Day 1 - Arrive In Ketchikan and Set Sail
Transfer to your ship to beging your cruising adventure. Because of flight arrival times an add-on hotel night in Ketchikan before your cruise is strongly advised. D

Day 2- Misty Fiords National Monument and Metlakatla
All the important geological and ecological characteristics of Southeast Alaska are found within the 2.3 million acres of Misty Fiords National Monument. Steep-sided mountains become even more magical shrouded in mist. Mountain goats graze on new grasses. Black and brown bears forage on the bounty of the intertidal zone as they fatten up for their dormant phase of winter. Harbor seals frolic near the estuaries. Seagulls and pigeon guillemots find the perfect nesting sites along glacier-carved granite walls in this tranquil, temperate rainforest.

We cruise into the United States largest national forest. At 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the size of West Virginia and covers 80 percent of Southeast Alaska. We’ll cruise past the southernmost islands of the Alexander Archipelago, the 1,000 islands that comprise Southeastern Alaska.

We’ll have the unique opportunity to visit Metlakatla on Annette Island. In a quest for religious freedom, Father William Duncan and a group of Tsimshian Indians moved 100 miles north of Metlakatla, British Columbia to Annette Island, the site of present day Metlakatla. In 1891, the United States government set aside Annette Island for the exclusive use of the Tsimshian Indians and other Alaska Natives and it is now the only such reservation in Alaska. Tour this community and meet residents, including local artisans. Be honored by a dance performance in traditional Tsimshian regalia in their tribal long house. BLD

Day 3 - Petersburg
Arrive in picturesque Petersburg at the northern tip of Mitkof Island and disembark for your shore excursions and adventures in Alaska’s “Little Norway,” with a population of about 3,000. Begin with an included celebration at the Sons of Norway Hall, close to where the vessel moors. The Leikarring Dancers perform traditional Norwegian dances in colorful and authentic dress of bright blues accentuated by red, white and yellow embroidered flowers. You will also be treated to an introduction to the community and sample some homemade Norwegian pastries. Explore this tiny seaside fishing community surrounded by 10,000-foot snowcapped mountain peaks jutting from the sea. BLD

Day 4 - Tracy Arm and Frederick Sound
Travel through Holkham Bay, the mouth of 2 spectacular, glacier-fed fjords. Crossing the bar, look for signs of the strong currents tugging at the red and green navigational markers and for the many birds that feed on the rich nutrients stirred by these currents. Travel up Tracy Arm, a glacially carved fjord filled with deep, emerald-green seawater, bordered by steep cliffs. The fjord twists and turns for 25 miles. We’ll come as close as safely possible to the face of a glacier and hope for a show of thundering ice splashing seawater hundreds of feet high. Arctic terns may buzz close to the bow, their shrill call warning us to stay away from their nests.

We’ll exit Holkham Bay and enter Frederick Sound, the body of water that hosts a world-renowned humpback whale population. Nutrient-rich waters compel large numbers of humpbacks to return from Hawaii every summer to feed and frolic in this region. Look for these magnificent creatures as well as Steller’s sea lions and harbor seals. BLD

Day 5 - Sitka
On the way to Sitka cruise through a zigzag of beautiful, narrow passageways between Baranof and Chichagof Islands to Sitka, the oldest non-Native settlement in Southeast Alaska. Along the way there is an excellent opportunity to view bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer along the shorelines. Also look for sea otters feeding on sea urchins and floating close to protective kelp beds. Sitka is nestled on the shores of Sitka Sound, on the west coast of Baranof Island, protected from the Pacific by lush, forested islands and Mt. Edgecumbe, the “Mount Fuji of the West.” Enjoy a wonderful walk through the Sitka National Historical Park, whose forested beachside trail is lined with a number of finely carved totems. Various optional shore excursions are available in this small coastal community that was once called “The Paris of the Pacific.” BLD

Day 6 - Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve
Entering the park in the early morning we’ll pick up a Glacier Bay Park Ranger and a local Tlingit Cultural Interpreter in Bartlett Cove. They will provide a comprehensive day of narrative sightseeing. Over 65 miles of pristine terrain and habitat have been revealed in Glacier Bay since its giant rivers of ice began dramatically retreating 200 years ago. Approach Marble Islands and hurry outside to encounter a teeming multitude of seabirds like black-legged kittiwakes, murrelets and puffins, all swooping and swarming above the writhing, barking haul-out of Steller’s sea lions. We may encounter mountain goats on Gloomy Knob or watch brown and black bears foraging along the shoreline. Look for sea otters and the humpback whales that call Glacier Bay their summer home. BLD

Day 7 - Skagway and Haines
Cruise the deep and mysterious emerald-green waters of Lynn Canal, bordered by tall, rugged, snowcapped mountain peaks. Disembark in Skagway, the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Your included tour is a drive and overview in a unique touring car. Tour guides dress in period costumes and are well versed in the raucous stories of this frontier settlement. Wooden sidewalks border historic buildings erected when this boomtown was jammed with thousands of folks lured by gold fever, all eager to ascend the foreboding and treacherous mountain trails to find the elusive mother-lode of gold.

With its strategic location along the Chilkat Trail, the area around
Haines has thrived for hundreds of years as an important and integral trade center for the Chilkat band of Tlingit natives, famous for the intricately designed blankets woven with the hair of mountain goats. Haines is also renowned as home to the world’s largest autumnal congregation of bald eagles, with the Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve located 18 miles from the town. BLD

Day 8 - Arrive In Juneau
Alaska’s capital city is in the northern heart of the United States’ largest National Forest. Juneau is the only state capital that is inaccessible by roadways. Even though it is located on the mainland, the surrounding imposing mountains and massive icefield create a community accessible only by air or water. And it takes only minutes to cruise along Gastineau Channel into the wilderness. Explore the capital city of the great state of Alaska. A vast array of optional activities includes flightseeing, hiking, and glacier viewing. Overnight at the Goldbelt Hotel near the waterfront. B

Day 9 - Depart from Juneau
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

-Whales Guaranteed! Yes, we guarantee whales on this Alaska’s Inside Passage trip. We will refund $250 of your cruise price if we don’t see whales (and we have never had to make good on our guarantee before – our knowledgeable crew knows where the action is).
-Cruise West has more permits into Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve then any other cruise line. Spend a full day in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.
-Visit Tongass National Forest
-Inflatable excursion craft get you up-close
-Onboard Exploration Leaders, Park Rangers and Native Cultural Interpreters provide educational enrichment
-All onboard gratuities and services are included
-Included shore activity in every port (shore activity is pre-set by Cruise West, cultural experience or city tour for example)
-More intimate experience – only 138 guests at maximum
-Binoculars and umbrellas available in every cabin for guest use
-Fine cuisine onboard and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages included in fare
-Ability to visit remote islands and ports the big ship
-Airport transfers and baggage handling provided on embarkation and disembarkation day

B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner
Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single, triple and quad available, call or email for pricing.

Check out the 2009 fares and calculate your approximate discounted total here!

*$12.00 per person per day fuel sur charge applies.

All other offered dates on this itinerary either northbound OR southbound are available at 10% off brochure price per person.  Click here and email preferred travel date range and category type for specific information.

For Cruise West cabin information and deck plans CLICK HERE

COMPARE!
**Combine our special Cruise West rates on Alaska's Inside Passage "Cruise Only" with one of our custom Denali land packages and compare to Cruise West's "Cruise plus Denali".

Combine a basic independent Denali land package (similar to Cruise West in most ways!) including 1 night Anchorage , the dome train to Denali, 2 nights Denali including transfers to/from the rail station and the Denali tour, Denali park tour, train to Fairbanks, 1 night Fairbanks including transfer to/from the Riverboat Discovery for an even BIGGER SAVINGS on your full Alaska vacation!! For example, May 28 in an AA category cabin for Cruise West 7B is $6974.00 per person - a total per couple of $13,948.00 but combine our exclusive discounts for AA and the independent Denali tour for $5478.50 per person, a grand total of $10,957 - SAVE ALMOST $3000.00!!!! We use the same or comparable accommodations and transportation! Contact Alaska Cruises & Vacations by Tyee Travel now for more details!

There are many options! Specials change frequently so for more personalized service please call or email us with your preferences and we'll work with you to match you to the best experience!

Alaska Cruises and Vacations by Tyee Travel - 800-977-9705 or 800-942-9741