Vancouver Stay & Luxurious Alaska Cruise with Celebrity Cruises
Alaska & British Columbia
- 7-night Alaska Cruise onboard Celebrity Solstice®
- Includes Drinks, Tips & Wi-Fi Package
- Option to extend your stay!
Not all cruise ships have permits for Glacier Bay but on this itinerary, you will enjoy a full day of scenic cruising
onboard Holland America Koningsdam. This will tick many bucket lists as you photograph and make memories
in Glacier Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
With time to explore the pacific coastal city of Vancouver, this fantastic holiday combines your luxury Holland America Vancouver Alaska cruise with a journey through the majestic Canadian Rockies onboard the award-winning Rocky Mountaineer train. Relax on your cruise and then travel the tracks of the pioneers from Vancouver to the beautiful mountain town of Banff, one of the jewels of the Canadian Rockies. With so much to see and do you will not be disappointed!
Holiday Ref: 16110
WHY NOT UPGRADE YOUR RAIL JOURNEY TO GOLDLEAF SERVICE – CONTACT OUR SPECIALISTS FOR PRICES
Upon arrival into Vancouver make your way to your overnight Hotel, and the remainder of your day is at leisure. Overnight – Vancouver
Today, please make your own way to Vancouver's Canada Place cruise terminal in time for your 7-night Alaskan Cruise on board Holland America's Koningsdam. Overnight on board
The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls, The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity
Steep cliffs and glacier-covered mountains flank this fjord, fringed by the largest intact coastal temperate rain forest in the United States. Old-growth trees colonized Tracy Arm's mouth long ago as the Ice Age retreated. But further up the sinuous 48-kilometer (30-mile) waterway, its icy grip lingers a little. There, the twin Sawyer Glaciers flow from the peaks down to the sea, sloughing off stories-high chunks of water frozen decades or even centuries before. Even more glorious than nearby Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm is part of the 5.7 million acres (or around 23,000 square kilometers) of pure wilderness sheltered by the Tongass National Forest (America's biggest). Visitors often see bears, whales and mountain goats roaming across various corners of this pristine area—not to mention chubby baby seals resting on the ice floes. Summer temperatures average 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 16 degrees Celsius), so pack warm clothing. And don';t forget waterproof gear, even when traveling by cruise ship: More than a meter and a half of rain falls here each year! We also recommend a water bottle, thermos or reusable coffee cup: On scenic cruising days, cruise ships ban paper and disposable plastic products that could litter this unsullied environment.
Some of the aspiring Klondike gold rushers who made it to Skagway took a look at the 500-mile journey that still lay ahead of them and decided a change of profession was in order. So many of them set up shop as provisioners that Skagway was the largest city in Alaska by the end of the 19th Century. Booms fade and dreams move on, but the glory days still reverberate through the town. Ride the antique White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway, step into the Red Onion Saloon or peruse the restored buildings and wooden boardwalks of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
If you didn't know any better, you'd think Glacier Bay ostentatious for the way it flaunts its ice. The glaciers practically terminate in your lap. A cruise to Glacier Bay National Park with Holland America Line will show you a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. When a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and thunders into the sea the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. You hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it all to happen again. and it does: Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world.
Ketchikan clutches the shores of the Tongrass Narrows, with many shops and houses built right out over the water. The stairways are weathered and the vibe is cheerful in the town that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Besides the main attractions - Creek Street, the Tongrass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village. These deep-water fjords were gouged out by retreating glaciers, leaving granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls plunging into placid waters.
The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls, The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity
After a leisurely breakfast, disembark your ship and make your way (independently) to your overnight hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight: Vancouver
You are free today to enjoy Vancouver’s fabulous shopping, have a coffee at the cities famous harbour or search for a bargain at the Granville Island Markets. You could also travel up Grouse Mountain for spectacular views over the city, on a clear day you can see as far as Seattle! Overnight: Vancouver
Travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Kamloops. Travel through the Frazer Valley which gives way to the towering peaks of the Coast Mountains. Pass the raging waters of Hell’s Gate. Overnight in Kamloops
Your journey continues along the South Thompson River and onwards to Rogers Pass. Climb through the engineering marvel of the Spiral Tunnels, and end your journey in the mountain town of Banff and your overnight Hotel. Overnight: Banff
Full day at leisure to explore Banff and the surrounding area. Why not take a ride on the Banff Gondola (not included). Check out the shops, cafes, nightlife and museums. Overnight: Banff