The train from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada left early, so it was important to arrive well before departure time at the Seattle train station.
Good thing. The line grew quickly and I'm glad to have arrived before it got too long. At this time, passengers are required to show their passports and receive seat assignments for the Amtrak Cascades. Here's an important tip...you are only allowed 2 carry ons and this is strictly enforced. Be sure and check those bags before getting in line.
A pleasant 4 hours later we arrived in Vancouver. Luggage was just placed in a messy line along an outside fence by the train, so everyone needed to find their own, grab them, and then proceed through customs, which moved quickly and was painless.
We then took a cab to our Vancouver home for the night, the Pan Pacific. You realize how imperative it is to arrive for a cruise a day early, right? There are many, many, sad stories of folks just 'sure' they could arrive the day of departure not being able to do so and miss the ship. Save yourself some stress and don't try.
The Pan Pacific is an upscale hotel attached to the convention center and the port. If your cruise is leaving from the Canada Place docks, there is no more convenient place to stay. A elevator on the lobby level literally takes you to the cruise line check in area, and bell services at the hotel will take your luggage from your room, never to be seen again until it shows up at your stateroom door.
Our room was not ready and we were assured we were being 'moved up' for our room assignment. We explored.
Time passed. We had a drink. Time passed. We enquired and were told oh yes, we were moved up. We explored some more and walked around the docked ships.
Check in time passed by so again came a wait in line at the desk. "Oh yes, your room is ready. You didn't get a call? Well, your luggage is waiting for you, so go on up." We go on up. No luggage. Back down and retrieve luggage. A bit of a fail for a hotel this expensive. The room was very nice as long as you could avoid that annoying habit upscale hotels have of displaying water you have to pay for, a tray full of expensive snacks you don't want, and the refrigerator full of mini bar stuff you daren't touch.
The onsite restaurants are insanely expensive...$30 hamburger types. Luckily, there were stairs down to a hallway that leads to a food court loaded with great choices at reasonable prices.
The best selling point for the Pan Pacific is location. This is the view when we got up the day of our cruise. All small annoyances evaporated and we'll be staying there if our journeys again take us to a cruise departing from Vancouver's Canada Place.
We then took a cab to our Vancouver home for the night, the Pan Pacific. You realize how imperative it is to arrive for a cruise a day early, right? There are many, many, sad stories of folks just 'sure' they could arrive the day of departure not being able to do so and miss the ship. Save yourself some stress and don't try.
The Pan Pacific is an upscale hotel attached to the convention center and the port. If your cruise is leaving from the Canada Place docks, there is no more convenient place to stay. A elevator on the lobby level literally takes you to the cruise line check in area, and bell services at the hotel will take your luggage from your room, never to be seen again until it shows up at your stateroom door.
Our room was not ready and we were assured we were being 'moved up' for our room assignment. We explored.
The best selling point for the Pan Pacific is location. This is the view when we got up the day of our cruise. All small annoyances evaporated and we'll be staying there if our journeys again take us to a cruise departing from Vancouver's Canada Place.
