negotiate approximately 12 steps to access the hotel lobby. Staff is more than willing to assist with your luggage and you can always request 1^st floor. 

Front entrance to Victorian Hotel

Stairs to Victorian Hotel front desk

On my last visit I stayed in room 109 which is a King room with private bath.  Elegantly appointed in all white linens, duvet cover, towels and even coat hangers. The room also provides a safe for storing those valuables. 

Hallway to room 109

 

King Room

Private bath

 My only complaint with room 109 was the proximity to the alley and the trash dumpsters. Luckily, I am a morning person because city trash pickup begins promptly at 6am and the Victorian Hotel must be their first stop.  Though short in duration, the most annoying noise was the glass items from the recycle dumpster. 

The Victorian offers on-site secure parking for a nominal fee, as well as friendly and knowledgeable staff to answer your questions and assist with directions.  Each room also supports high speed password protected wifi.  Additional room amenities include hairdryers, iron and ironing board, LG flatscreen TV and complimentary in-room coffee. Room 109 also contained a portable air conditioner vented through the window but I did not find a need to use it during my short stay. 

Shortly after my arrival into Vancouver I met a local relative for dinner.  At her suggestion reservations were made at The Cactus Club Coal Harbour.

Entrance to Cactus Club Coal Harbour in Vancouver

The closest parking garage to The Cactus Club is at Canada Place. Our parking fee totaled $11 Canadian dollars. If you have accessibility issues you may want to park elsewhere as I was unable to locate an elevator and had to climb one flight of steps to get to ground level, where The Cactus Club is located. 

We were fortunate to have seating that afforded panoramic views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park and the Olympic Cauldron. 

Inside Cactus Club Coal Harbour

We also enjoyed watching the Harbour Air seaplanes as they scurried in, out and around the harbor. Founded in British Columbia in 1982 with just two small de Havilland Beaver seaplanes, the company employs over 400 full time employees and operates over 30,000 flights yearly. 

View of seaplanes from inside Cactus Club Coal Harbour

 

The Cactus Club offers a full menu as well as beer, wine and mixed drink selections.  Slightly pricey but the food was excellent and the views were stunning. 

Watching the sun set at The Cactus Club

For dessert the selection would be Key Lime Pie made with freshly squeezed key limes, graham cracker crust and hand whipped cream.  Yum!

The Cactus Club Key Lime Pie

We left The Cactus Club and headed back to the Victorian Hotel for the evening.  

Leaving The Cactus Club

A complimentary continental breakfast awaited us the following morning. Checkout was 11am but before heading down to Canada Place to board the Norwegian Jewel, a light breakfast was in order.  The seating area holds a maximum of 24 and can get congested sometimes.  Selections included cold cereal, yogurt, Belgian waffles, bread, croissants, 3 types of pastries, coffee, tea and water.  I was unable to find any type of juices offered. 

If you do not have large checked bags then I can suggest walking from the Victorian Hotel to Canada Place for your cruise check-in.  

Walking route to Canada Place

This trip was only 14 days so I traveled with a small roller bag and a backpack. I opted to walk the short distance which took 10 minutes. 

My walking route to the cruise pier

Even before you enter Canada Place there are a large number of staff members to help direct you. 

STOP #1 LUGGAGE - is where you will drop your bags.  I was able to bypass this stop and went directly to STOP #2 CHECK-IN.  The process was quick and efficient and took no more than 15 minutes.  Next would be SECURITY CHECK, followed lastly by CANADIAN IMMIGRATIONS.  I found myself stepping aboard the Norwegian Jewel at 12:30pm.  Entrance to your assigned cabin is restricted until after 1:30pm. Oh well . . . just enough time for lunch at O'Sheehan's.

O'Sheehans Bar and Grill on the Norwegian Jewel

A little after 2pm the announcement was made that cabins were ready.  The flight, the bus trip, the overnight stay, the dinner and the embarkation process for the Norwegian Jewel all proved to be smooth, efficient and stress free.  Now it was time to sit back, relax and soak in the next 14 days and all that Alaska has to offer.  

Norwegian Jewel