1. Day Juneau: Transfer to the Goldbelt Hotel in preparation for your cruise adventure. Although Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, it seems to be situated in the middle of nowhere. Juneau is only reachable by plane or boat. This small, isolated city must be the most picturesque state capital in North America, with mountains and waterfalls visible right behind downtown and the Capitol building. Only a few minutes walk from the Capitol building and you are in the woods on a mountain slope. Bears have been spotted in downtown Juneau at night--note that all the downtown garbage receptacles are “bear proof.” There is much excitement in Juneau as it is the hub for state politics, cruise ships, and still has the taste of an old mining frontier town. This allows a number of services to exist in Juneau like no other town you will visit. Kayaking, hiking, nature walks, salmon bakes, and flightseeing combined with ice climbing, glacier trekking, dog mushing, and bear viewing are just some of the things you can explore. Or perhaps you would like time on your own to visit one of the many museums, cafes, and bookshops downtown. If you want to get away from it all, the tram up Mt. Robert's will whisk you out of town to the mountain tops. There is so much to do in this small city in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

2. Day Juneau: Take advantage of one or more of the optional activities available in Juneau. Board the ship to begin your cruise.

3. Day Haines: As we cruise our way up to the towns of Skagway and Haines, we will be within one of the largest fjords in the world, Lynn Canal. Lynn Canal stretches many miles and provides a very dramatic backdrop that makes it appear as if we are taking our ship through the Swiss Alps. It is not uncommon to see whales or Steller's sea lions in this stretch of water. We will also pass the Eldred Rock Lighthouse, a lonely sentinel surrounded by jagged peaks of snow, rock, ice, and green-silted waters, and one of the most scenic lighthouses anywhere. This stretch of Lynn Canal, including Haines and Skagway, provides some of the most intense scenic beauty, wildlife sightings, and human history Alaska can offer. When we finally see Haines, it will be at the base of the mighty Chilkat mountain range, with glaciers seemingly flowing down to the edge of town. The setting in Haines is breathtaking. Cruise West’s founder, Chuck West, was so taken with Haines’ beauty and tranquility that he owned a family cabin here. This sleepy little village is dominated by Fort Seward and its colonial structures at the center of town. In 1993, Haines was used to film Jack London’s "White Fang." This small town is quiet and sincere, and its residents make their living by fishing and guiding local visitors by horse, raft, and nature walks. Haines is and has been a Tlingit clan site. Haines provides a very real look at small town life in Alaska. During the winter, up to 4,000 bald eagles congregate in just a few square miles to snatch spawning salmon from the Chilkat River. This spectacle attracts wildlife enthusiasts from around the world, for this happens nowhere else but Haines, Alaska!

Skagway: As you sail into Skagway, you are immediately transported back to 1898. You gaze from the bow of the ship and can just imagine the bustling streets teeming with Stampeders buying last-minute supplies from the multitude of false-fronted businesses that line the boardwalk. In 1898, Skagway was a destination hot spot for over 20,000 men and women with dreams of hiking either the Chilkoot Trail or White Pass to reach their final destination, the gold fields of the Klondike. Today, Skagway is again a preferred destination, popular with history buffs wanting to explore parts of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park, one of the longest in the world, encompassing the whole Inside Passage from Pioneer Square in Seattle all the way to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. Skagway is also a hit with train enthusiasts who dream of riding the narrow gauge rails of the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, an International Historical Civil Engineering Landmark, built in 1898 and completed 110 miles later in 1900.

4. Day Glacier Bay National Park: A Park Service Ranger joins you onboard to help you spot puffins and murres, harbor seals, mountain goats, and bears in this beautiful setting. 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. A few of the most outstanding highlights are: * The birds and Steller's sea lions of South Marble Island, where you'll find constant activity off these rocky sentinels. * The 15,000-foot peak of Mt. Fairweather represents the steepest climb from Sea level in the world. * Massive glaciers of all varieties - hanging, tidewater, and valley glaciers - abound here. In a full day of exploration, you'll be  accompanied by the expert guidance of a National Park Ranger and a Native Cultural Interpreter who board your small  ship and stay throughout your visit.

5. Day Sitka: This beautiful little city is thought by many to be the “Jewel of the Inside Passage.” Its setting alone is breathtaking. But, for you, getting there is half the fun. 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

6. Day Tracy Arm: Tracy Arm quickly becomes a favorite place for those who visit. It is perhaps one of the most dramatic locations in all of North America. This fantastic fjord rivals if not surpasses the fjords of Norway and New Zealand. Completely protected within the Tongass National Forest, this fjord stretches some 25 miles up into the Coastal Range Mountains. These snow- and glacier-filled mountains over 7,000 feet tall drop immediately to sea level. We will be surrounded by sheer 1,500-to 2,000-foot walls of granite falling into the extremely narrow passage, creating countless waterfalls and strange rock formations covered in forest, and trees hanging onto precipices at impossible angles. Bears, mountain goats, and other fur-bearing animals live here, on a terrain you would think has to be devoid of such large animals. You might spot a bear in a spot that does not look possible. Twisting and turning, not being able to see what is around the next corner, you will be presented with a continual flow of scenery that could only be compared to Yosemite National Park but filled with over 1,000 feet of water! Here killer whales come to prey upon harbor seals who think they have safely hauled out on the ice to give birth or molt their fur. Each turn will present a new view of waterfalls and “u”-shaped valleys, carved out by ice in the not-so-distant past. At the head of the arm is our true destination, the two Sawyer glaciers that carved out the fjord. As we make our way to the head of the fjord, we will pass through a field of icebergs that will bump into the ship as we push them out of the way. We will be entering a surreal world you could not imagine, with ice more blue than the sky itself. When we arrive at the face of the glaciers, we will no doubt see hundreds of harbor seals laying on the ice. If we are fortunate, a building-size piece of ice will break off the glacier's face only to crash and thunder into the water below, creating massive waves that will rock our ship as our guests cheer.  Frederick Sound: Hundrets of Humpback and Orca Whales live and feed during the summer months within Frederick Sound - a body of water approximately 45 Miles wide in the central part of Southeast Alaska, at the confluence of Portage Bay (West), lower Stephens Passage (North), and Chatham Strait between the communities of Juneau (North) and Petersburg (South). This area is only accessible by boat or air. 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. Once they leave Alaska waters at summer’s end, these giant creatures will not eat again until they return next year. This afternoon you’ll discover the joys of “gunkholing,” a nautical term that means, among other things, “exploring at leisure.” 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.

7. Day Petersburg: Petersburg is located among the forested islands and mountains of Alaska's beautiful Inside Passage on the northern tip of Mitkof Island - in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. It’s a small, vibrant town with about 3,100 permanent residents. Its day-to-day atmosphere is that of a busy fishing village with fishing boats and pleasure cruisers dominating the waters around Petersburg. The town is off-the-beaten-path for large cruise ships because they cannot navigate the Wrangell Narrows - a winding, scenic waterway between Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands. You will visit this Norwegian style fishing village, and see the Leikarring Dancers perform for you in the Sons of Norway Hall. Check also the newly constructed Overlook Park which has a shelter overlooking Frederick Sound. The shelter has telescopes for viewing wildlife, the mainland mountains, glaciers, and Devil’s Thumb.

8. Day Metlakatla: Metlakatla is the only native reservation in Alaska, home to approximately 1,400 of the only Tsimshian Natives in the state, and a unique introduction to the native people of the Pacific Northwest. The Tsimshian are primarily a coastal tribe of British Columbia, Canada, but in 1887 this band of Tsimshians immigrated with the permission and protection of the United States and under the guidance of their Anglican clergyman, Father William Duncan, to form a model community. Situated on Annette Island just a short distance away from Ketchikan and right across the border from Canada, the residents of Metlakatla work together to provide for their community. Commercial fishing and processing is the lifeblood of the town, and you will see Annette Island Packing Company perched on stilts over the water. It's been in operation since 1890, and depending on what time of the summer you visit, it may be in operation. Many of the salmon come from Metlakatla's fish traps, the only such traps still allowed in Alaska. Looking for ways to supplement the slump in the timber industry, the town just recently opened a bottled water production facility and is working to market the product to outside consumers. This small community represents a unique example of how ancient rituals can be interwoven with modern life and the values of the west.

Misty Fjords: Misty Fiords is south of Ketchikan on the border with Canada. As we begin our journey into Behm Canal, the seemingly quiet entrance becomes more and more narrow as we pass New Eddie Stone Rock. This geologic oddity is the remnant of a “volcanic plug” rising out of the middle of this passage, and named for resembling a lighthouse back in England by Captain George Vancouver. It is just the first glimpse at many of the geological features seen while in the Misty Fjords National Monument. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the landscape and unique waterways, visitors may spot whales, porpoise, and orca. This national monument was created in 1980 and consists of over two million acres. Misty Fiords was carved out by the last great North American glaciation, leaving narrow winding granite walls to guide our ship deep into the wilderness. Many of these winding passageways open to large granite amphitheaters of rock rising some 3,000 feet out of the water. One, aptly named “Punchbowl Cove,” looks just like that, and it is as if our small ship is floating in a giant bowl of granite. This protected wilderness area is a place where we may spot brown bear and mountain goats. As if by magic, the forest holds onto these steep walls and flourishes on incredibly abrupt slopes coming down to the waters edge. It is common to see bald eagles here swooping down from these trees to take salmon out of the water. Often the mist and clouds will hover throughout the fiord, shrouding your whole experience in what seems like a dream. Cruising through Misty Fiords is like traveling through a mystical storybook, with epic walls of rock and deep, dark forests winding through small canyons and passages. You will never know or guess what lies around the next corner.

9. Day Ketchikan: Transfer to the airport to return home with lifetime memories