General Information
These activities and needlework classes are exclusive events for Stitchers’ Escapes. You must register for the 2019 Escape to Alaska Cruise in order to participate.
Payment
We will send an invoice to you within 10 days of receiving your registration. Your space is secure once we receive payment in full from you.
Choose carefully. If you cancel, we issue refunds only if the class or activity is at full capacity and we fill your spot.
Shore Excursions
General Information
We arranged the excursions with Royal Caribbean, which means we have all the benefits of taking a RCCL excursion: guaranteed first off the ship, guaranteed return to the ship, and most convenient access to the tour bus. However, you will register through Stitchers’ Escapes rather than RCCL. Therefore, you will not see our excursions on your cruise planner after booking. Tickets will be provide to the Stitchers’ Escapes crew and distributed to the group on board.
For all excursions, please notify us if you use a wheelchair or motorized scooter so we can work with the Royal Caribbean staff to provide the most comfortable experience. Please note that the Craigdarroch Castle excursion is not handicap accessible.
Each tour has a minimum and maximum number of guests. For the Juneau and Skagway excursions, if we do not meet the minimum, the excursion will still go on, we just will not have private transportation for the group. For Victoria, if it appears that we will not reach this minimum, we reserve the right to cancel the excursion and return all excursion registration fees.
When the excursion groups need to split up, we make every effort to keep roommates and people traveling together in the same group.
Mendenhall Glacier, Whale Watching, and Wildlife Quest (Juneau, Alaska)
Sunday, September 8
12:30pm-5:45pm
Minimum: 30
Maximum: 100
Discover Juneau’s natural splendors as you board a waterjet-powered catamaran in search of whales before exploring the massive Mendenhall Glacier. On board the catamaran, enjoy complimentary binoculars and snacks and pass snow-capped peaks and islands dotting picturesque Stephen’s Passage. Look for humpback and orca whales, sea lions, and bald eagles while learning about their behaviors from your guide. Then, travel by coach to explore the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, where you can visit with Forest Service Rangers, enjoy interactive exhibits, and roam nearby trails.
If we have more than 60 attendees, we will split the group into two buses. Our buses will be just for Stitchers’ Escapes, but we will share the catamaran trip with other passengers from our ship.
Plan to eat lunch on board the ship before we gather for the excursion. The snacks served on the whale-watching catamaran will include coffee, tea, hot chocolate, pastries, and smoked salmon on crackers.
We will not return to the ship in time for our 5:30pm dinner time, but there are many other venues on the ship for dinner, so you won’t go hungry. Or, since we will not have to be back on board the ship until about 8:30pm, enjoy local cuisine in Juneau. The ship docks right downtown and there are a number of dining venues nearby.
There is a needlework shop in Juneau, Changing Tides, and we’ve been in touch to see if they will offer extended hours for our group. We will keep you posted on this.
Important Notes:
- To view the glacier from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center, guests must walk at least 250 yards on inclined, paved pathways.
- The operators of this tour guarantee you will see a whale. If not, you’ll receive a $100 cash refund per person as you disembark the tour vessel.
- The whale-watching vessel is restroom equipped, and binoculars and souvenir route maps are provided
White Pass Railroad and Alaskan Sled Dog Encounter (Skagway, Alaska)
Monday, September 9
7:30am-12:45pm
or
11:40am-5:00pm
Minimum per time slot: 30
Maximum per time slot: 50
Admire breathtaking scenery on a journey along the world-famous White Pass & Yukon Railroad, plus meet an Alaskan musher with their team of dogs at a dog sled camp. Travel to White Pass’ summit in an 1898 vintage railcar along the narrow gauge railway (this is the #1 excursion in Skagway). On a guided coach ride, stop for photos at scenic Tormented Valley and Pitchfork Falls. Then enjoy a live racing demo with sledding dogs.
Our buses and train car will be private, but we will attend the sled dog demonstration with other passengers from Royal Caribbean.
The ship will be in port from 7:00am-8:30pm. We will probably have to be back on board by 8:00pm. Like in Juneau, the ship docks walking distance to town. Those in the 7:30am group will be free to explore Skagway on their own after the excursion. We can’t promise that those in the 11:40am group would have time to disembark before the excursion and re-board in time to muster for the excursion’s departure. However, they will have a few hours to explore after the excursion.
No meals or snacks are provided on this excursion, so plan accordingly. Both groups will return to the ship in time for our 5:30 dinner time.
Skagway boasts both a quilt shop that carries some needlework (Rushin’ Tailor) and a knitting shop (Aurora Yarns). As with the shop in Juneau, we are in touch with the owners to check their hours for the day we are in port and will keep you posted.
Important Notes:
- Guests prone to motion sickness should take precautions.
- Due to climatic changes, no guarantee is given for the views available at any given time.
- Since this excursion crosses the US/Canadian border, all participants are required to carry their passport and/or visa if required.
- Written consent is required for children traveling into Canada without both parents.
- Please note that guests will not ride in a dog sled during this tour.
Craigdarroch Castle and Inner Harbor (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
Courtesy of Craigdarroch Castle
Thursday, September 12
9:45am-5:00pm
Minimum: 50
Maximum: 56
This exclusive Stitchers’ Escapes tour combines a visit to “Canada’s Castle,” Craigdarroch Castle, with plenty of free time to explore Victoria’s Inner Harbor.
On our last visit to Victoria, we enjoyed not only a visit to the Castle but also a behind-the-scenes curated demonstration of some of the needlework objects in their collection. We were so charmed by the experience that we knew we had to offer it again! The demo works best for small groups of 10-12 people, so we created a staggered schedule to maximize the number of stitchers who can enjoy it. We will split into groups of 25 people, and while at the Castle we will divide further with half the group viewing the demo while the other half takes the self-guided tour of the Castle. Then the groups will switch.
We’ll be accompanied by a tour guide, who will give us an overview of Victoria’s most important sites during a 30-minute scenic drive.
The Inner Harbor is Victoria’s downtown, home to shops, restaurants, and attractions such as the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Parliament Buildings. You will have about 4 hours of unstructured time there to explore on your own. Leading up to the cruise, we’ll share our ideas for ways to fill your free time. We know you will not want to miss the delightful Button and Needlework Boutique!
No meals or snacks are provided on this excursion. We will return to the ship in time for our 5:30 dinner seating.
Important Notes:
- Buses are not permitted on the street where Craigdarroch Castle is located. We will be dropped off nearby and walk about one-tenth of a mile on a slightly uphill street through the residential neighborhood to reach the Castle
- Craigdarroch Castle is a historic house museum; there are no ramps or elevators and it is not wheelchair accessible.
- Passports are required to disembark in Victoria.
On-Board Classes
Abyss
Teacher: Toni Gerdes
Two Day Class
Saturday, September 7 (Cruise Day 2, Sea Day) and
Wednesday, September 11 (Cruise Day 6, Sea Day)
9:00am-4:00pm
Minimum: none
Maximum: 40
Requirements: Stitchers should have prior needlepoint experience. Toni is also happy to work with experienced cross stitchers who have chosen Abyss for their first counted canvas project!
“Abyss,” is a NEW design and a companion piece to Toni’s wildly successful “Fire & Ice.” You will stitch on a pale blue Congress cloth with silks, overdyes, and sparkly metallics. This icy landscape will be line drawn and you will fill the areas with a variety of stitches. This two-day class is the perfect opportunity for both needlepointers and for cross stitchers who are open to expanding their stitch repertoire.
Project Details
Project Size: 5.5″ x 11″
Canvas: 24-count Congress cloth
Your kit includes:
- Pale blue Congress cloth, cut 12″ x 15″
- Threads
- Neon Rays Plus
- Accentuate
- Sparkle! Braid
- Silk Lame Braid
- Soe Cristale
- Silks from Planet Earth, City Needleworks, and Needlepoint, Inc.
- Twisted Bugle Beads
- Needles
Bring to class:
- Stretcher bars (one pair each of 12″ and 15″) and tacks
- Laying tool
- Embroidery scissors
- Cordless task lighting and magnification as needed
The Deer & The Grapes
Teacher: Jean Farish
Wednesday, September 11 (Cruise Day 6, Sea Day)
9:00am-noon
Minimum: none
Maximum: 24
Requirements: Students must be able to read a cross-stitch chart. If there are students who are new to stitching on linen, Jean will arrange a time on the first sea day to get them started.
For the first time ever, Jean is offering “The Deer & the Grapes” sampler as a class. Stitched in cotton floss, this traditional band sampler includes four stitches in addition to cross stitch and back stitch. This is a half-day class and is open to all stitchers. The piece can be stitched “in hand” or with any kind of frame the stitcher wishes to bring.
Project Details
Project Size: 8.25″ x 13.75″
Fabric: 28-count linen
Your kit includes:
- Cosmo cotton embroidery floss (25 skeins)
- 28-count linen, cut 13.75″ x 19″
- Needle
- Complete stitch instructions
Bring to class:
- Scroll frame, embroidery hoop, or Q-snap, if desired, suitable for a 13.75″ x 19″ cut
- Embroidery scissors
- Cordless task lighting and magnification as needed