A seven-night cruise in Alaska’s spectacular Inside Passage, a six-night rail-tour from Vancouver to Calgary aboard Canada’s famous Rocky Mountaineer train, and hotel stays in Vancouver, Kamloops, Banff, Lake Louise and Calgary.
Those choice attractions, complete with flights from Australia to Vancouver and return from Calgary, form the heart of ‘Glaciers, Whales and Rail’, a new fly-cruise-and-tour offering from Worldwide Cruise Centres (worldwidecruisecentres.com.au).
‘Glaciers, Whales and Rail’, which begins with a seven-night cruise aboard MS Volendam, is available from A$6499 twin share per person, valid at that rate until 31 January 2015 or until sold out, whichever happens first. The price includes flights from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. Departures from Adelaide and Perth are available at a surcharge.
The holiday begins on 8 September 2015 with a flight from Australia to Vancouver. After a night’s hotel stay to freshen up, embark on MS Volendam for a cruise through pristine water, passing mountains, fjords and forested islands. This is Alaska’s Inside Passage at its finest.
Your first stop is the Tracy Arm Fjord region, where black and brown bears, deer and wolves roam while birds such as arctic terns soar overhead. Humpbacks and Orcas are two types of whales that frequent these seas. You’ll visit the historic town of Juneau, the Klondike gold-rush settlement of Skagway, Ketchikan for totem poles and the justly world-famous Glacier Bay, with 16 tidewater glaciers plunging into icy fjords.
A bonus US$50 in free onboard credit applies, per twin inside/outside cabin. Dining aboard MS Volendam can involve five-course menus or you can opt for vegetarian or low-carb choices. Whatever you choose, it comes with impeccable service and an extensive wine list. All shipboard main meals (excluding speciality restaurants) are included.
Disembarking in Vancouver, ‘Glaciers, Whales and Rail’ continues with a two-night stay at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown, ideally located within walking distance of Vancouver’s most popular shopping, dining and entertainment areas. Leisure time to explore, with free entry to the Vancouver Lookout.
Then, all aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train for a scenic rail journey from Vancouver to Banff, with an overnight stop in Kamloops in the interior of British Columbia. Travel is in RedLeaf Service, with two breakfasts and two lunches served aboard.
After Kamloops, the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon lead to Banff, where you’ll spend a night in the Banff Ptarmigan Inn, Banff National Park.
Among highlights: a half-day tour of Yoho National Park takes in the Spiral Tunnels (an engineering marvel), Emerald Lake and a natural rock bridge spanning the Kicking Horse River. At Lake Louise, much of the afternoon is at leisure to enjoy this magnificent location. Your hotel: the celebrated Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
A Banff sightseeing tour includes Bow Falls, Lake Minnewanka, Surprise Corner and the Hoodoos. The famed Banff Gondola is included. Then journey to Kananaskis for a true highlight: a 12-minute Summit Helicopter Tour over the remarkable landscape of the Rockies.
Arriving in Calgary at the end of the rail tour, your night at the International Hotel comes complete with a pass to the Calgary Tower. This structure, 191 metres tall, gives grand views of Canadian prairie and Rockies foothills. Take a few final photos before jetting back to Australia.
To find your local Worldwide Cruise Centres agent go to:
www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au
SOURCE: Worldwide Cruise Centres