In June of this year some older clients decided to book a coach trip through the Rockies followed by an Alaska cruise. The photos are superb and clients enjoyed the trip and experiences but their feedback is very firmly to advise all guests NOT to travel by coach thinking you'll see more but to Self drive the Rockies, far less waiting for other people.
Dear Jo
Here's the feedback you requested. In hind sight we should have taken the self drive option rather that the coach tours as would have given us more freedom, the coach didn't suit us but the locations were great and we enjoyed the holiday as you see below
Flights - good ( British Airways - club class)
The Rockies..................
Calgary/Delta Hotel - v. good and easy to use. Trip Calgary to Banff approx. 1.5 hours so rest of day in Banff looking around. Pretty location but full of tatt shops etc. Half day look around and walk by the river was more than enough. Hotel Caribou good. Explore Banff/Gondola tour - itself was good but the coach picked up from a lot of different hotels which was a shame. The Wildlife evening tour - was a complete waste of time - we didn't see anything. Lake Louise/Fairmont Hotel V. Good, should have booked a table for dinner as very busy, we eat at the 'pub' which we did and it was fine. Good walking near the hotel. Enjoyed it. Discovery tour to Jasper/Glaciers etc - good full day, recommended. The Jasper Sawbridge hotel was a bit out of town would have preferred to spend mor money on the hotel and stay in the heart of the town
Rocky Mountaineer train - excellent including hotel in Kamloops. Really glad we did it. Totally recommended, a great trip.
Vancouver - Pan Pacific Hotel - v good. Vancouver tour of Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Granville Island etc all good and recommended.
Cruise to Alaska
Cruise ship Holland America - very ordinary. Our stateroom was good and comfortable but overall standards on the ship were 'ordinary' as was food and service. FYI we were theoretically scheduled to dinner on a table of 8, it turned out to be a table for 6 and only 2 others ever turned up, a couple from Chelmsford.
Tours in Alaska were all excellent -
Juneau we visited and walked to Mildenhall Glacier and Falls and did the Mount Roberts Cable car. (Incidentally, this was the only day on which we had rain. Overall the weather for our trip was fantastic.) Skagway we did the White Pass bus and rail tour - a whole day, excellent. Ketchikan - did the Crab fishing boat tour and crab dining at St Georges Inlet - again excellent. Back to Vancouver - pleasant city to visit, met up with our friends from V Isle before we flew home etc.
A good trip overall but if we would suggest others doing it fly to Calgary and travel independently/driving etc up to the point of boarding the Rocky Mountaineer and upgrade the cabin on the cruise.
regards
Liz and Alan Petts