Victoria (BC)

Victoria, British Columbia is the Canadian port that feels more British than Britain — afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel, double-decker buses, hanging flower baskets everywhere, and a general politeness that makes Americans feel like savages. The Inner Harbour is beautiful and right at the cruise terminal.

The walkability is excellent. The Royal BC Museum, Butchart Gardens (bus or taxi, about 30 minutes), and Fisherman's Wharf (floating homes and fish & chips) are the highlights. The city is clean, safe, and genuinely pleasant in a way that doesn't feel manufactured for tourists.

The tea: Victoria is the palette cleanser of the Alaska cruise — after days of wilderness and small-town Alaska, you get a proper city with real restaurants, craft breweries, and culture. It's also the most expensive port in the Pacific Northwest, because the Canadian dollar still manages to make everything cost more than you expected. Lovely city, light wallet.