7 days Cruise

 In Alaska, the land is every bit as beautiful as the sea, and land packages and tours give visitors the chance to enjoy all it has to offer. Land tour packages are commonly offered as an add-on to cruise packages, and many visitors find this a great way to experience both land and sea during their Alaska vacation. Options range from rail and motorcoach tours to wildlife viewing, hiking, shopping, live entertainment, and various indoor and outdoor excursions. Experienced local guides can take you through Alaska’s breathtaking national parks, into the hearts of cities and towns, and as close as possible to glaciers and wildlife in these all-inclusive packages and tours. With the numerous places to visit and explore in the Last Frontier, booking a land package or tour will ensure you experience as much as possible on your Alaska vacation. 

 Seattle is a young city with a rich history. Settlers first landed at Alki Point in 1851 and named the area after Sealth, the Suquamish Indian chief who befriended them. Rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889, "The Emerald City" has a legacy of vision and strength. Seattle has hosted two World's Fairs (1909 and 1962) and is the birthplace of two modern marvels, Boeing and Microsoft.

Known for its rainy climate, Seattle actually averages less annual rainfall than many East Coast cities. The mild weather, spectacular natural surroundings and rich cultural diversity attract visitors from around the world.

Seattle tours are available to passengers with afternoon flights or an overnight stay in Seattle after their cruise.  

These are serene waters, where one moment you can be sailing a wide bay of barrier islands and the next you’re cruising through a narrow waterway flanked by towering forested walls. That’s the splendid spectacle of the Inside Passage – the scenery is constantly changing, from picturesque shores to friendly coastal towns.

Stretching from Puget Sound, Washington, through the British Columbia coast and into the Gulf of Alaska, the Inside Passage includes more than 1,000 islands, seemingly endless shoreline and thousands of idyllic coves and bays. Sailing with Princess, you’ll marvel at the breathtaking scenery and encounter ports like Gold Rush-era Skagway, Salmon Capital of the World Ketchikan, the capital city of Juneau and British-flavored Victoria.

These are places where you can visit a Native village, learn about the triumphs and tragedies of Alaska’s Gold Rush heyday or go dog sledding with a real musher. The Inside Passage is your gateway to the fascinating and colorful culture, history and sights of the Great Land.

 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. 

 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. 

 Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town.

In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska's fourth-largest city.

Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its 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. 

 Victoria exudes old-world charm and fragrant and colorful flowers are everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Company, the city was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was a British colony and Victoria was its capital.

In 1858, Victoria was a tent city and the base for some 25,000 prospectors on their way to the Frasier River gold fields. When Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia in 1868, Victoria became the capital of the entire province.

Although it's a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure craft, ferries and floatplanes. The city is renowned for its beautiful gardens, charming houses and very British feel. 

 Denali National Park is Alaska’s most popular land attraction—and with good reason. You can see some of Alaska’s most famous sights: 

 • Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the continent’s highest peaks.

 • A vast, unspoiled wilderness of braided glacial rivers, massive peaks, and tundra.

 • Lots of wildlife: Moose, caribou, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, and wolves.

 One caveat: You can’t really do Denali in a day.  We recommend that people stay 2 nights, if they stay near the Park entrance, and 3 or 4 nights if you stay in Kantishna, deep inside the park’s interior. You can also camp. 

 The spectacular scenery and wildlife of Glacier Bay make it a highlight of any Alaska cruise. The ship travels into the heart of the Fairweather Mountains for a trip into the ice ages. Watch for icebergs and calving glaciers. Scan the shorelines for wildlife...brown bears, mountain goats, sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles, and a variety of seabirds are regularly seen. 

http://www.alaska.org/destination/denali-national-park/hotels

Days at sea are one of the most marvelous and unexpected delights of a cruise with Princess. You have hours galore to enjoy the way you please and the choices are endless!

Your mornings might begin with a workout at our state-of-the-art fitness center, followed by a fascinating lecture on art history. Or you might opt for jackpot bingo and a cooking demonstration. After hearty lunch, you unwind at our tranquil adults-only retreat, the Sanctuary, and treat yourself to a massage with an ocean view. Later, you head to the pool to watch a Hollywood blockbuster on a giant outdoor screen and snack on hand-tossed Naples-style pizza.

And when nighttime comes, your plans call for dinner and a show. You’ll dine in an elegant dining room as waiters take care of your every request, and perhaps, even help you decide between our signature pastas, juicy steaks or one of the chef’s newest creations. A colorful Broadway-style musical, or a top-headliner comedian brings the house down in our grand theater and afterward, you join friends in a cozy bar for a nightcap, some dancing, and share stories of the day’s unforgettable discoveries.

 The best chance to view wildlife in Denali is on an excursion, specifically an early morning bus tour down the Denali Park Road. These tours are available in varying lengths from 4 to 12 hours, and the likelihood of spotting wildlife improves the longer you stay on the bus and the deeper into the park you go. The animals you can hope to see include moose, bear, caribou, wolves, dall sheep, other small land mammals like marmots, as well as a variety of birds.

 80 to 90% of visitors see bears, sheep, and caribou, though often from a distance. 35% see moose (but your chances double in the late season), and only 20% of visitors see wolves.

 We have put together a list of wildlife viewing hot spots in Denali National Park. Most are points along the Denali Park Road that you will see from a bus tour, while others are viewing points from hiking trails and visitor’s centers.