Alaskan Cruise with Rockies by Rail

Day 1 London – Calgary – Banff
Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® transports you from your front door to London Heathrow Airport and your scheduled Air Canada direct or indirect flight to Calgary. On arrival, our coach transports you to Banff, set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and our hotel for the next three nights, the superb Caribou Lodge.

Day 2 Banff – Lake Louise – Banff
This morning we board our coach for a tour through the surrounding area of Banff and its lakes. We visit the most famous lake in Canada, Lake Louise, named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter. Here, from the Chateau gardens at the lakeside, we have a picture postcard view of the magical Victoria Glacier. We return to our Banff hotel by a different route, and this evening we are free to discover some of the town’s nightlife, which includes a good selection of restaurants.

Day 3 Banff
Today is free to explore one of the loveliest small towns in North America. Protected as a National Park, Banff has been saved from any large scale development and has retained much of its charm, remaining fairly compact and easily explored on foot. With Cascade Mountain at one end leading to the town’s main street, Banff Avenue which has a number of small gift shops, some selling local craftwork, several boutiques and a selection of cafes and bars. Why not take a gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain, the ‘top of the world’ at 7,500 ft, visit the hot springs or just stroll around and take it easy in one of the many cafes.

Day 4 Banff – Kamloops
This morning we have an early start to board the Rocky Mountaineer train for what has been called the most spectacular train journey in the world. Your journey offers an exhilarating range of scenery as you travel between the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies, over mountain passes and through the remarkable tunnels, along rocky lakeshores and across the ranch lands of the interior. Today’s highlights include the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels, the Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass, Craigellachie where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven and of course the snow capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies before arriving in Kamloops, for your overnight stay. Your accommodation in Kamloops is arranged by the Rocky Mountaineer.

Day 5 Kamloops – Vancouver
Our second day aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and another exciting journey of stunning vistas awaits us. You will see dramatic changes in scenery, from the desert-like environment of the interior, through winding river canyons and forests surrounded by the peaks of the Coast and Cascade Mountains, to the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. As the end of our journey draws near, the skyline of Vancouver is soon in sight. On arrival our coach awaits to transfer us to our hotel, the Metropolitan Hotel.

Day 6 Vancouver – Seattle
We will return to Vancouver after our cruise, but for now we cross the border into the American state of Washington and proceed to the Paramount Hotel in Seattle.

Day 7 Seattle
This morning we have included an orientation tour of Seattle before transferring to the pier to join your Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Jewel. With NCL’s Freestyle Cruising® you can enjoy freedom, informality and fun. There are no fixed times for dinner, no assigned restaurants and no strict dress code. There is an extensive array of facilities including various shops, bars and lounges and a spa. This afternoon our Freestyle cruise begins with celebrations on deck(weather permitting) as we leave Seattle behind for our 1,000 mile journey to Alaska.

Day 8 At Sea
Today is a full day at sea, a great opportunity to explore this vast ship and familiarise yourself with your home for the next seven days. Experience the freestyle entertainment or relax in one of the many bars and lounges including the Spinnaker Lounge offering panoramic views from the bow of the ship.

Day 9 Ketchikan
This morning we arrive at Ketchikan, stretching like a ribbon along a narrow shelf of shoreline beneath the slope of Deer Mountain. Surrounded by wilderness, without highway or rail connection to the rest of the world, the only way to reach Ketchikan is by sea or air. Echoes of pioneer days still haunt Creek Street, built on pilings along Ketchikan Creek; most renowned of whose residents was a lady of the night named Dolly.

Day 10 Juneau – Sawyer Glacier
Early this morning, we arrive through spectacular scenery, reminiscent of the Norwegian fjord-like landscape in Juneau. Alaska’s state capital is full of contrasts, a sophisticated cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Tongass National Forest and nestled at the base of towering mountains overlooking the Gastineau Channel. This afternoon, we explore Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier onboard the Norwegian Jewel. Tracy Arm is a classic 30-mile long fjord. You are almost guaranteed to see harbour seals hauled out on ice floes and there is a strong possibility of spotting humpback whales, bears, eagles and mountain goats.
Perched at the head of Tracy Arm is the awe-inspiring Sawyer Glacier, beautifully framed by snow- capped mountain peaks and arguably the bluest and most beautiful of glaciers in a land renowned for them. As your ship confronts the slow-moving rivers of ice that carve icebergs into the blue-green water with unearthly creaks and booms, you will take in so many breathtaking sights to be remembered as some of the outstanding highlights of your holiday.

Day 11 Skagway
Early this morning, we arrive in Skagway, the starting point for the famed Chilkoot Trail, a long, slow, arduous and often deadly haul for thousands of gold seekers stampeding towards the goldfields of the Klondike during the late 1890s. The compact town still remains rich in gold rush history and character with its boardwalks, pebble streets and many original buildings. Here you will have the opportunity to follow the original White Pass ‘Trail of 98′ by coach into Canada’s Yukon Territory or to take the White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, that became the supply line for the gold fields.

Day 12 Cruise Pacific Ocean
We cruise the Pacific Ocean today, a great opportunity to relax and enjoy the vast facilities onboard ship.

Day 13 Victoria
This afternoon we arrive into Victoria on Vancouver Island. Take one of the many optional shore excursions to explore this beautiful city, including the famous Butchart Gardens or stroll independently around the Old Town. This colourful city boasts attractions to suit all, from museums and art galleries to castles, landmarks, gardens and zoos. We set sail this evening for Seattle.

Day 14 Seattle – Vancouver
We arrive back in Seattle and transfer to Vancouver, crossing the border into British Columbi, and take a city tour before transferring to our hotel for the next two nights, the Metropolitan Hotel. This evening sample one of the many restaurants offering a multitude of cuisine to suit all taste along Robson or Granville Street.

Day 15 Vancouver
Today you are free to explore this coastal city on your own and there is plenty to do, including an optional excursion to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge, the world’s longest and highest suspended footbridge. Alternatively visit the interesting markets in Granville Island.

Day 16 Vancouver – In flight
A leisurely morning and time for some last minute shopping before boarding our coach for the transfer to Vancouver Airport and your return direct flight to London Heathrow.

Day 17 London
Arrival at London Heathrow Airport where our staff will greet and transfer you to Titan transport for the journey home to your front door.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please Note:
On the 8th September 2013 departure the cruise disembarks in Vancouver at the end of the holiday and therefore you will not have a coach transfer from Seattle to Vancouver.
Breakfast Option
Meal Option – Add 6 breakfasts from £107 per person.

Titan Travel have a reputation for innovative and enthralling escorted holiday itineraries, and through the guidance of their founding principles, “quality, service and value” which have remained unchanged since the 1970′s, their expertise and experience are second to none.

Titan Travel strive to ensure that aspect of their holidays whispers quality, before you fly, you get to appreciate a comfortable, chauffeur-driven transfer from your front door to the airport with our peerless VIP Home Departure Service, check-in assistance and complimentary porterage. All international flights are with world-renowned scheduled airlines and cruises with acclaimed operators. Touring holidays are expertly designed by the product team to present a comprehensive, imaginative introduction to the destination of choice yet still offer plenty of time for relaxation. The services of a tour manager or cruise manager are included throughout. When you return to the UK, you are met in the arrivals hall of the airport and shown to your VIP Home Departure Service vehicle, waiting to return you to your front door.

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