Day 1 - Arrive Seattle / Tillicum Village Experience
Upon
arrival at the SEATAC Airport you will be met by your private
sedan and transfer to downtown Seattle. You
will have some free time to explore on your own.
Tillicum Village Experience
This evening you will transfer (on own) to Pier 55, on the Seattle Waterfront,
for the start of your Tillicum Village experience. Immerse yourself in Northwest Native American culture. A relaxing boat ride
transports you from Seattle's Pier 55 to Blake Island where you feast on an
appetizer of steamed clams, followed by salmon cooked on cedar stakes over an
open fire. Enjoy your meal at a shared table in a traditional cedar longhouse,
surrounded by Northwest Coast native crafts and artwork.
After you eat, performers enchant you with ceremonial dances, myths, and legends
of the Northwest Coast native people. Learn about the customs and beliefs of the
Pacific Northwest's original inhabitants in this mesmerizing stage show.
Finish off your excursion with free time to explore the beach or admire
handicrafts in the gift gallery. Then board your boat for a scenic ride
downtown, taking in views of the Olympic Mountains and Seattle skyline.
In the Chinook language, "Tillicum" means "friendly people." The
Tillicum Village Experience offers a rich
and vibrant look at one of the Pacific Northwest's oldest and most fascinating
cultures.
Moderate: Overnight Mayflower Park Hotel
Superior: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe room
Deluxe: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe
Executive Suite
Day 2 - Victoria Clipper /
Grand City & Butchart Gardens Tour
This morning you will
transfer, by private sedan, to Pier 69. Board the Victoria Clipper for
your 3 hour trip via high-speed catamaran
to the 'garden city' of Victoria. Upon arrival you will be transferred by
private sedan to your hotel. You will love the friendly quaintness of Victoria, with its British
traditions including High Tea, shops filled with British woolens and china and
the turn-of-the-century architecture.
Grand City & Butchart Gardens
Tour
This afternoon you will be taken on a Grand
City Tour of Victoria including a visit to the magnificent Butchart Gardens.
Venture through Victoria onboard an authentic English Double Decker Bus and view
the unique downtown shops, exclusive residential areas and scenic vistas. During
your travels, your experienced driver guide will provide a fascinating narrative
on Victoria's rich historic background. The tour includes the City Center,
Chinatown, Antique Row and the English flavoured Rockland area. Pass through the
exclusive Uplands and Oak Bay residential areas in settings of magnificent Garry
Oaks. Then continue on through the beautiful residential areas of Victoria,
following Marine Drive with its many spectacular views of the coastline and the
Olympic Mountains. The highlight of the second part of the tour is the one
and a half hour visit to the Butchart Gardens, one of Victoria's most famous
sites, and rated among the most beautiful gardens in the world. Here you will
see the Sunken Garden, the Japanese and Italian Gardens, the English Rose Garden
and the magnificent Ross Fountain, all linked by spacious lawns, streams and
lily ponds - 50 acres of fragrance and beauty.
Moderate: Overnight Chateau Victoria
Superior: Overnight Fairmont Empress Hotel - Fairmont
room
Deluxe: Overnight Fairmont Empress Hotel - Fairmont
Gold Harbourview (includes deluxe continental breakfast and afternoon
hors d'oeuvres)
Day 3 - Victoria to Vancouver Transfer
/ Diva at the Met Chef's Table
Today you will
depart Victoria and travel to Vancouver. You will travel to the Swartz Bay
Ferry Terminal where you will board BC Ferries to the Mainland. On your 95
minute cruise through the Gulf Islands and across the Georgia Strait, you will
have the opportunity to enjoy awesome West Coast scenery. Food services and gift
shop are available on the BC Ferry. Upon arrival at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal,
your final leg of the journey will take you to downtown Vancouver.
Diva at the
Met Chef's Table
This
evening you will enjoy dinner at Diva at the Met. Tonight you will
experience a 6 course Chef's Table dining experience.
The Chef will personally present each dish with a brief
presentation & wine pairing for every course.
Moderate: Overnight
Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown Vancouver (includes buffet breakfast)
Superior:
Overnight
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver -
Fairmont room
Deluxe: Overnight
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Fairmont Gold
(includes deluxe continental breakfast and afternoon
hors d'oeuvres)
Day 4 - Vancouver to Seattle
/
Depart Seattle aboard Holland America's ms
Amsterdam
This morning
you will transfer by regular scheduled motorcoach from
Vancouver to the Seattle Cruise Docks.
This afternoon, you will set sail for new adventures on board the exciting ms
Amsterdam.
The musically themed ms Amsterdam has always offered
guests a unique shipboard atmosphere.
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 5 - Scenic Cruising
Inside Passage
Today is at sea. Journey
deep into one of nature's most isolated monuments accessible only by sea and air
and encounter the magnificence of the Ice Age as you slowly glide through the
Inside Passage. Expect the unexpected on your Alaska cruise - a massive
glacier calves, a bald eagle soars above, a humpback whale clears the water and
the night sky awakens to waves of color. With guaranteed views of
sky-splitting peaks, glaciers and vast wilderness.
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 6 - Juneau, Alaska
For years
Juneau's livelihood, like that of many cities in Alaska, was tied to mining. The
city itself is built on tailings from the A-J mine whose shafts perforate the
hillside above town. Because it is Alaska's capital, Juneau prospers through
government work and tourism. This is a great place to sample salmon baked over
an alderwood fire, pan for gold, and
hike the massive Juneau Icefield. If you feel the need for speed, hop on a sled
and let a dog team pull you across the surface of a glacier. Sample
Shore Excursions (not included): Alaska-style
Salmon Bake, Glacier View Sea Kayaking, Gold Panning at Gold Creek.
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day
7 - Glacier
Bay Scenic Cruising OR Scenic Cruising Tray Arm & Sawyer Glaciers
Cloistered in the rocky
recesses of Alaska, Glacier Bay is a world still emerging from the Ice Age.
Sixteen dazzling tidewater glaciers creep back and forth by millimeters,
chiseling great masses of moraine onto their pristine surfaces.
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 8 -
Sitka, Alaska
Bald eagles perch in the spruce
and cedar trees of Sitka'often several to a branch. Russian Alaska is
enthusiastically represented in a lively performance by the New Archangel
Dancers. View holy paintings of the Czarist days, visit recuperating eagles at
the rehabilitation center and hear the amazing story of the Cathedral fire and
Sitka's mad flurry to save the church's icons and religious treasures.
Sample
Shore Excursions (not included): Historic Russian America & Raptor Center,
Silver Bay Nature Cruise & Salmon Hatchery, Sitka Wilderness Sea Kayaking
Adventure
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 9 -
Ketchikan, Alaska
In the heart of the Tongass
National Forest, immerse yourself in Tlingit Indian culture and view the world's
largest collection of totem poles kayak the colorful waterfront and stroll the
boardwalk that once led to Ketchikan's red light district. Sample
Shore Excursions (not included): Adventure Kart & Jet Boat Expedition,
Misty Fjords by Floatplane, snorkeling adventure, Totems & Town Tour.
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 10 -
Victoria, British Columbia
High tea can be taken at
the Empress Hotel if you really want to discover what Victoria is all about.
Then, walk over to the breathtaking Museum of Natural History or stroll through
the charming downtown of that lives up to its British-flavored name with
double-decker buses, turreted castles, fine British woollens and delicate china.
A coach-ride away, the Butchart Garden earns every superlative of its impeccable
reputation for glorious blooms and redolent scents.
Sample
Shore Excursions (not included): Victoria by Horse-drawn Trolley, A Taste
of Victoria: City Lights with Wine & Chocolate, Orca Whale Watching by Day
Moderate:
Overnight ms Amsterdam in an Inside Cabin (J class)
Superior: Overnight ms
Amsterdam in an Outside Cabin (E class)
Deluxe: Overnight ms
Amsterdam
in an Outside Cabin with Veranda (A class)
Day 11 - Arrive
Seattle
Arrive back into Seattle
in the early morning. Upon arrival, transfer by
private sedan from the cruise ship terminal to the SEATAC
Airport in time for your flight departure home.
PACKAGE
INCLUDES:
- 3
nights accommodation, room tax and any mandatory service charges
- 7 night Alaska Glacier Bay Holland America cruise aboard the ms Amsterdam including onboard
meals & entertainment, taxes and port charges
- Tillicum Village Experience
including boat tour, salmon dinner & entertainment
- Victoria Clipper between
Seattle & Victoria
- Grand City & Butchart Gardens
Tour
- Motorcoach transfer from
Victoria to Vancouver including BC Ferries
- 6 course dinner & wine pairing
Chef's Table at Diva at the Met including gratuities
- Motorcoach transfer Vancouver
to Seattle Cruise Docks
- Private sedan transfers between Seattle Airport & hotel, Seattle hotel
& Victoria Clipper, Victoria Clipper
& Victoria hotel and cruise ship terminal &
Seattle Airport including gratuities
- Personalized documentation package
PACKAGE DOES
NOT INCLUDE:
- Shore
Excursions
- Alcoholic
beverages
- Gratuities
not listed as included (including meals & cabin attendants onboard
the ms Amsterdam)
- Meals
not listed as included
- Transfers
not listed as included
- Optional
activities
not listed as included
- Goods and Services tax (GST)
- Trip Cancellation Insurance (Insurance can be purchased from your Vacation
Specialist, ask for more details)
- $50 US per person Alaska State Cruise Tax