Explore Alaska on a Luxe 12-Day Cruise with Decadent Dining and Drinks
Picture stunning landscapes, rugged coastlines and unique towns that capture the imagination. You’ll find all that and more on this spectacular 12-day small-ship cruise through Alaska on board the Star Breeze with Windstar Cruises. Sail through breathtaking fjordland, explore remote towns surrounded by wilderness and spot majestic humpback whales frolicking in the waters. On this elegant ship, you will enjoy 11 nights’ accommodation in a luxe Star Porthole Suite, all-inclusive dining, a Topmast Discoveries beverage package featuring European wines and local and imported beers, welcome cocktails and more.
DAY 1: SEWARD, ALASKA
Today you will embark on your cruise from Seward. Seward is sandwiched between the Kenai Mountains and the Kenai Fjords National Park. It is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities, with Mount Marathon rising majestically behind the town.
DAY 2: SCENIC CRUISING COLLEGE FJORD
Today you will enjoy a day of cruising through the College Fjord. Located in the northern part of Prince William Sound, College Fjord was discovered during the 1899 Harriman Expedition and contains five tidewater glaciers, five large valley glaciers and dozens of smaller glaciers, most named after East Coast College, with women’s colleges on the northwest side, and men’s colleges on the southeast side. Harvard Glacier is the largest of the College Fjord Glaciers.
DAY 3: VALDEZ, ALASKA
Valdez is a quiet town that sits at the mouth of the Port Valdez fjord about 11 miles inland from Prince William Sound. It is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains and numerous glaciers including the Columbia Glacier, Worthington Glacier, Valdez Glacier, and Meares Glaciers.
DAY 4: SCENIC CRUISING HUBBARD GLACIER
Today you will be able to admire the Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier on the North American continent at 76 miles long, seven miles wide and 30 stories tall at its face. It calves about every 15 minutes and was named after Gardiner Hubbard, the founder of the National Geographic Society.
DAY 5: SCENIC CRUISING POINT ADOLPHUS AND ICY STRAIT POINT (HOONAH) ALASKA
Today you will cruise through Point Adolphus. This area is considered the mecca for humpback whale watching and you are almost guaranteed to see whales. Watch for their unique feeding method known as bubble-net feeding and their breaching from the water. You will then reach Icy Strait Point, a tourist destination and the only privately-owned cruise destination in Alaska. It is the property of 1,350 Alaskan natives with aboriginal ties to Hoonah and the Glacier Bay area. Visitors here enjoy an educational experience learning about Alaska’s native cultures, and the natural history of the region.
DAY 6: JUNEAU, ALASKA
Today you will reach Juneau. Located on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle, Juneau sits at sea level below steep mountains between 3,500-4,000 feet high. Atop these mountains is the Juneau Icefield, a large ice mass from which about 30 glaciers flow, and two of them – Mendenhall Glacier and Lemon Creek Glacier are visible from the local road. A unique feature of Juneau is that it is the only U.S. capital that has no roads connecting it to the rest of the state.
DAY 7: SCENIC CRUSING THROUGH TRACY ARM AND ENDICOTT ARM, ALASKA
Stunningly beautiful Tracy Arm is a fjord 45 miles south of Juneau that actually consists of two deep and narrow fjords – Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Both fjords are over 30 miles long. At the end of Tracy Arm are the impressive twin Sawyer Glaciers. Wildlife in the area includes black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals and a variety of birds.
DAY 8: PETERSBURG, ALASKA
The island community of Petersburg with its strong Norwegian influence continues to thrive by fishing and living from the sea. The three beautiful harbors there are perfect for smaller cruise ships. Located on Frederick Sound, it boasts an abundant marine life and is near the summer feeding ground of hundreds of humpback whales and the spectacular LeConte Glacier.
DAY 9: WRANGELL, ALASKA
Today you will reach Wrangell, one of the oldest towns in Alaska, located near the mouth of the Stikine River. Much of its history can be seen in the impressive collection of totems scattered throughout the town. Highlights here are the amazing Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park where you can find primitive rock carvings and just 30 miles away is the Anan Wildlife Observatory with the largest pink salmon runs in the Inside Passage, and a platform from which you can look for eagles, harbor seals and black bears.
DAY 10: PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Picturesque Prince Rupert, located on Kaien Island, just north of the mouth of the Skeena River is rich in culture and heritage. Prince Rupert was founded in 1910 on a site that has been inhabited by First Nations people for over 10,000 years. The area is home to wildlife like whales, eagles, salmon and grizzly bears.
DAY 11: AT SEA
Today you will enjoy a day at leisure at sea.
DAY 12: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMIA, CANADA
Today your cruise will come to an end in Vancouver. It is one of Canada’s most populated, most ethnically diverse cities that is a popular filming location. Visit the interesting neighborhoods of Gastown, Granville Island and Chinatown. Walk across the Capilano Suspension Bridge and stroll through Stanley Park. See the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Museum of Anthropology.