Inside Passage (Roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C) Cruise

Day 1 - Vancouver, Canada

Arrive: Tue 30 April 2024 / Depart: Tue 30 April 2024 at 16:00

Vancouver, a bustling west coast seaport in British Columbia, is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities. A popular filming location, it’s surrounded by mountains, and also has thriving art, theatre and music scenes. Vancouver Art Gallery is known for its works by regional artists, while the Museum of Anthropology houses preeminent First Nations collections.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Sitka

Arrive: Thu 02 May 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Thu 02 May 2024 at 18:00

In 1799, the Russian explorer Alexander Baranof founded New Archangel next to the Tlingit village of Sitka. This was the beginning of permanent Russian settlement in North America. But New Archangel was destroyed three years later by the Tlingit Indians in an attempt to reclaim their ancestral home. Their brief victory ended in 1804, when Baranof returned with warships and retook Sitka in the Battle of Alaska. Sitka was now the captial of Russian America. In 1867, the Imperial Russian flag was replaced by the Stars and Stripes when the United States purchased Alaska. With the discovery of gold, and the rapid population growth that followed, Alaska's capital was moved north to Juneau in 1906. Today, picturesque Sitka, sitting opposite snow-capped Mount Edgecumbe, is known for its fishing, its annual summer classical-music festival and, of course, its many historic visitor attractions.

Day 4 - Juneau

Arrive: Fri 03 May 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 03 May 2024 at 21:00

In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans." From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government. Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau's 3,248 square miles. Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains.

Day 5 - Skagway

Arrive: Sat 04 May 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 04 May 2024 at 20:30

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era.

Day 6 - Glacier Bay (Scenic Cruising)

Day 7 - Ketchikan

Arrive: Mon 06 May 2024 at 09:00 / Depart: Mon 06 May 2024 at 18:00

Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska's fourth-largest city. Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, which includes the world's oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city's colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sportfishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument.

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Vancouver, Canada

Arrive: Wed 08 May 2024 at 07:30 / Depart: Wed 08 May 2024

Vancouver, a bustling west coast seaport in British Columbia, is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities. A popular filming location, it’s surrounded by mountains, and also has thriving art, theatre and music scenes. Vancouver Art Gallery is known for its works by regional artists, while the Museum of Anthropology houses preeminent First Nations collections.