u/VanCity2003

Hi everyone,

I live in Vancouver and seeing cruise ships coming and going is a normal occurrence during the summer. Today I saw a Holland America ship make its way under the Lions Gate bridge and sail off. Normally it would be out of sight within 45 minutes but today it seemed stopped in the water. I kept checking and it stayed in roughly the same place for at least 2 hours. It was facing different directions whenever I checked, almost as if it had anchored and was getting moved around by the current.

Does anyone know why this happened? Anyone on board able to comment? I’m generally curious as this is the first time I have ever seen it happen.

Hi all,

My family is from out of the country and came to see Miami play Montreal. My son has recently gotten really in to football and his favourite player is Messi (and he did not disappoint 👌)

He and his little sister managed to get shown on the big screen during the game but my wife and I were too excited and forgot to snap a picture. I know its a long shot but maybe someone captured it. He was wearing the pink jersey with a pair of big blue headphones.

Also, I wanted to add: what a game!! I was really impressed with the stadium and the cheering section behind the goal didn’t stop the entire time.

Wanted to share some thoughts as a new cruiser to understand if my experience is typical or not.

Good
- getting on the ship was fast and remarkably easy
- room service has been very fast the few times we’ve used it
- house keeping is top notch and have respected all our requests
- When there have been problems the have been resolved quickly with one exception (see below)

So-So
- food has been underwhelming and they are often closing sections of the budget at inexplicable times (most of the breakfast buffet was shut down at 10am today)
- Entertainment has been passable from what we have seen
- Elevators are slow and packed. This would be acceptable if there was some order but everyone tries to get on the elevator MadMax style

Bad
- customer service fell off a cliff after the first few days. We have to flag down people to get a coffee at breakfast and they look annoyed to have to do so. Most wait staff don’t seem particularly happy
- Drink packages are unnecessarily complicated. I can’t more it to an all-inclusive where I simply order. Here I order they check my room number, name using an app that seems very slow
- Pool, when not filled with people packed like sardines, looks externally unsanitary (you can see less than a foot down)
- Child 1 lost their medallion and I had to call / visit 4 times to get it replaced. Guest service lines is often 20-30 minutes long. Seeing as it is essential to the cruise they should fix it immediately
- no where to buy gifts/snacks. There is duty-free style store with a few chips and chocolates and nothing else. Make sure you bring your own
- demographic skews older/ one foot in the grave. As a family with young children there is little activity geared to them outside of the kids club

TBH for the price I’d rather go to a much nicer all inclusive where I’m free to leave and explore on my schedule and not be at the mercy of the port of call.

Hi Seattle, My family (2 adults, 2 seniors, 2 young children) is coming down from Vancouver to watch the Iran/Egypt game later this week. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and it’s looking likely that it will be raining. We would have walked or taken transit but I’m trying to reduce the amount my kids get rained on before having to sit still 2 hours.

How close will taxis/rideshares get us to the main entrance? In Vancouver, road blockages made mean you still have to walk about 15 minutes to get inside. Is it the same for Seattle.

We always enjoy trips to Seattle and I’m looking forward to seeing how you folks are celebrating the World Cup. Thanks in advance for your tips!

Hi all, my family has tickets to Canada vs Qatar next week and I’m trying to figure out the best, most stress free way of getting to the game. The group is 3 adults (40s and 70s), 1 child. We’re coming from the North Shore. My understanding is the only way to enter the stadium is via an entrance near Science World.

The three options I can think of are:

1. Bus or drive to Lonsdale Quay, SeaBus across to DT, Skytrain to Main
2. Bus all the way DT via Lions Gate Bridge, walk or Skytrain to Main
3. Drive and park somewhere DT, walk or SkyTrain to Main

Option 3 seems like the biggest gamble. Trying to find a parking space and also risk LG bridge getting backed up for some reason.
Likewise for 2 - if there is a problem in LG then we could be stuck for a while.
Option 1 sounds the best but I’m concerned about Canada house crowds making things getting to Lonsdale Quay a challenge.

What do you folks think? Is there a better option I haven’t thought of?

Hi NV,

I’ve got tickets to the Iran vs Egypt game in Seattle in late June with my family. Where can I find some Team Melli merchandise on the North Shore (or elsewhere in the GVRD)? I’ve seen some MIGA-style stuff at Vicinity Mart but that’s the closest things I’ve found. Online seems to be websites I’ve never heard of so would rather purchase in person to avoid disappointment. Adults and kids sizes if possible.

Previous homeowners added an outdoor storage room under the balcony, thought they left lots of openings that creatures can enter. When I first moved in I put my complaining equipment and a few odds and ends in there and forgot about it.

I went back recently and the place is covered in mouse droppings. The camping stuff is so pretty cold so I’m fine getting rid of it. I guess I’ve got a few questions:

1. Some of the stuff is too large to put out at the curb (tent, chairs, etc). I don’t exactly want to move the problem into my own car. Do I need a specialized junk removal due to the mouse feces?

2. Once the storage is empty, what’s the best way to clean the storage?

3. If the place is cleaning and left empty would the mice still return?