Contact Info
- Toll-Free:
- 888-454-8828
- Phone 2:
- 801-487-7200
Basics
- Activity Type:
- Sightseeing
- Length:
- 8 Days / 7 nights
Description
Blue-ice glaciers calving into the sea with a thundering roar highlight this Alaska cruise aboard the 102-passenger Spirit of Endeavour. This small ship can maneuver through narrow fjords and get close to the coast for the best wildlife viewing. Cruise Glacier Bay, Frederick Sound, and the Tracy Arm Fjord. Raft through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, and see eagles up close at a rehabilitation center. Take a rail excursion on a narrow gauge railway dating from the Klondike gold rush. Tour the frontier towns of Sitka, Skagway, and Haines, and see a large collection of totem poles.
Details
Length:
Departure Location:
Return Location:
Hotel Info:
Nights 1 - 7: Aboard Spirit of Endeavor - Cruising Alaska's Inside Passage
The small ship Spirit of Endeavour is ideally suited for cruising the waters of the Inside Passage and giving guests a close-up look at the natural wonders of this beautiful area that larger vessels can’t offer. All staterooms provide ocean views, private baths, phone service and a TV monitor / VCR. The decor aboard the Spirit of Endeavour is stylish and quietly elegant, with wood accents and lovely etched glass. The Explorer’s Lounge, the social heart of the vessel, features picture windows for viewing the passing scenery, a video and lending library, plus cozy banquettes and conversation circles that enhance the feeling of camaraderie aboard. Internet access is available in both the Lounge and the Dining Room. There is more than ample deck space from which to enjoy all that you’ll see in the Inside Passage. An all-American crew looks after guests with spirit and enthusiasm.Additional Details:
Day 1: Welcome to Alaska’s Capital City
Tour begins at Juneau International Airport. A transfer from the airport to the Spirit of Endeavour is provided and you may embark beginning at 4:00 p.m. Accessible only by water or by air, Juneau is America’s most remote capital city. If time allows, take a stroll through this charming and historic town. Meet your fellow Alaska cruise explorers at dinner this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 2: Return with us to the days of the Gold Rush
The Spirit of Endeavor docks at Skagway, one of the gateways to the Yukon during the days of the great Gold Rush of 1898. A memorable highlight of your Alaska cruise will be a rail journey aboard the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway as you view Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Before the Spirit of Endeavour sets sail for Haines, take time to explore Skagway’s Gay Nineties atmosphere.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 3: River Rafting Amidst the Cathedral Peaks
After the Spirit of Endeavour docks at Haines, set off on a river-rafting adventure through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. As your raft floats down the river, look to the trees to spot the magnificent Bald Eagles, while keeping an eye out for the bears and wolves that prowl the riverbank.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 4: Fjords and Glaciers
Be sure to be on deck as the Spirit of Endeavour cruises into the spectacular Tracy Arm Fjord. The scenic beauty through which you’ll sail is unsurpassed. Listen for the telltale sounds of mighty Sawyer Glacier calving and setting new icebergs free in the waters of the fjord as your ship approaches. As your Alaska cruise takes you through Frederick Sound, keep a sharp lookout for members of Alaska’s largest community of humpback whales.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 5: Sitka’s Cultural and Natural Wonders
Sitka, once the center of the Russian fur-trading empire, still reveals traces of its cultural past in sights such as St. Michael’s Cathedral, the center of the Russian Orthodox faith in Alaska. At the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center, be eye-to-eye with some of the most impressive birds of prey in North America and pause to appreciate what the Center does to try to return injured raptors to the wild. Later, explore more of the cultural history of Sitka at the Sitka National Historic Park
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 6: Glacier Bay National Park
Today, your Alaska cruise takes you through the cold waters of Icy Straight, where humpback whales love to swim and play, so keep your eyes peeled. Go ashore at Bartlett Cove, home of Glacier Bay National Park, and enjoy the rare opportunity to walk along the trails and boardwalks as you revel in the glories of the natural world.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Endeavour
Day 7: A Day At Sea in Nature’s Wonderland
Your highly skilled Captain maneuvers the Spirit of Endeavour close to the magnificent and ancient ice formations of world-famous Glacier Bay and near the shoreline in search of Alaska’s native wildlife. If you look carefully, you might spot bears, mountain goats and, if you’re really lucky, a magnificent humpback whale breaking the placid surface of the bay.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Spirit of Endeavour
Day 8: Journey Home
Tours ends: Juneau Airport. Disembark the Spirit of Endeavour by 9:00 a.m. as your Alaska cruise comes to end. Transfers are provided from the ship to the airport for all flights departing as early as 6:00 a.m. Please allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
