Day by Day Itinerary

Tuesday, July 31    -                                                            MINNEAPOLIS/ANCHORAGE

Depart Minneapolis this morning by scheduled airline flights en route to Anchorage, Alaska. On arrival we board our waiting motor coach for the transfer to our hotel where the afternoon is at leisure. Surrounded by wilderness, Alaska 's largest city is nestled between the Alaska Range and the Chugach Mountains, combining a mixture of sophisticated metropolis and robust frontier town.

Wednesday, August l    -                                                   ANCHORAGE/WHITTIER            (B,L,D)

You can sleep in late this morning or rise early to start your day. The State's largest city has the most to offer, and shopping in Anchorage is like a trip through the entire state. Local shops are loaded with ivory, jade, Native basketry and fur, while jewelry stores prove that the gold rush is still alive. Early this afternoon we'll be on our way to the port community of Whittier for embarkation aboard Carnival Cruise Lines amazing Spirit. From the moment we depart Whittier you know this will be a vacation to treasure forever as our "fun ship" southbound Glacier Route will take us to visit the awe-inspiring majesty of the glaciers and through Alaska's Inside Passage, the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world!

Thursday, August 2 through Tuesday, August 7   -         CRUISING                             (B,L,D)

The next six days will introduce us to the coastal beauty of Alaska as we cruise across the Gulf of Alaska and through the famous Inside Passage on our way to Vancouver, British Columbia. From the broad decks of the Spirit and its many lounges with their picture windows, we'll have an unobstructed view of nature's day-long show. Our cruise begins as we sail through College Fjord with its deep, crag-lined inlets, its one glacier after another as we cruise slowly past. Branching from Prince William Sound, we travel to Glacier Bay National Park harboring 16 ivy-league tidewater glaciers, all named for the colleges that funded their discovery on the Harriman Expedition in 1899. We'll see the glaciers up close and watch as slabs of ice break off the cliffs and plunge into the sea with a roar, then bob to the surface in a swirl of foam to begin their life as ice­bergs. And saving the best for last, we'll cruise the Inside Passage, the scenic waterway that reaches 1,000 miles from historic Skagway , Alaska , to beautiful British Columbia . Through a maze of bays, straits, arms and fjords, we'll cruise past an ever­changing panorama of unspoiled beauty, cascading waterfalls, virgin forests and majestic glacier-carved fjords. This is Alaska, one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth!

In addition, our exciting ports of call feature:

Sitka: For 100 years, this charming port city reigned as the capital of Russian America, an empire built on a fur trade that extended as far south as San Francisco. Today the influence of the Czars is still very much present - in the majestic onion domed St. Michael's Cathedral, at Sheldon Jackson Museum housing prized Russian and Indian artifacts, and in the lively performances of the New Archangel Dancers.

Juneau: Alaska's capital city is named after Joe Juneau, a gold miner who once wept openly because he'd made more money than he could possibly spend in a lifetime (he hadn't; he died broke!). Step ashore to shop for gold nuggets, visit the stately Governor's Mansion, saunter through the swinging doors of the Red Dog Saloon - the city's famous watering hole, or visit mighty Mendenhall Glacier.

Skagway: Referred to as the "roughest town on earth" with it's over 80 saloons! Stroll down Broadway, part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Park, and stop in at the playfully "naughty" Red Onion, a watering hole circa 1898, or catch a show at the Days of '98 Saloon Theater. The plank sidewalks, false-front buildings and narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad will make you feel as if you were back in the day of the Gold Rush.

Ketchikan:  With 3,000-foot-high Deer Mountain looming behind, there never was much room for Ketchikan to expand. So, much of the town is built on trestles, docks and pilings at water's edge. Explore historic Creek Street , now a covey of con­temporary art galleries and quaint boutiques. Meet the spirits of the raven, whale and eagle as you view the largest collection of totems in the world at Totem Bight Park , or even flightsee to Misty Fjords National Monument .

Wednesday, August 8    -                                                VANCOUVER/MINNEAPOLIS         (B)

Early this morning we will sail under the Lion's Gate Bridge as Vancouver 's dramatic skyline draws us to Canada Place Pier. Following disembarkation we'll board our private motor coach for the transfer to Seattle in preparation for our return journey home. No better time to reflect on memories that will last a lifetime and a celebration of new friendships we have made along the way!

                                   B = Breakfast      L = Lunch      D = Dinner  

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