We had a WONDERFUL time. 14 of us took a 2 day cruise FROM San Francisco to Vancouver, Canada on Holland America Cruiselines. Then we stayed 3 nights at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Downtown Vancouver.
The ship was great. Holland America is laid back – an older crew of people, no over the top excitement. They do have the nightly Broadway type of show, art show, game show, cooking show AND THE BB KING CLUB! That was the savings grace. There was the BB King All Star Band who played other songs besides blues. The club is definitely viable. It was interesting to see the people who appeared to be “all stuck up” having a ball in the BB King club, dancing up a storm. Oprah Winfred has a signature lecture series – or something. I didn’t query what that was about. Too short a trip BUT, I did go to “the club” both nights.
I shared a balcony cabin. The balcony was a nice size where I could stretch my legs out. The twin beds felt like an original twin bed, not a cot like on some other ships. We were to have received a fruit basket daily as part of our fare but, only got it one day. The cabin had it’s own thermostat that was easy to operate and kept a good temperature. We also had a FULL, deep bathtub. AMAZING!!! So, the bathroom was larger than other cabins – quite doable. The large TV monitor was mounted directly in from of the beds with plenty of free movies, music of different genres, world news and lots of information about the ship’s offerings , the ports and excursions. We had a fully stocked refrigerator AND more than 1 electrical socket! Lighting was great, in that there were small bedside lights that served as a night lights. No real WiFi – UGH. Room services was free and a little slow. The food was ok.
I prefer to use the main dining room for my meals. The menu was not impressive yet, the food was doable. 3 of us had birthdays while on the ship. We were all disappointed in the birthday dessert – chocolate mousse, maybe. any way, it was too stiff with little flavor. We all opted for the regular dessert menu which had decadent chocolate cake. Most of the group liked the buffet food. The late night buffet was good – I had Chinese.
They were quite organized in getting us off the ship. THAT was impressive.
I had arranged for a tour company to pick us up and take us on a city tour. We were to have originally arrived in Vancouver at 11 am. Check in for the hotel was a 4 pm;thus, to bridge the gap we took the 4+hr tour. Well, the day before the trip, we were told we would get into Vancouver at 2:3o pm instead of 11 am. The day before we arrived we were told the ship wouldn’t arrive until 3:30 pm. There was no way to contact the tour company to make new arrangements without making that “roaming” call. Alfred, from Vancouver Private Tours , was willing and flexible enough to make the change with no additional charges. We actually got into Vancouver at 1 pm and everybody was off the ship by 2:30. Alfred was great. Matthew, Alfred’s nephew, was our driver and tour guide. After a little confusion , Vancouver Private Tours arrived earlier than planned, scooped us u, bags and all and the city tour began. Due to a malady, one of our ladies needed to go to the hotel asap. Matthew made it happen with no problem, no extra charge. Matthew was amicable, witty, knowledgeable and resourceful. We learned a lot from Matthew. The downtown area of Vancouver is a lot like New York city – high rises everywhere! A downtown rental apartment easily runs $1000.00 per square foot. WOW! We were shown the area where many homeless lived, the Canucks’s Stadium, we visit a winery, several “regular” neighborhoods with individual homes that I could relate too, The art district, China town, and Granville Island where we at diner at a fantastic seafood restaurant. The city is encouraging cycling by cutting out a driving lane for bike lanes – just like here in the Bay Area – ugh. However, their auto row is REAL different – Bugatti’s, Bentley’s, Maybachs, Lamborghini’s, Ferrari and other’s I have NEVER hear of. WOW!
After dinner we went to the hotel and called it a night – it was after 9 pm. Everyone was comfortable and pleased with the accommodation. the rooms were large. I had room service breakfast the next day, got sick – diarrhea. I was down for the count for 1 day. I had not structured anything for the group. They were on their own. Some went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, the Tea House, shopping, back to Granville Island where they were several shops that made hand made shoes, the virtual helicopter tour of the city , etc. All in all EVERY ONE had a great time. I have already booked next years trip for the group – 3 day s cruise to Vancouver from San Francisco – May 5 – 8, 2019. Next year they added the island of Victoria as a port stop. We will still stay 3 days in Vancouver. There is SO much to see, I could go every year for a while and still see something different each time.
You should join us. 3 days is a great opportunity to try a cruise if you have never done it before. Also, it’s affordable to splurge on a balcony cabin. Think about. Call me – 510-393- 3802 – Jackson Travel Store – WE SPECIALIZE IN FUN!
Marshagogo – out
