Sunday, February 19, 2017

Cruise360 in Vancouver: Getting there, my first day at Cruise360 - June 1-2, 2016


Trip Index
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What is Cruise360?  It's the yearly CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) cruise conference, attended by travel agents, cruise lines, representatives from ports and destinations, and suppliers...pretty much everyone that's involved in the cruise industry.  A week-long event, it includes keynotes and discussions about the state of the industry, classes, networking, cruise ship inspections and local familiarization trips.  This would be my first time attending Cruise360, mainly to go on ship inspections to fulfill requirements for Elite Cruise Counsellor certification. (I got my Masters last year)

Since I would be in Vancouver for the conference, I wanted to insert an Alaska cruise either before or afterwards. Originally, I had hoped to sail on Regent Seven Seas Mariner, but there was no availability.  I ended up booking a cruise on Norwegian Sun, departing June 6 from Anchorage to Vancouver, getting a great "no frills" deal (no "free-at-sea" add-ons) on a balcony guarantee, plus utilizing a $100 off $500 "AMEX offer" on several AMEX credit cards.  I'll get into more details when I get to writing that blog entry.

I flew to Vancouver Wednesday late morning on United Airlines with a 3-hour layover in San Francisco, paid for using funds in my United Gift Registry, where I sometimes redeem my $200 annual airline credit from my AMEX Platinum Card. The layover was over the lunch hour, so I enjoyed some yummy bites at the Centurion Lounge located near gate 74 in Terminal 3, another AMEX Platinum Card benefit.


The flight to Vancouver was scenic during the day.

737 economy
Crater Lake

I would stay the first night at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel (conveniently located on-site), followed by additional nights in the Vancouver Airport Marriott hotel.  These properties were not near the Vancouver Convention Centre, but as I booked late, all the hotel blocks were sold out or at astronomical prices.  Having able to secure travel agent rates for the airport hotels, I did not mind taking the Canada Line light rail into town.

After landing and clearing immigration, I grabbed some dinner to-go from Tim Hortons, then followed signs leading to the Fairmont.  Right at the foot of the hotel escalators was a bell desk; a staff member asked if I was checking in, and if I was "Kong". My key was already there...what efficient service! The room was pretty nice for an airport hotel, though it wasn't facing the terminals and tarmac to make use of the plane spotting guide.

The next morning, while attempting to check out through the TV, I noticed minibar charges listed on my bill. I didn't consume any so had to go down to the front desk to settle. The desk agent said that she would remove the charges, but that it didn't really matter as I had a $20 credit towards the minibar. What?!? This benefit was not listed on my confirmation or hotel website, and I did not have elite status. I wouldn't have minded having a late night snack or snack-to-go. So next time, if I (or anyone else reading this) have a future stay at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, I'd inquire about such credit.

I didn't want to take my carry-on to the convention center, so after checking out of the Fairmont, I walked out to the shuttle pick-up area to catch one going to the Marriott. I didn't have to wait long for it to arrive. The shuttle also serviced the Hilton and Sheraton airport hotels.

Despite it being early morning, my room was available for check-in. After dropping off my luggage and getting directions from the bell staff, I walked 8 minutes to the Richmond-Brighouse Station and purchased a ticket to Waterfront Station through the electronic kiosk, using a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. It also could accept bills and coins. The Canada Line ran about every 6 minutes so I wasn't stressed about getting to the platform on time. The ride took about half an hour.

Vancouver Convention Centre West was a 10-minute walk from Waterfront Station. I checked in at the registration desk where I received my conference badge, lanyard, and a heavy canvas tote bag filled with brochures, pens, papers, etc. There wasn't a long line since the conference had started a couple of days ago. I was not interested in attending the earlier events, consisting of local familiarization outings, as Kaleb and I would jaunt around Vancouver ourselves after the cruise. My first event was a general session with lunch. I must say that the conference fed attendees very well the entire week.
CLIA 2016 Cruise360 luncheon - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

After lunch, I attended two seminars, one about cruising on the St. Lawrence River and the other about luxury line Crystal Cruises. I also went to a "virtual ship inspection" featuring SeaDream Yacht Club, catering to boating enthusiasts. No virtual reality headsets here (probably in the future!), just a detailed presentation about their ships' offerings and activities.

That was the end of the day's events. There was a formal dinner and cruising award presentation scheduled that night but since I was by myself, I decided to skip the festivities and head out on the town. (I heard from other people the next day that the dinner and entertainment were spectacular)

I walked all the way to Kintaro, a popular cash-only ramen place that I found on Yelp. Reviews reported lines out the door, but since I'd be arriving solo around 5:30 on a Thursday, it would be tolerable. There was a short line, but I was seated at the counter within minutes. The miso ramen was super tasty, with melt-in-your-mouth fatty pork and rich broth. For dessert, I headed over to Laduree and selected an assortment of delicious macarons. I also ended up buying a couple of skirts from the Lululemon flagship store. Gotta love that Canadian exchange rate!

I took the Canada Line back to the Marriott. Some photos of the room:
View out the window

Tomorrow, I will be attending a ship inspection of Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, a huge trade show, and a cocktail reception hosted by the city of Vancouver...stay tuned!

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Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go?  Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it!  Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts.  I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.

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Another disclaimer:  The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did.  I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!



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