The Norwegian Pearl docked at Pier 35, so everything was close by. Because of my Mom, we took a 6-hour city tour with a dim sum lunch in Chinatown. The tour was excellent, as was the restaurant. But, I talked to a lot of folks who did their own thing and everyone had a great time. It helped that it was sunny and in the 70s all day.
This is a gorgeous, compact city that clearly illustrates the cultural differences between Canada and the USA. Our excursion showed us the highlights of "Grand Victoria," and included high tea at the Empress. My mom loved it, and so did I.
We took a two-hour-plus city tour on the way to the airport, and Vancouver is awesome! Downtown and Stanley Park were the emphasis, but I saw enough to know I'd like to go back.