It’s the perfect time to book an Alaskan cruise
It may be January, but now is the time to start thinking about booking that spring cruise. The 2017 Alaska cruise season starts early this year, with ships calling on the Port of Vancouver in April and running straight through December.
For those looking to sail from Canada Place this year, Celebrity Cruises has a couple of fascinating voyages lined up in addition to the company’s full season of cruises to Alaska.
First up is a nine-night cruise to Alaska that departs from Vancouver and ends in Seattle. Celebrity only does voyages like this once or twice per year, and this is one of the few chances that British Columbians have to get aboard the sleek 2,850-guest Celebrity Solstice from Canada Place.
Departing May 17, 2017, this voyage includes the usual calls on Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, but also swings by for a day in Sitka. If you’ve never been to Sitka, it’s worth visiting this unique little town to learn about its Russian heritage and its role as the capital of Alaska until it was re-located in 1906 to Juneau. A stop in Victoria is included before the ship arrives in Seattle.
Celebrity Solstice will repeat this itinerary, in reverse from Seattle to Vancouver, on Friday, September 15, minus the call on Sitka.
Another unique voyage is the chance to take a short sailing to Alaska round trip from Vancouver on-board Celebrity Millennium. This five-day voyage sets sail on Sunday, May 21, and spends a full day in both Ketchikan and Victoria, along with a day spent cruising the scenic Inside Passage and a day at sea on the Pacific Ocean. If you’re new to cruising (or just looking for a quick getaway), this little “sampler” cruise is the perfect option.
For the ultimate voyage, however, you might want to sail from Vancouver to Tokyo aboard Celebrity Millennium. These great Transpacific crossings are becoming more and more rare, so it’s nice to see Celebrity spend 15 days crossing over to Asia with this great ship.
Departing from Vancouver, guests spend four days at sea before calling on Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The ship then sails across the International Date Line, gaining a day, before making landfall in Japan with calls on Otaru, Hakodate, and an overnight stay in Yokohama, port for Tokyo.
If, like me, you’ve been twiddling your fingers wondering where to cruise to this year, these interesting voyages should certainly be food for thought.
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