Alaska and British Columbia

Explore Vancouver and launch your adventure

Your expedition cruise starts in Vancouver, a bustling and beautiful seaport city set against steep mountains.

Vancouver’s various neighborhoods buzz with world-class, farm-to-table cuisine. Don’t miss Gastown, Vancouver’s Victorian neighborhood. Here you’ll find the Vancouver Lookout, standing at an altitude of 553 feet. It offers a perfect panoramic view over the city.

If you have time, why not arrive early and take a luxury train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer through the Rockies with our special optional Pre-Program. What better way to begin your adventure?

MS Roald Amundsen awaits you at the pier. Settle in and take your time to get to know the ship. Locate the Science Center, gym, and restaurants.

Our knowledgeable Expedition Team will lead the way on excursions and landings. Get to know them and enjoy a tasty welcome dinner. Afterwards, you can kick back and relax—your grand Alaska adventure is underway!

See sublime scenery as we sail the Inside Passage.

The Inside Passage coastal route takes us through the great North American Pacific Fjordland, a protected stretch of water over 930 miles long. Unlike other cruises that pass through at night, you’ll be able to view the sublime scenery in all its glory during the day.

Our smaller expedition ship allows us to reach areas that larger vessels can’t, meaning that you can explore the breathtaking scenery of lesser-traveled channels. Keep your cameras and binoculars close at hand to spot dolphins, porpoises, orcas, and humpback whales.

Revel in a wilderness where wildlife thrives.

Misty Fjords is part of the Tongass National Forest, it is a pristine wilderness of evergreens, waterfalls, and snow-capped peaks. The revered naturalist writer John Muir described the area as one of the most beautiful places he’d ever seen.

Weather permitting, join the Expedition Team to tour Misty Fjords in our small boats (RIBs) or kayaks.

Misty Fjords is rich in wildlife. Scan for mountain goats, bears, and moose as you explore. The waters are home to Pacific salmon, otters, sea lions, harbor seals, orcas, and Dall’s porpoises. Skywards, you might spot herons and bald eagles.

Visit one of Alaska’s oldest harbor towns

We will continue cruising the Alaskan islands to Wrangell. Only a mile out of town, the incredible Petroglyph Beach is where you can see ancient rock carvings in the sand.

Visit the local museum to learn more about Wrangell’s fascinating past. Now part of the United States, it was once governed by Britain, Russia, and the Tlingit people. Cross to Shakes Island, where the Chief Shakes Tribal House and totem poles tell the story of the Indigenous Tlingit people.

Hikers will enjoy the nature trails, surrounded by alluring scenery at the mouth of Stikine River, along with the foot of Mount Dewey, sitting at the edge of the rainforest.

Discover Southeast Alaska’s magical waterways.

Explore Alaska in true expedition style, with an exploration day that gives us the freedom to probe this magical corner of the Inside Passage.

We may head to the charming town of Petersburg, with its proud Norwegian heritage and thriving fishing community. Explore the docks and discover the fantastic nature to be found across Frederick Sound, just outside the harbor.

We may also hit the water in our small boats (RIBs) and seek out secluded coves, iceberg-filled bays, and thickly forested shorelines. Try and spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, including eagles, otters, whales, and even bears, if luck is on your side.

See the lesser-known gems of Holkham Bay

Holkham Bay is home to two beautiful fjords, Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Your captain will decide which offers better exploration options on the day. Both are equally special to explore.

At the end of each fjord, fresh icebergs calve from the glaciers against a stunning backdrop of forested cliffs. Endicott Arm is a breeding ground for harbor seals, often seen on the floating ice. You might also see whales, bears, mountain goats and moose.

Get tips from our onboard photographer before heading out on our small boats (RIBs) to get closer to these unique sights.

Discover artistic heritage in the ‘Valley of the Eagles.’

Beside Lynn Canal is the frontier town of Haines, originally home to the Chilkat Tlingit people. Renowned for their weaving skills, you’ll see excellent examples of their work, with mountain goat fur and cedar bark woven into intricate designs.

Haines has a flourishing art scene, with galleries and workshops filled with totem carvings, silverwork, and sculptures. Investing in Alaskan art is a great way to support local creators.

You can practice your photography skills in the incredible landscapes; it’s also ideal for adventurers seeking hiking and wildlife spotting opportunities. Look for bald eagles, bears, and moose.

See ancient forests, wildlife, and whales

We drop anchor at William Henry Bay, on the edge of the Chilkat Range mountains, for a day of exploration. Local guides will lead you through the old-growth forest. They’ll keep you safe as you watch for brown and black bears, black-tailed deer, and moose.

Back in the comfort of the ship, enjoy a lecture with the Expedition Team and take in the views from the Explorer Lounge & Bar—or the hot tubs out on deck—as we cruise towards Sitka.

Keep an eye out for humpbacks as we pass Point Adolphus on Chichagof Island. It’s known as one of the best places for whale sightings in North America.

Take in Sitka’s views and a unique mix of cultures.

Surrounded by Tongass National Forest, Sitka is only accessible by sea or air. Get out on deck for stunning views of the Sisters Mountains and Mount Edgecumbe Volcano.

Discover Sitka’s fascinating history with our Expedition Team. Inhabited by the Tlingit people for 10,000 years, it was occupied by Russia in 1804 before being sold to the US after the Crimean War. Today, Sitka blends all three cultures.

Visit the Russian Orthodox cathedral and the Russian Bishop’s House. Admire ornate Haida and Tlingit totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park—it’s a real treat. You can also enjoy a walking trail through the forest to the ocean.

Wildlife watching in glacier-fed waters

Today, experience a fantastic expedition day in Icy Bay. Three glaciers (Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall) regularly calve into the bay. If conditions allow, explore it in our small boats (RIBs) or by kayak, immersing you in the remarkable beauty of this icy landscape.

Wildlife abounds in the Gulf of Alaska, offering unrivaled photography opportunities. In these waters, you can often see humpback whales, orcas, Steller sea lions, sea otters, and harbor seals lazing on floating chunks of ice.

Soak up Cordova’s traditional small-town feel.

Located in the Chugach National Forest and only accessible by boat or plane, remote Cordova has retained its small-town authenticity. Only a select number of visitors each year can admire the town’s spectacular setting between Orca Inlet, Hawkins Island, Mount Eccles, Eyak Lake, and the Copper River Delta.

Cordova is probably best known for the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred in 1989. Today, after significant clean-up efforts, its coastline has mostly recovered, and you may be able spot wildlife such as sea otters, eagles, tundra swans, beavers, moose, and bears.

Prepare to experience nature’s raw power.

Today we visit College Fjord, which features five tidewater glaciers and five valley glaciers, as well as a dozen other types.

The 1899 Harriman expedition team, which charted the fjord, named the glaciers after their alma maters, including Vassar, Harvard, and Yale. Princeton is deliberately missing, apparently done as a snub.

We’ll get as close to the glaciers as we can, taking our small boats (RIBs) into the fjord if possible, or even exploring by kayak. From the water, you might catch sight of humpback whales, bald eagles, otters, and sea lions, all of which inhabit this icy wilderness.

Travel inland through spectacular landscapes.

Your expedition cruise ends in Seward, the only deep-water, ice-free port with road, rail, and air connections to Alaska’s interior. This completes your expedition cruise.

The incredible Denali National Park is home to North America’s highest peak and a high density of Alaskan wildlife. If you have time, join our optional Post-Program here for a perfect finale to your expedition.