Vancouver - Celebrity Eclipse Honolulu to Vancouver Land Cruise Trip - May 21-22, 2023

 The end always comes too soon.  This would be our last morning on the ship.  We were up super early to catch the sunrise, cruising under the Lions Gate Bridge, and arriving in Vancouver.  Getting up early and bundling up on deck with the cool temperatures and wind was definitely worth it.

Nieuw Amsterdam approaching the Lions Gate Bridge

Lots of cargo ships were anchored in this area

Vancouver city skyline

Vancouver Canada Place (cruise pier) can hold 3 ships.  The Nieuw Amsterdam is already docked.  We would dock on the left side.  The Brilliance of the Seas would later dock on the angle.  Not realizing they were coming in this morning, I missed their docking and was a bit puzzled to see that ship as we walked off the gangway.

We booked an excursion through Celebrity titled Sea to Sky Experience and Shannon Falls with Airport Transfer.  Our flights weren't scheduled until the next day so we had booked an airport hotel with a free airport shuttle.

We met at 7:45 a.m. in Celebrity Central to meet our excursion but they were slow getting all the luggage set up in the terminal.  I understand customs may have required some additional screening of the luggage.  When our excursion was called, we proceeded to the gangway, collected our luggage and headed to customs.  Somehow we managed to get in the customs lane that had no agent and so were able to just walk through to meet our group and board our bus.  Canada Place has space underground for all the buses to park which was really convenient.

This excursion turned out to be quite amazing.  Our guide pointed out sights as we headed towards the Sea to Sky Highway which had breathtaking scenery.  Our first stop was Shannon Falls, a waterfall about 1,100 feet tall, the third tallest in British Columbia.  As you approached the view platform you could feel the spray of the water and hear the power of the water.  

Bear proof trash/recycling cans

From the falls, we could see the Sea to Sky Gondolas, our next stop, so it was only a short drive to that parking lot.  

The gondolas can hold up to 8 people and take about 10 minutes to reach the top which is about 2,900 feet above Howe Sound (North America's southernmost fjord).  There are 39 gondolas that run continuously and I understand that they can handle about 600 people an hour on the ride.  You can see Shannon Falls as you climb.  When you reach the top there is the Summit Lodge with dining, restrooms, and a gift shop plus a suspension bridge and lots of trails.  I would have loved more time to explore some of the trails.

Our excursion ended at the airport where we called for a shuttle to our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton Vancouver Airport.  It didn't take too long for the shuttle to arrive and we were soon checking into our hotel.  Our room got upgraded to a corner room with a nice bathroom.  The hotel was in an interesting neighborhood clearly in the middle of a large Asian population living in Vancouver.  All the stores and restaurants had their signs in Chinese and other Asian languages first with English following.  

For simplicity though, we just ate in the hotel restaurant which was Italian themed and seemed to have opened fairly recently.  The hotel had turned part of the lobby into restaurant space.  The food was good although service a bit slower than we would have liked after a long day.  

We tried to go to bed early as we had a very early flight the next morning.

Travel days are never fun and the next day would be no exception. Paul and I took the 4:00 a.m. hotel shuttle with four other couples to the Vancouver International Airport.   Paul's mom was scheduled for the 6:00 a.m. shuttle as her flight was later.

Our first flight scheduled for 6:00 a.m. was to Calgary and so we headed to the domestic terminal only to discover the line for WestJet (the Delta partner for our first two flights) was incredibly long.  We had not been able to check in on the app and the kiosks at the airport told us to see a gate agent for assistance.  Talking with others, it appeared we were not the only ones with this problem.  A line this long before we even reached security lines, definitely caused us some anxiety. Fortunately, the line moved quickly.

The next stop was security. We actually got to keep our shoes on but laptops, liquids, etc. all had to be removed from our bags. As bins of belongings came out of the x-ray machine, many were diverted for a second inspection. Three of our bins headed that direction. They did a close inspection of both my camera and my laptop plus opened up our carryon wheeled suitcase. By the time we made it to our gate, they were starting boarding. I had enough time to fill up my water bottle but not find breakfast before boarding. Fortunately, we had brought a few snacks.

When we landed in Calgary, we made the long walk towards the E terminal where USA flights left from. At the entrance to that terminal, we had to go through security again (this time taking our shoes off as well to meet US standards). This time two of our bins got pulled aside for inspection. For this inspection, they opened up my SeaLife SportDriver underwater iPhone housing and had some questions about the pump that removes air from the housing.   They also inspected our door magnets.

After security, pre-clearance through US Customs was next and although there was a bit of a line, it moved quickly. Our gate was the furthest one down the E terminal. We took a moment to use the restrooms and grab a little food (as we were starving) and then made it to our gate just as we expected boarding to start. Fortunately, the flight was delayed as they cooled the plane down so we actually had a moment to breathe and sit.  We ran into a couple who we had shared a Gondola with the day before on our excursion.  They were headed to Savannah.

The Calgary to Atlanta flight was less than a 4 hour flight but it sure felt like it was longer than our 9+ hour flight to Honolulu to start our trip but that's probably because we were just exhausted from the travel stress of the day.  In Atlanta, we had a chance for an actual meal and then our last flight went so quick we seemed to be landing just moments after we had taken off.  Once in Birmingham, we waited at baggage claim to collect our luggage, called an Uber, and were soon back home.

So now, back home I think back on our trip that went all too fast.  We really saw some amazing things like the views from Diamond Head, the scenery of the Jurassic Valley, a whale shark, the beautiful Butchart Gardens, and rode a Gondola up the side of the mountain.  We also truly enjoyed the time on the ship with excellent service from our wait staff and room steward.  Now, it is time to think towards our next adventures.