Vancouver

Vancouver is a great outdoor destination. Very cosmopolitan and yet offers unspoiled fun. If pure relaxation is your goal, you can just sit back and relax while watching the city go by, its lush forests waving, the beaches inviting and the snow-capped crags pleasing your view. It has the best combination: the conveniences of a big city and one-of-a-kind outdoor adventures.

This city is also a very popular embarkation port for a North Alaskan cruise. Major cruise companies usually include picturesque itineraries such as the Inside Passage communities particularly tourist magnets Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Anchorage. Additional highlights of the trip include a cruise through the Prince William Sound, College Fjord and Lynn Canal. The Vancouver-Alaska cruise route is a favourite choice among tourists as there are awesome activities in store during the seven-day cruise.

Cruise passengers will find it easy to reach Vancouver for it is a very accessible city. It is served by the Vancouver International Airport, one of the main hubs of Air Canada and the second busiest airport in the country.

The best time to visit to Vancouver is from May to September when the sun shines brightest, around the same time that Alaska is enjoying great cruise weather.

It is expected that air tickets to Vancouver be a tad higher during cruise season. Booking in advance is always recommended to give you more time to arrange other travel details. If you check regularly what the various travel companies and airlines have to offer, including the major ones, you can have better options for cheap international flights and even value-for-your-money cruise packages.

Port Vancouver, Canada's largest port, houses the two major cruise terminals for northbound Alaska cruises. Canada Place is the main terminal that popularised Alaska cruises. The terminal holds many scenic attractions in itself which is just a stone's throw away from the bustling shopping and dining areas and being right in the centre of downtown Vancouver. The other terminal, Ballantyne is located at Centennial Road just east of the downtown which is within the industrial side of Vancouver.