We will be on a cruise on September 12-19 which stops from 7pm till 11 pm at Victoria and wondered if we could see the fall colors at Butchart Gardens and how would we get there from the dock.
Or what can we do with our time there if that's not possible, thank you.

Fall colours don't normally get to Victoria until October. Early-mid September is still summer. However, even in the height of autumn, most of Victoria's vegetation is evergreen - cedars, Douglas firs, rhododendrons, arbutus trees, etc - trees and plants that don't change colours. The forests on Vancouver Island are evergreen - there are no forests of maples, for example, which are famous in the eastern parts of Canada.

Ack! Of course, you're asking about Butchart Gardens (silly me) which would certainly have the maples and such. There may be a tiny change in some of the trees/plants, but still a bit early for autumn colours.

I'd recommend going with a tour operator so that you don't waste any time getting there. It's about a half hour drive north of downtown Victoria (where you dock).

Thanks, Carmanah. We're looking forward to it as someone sent us photos and it was beautiful.

If the ship is offering an excursion to Butchart's I would do that. That way you don't have to worry about the ship leaving without you.

We didn't have any trouble getting a cab at the port (they're waiting when you disembark) and even made arrangements with him to pick us up later at a set time. I think it was $50 for 4 of us and he actually waited for us the whole time, then ran us to a butterfly show nearby.