Just thought I'd give a heads up to anyone coming to Vancouver for a cruise this year.

There are traffic delays downtown as streets are closed or narrowed for the construction of new underground transit lines heading south. There is also construction at the airport where one of the new stops is being built.

So watch your connection times when arriving or departing Vancouver.

The good news is that by 2009 you'll be able to catch a train at the airport which will take you to your downtown hotel or cruise ship.

We get in from Alaska in the a.m. Were planning on some sightseeing till our plane leaves at 11 p.m. Any suggestions for us?

Check with one of the hotels near the terminal like the Pan Pacific to see if they will check your bags for you.

There are tour companies that offer day trips around Vancouver but the downtown area is easy to explore on your own.
If its raining you may want to look into the tours.

First head off to Stanley Park which is about a mile west of the downtown terminal. There is a great aquarium there if you are into that.

A few blocks east of the terminal is Gastown where there are some interesting shops and places for lunch.

The best shopping area is around Robson Street starting at Pacific Centre Mall and then going west.

Vancouver has a lot of great restaurants so do an internet search on the kind you like.

I would wait until after rush hour to leave for the airport so have dinner downtown and then head out about 8:00 - 8:30 pm which will give you lots of time to check in for your flight and enjoy some of the shops and sights at the airport.

Thanks so much for the info. Will we need to get a taxi or can we walk to where we want to go?

It depends on the weather and your age/health.

All places mentioned can be walked to. The farthest place is Stanley Park. It is about 1 mile to the park entrance and you can walk anywhere from a mile to 5 miles to see all that the park offers.

We will have a full day in Vancouver prior to departure. We are booked at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. We have already booked thru Grayline a tour to Butc. Gardens/Empress Hotel, etc. We would love to do a little exploring in Vancouver prior to being picked up by Princess to go to the ship. Is there anything within walking distance of the hotel that we could do?
We thought about the 2 hr. Trolley Tour...just riding and sightseeing and not getting off of the trolley. Again, it is dependant on the time that Princess will transfer us from the hotel to the ship.