Holiday to Canada/Alaska

[3435anneh]

We are considering taking a holiday next year - flying to Canada and cruising to Alaska. Does anyone have any advice regarding this i.e. Companies to recommend who arrange this.

[spudqueen]

The Mail On Sunday usually have loads of cruise advertisments - could be worth getting one next week.

[jno]

http://www.1st4cruise.co.uk/

There are others. There are frequent ads in the travel pages of newspapers on Saturday and Sunday, though they seem to come in waves so try buying papers for a few weeks. You'll probably find them going for about half the brochure price. I went with Princess a few years back and they actually old packages that involved flying to Calgary, touring the Rockes in a coach, going down to Vancouver then cruising up the Inside Passage to Anchorage, then flying back via Seattle. Great trip but best done in summer, weatherwise.

[jno]

sorry - *sold* and *Rockies*... it's late

[3435anneh]

I appreciate you help 'Spudqueen' and 'Jno

[sddsddean]

An Alaska cruise is brilliant (did it last June), but be prepared for the weather. We hit it just right and only had one morning of rain. We were told that Alaska's normal summer weather is ...rain! The week before it rained all day, every day, but having said that the scenery is stunning! Most cruises you are way out to sea between ports, but in Alaska you cruise up all the inner channels, so normally the land is only a mile or so away. We saw Killer Whales, Humpbacks, a fleeting glimpse of a bear and loads of bald eagles. Highly recommend it. We finished with 3 days in Vancouver...brilliant city. Go; you won't regret it.

[johnredgeon]

Princess cruises very good, went with them on dawn princess a few years ago fly to calgary easy coach ride thtough rockies to vancouver over 7 days, then 7 day cruise to seaward.one of the best cruises we have ever been on.

[3435anneh]

Thanks very much for your help 'sddsddean' and 'johnredgeon' - much appreciated. Got lots to mull over now.

[sddsddean]

Just realised no one has put this link up
http://www.cruisecritic.com/
It has loads of info on all sorts of cruises and is fairly simple to navigate. All the major cruise lines go to Alaska like Princess (as John said), Royal Carribean (who I went with), together with the likes of P&O and Holland America. I think the season is roughly start May to end August. If you go to Skagway, I recommend a trip on the White Pass & Yukon Railway. Stand out on one of the platfroms for the best view.