Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (April 2, 2007) - Cruise passengers travelling through Vancouver experience a truly dynamic holiday when they combine their cruise with one of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations’ four spectacular rail routes. The Whistler Mountaineer and the Rocky Mountaineer trains both offer stunning journeys through Canada’s West and/or the Canadian Rockies, which can be added pre-or post cruise. Cruise ship passengers booking any of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations’ routes enjoy a unique way to travel while experiencing more of Western Canada, all with the highest level of service and pampering.

“Forty-nine percent of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations’ guests surveyed indicated that they are taking our trains pre or post a cruise vacation,” says James Terry, Executive VP & C.O.O. of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations. “We’re thrilled we can offer cruise guests an opportunity to see Western Canada by land and sea, especially when they have travelled long distances and want to maximize their holiday.”

Three major cruise lines, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean each offer pre and post Rocky Mountaineer and Whistler Mountaineer experiences in conjunction with their Vancouver-based ships departing to, or arriving from, an Alaskan cruise itinerary between early-May and mid-September 2007.

Cruise passengers can decide on their seamless add-on rail adventure of choice:

The acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer train offers a two-day, all daylight rail journey between Vancouver or Whistler, B.C., and Jasper, Banff or Calgary, Alberta. Each of the three Rocky Mountaineer rail journeys offers rich history, culinary delights and exemplary service, taking guests through the magnificent scenery of British Columbia and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. For a luxury experience, guests may opt to travel in the two-storey glass dome coaches of GoldLeaf Service which feature a private dining room with freshly prepared a la carte regional cuisine and award winning wines from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Prices begin at $559 CDN/ $539 USD (based on double occupancy).

Two packages have been created around the recently premiered three-hour Whistler Mountaineer train which caters to the Alaskan cruise ship visitors who are interested in heading to Whistler, B.C. The Pre-Cruise Escape and Post-Cruise Escape are two nights/three days in length and include rail and motorcoach transportation to and from Whistler, two nights accommodation, admission to the Whistler Gondola and transfers to and from the cruise ship terminals. Prices begin at $396 CDN/ $380 USD (based on double occupancy). The Whistler Mountaineer, which travels both north and south seven days a week, is a spectacular three-hour sea to sky experience between Vancouver and Whistler offering expansive views of cascading waterfalls, old-growth forests, snow-capped mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. For those with less time, the Whistler Mountaineer makes for a great daytrip to Whistler as well.

For more information on Rocky Mountaineer Vacations’ pre-or post cruise options, call 1-800-665-7245, or visit the websites: www.rockymountaineer.com and www.whistlermountaineer.com.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations offer year-round vacation packages to the most unique regions of Canada and four spectacular rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta. Since its inception in 1990, the company has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and has hosted over 900,000 guests from around the world. In 2006, RMV was honoured with a World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” for the second consecutive year. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, one of Canada's leading tourism providers, is a proud partner of Gray Line West motorcoach operations in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, B.C. and Banff, AB.

Contacts:

www.rockymountaineer.com
www.whistlermountaineer.com