Vancouver Shore Excursions on Alaska Cruises
Booking Tours through the Cruise Line vs. Booking Tours Independently
May 29, 2009
For the best overall tours in Vancouver, cruise ship passengers on an Alaska cruise can book a shore excursion directly with a cruise line or book a tour independently.
Vancouver is one of the most popular embarkation and disembarkation ports for an Alaska cruise. In fact, in 2008 the Port of Vancouver welcomed more than 850,000 passengers according to the Port Authority of Vancouver. For those with some extra time to enjoy Vancouver’s attractions, here are some cruise line shore excursions as well as how to book these tours independently.
Vancouver City Tour: Best Overall Tours of Vancouver
- Booking Shore Excursions with a Cruise Line – A Vancouver city tour is offered by most of the cruise lines visiting Vancouver as a embarkation or disembarkation port. Passengers can see the highlights of Vancouver on the way to the airport or to their pre-cruise hotel. Tours are fully commentated, visiting attractions such as Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park and Granville Island Public Market. Princess Cruises charges US $59 per person for a 2.5 hour tour.
- Booking Tours Independently – Visitors can get acquainted with Vancouver’s transportation options and get around the city for a fraction of the cost of a tour.
- Booking Shore Excursions with a Cruise Line – Princess Cruises offers this tour in the form of a prepaid all-day ticket for the Vancouver Trolley and includes the admission to the Vancouver Lookout. The Vancouver Trolley is a hop-on-hop-off trolley that stops at all the major Vancouver attractions, including a stop at the Lookout. Climb 430 feet in 40 seconds via a glass elevator and enjoy a 360 degree view of the city (US $54 per person).
- Booking Tours Independently – Passengers can save money by booking the tour independently. The Vancouver Trolley costs CA $38 per person and the cost for admission to the Lookout is CA $13. Passengers can pay the driver of the Trolley after hopping on at any one of the 24 stops.
- Booking Shore Excursions with a Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises both offer an eight-hour tour that features a 75-mile guided 4x4 SUV drive to Whistler, BC. This tour is only available to guests with flights departing Vancouver Airport after 7 p.m. The excursion includes a drive through Stanley Park, a stop at Shannon Falls, a wilderness gourmet lunch and a walk through the world-class ski resort of Whistler. On the way back to Vancouver Airport, the tour stops at Cypress Mountain (Adult CA $255 per person).
- Booking Tours Independently – The Whistler Mountaineer train departs North Vancouver daily at 8:30am, arriving in Whistler at 11:30am. The train leaves Whistler at 3pm, arriving back in North Vancouver at 6pm (Adult CA $199 roundtrip). Alternatively, the Perimeter Whistler Express Bus departs every two hours from Vancouver airport to Whistler village. The cost is CA $98 roundtrip.
The copyright of the article Vancouver Shore Excursions on Alaska Cruises in Cruise Activities is owned by Renee Ruggero. Permission to republish Vancouver Shore Excursions on Alaska Cruises in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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