Travel World of Crosby is so excited to welcome you back to Alaska with this wonderful Cruisetour opportunity. Encounter glaciers, mountains, and wildlife, including moose, caribou, bears, wolves, sheep, and North America’s highest peak, Denali. Travel World staff will be onsite and will be available during the entire Alaskan adventure. We look forward to seeing everyone in the near future! This Alaska Cruisetour is a one way southbound tour with three days of land tours before seven days aboard the Sapphire Princess. Cabins will be Mini-Suites or Balconies and will include Drinks, Wi-Fi, and Gratuities while on board. The adventure begins in Fairbanks on July 30th (arrival day) and ends in Vancouver on August 9th.

Upon arrival in Fairbanks, a transfer will be provided to the Fairbanks hotel where your Tour Director will greet you. Enjoy a relaxing overnight stay in Fairbanks, a city known for its midnight sun and for its outdoorsy locals. Fairbanks is yours to enjoy. Admire the enduring native art treasures on show at the Museum of the North, whose shimmering contours reflect the mountain ranges that encircle it, or explore the town born of the turn-of-the-century gold rush boom.

In the morning, board the only remaining authentic Alaskan sternwheeler for a cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers in Chena River State Recreation Area. With the feel of an old-time steamboat that frequented the river during the gold rush days, the modern-day Riverboat Discovery features an open sun deck, heated glass enclosed decks and is equipped with video equipment so you won’t miss any of the beautiful scenery. Later, enjoy a coach transfer to Denali. Upon arrival in Denali, you will have the afternoon at your leisure then stay at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

On Day 3, glimpse the epic sweep of Denali National Park on a guided tour that travels 30 miles into Denali National Park and Preserve. Hear about the history and culture that surrounds you at a Living History presentation while visiting Savage Cabin. Find out about the local native culture and their stories at Primrose Ridge. Later, enjoy a coach ride from Denali to McKinley. Spend the afternoon at your leisure and stay at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.

The morning of Day 4, you’ll take arrive at a rail depot and board a train that will take you from Talkeetna to Whittier. Knowledgeable rail guides provide expert commentary while pointing out scenery and wildlife along the way. Take your experience even further by stepping out on the open-air observation platform so you can truly experience the great outdoors. You will arrive in Whittier where you’ll board the Sapphire Princess ship and depart Whittier around 8:30pm.

Day 5, you’ll enjoy scenic cruising of the Hubbard Glacier. Nicknamed the “Galloping Glacier,” this east Alaskan glacier is rapidly advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska into a pristine area known as Disenchantment Bay. In fact, its movement temporarily formed a natural dam that twice closed off nearby Russell Fjord from the bay, but the intense water pressure building within the fjord-turned-lake has thus far been enough to explode through the wall of ice.

The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier measures 76 miles long and plunges 1,200 feet into the depths of the bay. Its immense beauty and phenomenal blue hues are enchanting, even from afar. But it’s when your cruise ship draws closer that its towering surface really impresses, dwarfing even the uppermost deck on your ship at a whopping 40 stories high. There, with the snowcapped mountains serving as a glorious backdrop, you’ll have a prime viewing spot from which to witness the glacier calving, as it often expels icebergs the size of 10-story buildings-imagine the splash! The area around Hubbard Glacier is also renowned for its wildlife, where whales, harbor seals and otters swim, brown bears, moose and black-tailed deer roam ashore, and a wide variety of seabirds soar gracefully across the sky.

The fun is just beginning halfway! Day 6, you’ll experience Glacier Bay. Princess is one of a select few cruise lines permitted to cruise the pristine waters of Glacier Bay. Just west of Juneau, this breathtaking national park and preserve boasts some of the world’s most spectacular tidewater glaciers, such as Margerie Glacier, which often drops colossal chunks of ice into the sea. Not surprisingly, Glacier Bay National Park and its epic ice giants are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising Alaska’s magnificent park system. During your scenic cruise, friendly Park Rangers will join the ship to share their knowledge of this amazing place and host a fun Junior Ranger program for kids. They may even be able to help you identify Glacier Bay’s abundant wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals, black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles and large colonies of seabirds. Take in the awe-inspiring scenery as you enjoy an unforgettable day of sailing through this dazzling park, where you’ll glide along emerald waters and past calving icebergs, and can breathe in the crisp, fresh air to your heart’s content.

Day 7, you’ll experience Skagway. Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn’t the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska’s largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era.

Day 8, it’s time for Juneau! In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets “as large as beans.” From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government. Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau’s 3,248 square miles. Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains. 

On Day 9, you will be intrigued by Ketchikan’s rich Native heritage, which includes the world’s oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city’s colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sportfishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument.

The next day will be a relaxing day at sea, but have no fear, there’s plenty of scenery to take in from aboard! The following day, you will port in Vancouver where you’ll be transferred to the Vancouver airport for your journey home. And on this journey, you can dream up and plan your next trip with Travel World of Crosby!