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Glaciers of Prince William Sound

 

5 days/4 nights or 4 days/3 nights, cruise only round trip from Anchorage/Whittier

Dubbed the "enchanted circle of emerald isles," the spectacular scenery of Prince William Sound is best explored aboard the Spirit of Columbia. Cruise cliff-walled fjords and narrow passages. listen for the "white thunder" of massive glaciers calving into nutrient rich water. And watch as humpback whales breach off the bow, as brown bears hunt for shellfish and as sea otters and harbor seals play along the shore.
 

 

Choose from or Voyages!
CRUISE
 
CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
 
CRUISE + KANTISHNA ROADHOUSE
 
 
 

What our Exploration Leaders are saying:

"When I first started with Cruise West, I was assigned to Prince William Sound. I knew what glaciers were, of course - I had studied them, read everything I could get a hold of as background material. But when I got to the Sound, and we sat in front of Harvard Glacier, I was dumbfounded. The rifle-shot cracking, thunderous bellows of ice calving into the sea sent me into a state of shock. Here was a 300-foot high, mile-wide moving river of ice, always forming, always calving right off the bow of our tiny ship!"

Copper Bittner,
Cruise West
Exploration Leader
CRUISE
 
CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
 
CRUISE + KANTISHNA ROADHOUSE
 

 

YOUR SELECTION
CRUISE + DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE 4-NIGHT
Glaciers of Prince William Sound
  • Tour Costs From: $3,699 pp
  • 9 days/ 8 nights
  • Fairbanks to Whittier/Anchorage
  • Departures: May - August
 
 

 

4-Night 18B
3-Night 19B
 
Day 1 - ARRIVE IN FAIRBANKS
Transfer from the airport to meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a casual wine and cheese reception. Overnight at a Fairbanks Hotel.
Day 2 - FAIRBANKS SIGHTSEEING TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in the city of Fairbanks, 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle, including a visit to the new University of Alaska Museum of the North and a Chena River cruise on an authentic sternwheeler.  Travel by motorcoach to Denali for an exclusive naturalist presentation on the Sub-Arctic Climate.  Enjoy a Denali Dine Around dinner and a comfortable overnight at a Denali Park entrance hotel. BLD
Day 3 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK EXPLORATION
An expert guide takes you on your chosen bus tour* into Denali National Park to look for wildlife and experience summer in the subalpine tundra. The Denali Natural History Tour is a 4-5 hour tour that travels 20 miles into the park and leaves time for other optional tours later. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is a 6-8 hour trip 55 miles into the park that leaves limited time for optional tours later. The Kantishna Wilderness Trails Tour is a 12-13 hour, 90-mile trek into the park that does not allow enough time for any additional optional tours.

Following your Park tour, you may have time to enjoy the Park on your own or venture out with any of the optional rafting, flightseeing or other adventure excursions we can arrange for you.  *Tour into Denali must be chosen at the time of booking your cruise/land tour. B
Day 4 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK TO ANCHORAGE VIA RAIL AND MOTORCOACH
After breakfast at your Denali Hotel, transfer by bus to the Denali Depot.  Board a deluxe domed railcar through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley to Anchorage. Overnight at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel.  Enjoy dinner at the Sheraton or dine at one of our selected Anchorage restaurants. BD
Day 5 - TRANSFER TO WHITTIER
In the morning enjoy Anchorage sightseeing and a visit to the Anchorage Museum of History and Art before you board a Cruise West motorcoach to travel to Whittier along beautiful Turnagain Arm. Keep watch for the sure-footed Dall's sheep that nibble grass on the steep cliffs overhead.  Arrive in Whittier, where the crew welcomes you aboard the Spirit of Columbia. Depart for seldom-visited areas of Prince William Sound. The ship will anchor for a quiet overnight stay in a secluded cove. BLD
Day 6 - COLLEGE FJORD AND ESTHER PASSAGE
Wake up near the face of massive glaciers in College Fjord. You will ease close to the active faces of numerous glaciers that calve icebergs into the tidal waters below.  Continue on to narrow Esther Passage, a waterway only small ships can navigate. Playful sea otters live here, often floating placidly on their backs in a bed of kelp, dining on shellfish. Explore  serene Eaglek Bay. BLD
Day 7 - CORDOVA
Make a port call at tiny Cordova. This fishing village, which is inaccessible by highway, has become world famous for its Copper River Salmon. These delicious, oil-rich fish are caught nearby in the pristine delta of the Copper River.  Upon your arrival enjoy an included cultural experience highlighting the area's rich Native history. Optional wilderness tours include sea kayaking, hiking, and river rafting. BLD
Day 8 - CHENEGA GLACIER AND KNIGHT ISLAND
Today explore southwest Prince William Sound, where sculpted wilderness islands lie offshore from the craggy mountains of the Kenai Peninsula. Narrow Icy Bay leads toward a stunning glacier experience at the head of the fjord. Later, enjoy “gunkholing” around the nearby islands - a nautical term for poking around the next corner just to see what’s there. BLD
Day 9 - ARRIVE IN WHITTIER
After a cruise past a bustling black-legged kittiwake colony, disembark the Spirit of Columbia at Whittier. Transfer to motorcoaches for your trip via Turnagain Arm back to Anchorage. B
B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner
CRUISE DATES & PRICES

TOUR 18B 4-NIGHT


2009 Ship C B A AA AAA DLX
May 14 SOC $3699 $3749 $4549 $4699 $4899 $5149
May 21 SOC $3699 $3749 $4549 $4699 $4899 $5149
May 28 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jun 4 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jun 11 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jun 18 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jun 25 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jul 2 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jul 9 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jul 16 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jul 23 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Jul 30 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Aug 6 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Aug 13 SOC $3899 $3949 $4749 $4949 $5149 $5399
Aug 20 SOC $3699 $3749 $4549 $4699 $4899 $5149
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
The cost of your cruise includes $305 per person (for 2008) and $353 per person (for 2009) which covers taxes/ port charges/ fees and onboard services.  Onboard gratuities are neither required nor expected. Prices are per person, double-occupancy, U.S. dollars. Single/Triple rates available upon request where applicable. Airfare extra.

Single travelers may book any category  "B" or "C" cabin as a single by paying the twin rate - no single supplement!

Prices do not include fuel surcharges which may be added up to the time of your departure.

TOUR 19B 3-NIGHT


2009 Ship C B A AA AAA DLX
May 18 SOC $3299 $3349 $3749 $3849 $4049 $4299
May 25 SOC $3299 $3349 $3749 $3849 $4049