Vancouver Kicks of 2007 Cruise Season
Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver
Photo by Charles Pannell
The Port of Vancouver kicked off its 2007 Alaska cruise season last month, with the arrival of Holland America’s Zaandam on April 28, 2007. And between now and November 2007, Vancouver will welcome over a million Alaska-bound passengers on ships from eight cruise lines at their two cruise ship terminals. May is traditionally a busy month at the port of Vancouver, with cruise ship arrivals nearly every day at the Canada Place or Ballantyne terminals.
Canada Place is located in the city center, close to many attractions; while Ballantyne is located east of the city, about a five minute taxi ride from Canada Place. Wheelchair-access is excellent at both terminals. Cruise lines sailing from Canada Place include Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Radisson Seven Seas and Princess Cruises. Those sailing form the smaller Ballantyne cruise terminal include Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.
Many cruise passengers arrive in Vancouver a few days early for a pre-cruise stay, and Vancouver offers a wide variety of accessible attractions and lodging options close to Canada Place. In fact, the luxurious Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel is located in Canada Place, above the cruise ship terminal. When it’s time to board the ship, guests just take the hotel elevator to the cruise ship level and their luggage is automatically delivered to their stateroom. This is an especially attractive option for wheelers and slow walker who may have trouble managing their luggage.
For more information about the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, visit www.vancouver.panpacific.com and for details about tourist attractions in Vancouver, visit www.tourismvancouver.com.
And for more information about accessible airport transfers, ground transportation, cruise parking, access at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel and accessible attractions for a pre- or post-cruise Vancouver stay, consult the Spring 2007 issue of Emerging Horizons.