Alaska is Still Calling You

Canada has extended it's ban on cruise ships docking until February 28, 2022. Cruise ships that have overnight accommodations for more than 100 people will not be allowed to operate in Canadian waters during the ban.

“As Canadians continue to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to ensure Canada’s transportation system remains safe,” Omar Alghabra, federal minister of transport, says in a statement. “Temporary prohibitions to cruise vessels and pleasure craft are essential to continue to protect the most vulnerable among our communities and avoid overwhelming our health care systems. This is the right and responsible thing to do.”

 Since foreign flagged cruise ships must stop at a foreign port before sailing between two U.S. ports, the Canadian ban puts the Alaskan Cruise Season and the Canada / New England cruise season in jeopardy. The Canadian government could rescind the order should conditions improve but until then, this announcement leaves the major cruise lines scrambling to see what operations can be salvaged.  Many of them also operate lodges in Alaska, which initial indications are they will continue to do to allow for land-based itineraries to proceed.

The cruise industry is key to the economic recovery in Canada and Alaska, so this announcement is a huge blow to the hospitality industry in both countries. 

 So You Had Your Heart Set on Seeing Alaska 

While it appears that a cruise to Alaska won't be possible again this year, there is a vast amount of Alaska still waiting for you to explore it. I always recommend that my guest include a land portion to their Alaskan vacation plans, so my suggestion is that you continue your Alaskan vacation plans for 2021.  As an Alaskan expert, I can help you plan an amazing Alaskan trip.

Majestic Beauty

Imagine gazing out the window of your railcar and catching this glimpse of Denali (Mount McKinley).   We were fortunate enough to capture this view many years ago, and I can still remember the thrill of seeing this amazing site.

Let's begin your Alaskan vacation with Natures Best: Alaska tour. 

Peaks. Glaciers. Whales. Wildlife. 

You couldn’t see more of the great state of Alaska in one week if you were an Iditarod sled dog.

Fairbanks to Anchorage (7 Days)

FAIRBANKS: Your Alaskan trip of a lifetime begins in Fairbanks with a hotel stay along the banks of the Chena River.  The tour continues with a scenic sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River. Visit the Chena Indian Village and then continue with a scenic drive to Denali National Park. 

DENALI NATIONAL PARK: A must see for any stay in Denali National Park is the Tundra Wilderness tour which is included. You'll have free time in the evening. in the morning you'll visit the home of an Iditarod Musher before heading for a train ride. 

ALASKA RAILROAD: All aboard for a scenic train ride to Talkeetna. View breathtaking scenery as the train takes you comfortably to your next stop where you'll have free time that evening. 

TALKEETNA–SEWARD: Start your day with an Alaskan treat at the Talkeetna Roadhous and continue with a scenic drive along the Kenai Peninsula en route to Seward. 

SEWARD: Day 6 begins with a scenic cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. Following the cruise you'll return to Anchorage. 

ANCHORAGE: Your vacation ends with breakfast but the memories will last a life time.

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Trollfjorden and Raftsundet

Beware of Trolls!!

After rejoining our ship following the Taste of Vesteralen tour, we sailed through narrow fjords of the Lofoten region.

Sailing though Trollfjorden,  we were so close that we could almost reach out and touch the mountainsides as our ship sailed past. If you follow in our footsteps, be careful: Don’t wake the trolls!

On deck we admired peaks such as Trolltindan (3,428 feet above sea level) on one side and Blåfjellet (3,274 feet above sea level) on the other, while the captain calmly maneuvered the ship into the 328-feet-wide mouth of the fjord and turned around a few miles farther in.

All the while, we were hoping that the old Norwegian tale still holds true: That the trolls won’t wake for a thousand years, by which time our ship will have since sailed away.

click to enlarge image

Trollfjorden carves inwards to Austvågøy from the west side of the 15-mile long Raftsundet, a very narrow sound between Austvågøy and Hinnøya. Here, Hurtigruten sails between the ports of call of Svolvær and Stokmarknes.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Raftsundet & TrollFjord





Click on the image to the right for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Celebrity 2018 Europe Deployment

2018/19 DEPLOYMENT STORIES AT A GLANCE: 

Europe Grand Mediterranean Tour reintroduced with TWO options 

• Constellation in summer of 2018, three 7-night back-to-back sailings create a round-trip vacation from Venice, Rome, or Barcelona, with only 1 repeat port (Rome) 16 cities, 6 countries, 2 overnight stays (Ibiza & Barcelona), 21 days 

• Reflection in summer of 2018, two back-to-back sailings (10-night Eastern Mediterranean and 11-night Western Mediterranean) round-trip from Rome with 1 repeat port (Rome) 15 cities, 6 countries, 1 overnight stay (Barcelona), 21 days 

Celebrity Silhouette will move to Southampton (replacing Eclipse)

• NEW TO BRAND World Cup Signature Event Sailing to Russia 
• Double overnight stay in St. Petersburg with VIP treatment and tickets to 3rd place match in St. Petersburg and final match in Moscow 
• Norwegian Fjords sailings 
• Scandinavian /Russia sailings 
• Western Mediterranean /Canaries & Azores sailings

On this St. Patrick's Day, we thought we'd feature the Dublin sailings here.  For additional details about European sailings this year or next, visit our website.

Celebrity Eclipse will move to Amsterdam (replacing Solstice)
after several round-trip cruises from Dublin, Ireland

• NEW TO BRAND, first major cruise line to call Dublin a homeport with round- trip sailings, including MORE Iceland sailings,including stops in Belfast, N. Ireland; Reykjavik and Akureyri, Iceland; Lerwick, Scotland; and Cork, Ireland. 
• NEW TO BRAND, Dublin City Stay including: • 3 nights in a 4-star, luxury hotel, including breakfasts • Full day, fully-guided City Highlights Tour, including lunch • Half day, fully-guided Evening City Tour, including a farewell dinner • Celebrity Cruises Hospitality Desk in your hotel • All transfers
• Shore Excursions – NEW TO BRAND, [info to come]

We think the following itineraries will be very popular, so we suggest booking early.

15 Nights Azores & Ireland Transatlantic 2018: Apr 15 Miami, Florida; Ponta Delgada, Azores (Overnight); Cork (Cobh), Ireland; Waterford (Dunmore East), Ireland; Dublin, Ireland (Overnight) 

click images to enlarge

10 Nights Ireland & Iceland 2018: Apr 30; May 10 Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland (Overnight); Akureyri, Iceland; Lerwick/Shetland, Scotland; Cork (Cobh), Ireland; Dublin, Ireland 

8 Nights Norwegian Fjords 2018: May 20 Dublin, Ireland; Bergen, Norway; Flam, Norway; Geiranger, Norway; Alesund, Norway; Lerwick/Shetland, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland 

10 Nights Ireland & Iceland 2018: May 28 Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland (Overnight); Akureyri, Iceland; Lerwick/Shetland, Scotland; Cork (Cobh), Ireland; Dublin, Ireland 

12 Nights British Isles & French Open 2018: Jun 7 Dublin, Ireland; Paris (Le Havre), France (Overnight); Liverpool, England; Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Waterford (Dunmore East), Ireland; Cork (Cobh), Ireland; St. Peter Port, Channel Isl; Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Water Wonders of the World

 #Travelpics

Water Wonders

 
Today we joined #TRAVELPICS chat on Twitter for a fun packed hour exchanging ideas and travel photos with like-minded posters. The theme was  “water wonders.”

Pictures that were shared ranged fFrom diving and waterfalls to aqua landscapes, hurricanes, coral reefs from above, and so much more.  Here are some of our answers to questions raised during the hour along with some images. (click on images to enlarge)
 
Questions for Monday’s “Water Wonders” #travelpics chat:

(3:00) Intros: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re tweeting from today!

Greetings from frozen #Chicago #Travelpics

(as you can see we got some fresh snow that morning)


(3:05) Q1: In your mind, what are some of the “water wonders of the world”? 
A1: Several come to mind from Niagra Falls to Gullfoss in Iceland - what do you think of

 (3:10) Q2: Share a photo of the most wild water wonder you’ve ever been to! 
A2: #Kjosfossen waterfall #Norway is a rail stop from Voss to #Flam


Norway is one of our favorite lands to visit with the mighty Norwegian fjords waterfalls amongst the most popular attractions.

(3:20) Q3: Whether above the water or below, share a tale or snap of an unusual perspective.
A3: @CelebrityCruises amongst our #Galapagos memories #snorkeling with sea turtles #Travelpics #ttot

You can learn more about our Galapagos adventure on our blog: Cruise With Christine Pappin: Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

(3:30) Q4: Bigger isn’t always better: Tweet a water wonder photo that’s beautiful even if small, hidden, or overlooked. 
Several answers came to mind for this question:
A4: Bay of Fundy #NovaScotia #NewBrunswick #Canada reversing falls #Travelpics #ttot
 
Visit these amazing waterfalls when on a Canada / New England cruise.  Be sure to visit in the morning and then later in the day to see the tides reverse.


A4: Brisksdal Glacier & Waterfalls #Geiranger #Norway #travelpics #ttot Norwegian Fjords

A Norwegian Fjords cruise offers the opportunity to visit Geiranger and Hellesylt.  You can walk on a glacier or ride on a path past amazing waterfalls. 

A4: Hellesylt #Norway waterfall in the center of town #Norwegian #Fjords #TTOT #travelpics

Other favorites include Olden and Tvinde waterfalls.

A4: Norwegian Fjords including #Olden #Norway waterfalls & rapids come to mind #Travelpics #ttot
A4: hard to pick just one amazing water wonder in #Norway #Tvinde #travelpics #ttot Tvinde.jpg

 

(3:40) Q5: Tell us what water wonder is your favorite–and pick one you’d hop on a plane today to see.

A5: @NPKrka KRKA National Park Split #Croatia #travelpics #ttot

One of the most amazing highlights of our Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice included our visit so Split, Croatia and KRKA National Park & Waterfalls.  You could spend hours there capturing water wonders.

(3:50) Q6: Show off that awesome water shot–a frozen moment, a beautiful long exposure, or something unique!
A6: Brisksdal Glacier & Waterfalls #Geiranger #Norway #travelpics #ttot Norwegian Fjords

We hope that this has sparked your interest in taking your photography to a new level.  Follow the weekly #travelpics chat on Twitter for more ideas on this and other travel topics.   We'd love to hear your ideas as well, or better yet, join us for the next chat.

Thank you to this week's co-hosts: @AntiTourist @Sihpromatum @TheTravelCamel & @VibrantIreland. 
 

Have you seen the  #travelpics recap? http://bit.ly/17RRaFq

Join us for #travelpics on Monday's at 3 PM ET every week for a fun-filled hour related to travel and photography.  

 

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.