Why now’s the time to book a Northwest Passage cruise

There’s more to life than work. More to experience than spending eight hours a day hunched over a laptop, and it’s time to do something about it. What you need is to escape the hum drum of everyday life and treat yourself to a cruise – you deserve it after the last few years we’ve all had.

And if you’re looking to hit the high seas in style, Kenwood Cruise has just the cruise: enter a 19-night Vancouver to Tokyo sailing with Regent Seven Seas, the all-inclusive, luxury cruise line.

You’ll board the ultra-luxury Seven Seas Explorer, which starred in the Channel 5 documentary the World’s Most Expensive Cruise Ship, in the west coast wonder that is Vancouver, before setting sail to Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Your first day will be spent at sea – as you cruise north into Alaskan waters – which gives you plenty of time to meet your fellow passengers and get to know the all-suite and all-inclusive Seven Seas Explorer.

The ship is mid-sized – up to 750 passengers can enjoy the attention of 548 crew, an enviable ratio even in the luxury cruising market – meaning Explorer is able to access ports that larger vessels simply can’t squeeze into.

The following morning, you’ll reach your first port of call pretty Ketchikan. Stroll along Creek Street, a colourful boardwalk built on stilts that was once a red light district where “both fish and men came upstream to spawn”, before learning about the history of Ketchikan’s colourful totem poles – sculptures, carved using traditional tools, that tell the ancestral stories of the Tlingit and Haida people. Other excursions on offer, and included in your fare, include lumberjack shows, rainforest adventures, and canoe safaris and keep an eye out for the local wildlife, etc.

Then it’s back on board and onto Icy Strait where we recommend signing up to a whale-watching safari. Trust us when we say that seeing a whale breach, as it lifts its whole body into the air and twirls around, will take your breath away.

At Hubbard Glacier, you’ll be able to get up close and personal with this frozen beauty that’s 76 miles long, seven miles wide and 600 feet tall.

Other standouts include Seward, the coastal town named after the man who arranged for the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and Kodiak aka the exclusive home of the Kodiak bear.

But it’s not just the Great Land – which first came to the world’s attention as a result of the Gold Rush when, between 1897-1904, over a million prospectors flooded into Alaska in search of the precious metal – that you’ll get to explore on this epic itinerary.

After you’ve had your fill of America’s northernmost and largest state, you’ll cross the Pacific to Japan. The six days at sea afford plenty of downtime – a rare luxury in this busy modern world we live in.

For some, this may mean enjoying a spectacular meal at one of Explorer’s six restaurants (the Pool Grill, the pan-Asian themed Pacific Rim, Prime 7 steakhouse and Chartreuse, and the Italian themed Sette Mari and Compass Rose) each offering a different a la carte dinner menu, or retreating to an elegant bar like the Explorer Lounge or glass-sided Observation Lounge with an expertly-mixed cocktail in hand.

For others that might mean listening to live music in the Constellation theatre, where the Regent Symphony Orchestra accompanies a variety of performances, or belting out some Beyonce or Bon Jovi at a karaoke night.

Upon reaching the Land of the Rising Sun, your first port of call will be Kushiro, home in winter to the migrating red crested crane – one of Japan’s symbols – followed by Hakodate, which is overlooked by the famous Mount Hakodate.

Next up is Sendai, one of Japan’s most important cities (it was founded in 1600 by feudal lord Date Masamune, a legendary figure in Japanese history) before arriving in Tokyo where you’ll spend two full days exploring Japan’s charismatic capital.

When we say that Kenwood Cruise and Regent Seven Seas have arguably saved the best for last, we mean it. Tokyo is unlike any other city you've visited: expect to see neon-lit skyscrapers nestled alongside ryokans (Japanese inns) and serene temples adjacent to lively nightclubs.

All told, if you’re longing for the hassle-free holiday of a lifetime, then this all-inclusive luxury cruise that covers two continents could just be the answer. And Kenwood Cruise, travel experts with over 45 years of experience, is a name you can trust to book with.

Regent Seven Sea Cruises’ 19-night Vancouver to Tokyo sailing with a pre-cruise one-night stay at Fairmont Waterfront hotel departs September 18, 2024. Fares, when booked through Kenwood Cruise, start from £8,499 per person for a penthouse suite and include flights, transfers, unlimited shore excursions, speciality dining and drinks, valet laundry service, 24-hour room service, complimentary WiFi and more.

For a limited time only, save up to 50 per cent, get a FREE 2-category suite upgrade and save up to £1,000 on select sailings!

Whatever your dream Regent Seven Seas Cruise looks like, Kenwood Cruise can create the perfect itinerary. To find out more, call 0203 966 8236 or visit kenwoodtravel.co.uk/cruise