Enjoy Scenic Washington State & British Columbia with American Safari Cruises

Well-known in yachting circles as a favourite for 'gunkhole' cruising — a yachter’s paradise of quiet, scenic anchorages — the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands star in American Safari Cruises’ Pacific Northwest Passage itinerary returning in 2012. The cruise features Washington state and British Columbia, with a new home port of Seattle, Washington.

Beginning September 14, 2012, the 22-guest Safari Quest (above) sails 10 week-long cruises round-trip from Seattle. The yacht returns in the spring for six more week-long cruises beginning March 29, 2013. The Pacific Northwest Passage itinerary explores the inlets and islands of the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands including visits to Victoria, Jervis Inlet, the Harmony Islands, Princess Louisa Inlet, Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia; Friday Harbor, San Juan Island and Stuart Island in Washington.

Sailing from Seattle, the yacht passes through the historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks to Puget Sound. In Victoria, guests enjoy a tour of Butchart Gardens with a traditional British high tea, a visit to the Royal British Columbia Museum and the historic Empress Hotel.

A flexible itinerary allows time to search out and view wildlife such as orca whales, eagles, seals, sea lions, porpoise, black bears and deer. ASC's expedition-style cruising means the yacht freely explores among the inlets and islands of the Pacific Northwest. An onboard expedition leader provides expert narration while leading waterborne or land-based adventures including kayaking, hiking, beachcombing and skiff rides. Paddle boards are also available for solo adventures in these scenic waters.

Other highlights of the cruise include exploration by foot or by kayak in Princess Louisa Inlet, only half a mile wide and culminating at the spectacular Chatterbox Falls; scenery and solitude while relaxing in the upper deck hot tub; stroll along Nanaimo’s picturesque waterfront promenade; a visit to the town of Friday Harbor with boutiques, galleries and a Whale Museum; hiking along a bluff to Turning Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island and kayaking among the sheltered Harmony Islands.

Cruise fares start at $3,995 per person, based on double occupancy.

The inclusive cruise includes all yacht activities and equipment; transfers; meals; fine wine, premium spirits and microbrews; and all port charges, taxes and fees. The Quest also features a hot tub, Tempurpedic mattresses, and heated tile floors in all bathrooms and upper category balconies. An all-American crew has a guest-crew ratio of 2 to 1. Yachts can also be booked as a private charter or by individual stateroom.

For more info, visit www.americansafaraicruises.com or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise travel agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

A Jewel For Alaska

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced it will position Norwegian Jewel in Alaska for the first time in 2012/13. Jewel will replace Norwegian Star, which will offer sailings to Bermuda from her new home port of New York.

Jewel will cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. The weekly Sawyer Glacier cruises will depart from May 26-September 8, 2012, and will call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Families onboard can enjoy Jewel’s Nickelodeon at Sea entertainment, offering live Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows, Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; character breakfasts and meet and greets and Nick-themed dance parties.

NCL will sail two ships to Bermuda weekly from April until October calling at King’s Wharf. Star will sail from New York on Sundays, staying for three full days, and Dawn will sail her Bermuda itinerary departing on Fridays from Boston, also with three days at the island.

Kevin Sheehan, NCL's chief executive officer, insists: “The 2012/2013 season is filled with new and exciting Freestyle Cruising choices. Whether it’s our ships cruising different destinations, disembarking from new homeports or sailing new itineraries, we offer the most freedom and flexibility when it comes to cruise travel. We are pleased to bring Norwegian Jewel to Alaska and Star to Bermuda, along with continuing our popular Hawaii inter-island cruises and short cruises to the Bahamas through early 2013.”

Additional itinerary announcements for 2012/13:

Norwegian Jewel will sail a seven-day Sawyer Glacier cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 19, 2012, and a seven-day Sawyer Glacier from Seattle to Vancouver on September 15.

Norwegian Pearl (above) will return to Seattle sailing her weekly seven-day Glacier Bay cruises departing on Sundays from May 13 to September 9, 2012, calling at, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria.

Norwegian Pearl will also sail a seven-day Glacier Bay cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 6, 2012, and a Seattle-to-Vancouver cruise on September 16.

Pride of America will continue as the only US-flagged vessel sailing among all four of Hawaii’s main islands. Her seven-day cruises from Honolulu are available now until April 7, 2013. Ports of call include: an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; an evening sail by the Kilauea Volcano (weather permitting); Kona, Hawaii; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai; and an afternoon cruise of the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

Norwegian Sky will continue sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami until April 15, 2013. The three-day Bahamas cruise departs on Fridays and includes stops in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. On Mondays, the ship departs on a four-day cruise with stops in Grand Bahama Island, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau.

For more information, call 0845 201 8900 or visit http://www.ncl.co.uk/, or check out the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Adventure option for Alaska's Inside Passage

By guest blogger Steve Newman

InnerSea Discoveries, the newly launched sister brand to high-end American Safari Cruises, will begin plying Alaska's waters in May 2011. Week-long adventures between Ketchikan and Juneau and two-week itineraries between Seattle and Juneau will be offered aboard two newly refurbished ships holding just 49 guests for a more close-up, nature-rich experience.

Travellers can also choose a 15-day round-trip adventure from Juneau, receiving a distinctive experience on each leg of the journey. Itineraries will feature excursions including kayaking among icebergs, stand-up paddle-boarding, wilderness hiking, snorkelling, cave exploration, fishing, whale-watching and more.

For more details, visit http://www.innerseadiscoveries.com/ or contact the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Spectacular Anchorage

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Well, the Gold Rush may be long over, but there is another stampede starting to happen as more and more dedicated cruisers discover the natural wonders of Alaska.

Imagine standing on your private veranda watching humpbacked whales breaching, eagles soaring above you and then being one of the privileged few on Earth to spend a whole day in Glacier Bay National Park.

All of these - and much more - are now available from Holland America's 2011 Alaska cruise programme. The company have been cruising to Alaska longer than anyone else and also take tours into Canada's Yukon territory.

But it's the way that these comfortable mid-size ships seem dwarfed by snow-capped mountains that literally sit on the shoreline that stays longest in your memory here.

There are a wide range of cruises on offer in this marvellous area of the world, where names like Seattle, Anchorage, British Columbia and Vancouver are all steeped in Northwest history, to become vivid memories along with many of the smaller coastal places such as Kodiak, Skagway and Homer, still clinging to their pioneer heritage.

The scenery on this tour is simply breathtaking, from the stunning glaciers to the sheer beauty of sailing through the Inside Passage - a collection of islands and channels running along the coast (see above).

And, if you want to do your bit for the environment, Holland America have an excellent online check-in system as well to cut out on all that unnecessary paper.