Holland America MS Westerdam 3 Night Pacific Coastal Cruise From $148.38!

For those with not a lot of time but who are looking to get on a cruise ship, why not take a three night journey up the Pacific Coast from San Diego, California to Victoria, British Columbia? There are no distracting ports of call along the way, allowing you to fully enjoy all the luxury MS Westerdam of Holland America Line has to offer. Even better, the pricing right now is outstanding!

The Cruise

 

MS Westerdam embarks from San Diego, California on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 on this three night cruise up the coast to Victoria, British Columbia. There are no stops along the way, just the ocean and the coastlines of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Westerdam arrives in Victoria on Friday, May 2 at 12 noon.

Guests board Westerdam at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal in downtown San Diego. Upon arriving in Victoria, guests get off the ship at Ogden Point Cruise Ship Terminal, right in the centre of the historic Canadian city and the capital of the province of British Columbia.

In essence, this is an extension to a 14 night Panama Canal cruise that originates in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and, in essence, this is Repositioning Cruise. After wintering in the Caribbean, MS Westerdam makes this April journey to her summer home port of Seattle, Washington. After adjusting a bit south from Victoria to Seattle, Westerdam settles into a routine of seven night roundtrip Alaska cruises for the summer months.

The Price

Holland America is having a ‘flash sale’ and an interior stateroom can be had for as low as $148.38 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $63.80 per person in government fees and taxes, which apply to all passengers regardless of stateroom level, an interior cabin for two can be had for $424.36, including taxes.

From there, the prices don’t move up too quickly. You can have an ocean view for as low as $208.25 per person. A balcony stateroom (Deluxe Ocean View Verandah) starts at $248.20 per person. A Superior Verandah Suite will run $937.88 per person.

The Ship 

Built by Fincantieri in Italy, MS Westerdam has been in service since 2004 for Holland America Line. Westerdam is one of four Vista Class ships in the fleet. Together with MS Zuiderdam, MS Oosterdam and MS Noordam, the Vista Class ships are named for the four main compass points.

For Holland America, Westerdam is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 82,500. She is 285 metres or 936 feet in length and has eleven decks accessible to passengers. There is a capacity for 1,916 guests and 800 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

L.A. to Vancouver on the Norwegian Pearl From Just $299

Sure, if you need to get from Los Angeles, California to Vancouver, British Columbia, you can fly and be to your destination in under three hours. However, if you have a few extra days and want to relax and see the Pacific Coast in luxury, why not hop on the Norwegian Pearl and take a five night cruise between the two cities? You can do it on May 3, 2014 from just $299 per person.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Pearl of Norwegian Cruise Line embarks from Los Angeles, California on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 5pm. The ship arrives in Vancouver on Thursday, May 8 at 8am. Along the way, she makes two excellent port calls.

After a full day at sea, Pearl docks at San Francisco, California on Monday, May 5. She is in port from 8am until 5pm. The fact that the cruise port is centrally located in the downtown area of San Francisco makes this a great chance to explore the city. World famous Alcatraz Island is just off shore.

After another day at sea, passing by the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, Norwegian Pearl docks at Ogden Point Cruise Port in Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. This is another port where you simply need to walk off the ship to explore the historic downtown area of the provincial capital. The ship is docked in Victoria from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday, May 7.

The Price

This cruise is hot and the price is rising. A few days ago, an interior cabin was as low as $249 per person. The price has risen to a still great deal of $299 per person for the same inside stateroom. With an additional $149.91 in government fees and taxes, the price for two for an inside cabin, including taxes, starts at just $897.82. An outside stateroom on the Norwegian Pearl is not much more with a starting price of $349 per person.

So, what would it cost to fly between the same two cities and arrive in Vancouver on May 8? Direct flights via Delta Airlines or Alaska Airlines are as low as $131, including taxes. Direct via Westjet, a Canadian carrier, is slightly higher at $136. These flights all arrive at YVR very late in the day.

A true example of how expensive air travel within Canada is. The distance from Los Angeles to Vancouver is roughly 2,053 kilometres. A flight the same day via Westjet from Toronto, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec, just a distance of 542 kilometres, will cost from $224, including taxes.

The Ship

Norwegian Pearl is one of four Norwegian Cruise Line Jewel Class ships. The four ships are nearly identical and were all built between 2005 and 2007. The three sister ships are the Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Jade.

Pearl is a decent sized ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. She is 294 metres or 965 feet in length with 12 decks accessible to passengers. The ship has a capacity for 2,394 guests based on double occupancy. There are 1,099 crew members onboard, making for a decent guest to crew ratio for a contemporary ship.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.