By Lila Correa, Senior Travel Consultant for All-Travel.com in Los Angeles, CA.

I recently returned from a trip to British Columbia and a September 4-night repositioning sail from Vancouver to Los Angeles on the Diamond Princess with Princess Cruises.

We flew into Vancouver, B.C. from Los Angeles using United operated by Air Canada with a flight time of about 2 hours 45 minutes. We used the self-check kiosk in Terminal 2 at LAX. You can also use Blackberry or Treo (PDAs) to check in. Beverage service onboard with meals for purchase. Complimentary newspapers and headsets provided.

Short line in Vancouver Airport with Customs Area for evening flight arrivals. Be prepared to wait 45 minutes-1 hour in daytime..7 days a week.

Several areas of Vancouver Int'l are under construction as they are preparing to connect the airport to downtown via a Sky Train for the 2010 for Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The "Sky Train" links major areas of Vancouver and provides use of Sea Bus and bus system

Transfer time from the airport to downtown = approx. 30 minutes. Taxi fare $29-$30 CDN one way.

We stayed at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown. Greeted at door by bellman dressed in full red outfit. Restaurant/bar on site. Open atrium lobby. Rooms offer Coal Harbor or city views. 2 blocks from harbor and 2 blocks north of Canada Place. 2 blocks to Vancouver Visitors Center. Directly across from Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside (great property also).

3 separate decks on different levels for viewing. 24 hour gym with "refrigerated towels" , flat screens & state of art equipment. Across from gym is "indoor 24 hour pool" in room that includes bathrooms, lounge chairs, lobby, fresh fruit basket & pool toys.

Large bedroom with 2 double beds. Internet access. Desk drawer fully equipped with business tools. Large marble bathrooms with numerous amenities. Separate glass shower from deep bathtub. Tall property. Burgundy and cream tapestry carpet and decor. Clean property. Excellent for pre/post cruise stay or for a Vancouver visit.

Lots of personal service and attention. Marriott Pinnacle is excellent for all!

Canada Place Pier is the largest Vancouver cruise pier known for it's famous white pointed "sailing vessel roof" houses a hotel, convention center, shops, restaurants and a large IMAX theatre. A "new" convention center is to the left of

Canada Place is slated for completion to coincide with winter 2010 Olympics.

Lower level of the convention center at Canada Place is the Canada Place Pier at the back of the building. Car rental shuttles & cruise line motorcoaches enter at this level. Cruise guests can be dropped off or guests use complimentary carts to transport luggage to check in.

***Car Rental Tip***: Advise to complete rental contracts & pick up cars at downtown offices instead of cruise pier. Saves time & extra surcharges as is congested under Canada Place Pier. Cars aren't stored there and clients must be driven via shuttles to downtown offices anyway.

Vancouver is beautiful! World famous "Robson Street" areas with outdoor cafes, live musicians, parks, fountains, coffee shops, ethnic foods, upscale shopping and more. Also historical Gastown, Chinatown, West End , Davie Village, and Yaletown.

We explored Granville Island . A tourist "must do". Set under the Granville Bridge with entrance at 4th Avenue. Granville Island is known for the Granville Island Daily Public Market...an indoor farmers market with food court. A great place to grab your picnic items for the road or enjoy a leisurely lunch/dinner at "Sandbar Seafood" or "Bridges Restaurant". Hear live street performers. Watch artists in action. Play areas for children. Build boat models. Free 3 hour parking on the island or take the fun Aquaboat Water Taxis ($2.50 each one way for fun). Website: http://www.seegranvilleisland.com/

On to Whistler, B.C.

Vancouver to Whistler with a drive thru Stanley

Park http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Parks/parks/stanley/ across Lionsgate Bridge via Highway 99 known as "Sea-To-Sky Highway" .Travel time is about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Since roads are being widened for winter Olympics, expect short delays. Local radio stations air daily road conditions. Saw ferries arriving into Horseshoe Bay from outer islands.

A great Starbucks pit stop is in the quaint town of Squamish..halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. Squamish has a large visitor's center to plan tours and adventures. Offers everything like nearby rock climbing, windsurfing, hiking, picnicking, viewing of Shannon Falls. Take a break and watch the kiteboarders in the bay.

Whistler (Home of the Winter 2010 Olympics) is a European Swiss mountain village with cobblestone streets, flower beds, rivers, covered bridges, fountains with more summer sports than winter sports. Every type of sport imaginable is available. Numerous lakes are available dot the Highway 99 throughout Whistler.

Whistler is divided into two villages....Lower Village & Upper Village. Whistler Mountain Resort area is in the Lower Village and known for summertime mountain bike trials on the slopes as well as world class winter sports & is the larger village.

Blackcomb Mountain Resort is in the Upper Village. Each village hosts a vast array of types of accommodations. Villages are connected via 15 minute walking trails past parks and streams easily accessed from resorts.

Whistler is an international destination with international staff. Large convention center in the middle of town and movie theaters. September is a great time to view the changing of the leaves for fall, "summer items" sales and warm enough to do numerous sports.

Whistler Resort area: Closest hotels walking distance to slopes are: Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside , Carleton Lodge, Westin Resort and Spa, and Hilton Whistler Resort. The Lower Village area was built first. Great outdoor cafes like "Citta" and "La Bosca".

Blackcomb Resort area: Closest hotels walking distance to slopes are: Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Blackcomb Daylodge, Le Chamois, Glacier Lodge and Club Intrawest.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler: http://www.fairmont.com/whistler/ This is the most luxurious resort in all of Whistler.

Fairmont Room : Beginning room category with Upper Village Mountain Views offered choice of king or two double beds with fireplace and sitting area. Large armoire and double closets. Robes and slippers. Double entry bathroom doors with double sinks. Separate glass shower for large jacuzzi tub. Excellent spa toiletries. Twice daily room service.

Great resort for corporate events. Multiple restaurants and shops on site. Afternoon tea. Croquet in summer. Outdoor lap pool and jacuzzi with outdoor firepit areas. Multiple indoor lounges with fireplaces. Underground self parking at daily rate of : $24.00 CDN.

Drive from Whistler to Vancouver took 2 hours. Drove back over the Seconds Narrows Bridge into downtown Vancouver which allowed us a full swoop view of downtown Vancouver passing Chinatown and Gastown.

Diamond Princess: www.all-travel.com/princesscruises Launched 2004

Security and check-in procedures were quick as we were advised by Canada Place Staff that it is better to arrive around 3pm to avoid lines. Hand carried luggage through security and to stateroom. With staff, the Diamond Princess holds about 4,000. Did not feel crowded at any time nor did we experience long lines.

"Anytime Dining" allowed use of 4 different dining rooms . No wait times if dining prior to 7:30pm. Note: Vivaldi Dining room is used for 5:45pm "assigned" dining followed by 8pm for "Anytime Dining". The 4 alternative dining rooms were created to offer "Anytime Dining" with various cuisines offered but Princess found it more cost effective to have identical dinner menus in all dining rooms onboard the Diamond Princess. Guests expressed disappointment with this change.

Princess Cruises offers options of tipping staff members as room service items are delivered to staterooms. This gratuity is above and beyond the automatically charged $10 per guest daily tipping. Please advise that they will be asked to sign a form with their signature, stateroom no. & gratuity amount or no amount. Princess no longer offers true "complimentary room service".

One of the highlights was a comedic show of head Italian chef versus head Polish maitre d' bantering over recipes that they prepared for audience viewing in the Princess Theater followed by a group walk-thru in the Galley area and book signing for their cookbook.

There were so many choices of activities listed in the daily Princess Patter Newsletter. No boredom allowed.

Professional photos started the 2nd night and an 8 x 10 photo = $25.

Port of call : Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Victoria cruise pier is 10 minute walking distance to fisherman's wharf for world-famous "Barb's" floating restaurant for fish and chips and viewing artsy house boats. 20 minute walk from cruise pier to Victoria's "Inner Harbour" to visit The Empress Hotel &

experience afternoon tea. Best quick shopping is on Government Street starting next to The Empress Hotel. Take a city tour or walk and explore.

Disembarkation process was smooth as allowed to hand carry luggage off. Arrange group number and estimated departure time with front desk about 2 days prior to disembarkation day. Disembark when number is called.

Repositioning cruises are popular and sell out early with their reduced pricing. In September, the day before disembarkation, cruise lines offer enormous amount of "summer items" and jewelry at drastically reduced prices to get ready for the next season's lines.

For expert cruise and vacation planning contact Lila at 310-312-3368 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)