Vancouver: Cruise Gateway to Alaska

Canada Place in Vancouver is the port most cruise ships sail out of for summer cruises to Alaska. Once known as the Canada Pavilion for the 1986 World’s Fair, the last world’s fair in North America. Place, it is now a mixed-use commercial facility-- home to the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Pan Pacific Hotel, The Vancouver Port Authority Corporate Offices, Cruise Ship Terminal, The CN IMAX Theatre, World Trade Centre Office Complex and Citipark parking facility.

Other popular events at Canada Place include Canada Day and the Burrard Inlet Fireworks Show a celebration of Quebec and BC, and the site of the 150 year celebration featuring a Tall Ship parade, including the HMS Bounty, the ship featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006).

Nearby Whistler’s Mountain will be the location for the 2010 Winter Olympics, so if you’re coming in for an Alaska cruise, you can get a sneak preview and tour the Whistler Sliding Center: the Official site of the Olympic bobsleigh, luge and skeleton venue.

If you’re short of time and convenience is of utmost importance, why not schedule an overnight stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel, located right at Canada Place and within walking distance of the cruise ship port?

But if you have extra touring time, you may want to see the local sites that Vancouver is known for. Surrounded by water on three sides and with the Coastal range as its backdrop, Vancouver is a beautiful city. For a self-guided walking tour, you may want to check out Gas Town and China Town. For more information, see the City of Vancouver’s Visitor Guide. For guided tours, you can research the internet or check with your travel agent.

Butchart Gardens on Victoria Island is a popular place to tour, and Alaska cruises that begin in Seattle usually stop there. But if you’re embarking in Vancouver and want to see the beautiful Butchart Gardens, you will need to tour on your own or book with a reputable tour guide company. While on Victoria Island, don’t forget to stop at the Empress Hotel to get a peek of the grandeur and elegance of a bygone era. Don’t forget to dress properly if you plan on having afternoon tea there.

Note: As of January 23, 2007, travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. This requirement will apply to all air travel and will be extended to all land and sea border crossings as early as sometime in June 2009.

For more information, visit the US Department of State's travel website or your travel agent.

For flights, hotels and city breaks in Vancouver visit Lastminute.com.

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