Alaska's Inside Passage - 7A/8A

Duration	9 days
Prices from	$ 3,999
Departures 02/07/2009, 27/08/2009, 19/08/2009, 13/08/2009, 05/08/2009, 30/07/2009, 22/07/2009, 08/07/2009, 24/06/2009, 18/06/2009, 10/06/2009, 04/06/2009, 27/05/2009, 16/07/2009

This voyage of exploration takes the time to venture into narrow waterways and glacier-covered fjords that are simply some of the most magnificent natural landscapes on earth. The Alaska?s Inside Passage cruise spends an entire week exploring every nook and cranny of Alaska?s portion of the Inside Passage. You will have time to explore at leisure Misty Fjords National Monument and Tracy Arm, marvel at humpback whales in Frederick Sound, and visit popoular ports as well as off-the-beaten-track villages. This cruise offers a nice blend of Alaska?s wildlife and culture.

ExpeditionTrips? Program Manager, Lori Gifford, has sailed on this voyage. Click to view her travel journal and photos.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Ketchikan, Sail

On arrival, transfer to your ship.

Day 2: Misty Fjords, Metlakatla

Visit magical Misty Fjords with its steep cliffs, narrow waterways and awe-inspiring stillness. This afternoon you?ll make a port call at Metlakatla on Annette Island, which is Alaska?s sole Tsimshian community.

Day 3: Petersburg

Enjoy a warm welcome at the fishing village of Petersburg. The Leikarring Dancers perform for you in the Sons of Norway Hall. Then north and east of Petersburg, explore wilderness waterways such as iceberg-filled LeConte Bay or beautiful Thomas Bay.

Day 4: Frederick Sound and Tracy Arm

Humpback whales abound in Frederick Sound as they feed along the shore of Admiralty Island. This afternoon, cruise under Tracy Arm?s sheer vertical cliffs toward the twin Sawyer Glaciers.

Day 5: Sitka

Only small ships can negotiate Peril Strait and Sergius Narrows, the ?inside? route to beautiful Sitka on Baranof Island. Sitka?s highlight is St. Michael?s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and its treasury of gold and silver icons.

Day 6: Glacier Bay Cruising

Spend a day cruising through this awesome wonderland, approaching very close to the ?rivers of ice.? A National Park Service Ranger is on board with you all day.

Day 7: Skagway and Haines

Relive the Gold Rush of 1898 in the picture-perfect setting of Skagway, the jumping off place for thousands of early gold seekers. Just down mountain-lined Lynn Canal visit picturesque Haines, famed for its concentration of bald eagles.

Day 8: Arrive Juneau

Transfer to the Goldbelt Hotel in Juneau. The rest of the day, you will be at leisure to explore Alaska?s capital city. A vast array of optional activities is on tap, from flightseeing to fishing and salmon bakes.

Day 9: Tour Ends

Transfer to the airport.