Holland America Cruise Tour

This trip was comprised of five air flights, one cruise ship, three train rides, four boat rides and four bus rides. Realizing what an adventure it was to be, we decided to take our fourteen year old granddaughter along for the trip. Read from here on down through the photo pages, then have a look around. There’s a lot here! (Header theme photo taken of Mt McKinley from the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Denali.)

Our Alaska Photos:

Taken with the NIKON D90 Digital SLR Camera

• Photo Page One, Leaving Vancouver aboard the Holland America cruise ship ms Veendam.
• Photo Page Two: Visiting Ketchikan and the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Boat Aleutian Ballad.
• Photo Page Three: Juneau, the capital of Alaska – Mendenhall Glacier
• Photo Page Four: Skagway over the South Klondike Highway pass into the Yukon Territory
• Photo Page Five: Cruising through Glacier Bay National Park
• Photo Page Six: Food on the cruise ship and the battle of the bulge!
• Photo Page Seven: Ice Sculpting – Formal Dinner Night – College Fjord
• Photo Page Eight: The Kenai Fjords National Park Sea Excursion
• Photo Page Nine: The Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks
• Photo Page Ten: Denali National Park and the Tundra Wilderness Tour
• Photo Page Eleven: The Discovery III River Boat and Chena Native Village
• Photo Page Twelve: The outback bus trip from Fairbanks to Tok and Eagle, Alaska.
• Photo Page Thirteen: Tok, Chicken and Eagle, Alaska in the outback!
• Photo Page Fourteen: The boat trip on the Yukon Queen II from Eagle, Alaska to Dawson, YT.
• Photo Page Fifteen: Some scenes from Dawson City in the Yukon Territory.
• Photo Page Sixteen: Around the Yukon Territory, Moose Creek, Minto and Whitehorse.
• Photo Page Seventeen: Holland America Tour #27 Farewell Dinner at Whitehorse + Comments!

Narratives:

Stories to fill in the places where the camera was not at hand:

• Airport, Customs, Security and the Hotel
• The Main Dining Room Dinner Menu
• The Land Tour Meal Plan and the Meals
• Anchorage – a Day Off for R&R
• To be continued…

• Alaska Planning putting it on paper.
• Airline Itinerary getting from Tampa to Vancouver.
• Cruise Tour Itinerary the complete layout.
• Veendam Cruise Ship photos and details.
• Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour on the Aleutian Ballad.
• Skagway Coach and Rail trip into the Yukon Territory.
• Kenai Fjords smaller day boat into the National Park.
• Denali National Park and the Tundra Wilderness Tour.
• UAF Museum University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

SARASOTA

• 24JUL09 Hertz: 5225 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota – (941) 925-8360 Noon to PM
• 24JUL09 Tampa Airport Mariott (813)879-5151 – 3PM to NOON

FLY TAMPA TO VANCOUVER

• 25JUL09 1:30p TAMPA 25JUL09 4:20p TORONTO AIR CANADA 903 DDSGXH All
• 25JUL09 6:00p TORONTO 25JUL09 7:58p VANCOUVER AIR CANADA 137 All
• SAT 25 JUL TRANSFER AIRPORT to HOTEL
• SAT 25 JUL FAIRMONT WATERFRONT HOTEL 1 NIGHT

DAY 1      SAIL FROM VANCOUVER

• SUN 26JUL    TRANSFER from HOTEL to SHIP at Canada Place Pier with a 3 hour tour of Vancouver including Chinatown, historic Gastown and Stanley Park.
• SUN 26JUL    Sail from Vancouver 5:00pm Cabin BA205

DAY 2     SCENIC CRUISING INSIDE PASSAGE

• MON 27JUL     Sea Day – Formal Dinner Night
• NOAA BUOY DATA Click a buoy for WX and SEA conditions.

DAY 3     KETCHIKAN
Join the Captain and decades-seasoned Bering Sea fishing crew for an extraordinary journey of discovery on the Aleutian Ballad, a storied crab boat seen on Season 2 of the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch.

• TUE 28 JUL    Ketchikan, Alaska 7:00a    3:00p
• Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour 8:00 AM

DAY 4     JUNEAU

• WED 29JUL    Juneau, Alaska 8:00a    10:30p
• Meet with Bruce and Debbie Gordon

DAY 5    SKAGWAY

• THU 30 JUL    Skagway, Alaska 7:00a    9:00P
• White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad 8:30 AM

DAY 6     GLACIER BAY SCENIC CRUISING

• FRI 31 JUL Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising 7:00a 4:00p
• FRI 31 JUL Formal Dinner Night

DAY 7 COLLEGE FJORD SCENIC CRUISING

• SAT 01 AUG     College Fjord Cruising 5:00p    8:00P
• SAT 01 AUG Pinacle Grill Dinner 5:30PM

DAY 8     KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK CRUISE, SEWARD HIGHWAY TO ANCHORAGE
Meet your Tour Director, enjoy a national park wildlife cruise and continue via deluxe motor coach.

• SUN 02AUG Debark Ship Seward (Anchorage)    6:00a
• SUN 02AUG *
• SUN 02AUG MEET YOUR TOUR DIRECTOR
• SUN 02AUG TRANSFER SHIP/KFT
• SUN 02AUG KENAI FJORDS SSG EARLY AM)        8:00a   2:00p
• SUN 02AUG SEWARD/ANCHORAGE COACH (KFT) 3 hours, pick up car, have dinner.
• SUN 02AUG HILTON ANCHORAGE HOTEL 2 NIGHTS
• SUN 02AUG Dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse

DAY 9     ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Take advantage of great shopping, dining and optional excursions.

• MON 03AUG ANCHORAGE DAY AT LEISURE                *CAR*
• MON 03AUG Gotta restock at WALMART!
• MON 03AUG Dinner at the Sea Galley

DAY 10     MCKINLEY EXPLORER® RAIL TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Alaska’s wilderness is enhanced by the huge domed windows of spacious railcars and, later, inviting Denali resort-style lodgings.

• TUE 04AUG TRANSFER HOTEL/RAIL DEPOT 7:15AM
• TUE 04AUG MCKINLEY EXPLORER: ANCHORAGE/DENALI    8:15a to    3:45p Breakfast and Lunch on board.
• TUE 04AUG TRANSFER RAIL DEPOT/HOTEL
• TUE 04AUG MCKINLEY CHALETS RESORT 2 NIGHTS

DAY 11 DENALI NATIONAL PARK
The Tundra Wilderness Tour focuses on abundant wildlife and Mt. McKinley viewpoints in an intact ecosystem.

• WED 05AUG AM DENALI TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR

DAY 12     MCKINLEY EXPLORER RAIL TO FAIRBANKS
Dine, sightsee, watch for wildlife and recharge.

• THU 06AUG DNL MORNING AT LEISURE
• THU 06AUG TRANSFER HOTEL/RAIL DEPOT
• THU 06AUG MCKINLEY EXPLORER: DENALI/FAIRBANKS    4:00p    8:15p
• THU 06AUG TRANSFER RAIL DEPOT/HOTEL
• THU 06AuG WESTMARK FAIRBANKS HOTEL 2 NIGHTS

DAY 13     FAIRBANKS
Take a sternwheeler cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers.

• FRI 07AUG ROUNDTRIP TRANSFER RIVERBOAT
• FRI 07AUG AM RIVERBOAT DISCOVERY TOUR        8:00a    12:30p
• FRI 07AUG FRI AFTERNOON AT LEISURE   and UAF Museum

DAY 14     EXPLORER COACH™ TO TOK
Visit Gold Dredge No. 8 (lunch included), then sightsee along the Alaska Highway.

• SAT 08AUG AM GOLD DREDGE NO.8 TOUR        9:00a    1:00P
• SAT O8AUG FAIRBANKS/TOK COACH            1:00P    6:00P
• SAT 08AUG WESTMARK INN TOK 1 NIGHT

DAY 15     mv YUKON QUEEN II CRUISE TO DAWSON CITY CANADA
Stop at the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Park Visitor Center. Tour historic Eagle, then travel the Yukon River.

• SUN 09AUG TOK/EAGLE COACH            6:00a    12:30p
• SUN 09AUG YUKON QUEEN: EAGLE/DAWSON DAYBOAT 2:00p    7:30p
• SUN 09AUG TRANSFER DAYBOAT/HOTEL
• SUN 09AUG WESTMARK INN DAWSON 2 NIGHTS

DAY 16     OPTIONAL DAWSON CITY & TOMBSTONE PARK ADVENTURES
Stay in town for gold rush tours or explore rugged Tombstone on an optional guided hike or excursion.

• MON 10AUG DAWSON DAY AT LEISURE                    *OPEN*

DAY 17     EXPLORER COACH TO WHITEHORSE CANADA
Sightsee past Five Finger Rapids (lunch included). Tonight, applaud the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue (included).

• TUB 11AUG DAWSON/WHITEHORSE COACH        8:O0a    4:30p
• TUE 11AUG LUNCH AT MINTO
• TUE 11AUG FRANTIC FOLLIES
• TUE 11AUG WESTMARK WHITEHORSE HOTEL 2 NIGHTS

DAY 18     OPTIONAL WHITEHORSE & KLUANE NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURES
Today you can explore Whitehorse or join our optional Kluane National Park program. Tonight, say “good-bye” to your Tour Director at a farewell dinner.

• WED 12AUG KLUANE/WHITEHORSE DAY                    *OPEN*
• WED 12AUG MacBride Museum of Yukon History
• WED 12AUG FAREWELL DINNER: WHITEHORSE             *S*

DAY 19     FLY WHITEHORSE TO VANCOUVER CANADA
Overnight at the Fairmont Airport Hotel.

• THU 13AUG TRANSFER HOTEL/AIRPORT
• THU 13AUG GOODBYE TO YOUR TOUR DIRECTOR
• THU 13AUG AIR: YXY/YVR (TOUR INV) Air North flight 525
• THU 13AUG FAIRMONT VANCOUVER AIRPORT 1 NIGHT

DAY 20     TOUR ENDS THIS MORNING IN VANCOUVER

• FRI 14 AUG NO TRANSFER HOTEL AT AIRPORT
• 14AUG09 8:50a VANCOUVER 14AUG09 2:50p DALLAS/FT WORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES 282 All
• 14AUG09 4:45p DALLAS/FT WORTH 14AUG09 8:10p TAMPA AMERICAN AIRLINES 698 All