The Magnificent Rocky Mountains

Welcome to the wonderful landscapes in the North American continent. We’ll take a cable car (“gondola”) for an amazing view of the rivers, lakes, green spaces and Rocky Mountains. Tens of thousands come here mainly for this wonderful panoramic view. We’ll explore the picturesque town of Banff, and to sing praises on Lake Minawaka. From there we’ll head to Johnston River and the Johnston Falls that form the Johnston Canyon. Then it’s on to the Eagles Bridge, to see how these birds of prey the guard and feed their chicks. Our next stop is the waterfall on the Bow River as well as the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a former castle converted to one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

The Canadians devised this method to enable trains traversing the Rocky Mountains to rise to impossible heights in order to cross this lofty mountain range. We’ll continue to the jewel in the crown of the Candian Rockies – Lake Louise with its beautiful promenade and the palatial Fairmont Lake Louis Hotel – a sister property to the hotel we saw yesterday in Banff. We will continue to Lake Moraine, whose colors, mountains and shadows are among the most special in the Rockies. We’ll conclude to the rapids, waterfall and canyon of the “natural bridge” and conclude this day with words of praise for the wonders of creation.

We’ll make a stop at the Columbia Icefield, North America’s largest sub-polar ice pack. Here we’ll climb aboard an ‘Ice Explorer’ vehicle for a once-in-a-lifetime journey onto the mighty 300 meter thick Athabasca Glacier. We’ll see spectacular scenes such as the Crowfoot Glacier, hanging from a cliff face 275 meters above the Columbia Icefield. The Columbia Icefield is a glacial space from which mighty rivers travel thousands of kilometers: one spills into the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River on the outskirts of New York City, the second via the Fraser River into the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver, and the third river crosses northern Canada, through Saskatchewan and into the Hudson Bay near the North Pole. We’ll take an hour-long hike inside the Maligne Canyon, arguably the most beautiful canyons in North America. From there we’ll continue to our hotel in Jasper.

We’ll see Ronson Mountain, the highest peak in the Rockies that soars to a height of 3.950m. Our journey will take us through the village of Blue River, which in the 19th century was a center of trade and gold exploration in the mountains. We’ll enter the dense forests of Wells Gray National Park to view the Wells Gray Falls. Once ouit of the mountains we’ll enter the Thomson River Valley and make our way to the city of Kamloops BC. It gets its name from the T’Kemplups tribe that used to live on these lands, and it is home to the First Nations “Pow-Wow” Stadium where local tribes still gather annually to meet and perform their ritual dances.

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the city sits among snowy mountains, bays facing the sea, streets and squares tastefully designed and a mixture of cultures and landscapes. We will tour the enchanting gardens of Queen Elizabeth Park; the soaring sails of Canada Place where light airplanes land and take off from Vancouver’s aquatic airport; the cobbled streets of Gas Town, Vancouver’s “Old Quarter”; and then transfer to the hotel to prepare for  Shabbat.

We’ll cross the famous Stanley Park, look out over the Fraser River and the mountains of North Vancouver from the Lion Bridge, pass through Chinatown – the second largest in North America. We will go on a tour of the Municipal Library – the work of architect David Safdie, who designed the library as a rounded arena, and see a museum built in Greek style in the center of the city. At the end of the tour we will travel to Seattle, the largest city in the northwestern United States, located in the state of Washington.

After completing the somewhat lengthy boarding process, we’ll have time to study the ship, and view the city of Seattle, from which our ship departs on our fabulous cruise. Tonight we’ll enjoy a gala dinner and a hearty reception. During the coming unforgettable week, we’ll sail comfortably and peacefully through a unique waterway known as British Columbia’s Inner Passage; some call it the “magical route to Alaska.” This is a completely peaceful marine route between mountains and land, between forests and glaciers. If we are lucky, we might come across various marine animals such as whales, dolphins and more.
We will leave the ship in several cities in Alaska, some of which will remind us of the “Wild West” towns. The most fascinating cities are: Juno, the capital of Alaska; Skagway, the “gold rush capital” town, whose people have overcome the hardships of nature and built bridges and tracks that tourists today welcome and admire; and Ketchikan, the native town and the capital of the northern fisherman.
Answer to the question of many travelers:
Our cruise is different from others in a number of ways:
1. The ship is more luxurious and sought after. The service, meals and performances are among the best in the world. That’s why you must hurry up and register, many in the world sign up here a year in advance!
2. Our cruise includes: lectures, presentations and films in Hebrew and some of the most beautiful shows in the world.
3. The level of meals – full board – exceeds ten times the rest of the voyages.

* 12 elevators, 3 restaurants, cafes, cinema, casino, musicians’ corners: classical music, jazz, singers. Bingo, entertainers, food displays or works of art.
* Internet, fitness center, spa and beauty salon – for a fee.
* 2 swimming pools (one of which is covered by an open glass roof)
* Duty Free Shops
* Tennis training ground
* Basketball training ground
* Self-service laundries
* Cabin facilities include: Sofa, table and chairs, bath and toilet, cupboards, safe, free room service for cold or hot drinks, fruit, salad, vegetarian sandwich and more.
* Library, lecture halls, cinema, theater and spectacular theater.