Alaska's Whales & Wilderness
9 days, 8 nights, cruise only round trip from Juneau
Cruise deep into the wilderness of Alaska's Inside Passage and bask in a peaceful sanctuary, where wildlife abounds and people are few. Sail round trip from Juneau and enjoy the luxury of spending a full day in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a privilege permitted exclusively to Cruise West guests. Gaze skyward in awe of the sheer cliffs of Tracy Arm. Listen for the sound of thundering waterfalls and the crack! of glaciers calving into the sea. Come face-to-face and interact with the people of a remote Southeast Alaskan village. And learn from a National Park Ranger and Native Cultural Interpreter about the Passage's array of flora, fauna and the culture of the Tlingits.
 CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
- Whales Guaranteed!
 Whales are guaranteed to be sighted on any Alaska's Whales & Wilderness cruise. If a whale is not sighted on your voyage, Cruise West will refund $250 of your cruise price after your return home. That's a promise we made 6 years ago, and one we've kept. Happily, we've never had to make good on our guarantee. We don't expect to on your cruise either.- Pentax Photography Cruise- May 30, 2009, July 4, 2009
 At no additional cost, these cruise departures aboard the Spirit of Discovery, will be co-hosted by professional PENTAX photographer Kerrick James, who will conduct special field events and onboard workshops throughout the cruise. Whether novice or seasoned photographers and regardless of the brand of camera you use, you will receive valuable, hands-on instruction on everything from image composition and digital image management to tips on how to be in the right place at the right time. Learn More
What our Exploration Leaders are saying:
"We spotted a group of humpback whales, approached slowly and put the engine in neutral. We watched and waited, anticipation growing as the pod congregated under the surface. Then came the bubbles. Were they really doing it? This rare coordinated bubble feeding? Yes, oh wait no..and then: boom! All of them at once - six 49-ton animals- burst through the surface of the water, face first, mouths agape. With a crash they landed and then slowly they sank back down into the depths of Alaska's Inside Passage. We had time to absorb it all as they prepared, underwater, to do it all again."
Megan Atcheson
Cruise West Exploration Leader
CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
YOUR SELECTION
 CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE SOUTHBOUND Alaska's Whales & Wilderness
- Tour Costs From: $6,599 pp
- 13 days/ 12 nights
- Departures: Anchorage to Juneau
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 Southbound Cruise 9B
- Day 1 - ARRIVE IN ANCHORAGE
- Transfer from the airport to meet your fellow traveling companions and your Tour Director for a casual wine and cheese reception and an overview of the next few days. Overnight at your Hotel.
- Day 2 - ANCHORAGE TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE
Travel to Denali National Park for an exclusive naturalist presentation and a comfortable overnight at a Denali Park entrance hotel.
BLD- Day 3 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK EXPLORATION
- When you book your Alaska land adventure, you will choose one of three optional Denali sightseeing excursions. The Denali Natural History Tour travels almost 20 miles into the park, including a stop at the Wilderness Access Center and includes a light snack and hot beverages. With this tour lasting approximately five hours, the History Tour leaves you more time for other, optional excursions in Denali. The Tundra Wilderness Tour takes visitors to the Toklat River, 54 miles into the park and leaves time for optional excursions as well. The Kantishna Wilderness Trails excursion journeys 95 miles into the park, with the last 30 miles allowing for full viewing of Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. At about 12 hours in length, the Kantishna Tour is the longest Denali Park wilderness excursion. B
- Day 4 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK EXPLORATION
- Experience another full day in the remote wilderness of Denali. During your stay in the park consider hiking or optional excursions like rafting or flightseeing.
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- Day 5 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK TO ANCHORAGE
- Wind through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley as you return to Anchorage. Overnight at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel.
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- Day 6 - FLY ANCHORAGE TO JUNEAU
- In the morning enjoy Anchorage sightseeing and visit to the Anchorage Museum before you transfer to the Anchorage airport for your included flight to Juneau. Board your ship and depart late this afternoon.
BD
- Day 7 - ICY STRAIT
- Icy Strait is a northern waterway that separates Chichagof Island from Glacier Bay on the mainland, extending 40 miles northwest from Chatham Strait to Glacier Bay and Cross Sound. Its nutrient rich waters are a magnet to an abundant variety of marine mammals and seabirds, and its northern border is the untamed, natural wilderness of Glacier Bay. Saw-toothed mountaintops of the Fairweather Range loom thousands of feet in the northern sky.
BLD
- Day 8 - GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
- Declared by many to be the most extraordinary and untouched place in the world, Glacier Bay was first established as a National Monument in 1925 and has since enjoyed the highly protected status of National Park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Glacier Bay National Park shows you the earth in transition. The glaciers here are receding rapidly, leaving in their wake scoured cliffs and deep fjords. Watch for sea birds and Steller's sea lions off of South Marble Island and admire the 15,000-foot peak of Mt. Fairweather, the steepest climb from sea level in the world. Glide past massive glaciers of all varieties (hanging, tidewater, and valley) and absorb the expert guidance of a National Park Ranger and a Native Cultural Interpreter who board your small ship and stay throughout your visit. BLD
- Day 9 - WILDERNESS CRUISING
- For those lucky and hearty few who call this wilderness home, "traffic" takes on a whole new meaning! We will port call at one of a handful of small Alaskan villages to briefly get a taste of what it would be like to be part of a community that rests in the wild and off-the-beaten-path part of the world. We'll also spend part of the day in some of the richest whale waters in all of Southeast Alaska and will take every opportunity to spot these great leviathans, letting our itinerary be dictated by their movements. BLD
- Day 10 - SITKA
- This beautiful little city is thought by many to be the “jewel of the Inside Passage.” Its setting alone is breathtaking. While big ships must plow through miles of open ocean and moor far from the tiny docks, your small ship will come to Sitka “through the back door,” threading through beautiful Peril Strait and navigating the delicate passage through Sergius Narrows where tides challenge all but the most expert mariner’s skill. Enjoy the peaceful setting as you stroll amongst the totems at the beautiful Sitka National Historic Park, or choose other optional excursions to further explore the gem of Baranof Island. BLD
- Day 11 - FREDERICK SOUND AND WILDERNESS EXPLORATION
- Frederick Sound teems with the humpback whale’s favorite food – and the whales take full advantage, feeding in the rich waters as they prepare for their long migration south. Once they leave Alaska waters at summer’s end, these giant creatures will not eat again until they return next year. Keep vigilant in the telltale explosion of vaporous exhalation of the whales. Sometimes the speedy Dall's porpoise will surround you, frolic about and playfully ride the wake of the ship's bow.
When not focused on marine mammals, the spectacular scenery surrounding this area will captivate your heart. The snowcapped Coast Range Mountains rise form sea to sky in 10,000-foot splendor. The Stikine Icefield holds the eastern border cold and serene.
This afternoon you’ll discover the joys of wilderness exploration. Your Captain and Exploration Leader know these waters intimately – and each voyage is likely to be different, depending on what magic they find to share with you. BLD
- Day 12 - TRACY ARM
- Many travelers consider these narrow fjords the most spectacular spots in Alaska. Sheer cliffs rise thousands of feet from waterline to snowcapped peaks, their sides studded with stunning waterfalls. And there's the ice. 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.
Gliding through the mist from the shores of the remote wilderness, a National Park Ranger will board our vessel in Tracy Arm. The ranger will hold a discussion about the meaning and value of these public lands, especially the areas designated as wilderness. S/he will use the stories of John Muir, Aldo Leopold and others to demonstrate the origins of the American idea of wilderness. The ranger will share tales of his/her work duties in the field, which include monitoring air pollution, removing invasive weeds, participating in wildlife stuides and will take take questions from those eager to learn about climate change, wildlife, camping stories and natural history.
Conditions permitting, your crew will welcome you into inflatable excursion craft to explore the waters and shorelines amid bouncing bergie bits calved from ancient glaciers. BLD
- Day 13 - ARRIVE IN JUNEAU
- Disembark in Juneau this morning, and we'll escort you to the airport. B
B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner
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CRUISE DATES & PRICES
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TOUR 9B SOUTHBOUND
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B |
A |
AA |
AAA |
DLX |
BBB |
SGL |
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$7349 |
$7649 |
$7999 |
$8849 |
$6949 |
$9849 |
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$6599 |
$6649 |
$7349 |
$7649 |
$7999 |
$8849 |
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$7599 |
$7849 |
$8199 |
$8999 |
$7199 |
$10049 |
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$6799 |
$6899 |
$7599 |
$7849 |
$8199 |
$8999 |
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$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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|
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$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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|
|
|
|
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
$7399 |
$10299 |
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|
$7099 |
$7149 |
$7849 |
$8099 |
$8399 |
$9249 |
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$7849 |
$8099 |
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