 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.
2008 Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Alaska’s capital city
Tour begins: Juneau. A transfer is included from Juneau International Airport to the Spirit of Yorktown; 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 Yorktown
Day 2: Return with us to the days of the Gold Rush
The Spirit of Yorktown 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 Yorktown sets sail for Haines, take time to explore Skagway’s Gay-Nineties atmosphere.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard the Spirit of Yorktown
Day 3: River rafting amidst the Cathedral Peaks
After the Spirit of Yorktown 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 Yorktown
Day 4: Fjords and glaciers
Be sure to be on deck as the Spirit of Yorktown 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 Yorktown
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 Yorktown
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, headquarters 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 Yorktown
Day 7: A day at sea in nature’s wonderland
You are in for a real learning experience today when a National Park Service ranger boards the Spirit of Yorktown for your cruise through Glacier Bay. The incredible glacial wildneress takes on new meaning through the ranger's running commentary; glean good insights into what's on land - and what's beneath the waters. Your highly skilled Captain maneuvers the Spirit of Yorktown 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 Yorktown
Day 8: Journey home
Tours ends: Juneau. Disembark the Spirit of Yorktown by 9:00 a.m. as your Alaska cruise comes to end. A transfer is included from the Spirit of Yorktown to Juneau International 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
Don’t miss the spectacle of blue-ice glaciers calving and Alaska’s incredible wildlife on this wonderful Alaska cruise through the Inside Passage!
Dates & Prices
Jul 5, 12, 19, 26
Aug 2, 9
8 Days from $4,790 2008 Price per Person
| Double | Single | Triple | Category A – Main Deck
| $4790 | $8770 | N/A | | Category AA – Promenade Deck, Lounge Deck | $5040 | $9295 | N/A | | Category AAA – Lounge Deck, Main Deck | $5340 | $9930 | N/A | Category Deluxe – Lounge Deck, Promenade Deck, Sun Deck
| $6040 | $11,395 | $4645 |
20 meals included.
Airfare is additional. Tauck can book your air to and from Juneau for travel originating in the U.S., subject to availability; inquire at booking for special airfares that may be available.
Land / Cruise Price includes Tauck shore excursions, cruise fare, port charges, wine with dinner aboard the Spirit of Yorktown, and gratuities to Tauck Directors and ship staff.
Itinerary Changes – Although not expected, Tauck and Cruise West reserve the right to alter the sequence of ports or to omit or substitute any scheduled port or attraction at any time without prior notice. All sightseeing as described in this brochure will be included, but may be in a different order; inquire at booking.
Please ask at booking about additional hotel nights before your tour begins and about our Cruise Protection Plan.
All prices are per person in U.S. dollars. |
