From its architecture of ‘Vancouverism’ to the history of how it was built; Vancouver is a vibrant city full of arts and culture just waiting for you to discover all it’s hidden gems. Here you’ll be able to get stuck into a whole host of museums including Science World, the waterfront Maritime Museum and the Museum of Anthropology.
Things to do in Vancouver:
Gastown
The oldest place within Vancouver at the heart of its very origins, Gastown was set up in 1867 by John Deighton whose various stories and adventures garnered him the name of ‘Gassy Jack.’ Nowadays, you’ll find fantastic restaurants, and the famous steam-powered clock in Maple Tree Centre.
Chinatown
In Vancouver’s China Town district you can visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden where you can see a truly beautiful collection of plant life and ponds. There is also the Sam Kee Building which is the narrowest office building ever built, spanning barely 2 meters wide!
English Bay
English Bay is a beautiful beach that is home to outstanding high-end shops and mouth watering restaurants. There are also waterfront trails to follow if you like beach walking.
Canada Place
Canada Place is the perfect spot to start your adventures around Vancouver as it is where you’ll first step ashore from your cruise ship. Explore the pier, and be taken back by the outstanding architecture and views. At the end of the pier you’ll find the Flyover Canada attraction. From here, you can also use Canada Place as a transit hub to other places around Vancouver.
At Sea
DAY 3
You will be at sea on day 3 while travelling from Vancouver to Ketchikan.
Ketchikan
DAY 4
Ketchikan is famous for the totem heritage museum, educating sightseers about the indigenous populations’ history and culture with an unrivalled display of native totems and artefacts. For those wanting to learn about the gold rush a visit to Dolly’s House Museum and downtown Creek Street is a good comparison along with the great Alaskan lumberjack show. Nature lovers, meanwhile, can enjoy dramatic sights at nearby misty fjords national monument.
Things to do in Ketchikan:
Totem Heritage Center
Boasting one of the most extensive collections of original 19th-century totem poles salvaged from abandoned Tingit settlements. Many other original Native American artefacts are displayed here, as well as traditional arts and crafts workshops being held to keep native skills and traditions alive.
Juneau
DAY 5
The capital of Alaska, Juneau boasts a plethora of national parks in its surrounding area, such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, teaming with iconic wildlife such as salmon, bears, and bald eagles. The city of Juneau is also well worth a stop in itself with such attractions as the Alaska State Museum and iconic cable car ride for breath-taking views. Visitors will love delectable locally-sourced seafood as well as a range of other cuisines in town.
Things to do in Juneau:
Stephens Passage
Stephens Passage is a shortcut through Southeast Alaska, close by to South Juneau, therefore widely used by ships for many different reasons. Not only this, it’s a popular route for humpback whales and sea lions with plenty of opportunities to spot the mammals.
Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier is 13 and a half miles of towering deeply packed ice over thousands of years. Named after Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, an alumnus of Ohio State University, the glacier tours are available by cruise ship, tour bus and even helicopter.
Tongass National Park
At 17 million square acres, Tongass boasts being the largest national park on US soil. Perfect for exploring via hiking trail or the famous mount Roberts aerial tramway, Tongass National Park has it all when it comes to Alaskan landscapes and wildlife.
Tracy Arm Fjord
Located inside the area of the Tongass National Park and Named in honour of Benjamin Franklin Tracy, Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier of ice across from Stephen’s Passage is a truly breath-taking experience of nature in motion.
Inside Passage
Cruising through the inside passage of Alaska is a simply a must to see dramatic scenery of mountains, fjords and glaciers, and whales playing in the bay right by your ship, as well as stopping off at the towns of Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a real highlight in any tour of Alaska due to its remarkable wall of ice, as well as surrounding wildlife and natural landscapes where you can see bears and eagles among the dramatic scenery.
Skagway
DAY 6
Popular for its gold rush era architecture and vintage steam engine route passing through, Skagway is a fantastic jump back into the days of the Klondike Gold Rush with the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Centre. Surrounded by the unrivalled landscapes and inhabiting wildlife of the national park, Skagway paints a spectacular picture of Alaska quite like no other.
Things to do in Skagway:
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center
Walk back in time to the golden age of the Klondike Gold Rush in the old White Pass & Yukon Route depot, and learn all about this unique era that captures the intrigue of all who discover it with presentations, artefact exhibits and even a film.
Fantastic cruise. Everything went like clockwork from the flights leaving Manchester, the taxi pick-up in Melbourne, the hotel bookings and the taxi to the terminal for the start of the cruise to the taxi which picked us up at the end of the cruise which took us back to the hotel in Melbourne. The bookings for the extended stay were exact and we had a most wonderful time sailing round New Zealand and in Melbourne. Everything was organized for us and we had nothing to worry about. Well done.
First, your organizing of this cruise was excellent. Everything went well getting us to the ship. The Golden Princess is getting a little tired now but overall, it was a good cruise. The only downside was the distance we had to travel to get to the ship. Australia is a long way away
The Golden Princess was a good sized ship, and the catering was excellent. There was plenty of entertainment, however we felt the standard of stage performances could have been better. We understand that Princess was catering for a largely American market, and therefore not always recognising British tastes. That being said there were a number of nationalities on board our recent trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago and hosts were translating from English to Spanish or vice versa. We felt the entertainment team who provided quizzes, karaoke, games on board were very good. Our package included a two night stay prior to the cruise and post cruise which was great to see the cities of Buenos Aires and Santiago. All transfers were on time and flights arranged by Iglu were faultless. Thank you for organising a great trip.
We flew to LA for overnight stay prior to start of cruise the following day. The ship was excellent, warm and welcoming. Our mini suite was spacious and comfortably furnished. The balcony was big enough for the two of us. The crossing on the Pacific was a little rough. The weather cloudy and much cooler than expected. We travelled late March. The entertainment was excellent. Staff were friendly and could not do enough for us. Arrangements made by IGLU were clear and regularly updated. However, we felt that the instructions for the shuttle for hotel at Heathrow airport could have been more detailed e.g. number of bus stop and location. We had a wonderful time in Hawaii and will certainly be booking again.
Flew to LA in February for an overnight stay before catching the Golden Princess to Hawaii. Sea trip was a bit of a surprise as it was very rough but the ship was great! The staff, the food and facilities - drinks were a bit expensive but had already been warned. Hawaii (when we got there) was lovely and should be on everyones wish list. Atrium staff (coffee area) became our favourite as the staff were so firendly and nothing was too much trouble. Food in the 24hr dining area was everything you could wish for - it was that good we didn,t bother with the formal dining in the two weeks we were on board. All in all we had a super time.
We had a good time with the cruise on Golden Princess. Our stateroom was fine with a nice balcony. There was plenty of room for having 4 chairs and a table. The bedding, carpet and curtains were alright, although not brand new, at least there was no wear and tear. The room offered plenty of space for storage of our things. Our cabin steward was a nice person, always with a happy smile and full of energy. The service in the dining room and the food was good. The casino was surprisingly not crowded. They offered all of the standard table games and a lot of slots. It was always easy to get a seat for the table games. We enjoyed our time in the casino very much.
The cruise was fantastic, the entertainment was brilliant and we found the naturalist lectures were very interesting and informative. Our cabin steward was very good, very nice, very polite. The Golden Princess was great with lots of things to do such as basketball, mini golf, and paddle tennis. A piece of advice, for personal choice dining is to reserved time every night so you can cruise right in. The drink were not too pricey, the disco was just awesome. I was also surprised to find wood trimmed furniture and spacious closet, pleasant painting and what a comfortable bed. This was a great vacation, for the money, this is a great deal.
The ship was first class, good food and anytime dinning. The drinks were expensive and the entertainment average. The cabin and ship crew were brilliant. It was our first cruise so being at sea for so long was too long. The only letdown was we had too leave the ship 8hrs before our flight and the breakfast was poor on the last day. Also it would be better if you had more English breakfasts on not only the American foods.
This was our first cruise and we were unsure about; would it be for us? We were amazed at all the friendly staff/passengers and we made great new friends. The food was first class with anytime dining we could eat where and when we liked 24hrs of the day if we wanted. The Ship was beautiful and our stateroom had one of the most comfortable beds we have ever slept in. We made our own arrangements when we went ashore and found this to be more flexible. The shows were good but not exactly Las Vegas style but we still enjoyed them. We are looking forward to cruising again. We would recommend princess to anyone as we had a ball. Hawaii was fantastic also.
The golden princess is a fantastic cruise ship no doubt about that, the entertainment could have been better. The food was fantastic and the service was excellent, I think maybe a bit too long to be at sea, as there wasn’t a whole lot to do while on board.
All offers and prices are subject to change and availability at time of enquiry. Prices are based on two passengers sharing unless otherwise stated and are subject to the Tour Operator's terms and conditions. Cabin and Flight supplements may apply. Other supplements may apply in addition to the price shown above. Flight details, timings and routing may be subject to alteration. Other tour operator charges may also apply. Any Onboard Spending money or drinks package value shown will be per cabin, again based on two sharing.
Note: On 13 January 2018, new European legislation is being adopted in the UK which as result will mean that we may change our required method of payment at our discretion, irrespective of how any deposit or prior payment was made.
