Vancouver and Victoria
The last stop of our Princess Alaska Cruise Tour was Vancouver and Victoria. After disembarking our cruise, we had the opportunity to do a few must-do activities in the area including Stanley Park and Butchart Gardens.
We spent two weeks and traveled thousands of miles to see some of the best Alaska has to offer. We started our journey in Fairbanks Alaska, visited Denali National Park, took a scenic train ride from Talkeetna to Whittier, and then boarded a southbound cruise through Alaska’s inside passage. Our journey ended in Vancouver.
Disembarkation and Hotel Transfer
Disembarkation in Vancouver was easy. After a short delay, we left the ship, retrieved our luggage, and hopped on a bus for the one-mile journey to our hotel for the weekend, the Westin Bayshore. While we could have easily walked to the hotel, the transfer made it easy as we did have several bags.
When we arrived, there was a special cruise check in area. The team made check in easy. Our room was ready early so we were able to drop off our bags.
Westin Room Tour
We had a nice room with a king-sized bed, plenty of light, a desk, and a chair.
Other room amenities included a large closet with two robes and an umbrella available for use, a senseo-style coffee maker, and a small refrigerator. Outlets and USB outlets were available on one of the nightstands.
Our room has an accessible bathroom which means that there is a level floor through the bathroom and shower. Overall, the bathroom & tile shower was nice. The shower did have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
The hotel had an upscale vibe with several fitness-oriented activities available such as a Peleton workout area and a Westin yoga and wellness studio, probably for an extra charge. We found the micro-green growing display to be interesting.
Outside was a nice pool, interesting wooden saunas, and a sitting area with Adirondack chairs & firepits.
While we started our day with a great breakfast on the Sapphire Princess, before we knew it we were ready for lunch. As it was a bit of a rainy day, we searched for nearby options and found Cardero’s was very close. Erling had a fantastic burger served with fries and a salad. Judy opted for salmon burger which turned out to be a nice piece of salmon on a bun. The restaurant had a nice marina view.
Bicycling in Stanley Park
After lunch, the rain cleared providing us with a sunny but windy afternoon. The Westin offers bicycles to borrow for 2 hours at no additional charge so we decided to take a ride around nearby Stanley Park. The park offers several trails. We opted for the Stanley Park Seawall which is 9 km (5.6 miles). This was a nice, paved, level trail with views of the harbor, city, and we even saw cruise ships departing. Another option is to take one of the Forest Trails which offer 27 km (16 miles) of trails.
Biking through Stanley Park was a great ride and a nice way to spend the afternoon. While we were able to borrow bikes from the Westin, there are a variety of bike rental options. If the weather cooperates, we highly recommend checking out this great park.
After returning our bikes, we decided to walk along the waterfront toward Canada Place where the cruise ships dock. It was a nice walk and we enjoyed the stroll.
After having a large breakfast and lunch, we were looking for a light bite for dinner. We stumbled upon a small Mexican restaurant, Quesada, and enjoyed tacos. We had an early start the next day, so we opted to head back to the Westin to get a good nights sleep.
Excursion to Victoria
I had tried to book an after-cruise excursion with Princess but for some reason it didn’t list any. We had booked our hotel through them but it must not have recognized the after-cruise stay as part of the trip.
In this case, we opted to try Viator which is a web site that provides tour options in many destinations. There were a large number of tours available but we selected a full-day adventure to Vancouver Island/Victoria. We booked the Victoria and Butchart Gardens Tour provided by Gray Line. While our tour started at 9:30, the information provided indicated we should be ready and in the lobby 30-45 minutes prior to departure.
We also checked on if this could be booked directly with the tour operator. It could. However, we discovered that by going through Viator, we didn’t have to pay until the day before the adventure and we could book in USD rather than CDN. It made booking the adventure easy and relatively risk-free.
We were picked up right on time and then the bus stopped for additional passengers at several other hotels. From the hotels to the ferry was about an hour ride.
Once we reached the ferry terminal, we were able to get off the bus for a short break. The terminal offered a variety of quick serve dining options as well as a bathroom break for those who needed it. We opted to get coffee at the 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters.
After our brief stop, the ferry began to load. It was huge and could accommodate trucks, buses, and RVs with ease. One on board, we were able to exit the bus for the ferry ride. There are multiple decks offering inside and outside seating. The two-hour ferry ride to Vancouver Island was beautiful. We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the views.
As the ferry journey ended, we boarded the bus for the journey to the main destination for the day, Butchart Gardens.
Butchart Gardens started as a quarry run by the Butchart family. They built gardens at their residence. Once the limestone quarry was exhausted, they began to transform it into a sunken garden. Over the course of decades, this amazing garden was created. The plants and flowers here were amazing and we enjoyed our time wandering the gardens.
After another bus ride, we arrived in Victoria. Our time here was short but we enjoyed it. Judy got some amazing fish & chips from a small restaurant Red Fish Blue Fish while Erling enjoyed a local Intergalactic root beer.
We walked around the riverfront area and parliament building. Watching the small water taxis and the seaplanes was interesting.
Before we knew it, it was time to begin the return trip to our hotel. This excursion gave us a nice taste of Vancouver Island and Victoria. We can’t wait to come back for a longer visit.
Departing Vancouver
We departed Vancouver early in the morning. Our package included a voucher for a taxi ride to the airport. Even though it was early, we didn’t wait long and cab driver ensured an efficient ride so we could make it to the airport at 4:00 am. The taxi voucher was easy, just fill in the amount and give to the driver. The airport process was easy and before too long, we were on a plane headed for home.
We highly recommend adding stays before and after a cruise. Our stay in Vancouver was shore and we left wanting to come back for more. Hopefully we’ll have the chance to visit again in the future.
If you like this, be sure to check out the rest of our Alaska Adventure series.
Pike’s Waterfront Lodge Fairbanks
Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge
McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge
Alaska Cruise Itinerary & Ports
Sapphire Princess Alaska Cruise
Vancouver and Victoria YouTube Video
Check out more information on our visit in our Vancouver and Victoria YouTube video.
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