{"id":635,"date":"2014-05-09T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T15:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/?p=635"},"modified":"2014-05-09T22:22:49","modified_gmt":"2014-05-10T04:22:49","slug":"2015-rocky-mountaineer-vacations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/2015-rocky-mountaineer-vacations.html","title":{"rendered":"2015 Rocky Mountaineer Vacations"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>2015 Rocky Mountaineer Vacation Packages\u00a0&#8211; itineraries, rates and dates<\/h2>\n<p>Rocky Mountain Holidays have just posted all 2015 Rocky Mountaineer vacation packages for 2015. There are significantly more packages available with the welcomed addition of some old favourites such as the &#8220;at leisure&#8221; packages, which give you more time in the Canadian Rockies. There are now\u00a0129 Rocky Mountaineer Canadian vacation package options to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>All vacation packages were always available through customisation, although the addition of these extended packages make it much easier for guests to view itineraries and prices at a glance. Rocky Mountain Holidays also have a useful vacation search tool\u00a0which assists you in finding the perfect vacation package with Rocky Mountaineer (featured below):<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/rockymountainholidays.com\/search.php\" name=\"search_form\" width=\"300\" height=\"320px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For 2015, at time of press, all new Rocky Mountaineer Vacation packages will be\u00a0subject to a 20% non-refundable deposit. In the past, guests took advantage of the low deposits to secure their vacations in advance. For now,\u00a0any guests booking 2015 will have to be a little more committed &#8211; we always recommend you take out adequate <a title=\"Travel Insurance\" href=\"http:\/\/www.worldwideinsure.com?partnerID=1210\" target=\"_blank\">travel insurance<\/a> to protect you against unforeseen circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Changes to 2015 Alaska cruise out of Vancouver<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s goodbye to NCL in 2015 and the relationship with Holland America continues to grow strong\u00a0for the 2015 season. Having travelled onboard Holland America&#8217;s\u00a0ms Zuiderdam myself out of Vancouver on their 7 night round-trip Alaska cruise, I have to say it was an\u00a0excellent cruise ship and perfect for the Alaskan climate with not too much outside deck.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, the ms Zuiderdam\u2019s route will be replaced by the returning ms Noordam. The itinerary will remain the same. This ship is a Vista-class ship like the Zuiderdam and was the last built of the Vista Class ships (Zuiderdam being the first). \u00a0As this is a newer ship, Holland America made some improvements. The consensus is that this is a better ship with some slight changes &#8211;\u00a0\u00a0it is a sister ship to ms\u00a0Zuiderdam\u00a0and has mostly identical features.\u00a0\u00a0So, this is a really positive change for the rail and cruise packages in 2015. \u00a0We are already off to a great start!<\/p>\n<p>Here is a nice photo I took from onboard the ms Zuiderdam as we cruised Glacier Bay National Park &#8211; just breath taking.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_638\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-638\" style=\"width: 442px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-638\" src=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/glacier-bay-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Photo taken from onboard Holland America's Zuiderdamas we cruised Glacier Bay National Park\" width=\"442\" height=\"294\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-638\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo taken from onboard Holland America&#8217;s Zuiderdam as we cruised Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. The Zuiderdam is the sister cruise ship to ms Noordam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Holland America&#8217;s\u00a0ms Westerdam will be the cruise ship of choice out of Seattle again in 2015 and ties in nicely with the Coastal Passage route which connects Seattle to Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies.<\/p>\n<h2><em><strong>So what new packages are available in 2015?<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n<h3><a title=\"Taste of the Rockies Circle Vacation - New for 2015\" href=\"Taste%20of the Rockies Circle\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Taste of the Rockies Circle<\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Rocky Mountaineer&#8217;s research with guests and potential guests indicated that future guests\u00a0are seeking more days onboard the train. To accommodate this growing demand for circle trips, Rocky Mountaineer\u00a0introduced the new shorter-duration 6 night &#8220;<em>Taste of the Rockies<\/em>&#8221; Circle package.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_641\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-641\" style=\"width: 236px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-641\" src=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/taste-of-the-rockies-map-211x300.png\" alt=\"Taste of the Rockies Circle Vacation with Rocky Mountaineer\" width=\"236\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/taste-of-the-rockies-map-211x300.png 211w, https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/taste-of-the-rockies-map.png 381w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-641\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Itinerary and map of the new 2015 &#8220;Taste of the Rockies&#8221; Circle Vacation with Rocky Mountaineer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This rail vacation package includes both the Rocky Mountaineer&#8217;s\u00a0best-selling First Passage to the West and Journey through the Clouds routes, plus a motorcoach tour along the Icefields Parkway connecting\u00a0Banff and Jasper National Parks. The journey can also be extended to begin and\/or end in Seattle instead of Vancouver by adding Coastal Passage, or combined with pre- or post-tour cruise options onboard the ms Noordam out of Vancouver.<\/p>\n<h3>Canadian Rockies Adventures<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_642\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-642\" style=\"width: 356px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-642\" src=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/canadian-rockies-adventures-map-300x245.png\" alt=\"Canadian Rockies Adventures Vacation Package with Rocky Mountaineer\" width=\"356\" height=\"291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/canadian-rockies-adventures-map-300x245.png 300w, https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/canadian-rockies-adventures-map.png 379w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-642\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canadian Rockies Adventure Vacation Package in 2015 with Rocky Mountaineer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During my years of guiding in\u00a0Banff National Park, the Icefields Parkway was one of\u00a0my favourite places to take guests\u00a0and the scenery never failed to disappoint. This route is only accessible by road and is a favourite of many Rocky Mountaineer guests too. With this in mind, the &#8220;Canadian Rockies Adventures&#8221; vacation package was introduced for 2015.\u00a0\u00a0It extends\u00a0guests\u2019 stays in Lake Louise and Banff to two nights, to allow for more time to\u00a0include this spectacular highlight in their itineraries while at the same time, slowing the pace\u00a0making this\u00a0holiday more relaxing\u00a0over\u00a07 nights.<\/p>\n<p>Please note that this package is not the same as the one with the same name sold until 2012 as the old itinerary did not include lunch on the\u00a0Icefields Parkway tour or the helicopter flight at Cline River. A 7 night round-trip Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver onboard\u00a0ms Noordam\u00a0can also be added before or after this package.<\/p>\n<h3>Canadian Rockies at Leisure and Northern Rockies at Leisure<\/h3>\n<p>Due to increased demand of vacation packages in the Canadian Rockies with longer durations, the &#8220;Canadian Rockies at Leisure&#8221; (9 nights) and &#8220;Northern Rockies at Leisure&#8221; (10 nights) have been re-introduced. These itineraries are very similar to the best selling\u00a0Western Explorer package and the Northern Explorer package, but with two night stays in Banff and Lake Louise, as well as in Jasper. \u00a0A 7-night round-trip Vancouver cruise onboard\u00a0ms Noordaman can also be added to either of these packages (at the start or the end).<\/p>\n<h3>Coastal Passage Packages<\/h3>\n<p>We were\u00a0some\u00a0of the lucky ones to be invited onboard\u00a0for the inaugural departure\u00a0in August 2013 and we were certainly impressed by\u00a0this new exciting route, connecting Seattle to Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies.<\/p>\n<p>Back in February 2014, Rocky Mountaineer vastly expanded the number of Coastal Passage packages available, making a total of 41 package options to choose from which include this route. \u00a0For 2015, these packages will also be available with cruises from Holland America (ms Westerdam, before or after your rail tour)<\/p>\n<p>As in 2014, the\u00a0Coastal Passage add-on is \u00a0available to begin or end any Rocky Mountaineer package in Seattle, it can not be taken as a stand-alone.<\/p>\n<h4><em>Is that all the changes for 2015?<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>Yes, as far as we can see. \u00a0Apart for some minor tweaks on some existing packages, such as the\u00a0Summit Helicopter tour removal\u00a0from the Canadian Rockies Getaway, Grand Rail Circle, Trans-Canada Rail Adventure, and Coast to Coast by Rail, no other major changes to report.<\/p>\n<p>We are delighted about the changes we have seen for the 2015 season&#8230;it will be here before we know it!<\/p>\n<p>All aboard!<\/p>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Frocky-peak.com%2Fblog%2F2014%2F05%2F2015-rocky-mountaineer-vacations.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2015 Rocky Mountaineer Vacation Packages\u00a0&#8211; itineraries, rates and dates Rocky Mountain Holidays have just posted all 2015 Rocky Mountaineer vacation packages for 2015. There are significantly more packages available with the welcomed addition of some old favourites such as the &#8220;at leisure&#8221; packages, which give you more time in the Canadian Rockies. There are now\u00a0129 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/2015-rocky-mountaineer-vacations.html\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">2015 Rocky Mountaineer Vacations<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[509,432,241,66,4,129,415,418,47,9,93,280,333,318,295,229,289,174,243,97,420,5,21,357,176,286,276,51,314,355,83,352,173,79,175,457,230,281,330,288,384,319,253,31,200,172,492,297,447,123,500,40,354,220,221],"tags":[520,521,517,516,529,522,524,519,515,518,513,514,511,512,531,530,525,526,527,523,528],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":653,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions\/653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rocky-peak.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}