Alaska Beckons

Only six weeks back from China and this globetrotter is off again on Sunday 1^st July to Alaska and the Canadian Rockies.  I leave from London Heathrow at 9.30am aboard a United Airlines flight to Houston and then onward to Anchorage so what with the time difference it is going to be a very long day!  I shall however have much of Monday 2^nd July since the Regent Seven Seas Navigator departs at 5.30pm.

This will be my first cruise with Regent Seven Seas.  It is classed as 6* all-inclusive cruise so everything is paid for including gratuities, onshore tours and wine and drinks.  Although I have a balcony cabin I don’t have the personal butler service!! The Seven Seas Navigator is one of 3 vessels operated by Regent – which I understand is part of he Radisson Group of Hotels.  She is 28,000 tons but with such luxurious accommodation only takes 480 passengers.

The first 9 days will be a cruise south from Anchorage to Vancouver calling at the ports shown in the map above.  There is a huge range of tours on offer although as ever I shall be attracted to the wildlife excursions and I am hoping to see a number of whales – humpbacks and Orcas – sea lions and seals, brown and grizzly bears, otters and moose to name but a few.  Although most of the tours are free there are some longer and more spectacular ones that incur an additional charge because they involve helicopter of seaplane flights.

After disembarking in Vancouver on 11^th July I have a couple of days to myself before joining the Rocky Mountaineer Train on 13^th July.  The first day will take me from Vancouver to Kamloops and day 2 (14^th July) from Kamloops to Banff. On July 15^th I have a sightseeing tour from Banff to Calgary and I fly back Air Canada from Calgary on the evening of the 16^th July arriving at London Heathrow at 9.30am on 17^th July.

So it is going to be a pretty action packed adventure.  I will do my best to blog even if it is only a few lines and a picture!  Hope you enjoy the blog.