See Alaska as never before: Alaska inside passage cruises

Written by Ron Richards


Continued from page 1

Alaska inside passage cruises are also popular for their exotic port destinations. Some ofrepparttar most popular ports of call onrepparttar 143166 inside passage are Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Ketchikan and Victoria. Certain cruises even give passengersrepparttar 143167 opportunity to land on Annette Island and to be greeted byrepparttar 143168 Tsimshian elders of Metlakatla.

Best of all, Alaska inside passage cruises are affordable. You can choose from one-day inland glacier cruise packages which are as priced as low as $69 per person to a luxurious six night cruise on a deluxe designer yacht for as little as $4,000 per person. Of course there is a wide range of cruise options that fall between these two extremes.

As you can see, there is a little bit of something for everybody aboard one of Alaska's inside passage cruise ships: a change of pace, exquisite scenery, and memories to last a lifetime.



A lifelong Alaskan, Ron Richards lives in the beautiful Matanuska Valley. Ron invites you to come and see Alaska. One excellent way to enjoy Alaska is by taking an affordable Alaska cruise vacation..


Canal holidays: totally different, totally peaceful

Written by Gareth Powell


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There are three areas. The first isrepparttar Norfolk Broads which consists of canals and rivers connected to lakes which are called Broads. There are no locks in this area, but there are tides and you need to acquirerepparttar 143165 skill of usingrepparttar 143166 tides to move you along. This is some ofrepparttar 143167 most beautiful country in Europe, and even for England, it is a very quiet and remote place. The river Thames provides yet another area for cruising, but it has some differences. The locks right up to Oxford are worked by lock keepers, who knowrepparttar 143168 area and are normally great characters in their own right. The banks ofrepparttar 143169 Thames are a panorama of English history and you could not be bored for one minute. Then there arerepparttar 143170 canals which run throughout England and Wales. There are about 3,000 km still available for recreational use, as they are rarely used now for commercial transportation. It is here that you have to use a narrow boat. It will come with allrepparttar 143171 comforts of home and is very simple to use. Anyway, you cannot do much damage at a maximum speed of about 7 km an hour. The centre ofrepparttar 143172 canal system is inrepparttar 143173 city of Birmingham, but most ofrepparttar 143174 canals run throughrepparttar 143175 countryside. You amble along and enjoyrepparttar 143176 scenery and then at night moor beside a waterside pub. You probably will only travel for four hours or so a day, which will leave you plenty of time for exploring. It takes about 15 minutes to get through a lock and you need to change your way of thinking of distance from km to lock km. You will it normally find that you travel at something under 30 lock km a day. You can either cruise from your starting pint and back alongrepparttar 143177 same canals or you can go on a circular tour which brings you back to your starting point. Takerepparttar 143178 advice ofrepparttar 143179 boat yard as to how long a trip will take. Their judgment is better than yours. Canal cruising onrepparttar 143180 Welsh borders between Chester and Llangollen can get a little crowded atrepparttar 143181 height ofrepparttar 143182 season, but many regard this asrepparttar 143183 ideal first trip. There is much discussion as whether to carry a bicycle. You will find that carrying a bicycle for each person on-board will makerepparttar 143184 trip much more interesting because it is very easy then to cycle alongrepparttar 143185 tow path to some close by destination. Onrepparttar 143186 other hand storing them can be a dashed nuisance, and if you put them onrepparttar 143187 cabin top you will find problems with overhanging trees and some ofrepparttar 143188 bridges, which can be very restricted. Nevertheless, they improverepparttar 143189 holiday no end. When you have finally decided where to go, and have arranged to hire a boat, buy a guide forrepparttar 143190 canals you intend to cruise. In Europe Nicholsons, Pearsons and Waterways World each publish a series of guides. These are useful onrepparttar 143191 cruise, as they will show you whererepparttar 143192 villages, pubs and water points are. An overall map ofrepparttar 143193 system is useful for appreciating whererepparttar 143194 canals are in relation torepparttar 143195 rest ofrepparttar 143196 country, and for overall planning. There are no big differences between cruising in Britain and cruising onrepparttar 143197 continent. Perhapsrepparttar 143198 biggest difference is that onrepparttar 143199 continentrepparttar 143200 major canals are still used for commercial traffic. But otherwise it is muchrepparttar 143201 same. You never go faster than eight km per hour - there is a speed limit - and you need to allow 15 minutes for going through a lock. Otherwise, it is a very similar experience andrepparttar 143202 canal system extends through France, Germany and Holland. Web sites George's: Canal Boating inrepparttar 143203 U.K. and Europe http://www.canals.com/index.htm The definitive guide. Has everything you want to know plus links to lots more. Says of itself, modestly, ‘Being an introduction for those unfamiliar withrepparttar 143204 pleasures of canal and waterway cruising, as well as a resource for experienced boaters.’ UK Canal Network http://www.ukcanals.net/ Has more links than you can poke with a stick. Total coverage. Whatever you want to know, this site has a link to it. Quite amazing. UK Vacations Afloat on Canal, River and Sea http://www.holidayuk.co.uk/canals/index.htm Commercial site listing what it has to offer. There is an immense amount. AccomoDATA – Canal Boating http://www.accomodata.co.uk/boats.htm Another commercial site dealing with canals in Britain. Croisières Le Dauphin / Dolphin Cruisers, Pelican Canal Boat Rental http://www.le-guide.com/dolphin/pelican.html Commercial site on cruises – more powerboat than true canal boats – in France. Waterways Holidays http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/ Has something well over 500 different boats for hire. Pretty much everything you ever needed to know.

Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website - http://www.travelhopefully.com


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