Whale Watching Expedition

Aboard Seven Seas Explorer with Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Departure Date

1 May 2024

Duration

7 Nights

Fly Cruise From

£6,459pp

Cruise Reference

ART-0WHRE15

Cruise Overview

Vancouver is a delicious juxtaposition of urban sophistication and on-your-doorstep wilderness adventure.

The mountains and seascape make the city an outdoor playground for hiking, skiing, kayaking, cycling, and sailing—and so much more—while the cuisine and arts scenes are equally diverse, reflecting the makeup of Vancouver's ethnic (predominantly Asian) mosaic.

Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities, and it's easy for visitors to see why.

It's beautiful, it's outdoorsy, and there's a laidback West Coast vibe.

On the one hand, there's easy access to a variety of outdoor activities, a fabulous variety of beaches, and amazing parks.

At the same time, the city has a multicultural vitality and cosmopolitan flair.

The attraction is as much in the range of food choices—the fresh seafood and local produce are some of North America's best—as it is in the museums, shopping, and nightlife.Vancouver's landscaping also adds to the city's walking appeal.

In spring, flowerbeds spill over with tulips and daffodils while sea breezes scatter scented cherry blossoms throughout Downtown; in summer office workers take to the beaches, parks, and urban courtyards for picnic lunches and laptop meetings.

More than 8 million visitors each year come to Vancouver, Canada's third-largest metropolitan area.

Because of its peninsula location, traffic flow is a contentious issue.

Thankfully, Vancouver is wonderfully walkable, especially in the downtown core.

The North Shore is a scoot across the harbor, and the rapid-transit system to Richmond and the airport means that staying in the more affordable ’burbs doesn't have to be synonymous with sacrificing convenience.

The mild climate, exquisite natural scenery, and relaxed outdoor lifestyle keep attracting residents, and the number of visitors is increasing for the same reasons.

People often get their first glimpse of Vancouver when catching an Alaskan cruise, and many return at some point to spend more time here.
Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting.

Some 13,500 people call the town home, and, in the summer, cruise ships crowd the shoreline, floatplanes depart noisily for Misty Fiords National Monument, and salmon-laden commercial fishing boats motor through Tongass Narrows.

In the last decade Ketchikan's rowdy, blue-collar heritage of logging and fishing has been softened by the loss of many timber-industry jobs and the dramatic rise of cruise-ship tourism.

With some effort, though, visitors can still glimpse the rugged frontier spirit that once permeated this hardscrabble cannery town.

Art lovers should make a beeline for Ketchikan: the arts community here is very active.

Travelers in search of the perfect piece of Alaska art will find an incredible range of pieces to choose from.The town is at the foot of 3,000-foot Deer Mountain, near the southeastern corner of Revillagigedo (locals shorten it to Revilla) Island.

Prior to the arrival of white miners and fishermen in 1885, the Tlingit used the site at the mouth of Ketchikan Creek as a summer fish camp.

Gold discoveries just before the turn of the 20th century brought more immigrants, and valuable timber and commercial fishing resources spurred new industries.

By the 1930s the town bragged that it was the "salmon-canning capital of the world." You will still find some of Southeast's best salmon fishing around here.

Ketchikan is the first bite of Alaska that many travelers taste.

Despite its imposing backdrop, hillside homes, and many staircases, the town is relatively easy to walk through.

Favorite downtown stops include the Spruce Mill Development shops and Creek Street.

A bit farther away you'll find the Totem Heritage Center.

Out of town (but included on most bus tours) are two longtime favorites: Totem Bight State Historical Park to the north and Saxman Totem Park to the south.
Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road.

Bounded by steep mountains and water, the city’s geographic isolation and compact size make it much more akin to an island community such as Sitka than to other Alaskan urban centers, such as Fairbanks or Anchorage.

Juneau is full of contrasts.

Its dramatic hillside location and historic downtown buildings provide a frontier feeling, but the city's cosmopolitan nature comes through in fine museums, noteworthy restaurants, and a literate and outdoorsy populace.

The finest of the museums, the Alaska State Museum, is scheduled to reopen in May 2016 on its old site as the expanded Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum (SLAM) following several years of planning and exhibit research.

Another new facility, the Walter Soboleff Center, offers visitors a chance to learn about the indigenous cultures of Southeast Alaska–-Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian.

Other highlights include the Mt.

Roberts Tramway, plenty of densely forested wilderness areas, quiet bays for sea kayaking, and even a famous drive-up glacier, Mendenhall Glacier.

For goings-on, pick up the Juneau Empire (www.juneauempire.com), which keeps tabs on state politics, business, sports, and local news.

Cruise Itinerary

Aboard Seven Seas Explorer

Launch Year: 2016 Length: 224 Width: 31 Currency: USD Capacity: 732 Crew Count: 567 Deck Count: 10 Cabin Count: 366

Seven Seas Explorer® is something of a snowbird, often spending the summer in cooler Northern European destinations and winters in warmer climates. The ship also cruises the picturesque Mediterranean coastlines.

Seven Seas Explorer® is stunning, with art by Pablo Picasso on the walls and a vivid cobalt-blue glass installation on the ceiling in the elegant restaurant Compass Rose. See for yourself how every space is designed to impress.

You could take a cooking class, get a seaweed wrap, lounge by the pool, eat a gourmet meal and play some blackjack all in one day aboard Seven Seas Explorer®. Explore the deck plans to plan your perfect day.

Seven Seas Explorer Facilities

Seven Seas Explorer Includes

Cabin Details

Experience a new level of comfort in your new home away from home. Our suites bring you the best in sumptuous living, from 28 to over 412 square meters, adorned with the finest décor and best-in-class amenities

Regent Seven Sea Cruises® offers an in-suite experience like no other at sea. Every suite has spacious closets, high-end finishes, relaxing Elite Slumber™ beds and private balconies. Sizes range from 307 to 4,443 square feet (93.6 to 1,354.2 meters).

Our luxurious ships feature all-suite accommodations that range from 28 to 412 square meter and are complemented by private, furnished balconies aboard Seven Seas Grandeur™, Seven Seas Splendor®, Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Voyager®, Seven Seas Mariner®, and 90% of suites aboard Seven Seas Navigator®. Marble appointments accent the bath, featuring a tub or walk-in shower and the majority of suites feature a walk-in wardrobe. A spacious sitting area is enhanced by soothing colours and rich textures with plenty of room to stretch out and watch a movie, read a best seller, or simply enjoy ever-changing vistas that stretch to the horizon's edge.

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