HAL Alaska Tours Now Are Roundtrip from Vancouver

HAL Alaska Tours Now Are Roundtrip from Vancouver
Published on: February 7, 2007

Holland America Line “Glacier Bay & Great Land Grand Tours” now arrive and depart from Vancouver, B.C. The 19- and 20-day cruise-tours, which combine a seven-day cruise with a land tour, previously started in Vancouver and ended in Seattle or visa versa. “Flying in and out of Vancouver, B.C. has made these cruise-tours much more convenient for guests, which has increased their popularity. It greatly improves the ability to make excellent air arrangements,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs.

The tours include two nights in Denali, Dawson City, Whitehorse and Anchorage and the 20-day cruise-tour. Guests may opt for small group exploration of Kluane National Park, home of five of the seven tallest peaks in North America; Tombstone Park near Dawson; and the heart of the Alaskan Interior, Denali National Park. Grand Tours also include one night in Tok, Fairbanks and Skagway. The “Glacier Bay & Great Land Grand Tours” start at $3,499 per person, double occupancy.

Holland America Sets 2007 Alaska Excursions

Holland America Sets 2007 Alaska Excursions
Published on: February 6, 2007

Holland America Line added more than 10 new shore excursions to its 2007 lineup in Alaska along with three new post-cruise excursions in Seattle. Some of the new shore excursions include the Glacier View Bike & Brew in Juneau, which combines bicycling through rainforests with a tour and tasting at Alaska Brewery. In Seward, passengers can meet an Iditarod champion on the new Ididaride Wilderness Sled Dog Ride & Tour. With more than 230 excursions, many to National Parks, Holland America is introducing new excursions in Haines, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway and Seattle. Most excursions are suitable for families and many are available for guests with disabilities.

Princess Adds 21 Tours, Private Excursions in Alaska

Princess Adds 21 Tours, Private Excursions in Alaska
Published on: January 25, 2007

Princess Tours has added 21 excursions to its Alaska Adventures Ashore program for a total of 171 Alaska tour options this year, including seven new private touring options. The private excursion options include a “Custom Hummer Adventure” in Juneau or Ketchikan; an “Exclusive Ketchikan by Land” option with transportation in a private stretch SUV; “Exclusive Ketchikan by Sea” with a private 20-foot, open-air skiff; “Exclusive Ketchikan by Air” with travel by private floatplane; Skagway’s “Custom Classic Cars” in which passengers will explore in a restored vintage Cadillac; and the “Alaska Up-Close Exclusive Cruise Adventure” in Sitka while sailing aboard a new 30-foot catamaran. Each tour includes the services of a private guide/chauffeur who will lend local expertise and suggest possible routes.

Tours can accommodate between four and 10 guests, depending on the excursion. Prices begin at $499 per vehicle. In addition to the new private excursions, the season also includes a variety of new Adventures Ashore options. In Juneau, visitors can learn about Alaska’s state sport, dog mushing, as they view an exact replica of an Iditarod Race checkpoint and ride behind a team of huskies in a wheeled summertime training sled. In Ketchikan, a new excursion is the “Neets Bay Bear Cruise” in which passengers ride in a high-speed boat to search for black bears feasting on spawning salmon in remote Neets Bay. A new option in Skagway is the “White Pass Bennett Lake Adventure,” in which small groups visit Bennett, a historic outpost of the Klondike Gold Rush, via the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad. New in Victoria is the evening “City Lights, Wine & Chocolate” tour that includes tasting local wines paired with chocolate truffles. All Alaska Adventures Ashore are currently available for pre-reservation. Passengers already booked on an Alaska cruise can reserve their tours by logging on the Cruise Personalizer on www.princess.com.

Royal Caribbean Introduces New Alaskan Adventures

Royal Caribbean Introduces New Alaskan Adventures
Published on: January 2, 2007 Email Article

Royal Caribbean International is adding some new shore excursions in Alaska, including sledding with huskies in Juneau, exploring the Yukon in Skagway, and searching for bears in Ketchikan. Highlights of the 2007 Alaska shore excursion offerings include dog sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, a photo safari by land and sea in Juneau’s Channel Islands, a Glacier Point Wilderness Safari from Skagway and Anan Creek Bear Watch in Ketchikan. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.