August 19-30, 2002
Cruise/tour from $2972.46 for outside cabin or 2837.46 for inside cabin, a 32% discount!
In 2002, we are returning to one of our favorite cruise lines, Holland America, to repeat our cruise/tour, which sold out so quickly in 2001. For those of you who were unable to book in 2001, here is another opportunity to take this wonderful program with the added option of a short post-cruise package riding the Seward line of the Alaska Railroad! We have reserved this twelve-day program in late summer when crowds are diminishing, the bugs are gone, beautiful fall color is starting to appear in the interior, and the Seward branch of the A.R.R. still is operating. Our group space for this program is on the M.S. VOLENDAM sailing north from Vancouver B.C. to Skagway AK. (For those of you who might like additional reading about sailing on the VOLENDAM to Alaska, a recent 2001 issue of Smithsonian magazine had a feature article on this exact ship doing the Alaska program).
At Skagway we leave the ship to ride the spectacular narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad to Fraser, then continue by private motorcoach to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (YT) Canada. We then travel to Dawson City YT to tour the locale of the great Klondike Stampede and enjoy a wilderness boat trip on the Yukon River. We also travel the Alcan (Alaska/Canada) Highway to Fairbanks AK. Our departure from Fairbanks is on the scenic Alaska Railroad with an overnight in Denali National Park en route to a final two-night stay in Anchorage. Anchorage activities include a cruise to the face of the Portage Glacier! Our cruise/tour ends with air departures from Anchorage. As noted below, we have special air rates from H.A.L. to connect to/from this tour. Also see below the price for the optional post-cruise package “riding the rails” to Seward.
The land-tour is fully escorted by a professional Holland America/Westours Tour Manager. At a level of 15 paying participants, Jim Fredrickson, one of your favorite Rail Travel Center escorts, will accompany our group. Book now to ensure best cabin selection before the program sells out. ALL ABOARD!
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Day One, Monday, August 19 (D)
Vancouver arrivals; sail on M.S. Volendam. Independent arrivals into Vancouver, British Columbia today. You might want to consider arriving a day or two early to enjoy beautiful Vancouver and/or charming Victoria before sailing north. Holland America offers pre-cruise hotel nights and packages in Vancouver/Victoria and post-cruise hotel nights and packages in Anchorage. When you book, ask us to quote rates for extra hotel nights, add-on packages, or H.A.L. airfares, which include airport transfers.
The beautiful M.S. VOLENDAM sails north out of Vancouver harbor, passing by lovely Stanley Park and under the landmark Lion’s Gate Bridge. We are heading northwest into the beginning of the Inside Passage between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Dinner is enjoyed on board this evening.
(D)
Day 2:
Day Two, Tuesday, August 20 (All)
Cruising the Inside Passage. Today is spent cruising the Inside Passage between the B.C. mainland and the myriad of islands that shelter us from the Pacific Ocean. Because we have no port calls today, this is an excellent opportunity for us to explore our beautiful cruise ship. Built in 1999, the M.S. VOLENDAM carries about 650 staff (Dutch officers, Indonesian and Filipino crew) and has a capacity of 1440 passengers. Public facilities include both a large and small restaurant, a casual Lido cafe, a theatre, the Java coffee bar, four lounges, a library, a casino, and a recreation/spa complex. Holland America is noted for its casual elegance; and there is much to do on board today if watching spectacular scenery pass by does not suffice. A lovely art collection highlights the many lounges and two-deck Main Dining Room.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 3:
Day Three, Wednesday, August 21 (All)
Juneau sightseeing. Our port call today is Juneau, Alaska, the state capital. Juneau occupies a narrow strip of land between water and mountains, providing lovely views. Possible shore excursions here include a city tour and the opportunity to visit the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier or book a float trip on the Mendenhall River. Upon departing Juneau, our ship continues north, turning into the spectacular Lynn Canal Fjord at dawn as we approach Skagway.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 4:
Day Four, Thursday, August 22 (B,D)
Skagway sightseeing. We disembark in Skagway, Alaska for an historic city tour. Skagway, a main “jumping off point” for the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898/99, was a rip-roaring place bedeviled by the Soapy Smith gang. We hear the history of that time and how Soapy “shot it out” with Frank Reid on the dock. Following our tour, the rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy this colorful little town. We overnight in Skagway at a Westmark hotel.
(B) (D)
Day 5:
Day Five, Friday, August 23 (B,D)
White Pass and Yukon RR on the spectacular trip to Whitehorse. Travel today is on the three-foot narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon RR, traveling in a vintage parlor car to Fraser at the crest of White Pass. Here we transfer to a motorcoach for the scenic drive north to Whitehorse, YT. This train journey is one of the most spectacular in the world, climbing almost 3,000 feet in just over twenty miles. Enroute are thundering waterfalls and sweeping vistas across the great gorge to the peaks of the Coast Range. On arrival in Whitehorse, we visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve to see elk, caribou and musk oxen in an unusual open environment. We overnight in Whitehorse at a Westmark hotel.
(B) (D)
Day 6:
Day Six, Saturday, August 24 (B,D)
Motorcoach to Dawson City; sightseeing. Travel today is on a unique Holland America Westours articulated lounge-coach on the lonely highway through the beautiful interior of the Yukon to Dawson City. This is a vast wilderness of tall mountains and lonely forested plateaus. Dawson was the center of the 1898/99 Klondike Gold Rush; and we see the many buildings surviving from that time. Here we enjoy the “Gay Nineties” show at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s and spend the night at a Westmark inn. Pierre Berton, the great Canadian historian, was born in Dawson City; and you might check in local bookstores for his books on the gold rush, which are great reading!
(B) (D)
Day 7:
Day Seven, Sunday, August 25 (B,D)
Cruise the Yukon River; travel to Tok Junction. A cruise on the Yukon River, the lifeline of Dawson during the gold rush, is included on the new M.V. Yukon Queen II, which sails through a completely roadless wilderness and crosses the border into Alaska. We re-board our motorcoach at remote Eagle and continue southwest through tiny Chicken, AK to Tok Junction, where we overnight at a Westmark inn. Tok bills itself as the dog mushing capital of the world.
(B) (D)
Day 8:
Day Eight, Monday, August 26 (B,D)
Alcan Highway to Fairbanks; Fairbanks sightseeing. We continue by motorcoach along the legendary Alcan Highway to Fairbanks today. Enroute we may see buffalo and moose, which are common along the highway near Delta. Unexpectedly, this seemingly empty country also is a farming area for a variety of crops, including barley and vegetables, which grow enormous in the long summer sun of the far north. This afternoon at Fairbanks we visit Gold Dredge #8, a relic of the gold rush, and see the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline as it wends its way south. We stay in Fairbanks at a Westmark hotel.
(B) (D)
Day 9:
Day Nine, Tuesday, August 27 (B)
Alaska Railroad to Denali; wildlife tour. The Alaska Railroad beckons today as we ride from Fairbanks to Denali National Park in the beautiful private full-length vista-dome railcars of the MCKINLEY EXPLORER. The ARR takes us south through a vast boreal forest, then turns up the rugged canyon of the Nenana River to Denali Park Station. We enjoy a tundra wildlife tour on arrival at Denali, with a good chance to see moose, reindeer, ptarmigan, Dall sheep and even grizzly bears. On clear days, the 20,000-foot peak of Mount McKinley dominates the horizon. We overnight in the park at one of Westmark’s Denali Park lodges.
(B)
Day 10:
Day Ten, Wednesday, August 28 (L,D)
Free time at Denali; Alaska Railroad to Anchorage. After free time this morning, we re-board the Alaska Railroad in Denali Park Station and complete the ride to Anchorage, following the Susitna River and again enjoying private vista-dome car seating. Highlights today include soaring Hurricane Creek Viaduct and the lonely crossing of the Alaska Range over Broad Pass. Luncheon and dinner are served in the dining area of our dome car with all the elegance of traditional railway diners. Crisp linens and fine china are hallmarks of the MCKINLEY EXPLORER meal service. We enjoy a two-night stay in Anchorage at a Westmark hotel.
(L) (D)
Day 11:
Day Eleven, Thursday, August 29
Tour of Anchorage; cruise to the Portage Glacier. We have a motorcoach tour of the Anchorage area, then travel south along Cook Inlet and the Turnagain Arm to Portage for a very unusual cruise. Our voyage on the M.V. Ptarmigan takes us across Portage Lake to view spectacular Portage Glacier, which frequently “calves” icebergs. We overnight once again in Anchorage.
Day 12:
Day Twelve, Friday, August 30
Departures from Anchorage. Transfers are included to the airport for those flying home from Anchorage today. Or you may extend your stay in Anchorage to enjoy our Alaska Railroad Extension to Seward.
Note that our prices for outside cabins begin at only $135.00 more than for an inside stateroom, which is a real incentive to upgrade on this wonderful cruise/tour. Your ship is never out of sight of land and the land is always magnificently scenic!
Cabin Category Per Person, double Single Rate
M Inside Large $2837.46 $4062.93
L Inside Large $2852.46 $4085.43
K Inside Large $2867.46 $4107.93
J Inside Large $2882.46 $4130.43
I Inside Large $2897.46 $4152.93
H Outside Large $2972.46 $4265.43
G Outside Large $2992.46 $4295.43
FF Outside Large $3012.46 $4325.43
F Outside Large $3032.46 $4355.43
E Outside Large $3052.46 $4385.43
D Outside Large $3072.46 $4415.43
C Outside Large $3092.46 $4445.43
B Outside Mini-suite $3272.46 $4895.43
A Outside Mini-suite $3362.46 $5066.43
S Outside Suite $4762.14 $7669.95
Our rates include Port Taxes of $158 per person and the Tour Meal Plan, which normally costs $290 per person. Our basic cruise/tour price represents a discount of 32% off Holland America brochure rates, except for suites at 26% discount. All categories shown include twin lower beds; in many cabins we can request a queen-sized bed. All hotel rooms are comparable with private bath regardless of cabin chosen on the ship. Specific hotels are assigned by Holland America from their fine Westmark chain.
OPTIONAL SPECIAL AIRFARES
We have special Holland America air rates to Vancouver and home from Anchorage from over 100 U.S. and Canadian cities. These rates include airport/ship pre-cruise and hotel/airport post-tour transfers. Call us for prices from your home. The selection of routings/flights/carriers is at the discretion of Holland America.
Day 13:
OPTIONAL POST-CRUISE TRIP TO SEWARD ON THE ALASKA RAILROAD
August 30-31, 2001
We are offering an exciting post-tour extension from Anchorage on August 30 and 31: a round-trip journey to Seward using the COASTAL CLASSIC service of the Alaska Railroad. This most spectacular section of the railway includes a rugged crossing of Moose Pass, travel along the face of several glaciers, and a spectacular run along Turnagain Arm fjord. The Anchorage to Seward section of the Alaska Railroad is less known than the Fairbanks line, as it carried only freight trains from 1956 to 1986. It is truly one of the world’s most magnificent scenic railways and was showcased in a PBS documentary series. The COASTAL CLASSIC train has a nice diner-lounge car for optional breakfast and dinner. The extension includes travel round-trip to Seward on August 30th on the Alaska Railroad, an afternoon luncheon cruise through Resurrection Bay viewing Bear Glacier, and an extra night in Anchorage on August 30. Participants will fly home from Anchorage on August 31.
$350.00 per person, double occupancy
$475.00 single occupancy
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
CRUISE/TOUR PRICES are inclusive from Vancouver sailing time to departure from Anchorage and include all passage fares in the stateroom category chosen, rail and coach fares, meals noted as included above, admissions, transfers during the land-tour, luggage handling and escort service by a professional Holland America/Westours escort. In addition, Rail Travel Center’s Jim Fredrickson will accompany the group with 15 or more paying passengers. Not included are air to Vancouver and home from Anchorage and personal items such as alcoholic beverages and souvenirs.
Also see tour packages in:
North America
USA
Canada
Alaska
Local Culture
Railway Trips
Boating and Sailing
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