Day 1 - Arrive Seattle
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.
Moderate: Overnight Mayflower Park Hotel
Superior: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe room
Deluxe: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe
Executive Suite
Day 2 - Choice of
Activity: Mount Rainer OR Mt. Saint Helen's Sightseeing
Today you have your choice of
activities.
Mount Rainier Day Tour - Of
all the mountains that surround Seattle, Mount Rainier stands boldest. On clear
days, you can see the mountain from downtown, but to grasp its full beauty, you
must see it up close. Breathtaking vistas await on this rocky peak more
than 14,000 feet tall. Even when clouds in Seattle obscure the view from the
city center, once you climb in altitude, Mount Rainier's scenery is
awe-inspiring. Don't forget your camera. This 10-hour day trip is a feast for
the eyes. Begin with a scenic bus ride, stopping at a visitors'
center before we continue into Mount Rainier National Park. In the park, we'll
linger at several scenic lookout points and gaze at the natural wonders '
crashing waterfalls, diverse plant life, and the snowcapped summit. You'll have
time to purchase lunch along the way. In the late afternoon, follow a different
route back to Seattle, taking in even more great scenery.
Mt. St. Helen's Day Tour -
The excitement builds throughout the day as you travel towards this historic
volcano, made famous by its recent eruption. For more than a hundred years, Mt.
St. Helen's sat dormant and peaceful, but on May 18, 1980, the slumbering
volcano exploded to life, spewing a massive cloud of ash and steam more than 10
miles high and triggering the largest landslide in recorded history.
Revisit history as we travel 90-miles south of Seattle, through a diverse and
recovering landscape, forever changed by the devastating blast. During our
journey, we'll stop at three different visitor's centers, hearing firsthand the
stories of local inhabitants who survived the eruption. Fallen trees, scattered
like matchsticks, still cover the rolling hills within the blast zone, and a
moon-like terrain surrounds the mountain itself. Videos and interactive
displays describe the geological forces that triggered the eruption, and a
hands-on exhibit lets you simulate your own earthquake," using the same
equipment seismologists use. Your final stop at Johnston Ridge gets us up
close for a spectacular view of the crater.
Moderate: Overnight Mayflower Park Hotel
Superior: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe room
Deluxe: Overnight Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Deluxe
Executive Suite
Day 3 - Seattle City Sights Tour
/
Depart Seattle aboard Holland America's ms
Amsterdam
This morning
depart on a Seattle City Sights Tour. Seattle is known for attractions
such as Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, but outside the downtown core,
Seattle is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own, unique personality. Using
a smaller vehicle limited to only 20 passengers, we travel through parts of town
many visitors never see. Soak up the Asian flavour of the International
District. Check out the quirky public art in Fremont, the self-proclaimed
'Center of the Universe', and get a taste of Seattle's maritime culture as you
drive past Fisherman's Terminal. At the Hiram Chittenden Locks, you'll see the
famous Fish Ladder, where an underwater viewing room lets you watch for sea
life. And enjoy a sprawling view of the skyline from atop one of Seattle's
scenic lookout points. This tour takes you where others don't ' off the
beaten path to areas where local residents live and play. Experience the local
point of view.
This afternoon,
transfer by private sedan from your hotel to the cruise ship
terminal. 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. Her décor includes
artifacts and memorabilia representing various musical
genres - from a Baroque-style Dutch pipe organ in the atrium
to guitars signed by rock icons The Rolling Stones.
The
ms
Amsterdam
offers a symphony of cruising pleasures.
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 (AA class)
Note:
Saturday & Sunday
cruise departures will be aboard different ships. Thursday (Oosterdam) and
Friday (Noordam). Cruise itinerary will change slightly on the other
ships.
Day 4 -
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 (AA class)
Day 5 - 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.
Note:
Oosterdam itinerary: Scenic
Cruising Hubbard Glacier and Yakutat Bay
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 (AA class)
Day
6 -Glacier
Bay Scenic Cruising
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.
Note:
Noordam itinerary:
visit Juneau /
Oosterdam itinerary:
Scenic Cruising Hubbard Glacier and Yakutat Bay
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 (AA class)
Day 7 -
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 (AA class)
Day
8 -
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 (AA class)
Day 9 -
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-flavoured 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 (AA class)
Day 10 -Arrive
Seattle
Arrive back into Seattle in the
early morning.
Today you will transfer by private
sedan from your hotel to the Seattle International Airport in time for your
flight departure home.
PACKAGE
INCLUDES:
-
2
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
(SUBSTITUTION:
Thursday departures are aboard the ms
Amsterdam,
Friday departures are aboard the ms Oosterdam and Saturday departures are
aboard the ms Noordam - itineraries may vary
slightly)
-
Choice of Activity:
Mount Rainier OR Mt. St. Helen's Day Tour
-
Seattle City Sights Tour
-
Private
sedan transfers between Seattle Airport & hotel, hotel
& Cruise Ship Terminal,
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
Holland America Cruise Lines)
-
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