San Francisco, CA to Vancouver

From the first Spanish Mission founded by the “Sacred Expedition” in 1776, to the rip-roaring days of the Barbary Coast and California Gold Rush to rising phoenix-like after the great earthquake of 1906, San Francisco never ceases to please the eye, the heart and the palate. With such iconic sites as Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Victorian architecture of Pacific Heights, Union Square, colorful trolley cars, Muir Woods and the surrounding vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Valley, the “City by the Bay” is always a must-see on any visitor’s list to the West Coast.

Nestled against the wooded hills along the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. With its steep hills and beautiful Victorian homes, Astoria has been called the “Little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest.” Named for the early fur trader, John Jacob Astor, Astoria offers the traveler Fort Clasop, the reconstructed winter quarters of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the elegant Victorian mansion of Captain Flavel and excursions into the breathtaking surroundings including Mount St. Helens.

Seattle, a city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark.

Victoria is a picture-perfect city exuding old-world charm, with fragrant and colorful flowers everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company, it was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was made a British colony. In 1868, Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia. Although it is a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure crafts, ferries, and floatplanes.

“Gassy Jack” Deighton saw a chance to make money from the miners on their way to the Yukon and the saloon he built became the focus of the shanty town known as Gas Town. From here, modern Vancouver was born – Canada’s third largest city. The government persuaded the settlers to change the name of the town to Vancouver, after Captain George Vancouver, who sailed the area’s waters in 1792. Today Vancouver offers travelers tram rides to the top of Grouse Mountain, the lovely Ming Dynasty Gardens, historic Gas Town and picturesque Stanley Park.

Shore excursions on the first and last day of a cruise are only available for guests who are combining back-to-back voyages to create a longer cruise. Those guests may organize custom tours through the Destination Services Desk on board.