Majesty of the Rockies with Alaska Cruise Reviews

What a wonderful experience we had, we saw so much; killer whales, humpback whales, eagles, moose, antlers, sled dogs, glaciers, snow (even though it was the wrong time of year for it), and much more. The Canadian Pacific Train was amazing, the food was 5 star, and the Neiuw Amsterdam cruise ship was unbelievable. We loved meeting all different people ...read more from all around the would, we even met a couple that lives near one of our sons and is a friend of our daughter-in-law. Our travel guide Nancy was absolutely amazing and passionate about her country, and our coach driver known as The Fox was brilliant, got us through without any difficulty. There is nothing about this journey I would change.

Trip was excellent. No hiccups. Connections and transfers went well. Seamless. Fortunately weather turned for the better and we saw magnificent scenery. According to tour operators, "Best for the season". Accommodation was first class and most meals were very good. Food at Vermillion restaurant was ordinary and my only other criticism was with the ...read more cruise. On the ship Nieuw Amsterdam, the entertainment was pretty ordinary and the buffet meal poor quality and badly served. Dining Room food was excellent.

I booked through Global Journeys and Jemma Rosen did an excellent job with our booking and was responsive and helpful with all my queries.

The tour commenced on 25th August which was perfect. Any later the weather is colder & some things are not open. The coach was very comfortable & the tour director was great. Accommodation was amazing. The cruise on a large ship was our first time. We could see ourselves booking another cruise at some stage.

Unfortunately for us there was so much smoke from forest fires that we didn’t get to see a lot, but what we did see was spectacular. Would advise people not to go in August, as apparently this is usually when forest fires occur. The bus tour was interesting and very well planned with an excellent guide Lori and driver Owen. Nothing was too much trouble ...read more for her and she really worked hard. There was plenty of room on the bus, as Insight takes seats out so there is a maximum of 40 seats.

I found that Luxury Gold is not as good as Insight Vacations. For what you pay, the accommodation was not as good as that which I have experienced with Insight. In Jasper the room had no aircon and it was really hot. The pipes made terrible noises when neighbours showered and the shower ran cold. That was a Fairmont property. The properties were 5 stars, but in many cases the rooms weren’t.

The cruise was wonderful - Glacier Bay was breathtaking.

Perfect holiday, great Tour Director and driver. Good balance of relaxed starts and free time. Excellent hotels and included activities i.e. Capilano swing bridge, gondola and rafting, tour to glacier on large purpose built all-terrain vehicle. Not to mention Holland America cruise. Not a problem in the world.

The hotels were fantastic on the whole. Only one which wasn't up to standard and apparently Insights not staying there next year anyway. Ben, our Tour Director was absolutely fabulous. He had us in fits of laughter lots of times. Jemma was helpful all through the quote and then the booking and payment right up until we left on our magic trip.

The Rocky Mountains part of the tour really was excellent. Accommodation really was 5 star in most locations though often with the worst views. Food was very good where provided although a few breakfasts were more Denny's than 5 star. We experienced a lot of smoke from the British Columbia bush fires which did take the gloss away a little, but we ...read more still had a good time thanks to the excellent tour concierge, Ben Hutchison.

The cruise though was more 3 star. We cruise a lot and this ship, Nieuw Amsterdam, was cheap and nasty. Our verandah room was more like a back office of a factory. Food was more Ramada Inn than 5 star, and staff in general had a could not care less attitude. We disliked our first Holland America cruise and this, our second, was worse. To cap it all on the last day they destroyed both of our suitcases requiring me to spend $200 to buy a replacement and to try to temporary repair the other. My grading below only applies, to the Insight portion of the trip.

Insight as usual has put together another fabulous, hassle free journey.......wonderful scenery, great accommodation and food. The wildlife wasn't as abundant as we thought it would be but I guess that was because we went just prior (June/July) to the salmon season.

The Rocky Mountaineer was pleasant, with exceptional service but in hindsight an over ...read more rated expense…. I think it would be very pretty if there was more snow around on the trees etc but otherwise it was a bit boring.
The other problem about the train was that freight trains have priority….at one time we were stationary for 1-2 hours while waiting, we spent 12 hours on the train that day and although we were well fed and watered but it felt like a long haul fight and we were all totally exhausted and fed up by the end.

The Inside Passage Alaskan Cruise was fabulous….and I didn’t get seasick once!...very calm cruise.....the scenery is spectacular. If you can afford it get a verandah stateroom....it was worth the extra money to be able to sit and enjoy the majestic landscape quietly and serenely, away from all the hustle and bustle of the ship (Ed. Verandah Stateroom is now included in the tour price).

A great combination of travel in Canada and Alaska. Coach through Canadian Rockies with Rocky Mountaineer back to Vancouver. Cruise to Alaska and the Inside Passage finished it in great style. Too many highlights to list.

The Insight tour concierge was just the best, a local with great knowledge and experience. Hannah at Global Journeys made sure all matters were completed on time and ready for us to have a hassle free tour.

Hannah Campbell from Global Journeys was excellent to work with, with quick responses and effective communication, Insight Tours gave us a fantastic tour through the Canadian Rockies, great hotels and meals, with a very knowledgeable Tour Director and Coach Captain. June/July is a great time to visit the Rockies and Alaska. We plan to book with Global ...read more Journeys again.

The tour with Insight Vacations was great. Accommodation was first class, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, well organised and along with our coach driver were great fun to be with. Everything happened with a minimum of fuss. Thanks Yvonne for all your help in organising this trip. This is the second time we've booked with Global Journeys and we'll ...read more definitely contact you again when planning our next trip.

Overall the tour was excellent. Only comment is that the coach tour could have been a day or two shorter, as by doing the train at the end of the coach tour takes a bit away from the train experience. The Insight Vacations guide & driver were fantastic and everything happened as you would expect. The Alaskan Passage cruise was also very good and relaxing, ...read more especially the glacier bay day.