Canada and Alaska Feature CP60

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

CRUISEPASSENGER.COM.AU

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SPECIAL REPORT

6l Canada &Alaska We look ar what this populu destindtion has to otrer Austnlian cruhe fans: an inffoduction !o the region; firc wdys to uuisei big nrc wildLife spottingi Holmd America Line land and se, joumei md cin guides to Montrerl and \rrncouv( 49

Frcm devergadgetsand stylish travel acce$ories to a report on getting a qulck

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38 43 S<eni(Jaspel Theret a revolutn,n rnoat on Eurcpet rircs. Peter L)nch cruises the Danubc to scc how Scenic G using high te.h smar$ io a.ld wonder"to trdditional routes.

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;2.93 Australia and New ZEaland Port Report

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..omph& rcftirh of.l1 sEtcroorls md public alE !, E,?ldnnaw $o. ofth. innoratiw fcaturE€ found on Quntur- md Oasis-c,lass

the bigest addition is thc FlowRidu $uf sifrul*or $,18rc passeng€n can leam to surfor boogie board on a cushioned pladorm. Interior sraterooms halr bcen ntt€d

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To enter, visit cnisepasrcng.r.cm..Ltlcomp€titions and us in 25 mrds or le€6 {fiat 1ou would most likc to do

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#r* Wld coastlines often inaccessible by land and a plethora of combined sea and land tours, make North Americatfar north idealfor cruising.

CAl{ADA

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From the icy beauty ofthe lnside Passage and towering majesty ofthe Rocky Mountains to the history and culture ofCanada! founding cities, North Ameri(at far north is an increasingly popular destination for Australians by land and sea. Po derick Eime reporls.

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T I

llou sril

had

i chnd\ imasinarion,

you mighrpicrure the nst Nonh American mntlnentrs mne muscular catmn superherc who* orersiz.d head and shouldes re the mst regions of Cmada and Aluka.Together, they deliver a superhumm dose ofadwntE and scenic b€auty that is perfect for mism who wnt to extend their

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erperiene from

a

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catalogue

ofland

More than 24,000 Australians visited th€ US stat€ to mis in 2013 md the Iatest

figrcs liom the A.laka Tnrel lndmty Asociation leal we cdged out the United

mdJune

in Ala6k to the sophisticated merropolis of Vancouver, Re are flockng there in droves, and lrith good rcason.

Hower, toward the east, the historic md srately capitals of Monftal and qrcbec City otrer the chmce to imme$e youself in rhe sophisticared chaiacter ofcities that wEre founded a! the beginning ofEuropean s€tdement in the 17th centurra And )es, you can cruise by big ship right into the hean ofModteal, o! $.plorc the counil,side and renote ten'itories by smal 6hip a6 Ar as Gree.land and the USA.

wher )ou

are ashore,

Kingdom in 2011 to become the state's top international mdket after Canada. A 6rther 200,00u Australians travelled to Cmada, the world's second largtst counL7, rnd the number grows mry year, rclnforcing c1o* ties with our Commonrealth chums.

Both Canada md Alaska have wel develop€d toulism infrastructure wirh people who underBtand the business ad treat lisitors accoldingly. In fact, IU go so far as to sly Aussies gEt special treatmenr, especialy in Canada where those shrcd colonbl roots are cdebrated in i kind of imsPacific mateship.

From the perspective ofcruning, Canada and Alaska can be considered fie same teritory Wildlife, Inuit cultw and the unique geogaphy ofNorth America pals no heed to poiitica.l boundeies. Many mise lines offer itineruies that seurlessly crcs the bordes, so you cm enjoy the best of both countries at sea md *hore.

the restem (Prcific) oast is wherc you'[ nnd th€ most populu detinariotu for Australians, with the legendary Inside Pusage and stupendou Rocky Mountahs being the big-tickct dnwcads.

*duded, pictmsque

50

tms

ww..rui5epa$enqe.(om,au

Fron

such as Sitka

TRUE Rocky Mountaineer is a delighttut and perfecdy suitable side trip

for

Vancouve('Ihe traio also recendy

hd

qtendcd lts

NtlRTH aC-

ftach to Seatde in case aJe cruising tum or nlns in or out of that other populu port. In faa, ifyou urre

,ou

a real tranr buff,)ou could tnrcl a[ rhe slay to the Adantic co6t using the Canadian

National Railmy Compmy.

Likewise in Alak, a summer milroad journey on the c€lebEted Ataska Raihoad is l perfed companion adrennft to my Inside Passagr cruise and allow you to get close to that glorious sceDery alw]s reasing yru nom the deck oflou ship.

'Ihere h so much to see md do. a cruise alone does not do jutice to the imense adrtnture emporim that is Canada and Alaska. Sit d()m with ]our CLL{ cruise specia.list and plan what ould well tum out

mi*

to be a trip

ofa lifetime.

INTRODU(TIOI,I

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DESIINATIONS

FIVE WAYS TlI CRUISE .&*

a

z

=

!

Ultimately, it is the enormous array of choices that is fuelling the cruise boom across the planet. And nowhere is this more in evidence than in Canada and Alaska.

Roderick Eime reporls. ast distances across Canada

and Alaska make rcad travel unomfortable and tedious,

$herimcs wen dangcrous, so Lhe comfoft md .onrcnien.e of having Pur lNrv hotel trdvel with ]ou is tueh mot artradiw.

Here ue 6ve lqys you.an inftse mise into

yu

the fo.ested 6ords with pdsensels enjolns the crisp air out on deck as they sunâ&#x201A;Źy the perfect scenery liom I dlstance Pon lisirs will be a famiJiar mix of xlf guided saolls among the shops, folk museums and cafes, and optional lE-organised dcuEions to neuby sites su.h .s parks, sancflEies and

travcl plans to explore the top ofthe Alaska cruises q?icaly dePrt ftom Vancouver, often described as one ofthe

Noith Amelican.ontinent. ,1.

world! most beautituly situated cities.'Ihese

This is the big one.Itt the cruising supelhighwav oFercd b,v rhe bi8 names in a well-rheuscd dril that kecps attracring people frcm all ovcr the world.It's allordable ,nd comfortable. if somewhat mild. Yet, this is )our onlv chance to see rln wondertul parr of the world, gnb it. Most of the ship time is spent oo a leisutLy mcander n!rcugh

if

ships then embark on either a seven or 14-day sailing up i}le trunquil east coast Vancouver Islaod and

p6t

of

the 6ords and

nhnds ofBritish Colunbia! (BC) Inside Passage to the glacieB and outlying Ports of

nore on fronries ofAlaska time exploring the Guesis can rhen choose to spend

one way itinâ&#x201A;Źrdies, which ,Ie exclusi* to

LNry

lines o.ly cal at poris laige

enough to accommodate them ud sail at a distance 6om shore. Besides Vancou6, ships may cal at ports such as BC capital Victoria, on the southem tip ofVancouver Island, or Nanaimo, a fomer coal mining town of 87,000 on Vancouver Islandt east

Atbemi

od Princ

cost Pon

Rupert are also on the list

In Alaska, the conmon stops mJuneau, Ketchikan, Haines, Sitka and Sk gwiy, while on 14 day rcund-trip itineraries you may see Homer and Kodiak, u wel as Alaslo's largest city, Anchoragq 'Ihe US pon ofSeatde is also feanuing more olien on Alaska dep,Jtures, but as these are rcund aip oises, fzctor that when planning lour Canada and Alaska adventure.

*: Steeped in history add overflowing with grcar ules ofheoic explontion, rhe enormous nolthern ieritories ofCanada are

&dwing e4edition mise6like moths

>

www.crui5epasFnqe((om.au 53

DESTII{ATIONS

to x fame. AttEcted, natu.aly enough, by the lure ofoneoflhe most significant and

tradirion ]ly dilicult mdtime voyages of them all, the Northwest Passage, advennm cruise opemtors are respondlng b,v including this momentous voFg. in then catalogue of

Ifthere is d flip global wrming,

itt

to the efects of the opering up ofthi

side

once treacherous seaMy to vessels

wilh

more modest ice .apabilities.

When )ou consider that rhe tusr venfied transit ofthe Northrest Passagt occuned over a period ofthree 1tm fmm 1903 to 1906, and only then after centuries oftutility and tragedl advertising a dosing in just two weeks seems witdly optimisti.. But this

While some itinenries day otrer a tuI transit al1 thc way 6om the Adantic to the Pacilic Ocean, locally based opeatos will .onquer rhe mosr diflicult sectbos past Prince Leopold and Prince ofWaler lsl,n& to Cmbrjdge Bay od return.

TDica[],, the spectacular cost of Grce.lmd is explored en rourc, stopping to manrl at rhe mighr ofthe UNESCO-listed gleiers and ice fields oflluli$at.

t.

Cruising the eastern shores ofCanada is something ofan unknown quantiry for most Australians, but .omnitred, been rhcrc-done{hat ctuisers dre discovering the contrasting cultural xnd ecoiogical alternarives to be found on the orher

ofthis huge country Seleralofrhe well l<nown cruise lines, as well as a few unknowns, give visitoB the opportuniry side

ro dplore the oldest, most historic parrs of Canrda. I INESCOlisted Montreal. in rhe French*peaking province of Q,ebec, was founded way back io 1642 and is an

inEnitelv visitor-friendly ciw worthy of a mu]ri-day pre- or post-cruise stay.

Well developed polr facilities with mxny tourism features make Monnerl the natural cruhe capital in the eastern secto( Most iiinetuies will include Nry Enghnd (US) higHights, such as Bar Harbor and Boston, and also visit the often{verlooked delghts of Nova Scotia and P.ince Edwdd Island. Sailinss along the St Lawrenc€ River f,rqueDdy stop at the other histori. city and polirical capital of its namesake piovin.e, qrebec Ciry As well as the l2rge ship itineraries, limited by suitable ports,smaltcr ships plv rhcse waten o$ering a nuch closer inspection ofthc coastine and all it has to o$er. Such an itinerary may include the lesser, more inriguing, ports of Qrcbec and Nova Scotia,such as Baie Comeau, Casp€ and Saguenay with its conpanioo narional park and scenic river sute.

Tiny Gdpe, for exaftple, wirh a popularion ofjust 15,000,]ies at the tip of qLebec's sourhern peninsulqin ihe

i,"t:.-

54

ww,crui5epa$€n9el.om.au

DESIINATIOI,IS

GdfofSt Lawrence. Dubbed \he Cradle ofFrench Anerica", GasP€ is heart ofthe

a remnant of Brittany marooned on the Nofth American cootinent.

The romartica y tided region of Gasp€sie-iles-de-1a-Madeleine comPrises rhrming fishing villages, lighthouses and begdling marine vistas.

likened to

a Among the most innovative Canada and

At$ka travel combioations on the market ee the itineraries otrered by Holend Ameii.a (}LA.L) md the famed Ro.lv Mountaineer rallway AlreaE

a

proven

hit

with Austrilian rnvelle$, the luury nilway has teamed with ILAL and its four Alaskabased vessels to dellver an exceptional on-

offshor erperierce that is sreat !due.

'Itre Roclo, Mountaineert superbly comilnable Goldleaf crriages have and

massive domed

puoranic windom

through whi.h

passengets can digest the

Speaking ofdigestion, this top tier senicc (ofthree leve1s) scrcs sumpruous a /a ra,/d rteals in a priEte dining room

.-

benearh the passenger compaltmenr, with

conpJimcntary beverages throughout.

Regular but unobtrusive commentary is accompanied by chmpagne top-ups, in case you need to be reminded that you are on a

Ther de

no sleepe. caJs, instead the

Eain srops overnight, ensuring not a minure ofthe slectaculai scenery is missed a.d bringing valuable tourist dolds to the remote toms such ds Kanrloops and Qiesnel along the wy.

Cdnadat wcst is ugu lyoneofthe worldls most breathtaking pl,ces. Erery RoclTX{ounraineer route show.ases

different landscapes, traleling through the temperute rainforest, the seni_rid desert and the majesti. Canadian Rockies. Fom verdant foresrs ro golden auhrmn leavcs, each

joudey deliver

a

ditrercnt exPerience

in spriD6 summer o! autumnScenery love6 will g€t lost in rhe sights ofcascading waterfalls, sprkling lakes and

glacicrtopled mounrains,while wildlife sponen should stay rlert for big hon sheep, The masiv€ panonmic wind@s make viewiDg c]Iordess. If itir bears you emt, they can be spotted gnzing on berry bushes in lne summer, while sockeye salmon can be seen simming up the Adams Rirer, given awy by then teltale red flashes.

i[

5'

ctuising,

The manv oook , .rannies and tiny watetrays ofthe Inside PasagE de dle ideal vcnue to tale one of tie numerous adventure cruises on ollerThese eEedition sryle voyagEs are

9?icaly abodd ftuch

smiler ve$els, olien wirh just a few dozen People attracted to this g?e oftdp tend to be wel-uarcled. often with a few wlages Jready under their belts. As with q?edition mises in other parrs ofthe wodd, guests .an er?ect comprchersire aod enriching interpretation of their dPenence,

photography clases, energetic wildernes hikes, k yaking and the g?e ofwildlife viewing )bu would only othetuise ke in Nation,l Geogiaphic do@enrdies.

Iffierc m any budeE to this q?e of

iti

the higher pdce tag and la.k

of

big-ship conforts such s ove$ift cabins, ust dining options and n.I like shoPPing faciliies. But lheir growing populaity shos that rhose who cherish the more intimate, low-impact er?erience are not detered.

A typical itinerary is a week xboard one ofthese .ompad ships staning or finishing at one ofthe established poits such as Juneau or Sitka where there m air Jinls. Petersburg, Wrangell, Glacier Bay National Parlq Icy Stait and tioy Emn Cove are common stops. On any given day, you mighr head orro *plore a glacier by Zodia. or go for a long hike in a coastal foresr with an qpen guide.lfyou'.e not feeling enegetic, a shorr slower ralk may be otrered, stopping more frequently to smdy the special wondes ofthe native flon. www.cruisepa$engelcom.au 55

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SPIIT THE BIG FIVE #

W;xr#x}'H*Hl hunring rifle, you know rhis is no ordinarv walk in the pek. Of cou6e, nor everv one of Canada ad Alask* "Big Five'is our to eat you, but your wilderness guide is serious when he wdns you nor to go out on tour oM, or unarmed.Just asA&i.a has iis Big

*rj

''

Fire wildlife lisr. so does Nonh America rdd you can see every one oftheft on your Camda and Alaska holiday ifvou keep your eyes open and

l.Whales

]lle

pi.k lour sedons.

(b61

intun: Mdj-O.tabil)

tuost popular and eaily seen whales ar the gieys, humpba.k ,nd orcas, all ofwhich frequent the western shores.

s6

ww.cuisepa$engel.om.au

In fact,

each

yar fom Much

to

Mal

a

staggering 20,000 Pa.i6c g1ey whales travel approxim*ely 10,000 kilometres from Nlexico's Baja Peninsula to sumfterfeeding grouods ollAlaske md eastern Russia, the longest migration of any mahnJl There are 22 species ofwhile in Crnada and Alaska. Humpbacks are another favourite and their antics ofbreaching cler our ofthe wter makes a tlue gold medal sighting.Just be careful not to get too close in rour k }!kl For the lruly intrâ&#x201A;Źpid, it's possible to 6nd the delighttul and higHy inteligent beluga whales.

2. Wolves (bat vaiofl: A?nLAbbn) these much-maligned creatures hare sulleed badlv at the hands of huans, being shor our compLelelr in several reglons, but now lhe signature howling can be heard echoing acros thc vallevs at night. Reserches believe that there

could be as many as 10,000 grey wolves in

British Columbia alone and sishtins these

w[.0tltE

T .tD.

-

m)sterious animals is a hish possibilitl

ifyou take one ofdre manywildemes

3.8@ts (kn sdof,: A?il-Oetabfu btaet beo4;

C).tabd-Naonbafq ?akr

baa/ bd)

Sighting one ofdE* porerftl mammals is high point of a northem adrentur€. You re most likely to 6ee eiiher bl1rm or bl.ck, but the two are tuely found together, and liw rery seP3Jate lires ln the den6e coastal a

ft ds on : A?ril - Ott ober) many ofthe* fabulous birds, lou'[ sta]t not to notice, although you will never fail to be inprcscd with the magnincent raptos. Bald cagles, in pdicula!, can be found a[ over Al6ka and Canada during the summer, particultly in forested deas clo6e to lakes, rire6 asd t}Ie sea for fishing and nesting, especially mund salmon time. You ll feel really 4, Eagles (ba t

o

You'll

see

smug

if)ou nan€e to see a mdsive wild

forests. You can get quire dos. to wild bem at places such N rhe Anm Bqr and

golden eagle, whose wings can span re.[ .Ihe6e @er two metrcs. rcgal creanres arc

Wildlife Obsenatory ned Wmsel, A]ask.

Polar beus are more el$ire and 1ou 1l need to get up into Canada's high Ardic to see

.elebnted in mlthology a[ ac.oss Norti America md m p{ticu.larly conmon in British Colmbia.

dem. The most poputar ($cessible) polar bed viewing is in Chutchill, Manitoba where migrating bears }l"it for the winter i@ to fom so they cm go out :nd hunt. You'[ need to take

nay be ludq

special tundra buggy and you enough to see beluga whales at

a

5.

llooie, ellq caribou and bison

remote tom,which is why Canadim drirtrs are almys on the a.lert.'Ihe much lzm bison cm be harder to fifld, but HishMy 97, the Alask Highway, for *ample, will take you tkough Stone Moutrtaifl Provincial Pdk wher herds ofbirn,with a6 many 6 30 to 50 individuels, m a common sight in the

And the

It

seems

ren...

I shane to declare these

6ve

the only animals worth looking out for, because there are so many more )€u I see md enjoy such as otte6, smaler bi.ds end even 6sh such as the Peif,c salmon that migrate in hug€ numben from September The most rewarding

wy to w

any

of

(be't' en:l"ne-o.tob)

these matures, big fi1e or ot}leMise, is to

Gese nas6ive, hoored herbivores prctty much roam wh@ver they like, so ycu realy dont know vhen )ou're going to see one. It's not an e{aggention to expect to see an elk

wild as tley go about their business, but failing that there ue smral pds, aquariums and sanctudies where captire mimals - often mdetaking

or moose *alking dom the main stieet

ofa

happen upon them in the

rchabilitation

-

cm be seen up

dos.

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57