LIVE from the Disney Wonder ~ Hawaii Cruise, Embarkation Day!

Hello from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean! :) I was hoping to post every day but our internet out here on the Pacific has been spotty. I'll post updates when I can; and when we get to Hilo, HI on Sunday, I'll have even better signal so hopefully I can post some more blog updates. I will also be posting more photos to Facebook and Instagram, so stayed tuned for those!

On Sunday AM, I flew out early from Des Moines and arrived in Vancouver about 11:30AM local time. Michelle (my agency owner) and her son also arrived about the same time, which was great. We went through security and customs at the airport, grabbed our bags, and then got on the train to go from the airport to downtown Vancouver, and the Pan Pacific Hotel.

A quick note about the Vancouver airport; if you’re flying in from the US, you will go through a customs line in order to gain entrance into Canada. Once you get off the plane, customs is the first thing you do (and I didn’t see any chances to visit the restroom before you get in line, so you’ll want to do that on the plane before you disembark). The line can look long, but it moves pretty fast. They have these pretty neat self-serve machines where you scan your passport, answer some questions and then a receipt is printed out. You get in another line (which also moves pretty fast) and then show that receipt and your passport to one of the Canadian customs agents. From there, you are right at baggage claim and then it’s a very easy walk to the train, taxis or shuttles. I would say it took about 15-20 minutes to get through customs.

We then exited the airport and went to the train station; it’s about $6 US to get a train ticket, and it only took about 20 minutes to arrive at the Waterfront station. From there, it was a quick 5 minute walk and then we arrived at the Pan Pacific!

Seriously, you guys - if you sail out of Vancouver, you HAVE to stay at the Pan Pacific. The location can’t be beat; the cruise port is RIGHT at the hotel, so you just go downstairs to do your check in and go through security. They even have a service where they’ll come and get your bags from you, and transport them to baggage services for you! You just attach those baggage tags that come in your documents and they’ll grab them for you. 

The price for a room is about $250-300 per night, but for convenience and ease it can’t be beat. You’re also very close to lots of eating and shopping, as well as places like Stanley Park, so if you’re looking for things to do in the days before you sail there is plenty to do. 

When we arrived Sunday night, we chose to stay pretty close to the hotel and relax; we knew we’d have a busy day on Monday so we wanted to stay close. Michelle and I did end up walking to a market/grocery store that’s about a 5-10 minute walk from Pan Pacific, and getting some snacks and extras we forgot to pack. We then all turned in early, and were getting SO excited to cruise!

Coming up next - Monday: cruise embarkation day!

Bon Voyage! Vancouver and Hawaii, here I come!

Hello, friends! Today is the last blog entry before I leave on my Vancouver-Hawaii adventure on the Disney Wonder. I am leaving home tomorrow afternoon, with an early flight to Vancouver on Sunday morning.

I will be doing a post each day about what happened the previous day, so be sure and stay tuned for those!

I will also be sharing LOTS of pictures and videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so be sure you're following me there (those links are on the top of this page).

Once we get to Hawaii, I'll also be doing LIVE Periscope videos from the islands, as well as Disney's Aulani Resort, so make sure you're signed up for Periscope if you're not already.

I'm pretty excited to take this journey and am equally excited to have you along!

Have a magical day!