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Alaska - The Grand Voyage

What to Pack

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25 days, 24 nights

Travel in the Historic Wake of the Harriman Expedition . In 1899, America's most powerful railroad magnate, Edward Henry Harriman, personally organized and funded what was to become the most significant scientific expedition ever undertaken in Alaskan waters. Today you can follow in their wake

Day 1 - SET SAIL FROM VANCOUVER

Transfer to the Spirit of Oceanus at Vancouver’s inner harbor, where your cruise begins. D

Day 2 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

Over the next two days you will see waterways lined by the Great Bear Rainforest that lead you toward Alaska. These nutrient-rich waters are home to whales and dolphins. Come face-to-face with First Nations culture in a remote village on British Columbia’s coast. BLD

Day 3 - CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

A second day of cruising British Columbia. BLD

Day 4 - MISTY FJORDS AND METLAKATLA

The dramatic granite cliffs of Misty Fjords welcome you to Alaska as you explore Behm Canal, a glacially-carved fjord where six inlets come together. National Forest Service Kayak Rangers will join you onboard to share the natural beauty of the area. The Tsimshian community of Metlakatla greets you with a dance performance at their tribal long house. Harriman stopped here to visit a missionary settlement. BLD

Day 5 - PETERSBURG

The winding Wrangell Narrows leads to the Norwegian-founded fishing village of Petersburg, where you will be entertained by local folk dancers. BLD

Day 6 - TRACY ARM AND FREDERICK SOUND

Cruise far up Tracy Arm toward the twin Sawyer Glaciers, where steep granite cliffs line waterways choked with icebergs. Search the waters for humpback and orca whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoise in Frederick Sound. BLD

Day 7 - SKAGWAY

Relive the Gold Rush in the picture-perfect setting of Skagway, the starting place for many early gold seekers. BLD

Day 8 - GLACIER BAY

Today’s majestic excursion into Glacier Bay National Park will look for wildlife and glacier activity in remote bays. A Park Service Ranger is onboard to help spot wildlife and offer information. Harriman’s Expedition was here for five days. BLD

Day 9 - SITKA

Breathtaking waterways lead to the one-time capital of Russian America, with a wealth of historical art and artifacts. Harriman’s party saw this same Russian influence here. Stroll the totem-lined forest trail at Sitka National Historic Park. BLD

Day 10 - HUBBARD GLACIER

View the 76-mile Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska, with an open calving face over six miles wide. BLD

Day 11 - PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

Keep your binoculars and camera handy as we explore the secluded wildlife-rich islands and iceberg-filled fjords in rarely visited Prince William Sound. BLD

Day 12 - WHITTIER

Located at the head of Passage Canal, spend the day in Whittier. Optional activities may include kayaking or traveling to Anchorage. BLD

Day 13 - WILDERNESS CRUISING

Take in the scenery along the rugged coastline of Kenai Fjords National Park. Look for orcas, otters, puffins, bear, moose, and mountain goats. BLD

Day 14 - KODIAK

Situated at the crossroads of the world’s most productive commercial fishing grounds, your day will include sightseeing at the Baranov Museum, the Alutiiq Museum and the Fish Tech Center. Harriman’s party spent July 4th, 1899 here. BLD

Day 15 - KATMAI NATIONAL PARK

Watch for brown bears clam digging as you explore the rarely-visited shoreline of Geographic Harbor, an important stop for migrating birds like the Arctic Tern. BLD

Day 16 - SHUMAGIN ISLANDS

Step ashore from inflatable excursion craft to a totally uninhabited island to examine life in the tidal pools and admire the 20-million-year-old petrified wood on the beach. Explore Haystack Rocks, home to seabirds, seals, and sea lions. BLD

Day 17 - DUTCH HARBOR

Here on Unalaska Island in the Aleutians, sightseeing includes the Museum of the Aleutians, World War II Memorial Park, and bald eagles up-close. BLD

Day 18 - PRIBILOF ISLANDS

On St. George, local guides take you to premium viewing sites for fur seals. Keep an eye out for puffins, auklets, murres, and a reindeer herd. BLD

Day 19 - YUKON DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Today you’ll go to remote islands like Nunivak. You may spot wild musk oxen and caribou here. BLD

Day 20 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

Clear customs into Russia and take a tour of Provideniya. Search the rugged shoreline of Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula. In three days of exploration, you may also visit:

Novoye Chaplino This Russian Yupik village claims ethnic kinship to Eskimos in Alaska.

Gambell or Savoonga Alaska’s Eskimos travel around their treeless domain by all-terrain vehicles.

Yanrakynnot The Chukchi subsistence hunters venture from this village to hunt walrus, whales and other sea creatures. A fascinating archaeological site, Whale Bone Alley runs along the shore for many miles. BLD

Day 21 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

Day two of your exploration. BLD

Day 22 - EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

Day three of your exploration. BLD

Day 23 - THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

Today cruise far north, perhaps far enough to cross the Arctic Circle. Possible whale sightings include grays, orcas, minkes, humpbacks, and bowheads. BLD

Day 24 - NOME TO ANCHORAGE

See the vitality and spirit of Nome with a brief sightseeing tour focused on their Gold Rush fever, before leaving on your included flight to Anchorage. BLD

Day 25 - ANCHORAGE

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or to continue your Alaska adventure.

B =Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner

ABOUT THE VESSEL

Equipped with stabilizers, the Spirit of Oceanus opens up whole new horizons for our style of up-close, casual small-ship cruising. In Alaska, that means the Gulf of Alaska and the remote vastness of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea.

The vessel hosts just 120 guests in comfortable outside suites, each with a picture window or porthole. The 15 suites on the Sun and Sports Decks feature private teak balconies, the first in our fleet. Other cabin amenities unique to the Spirit of Oceanus include a walk-in closet or wardrobe, a large marble bathroom, and a lounge area. Each suite also features an in-room safe and satellite telephone access.