15-DAY NORTH PACIFIC CROSSING - W725

Tokyo, located on the eastern side of the main island of Honshu, is the core of the most populated area in the world (urban area 38M). The small fishing village of Edo was fortified in 1457 with Edo Castle (The Imperial Palace now stands at this location) and became one of the largest cities in the world by the 18th C. Its stringent policy of seclusion ended in 1854 and opened Japan to outside trade. Read more about Tokyo, Japan

Kushiro is the capital city of the Kushiro Subprefecture and the most populous city in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. It is situated along both banks of the mouth of the Kushiro River, facing the Pacific Ocean. The natural year-round ice-free harbour has been transformed into a very large commercial and fishing port that serves the nearby coalfield. Read more about Kushiro, Japan

The City of Kodiak is situated on the second largest island in the United States, SW of Anchorage in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, elk, Sitka deer (black tail), and mountain goats, all of which invite tourists to the Kodiak Archipelago. The magnificent green that the island turns during the summer is why Kodiak is affectionately called Alaska's Emerald Isle. Read more about Kodiak, USA

Hubbard Glacier enters Disenchantment Bay near the top end of the Alaska panhandle. Marching to the beat of a different drum, Hubbard Glacier is advancing while the rest of Alaska's ice rivers are receding rapidly. In 1986 and again in 2002 the glacier protruded forward, blocking off Russell Fjord to create an entirely new lake. Read more about Hubbard Glacier, USA

Built on a narrow shelf between Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is Alaska's state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing. Juneau is a blend of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, homemakers and lawyers, union workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders, all sharing an active port city within an inspiring wilderness setting. Read more about Juneau, USA

Alaska’s ‘first city’ Ketchikan is situated along the shores of Alaska's Inside Passage within the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Evergreen mountains rise out of the water, the lush green landscape nurtured by the abundant rainfall of the temperate rainforest environment. Visitors are presented with a remarkable array of activities and attractions that highlight the town's history, industry and culture, and bring them up close to resident wildlife. Read more about Ketchikan, USA

The Inside Passage is a coastal route for ocean-going vessels along a network of passages that weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United States, through western British Columbia in Canada, to northwestern Washington State in the USA. Ships using the route can avoid some of the bad weather in the open ocean and may visit some of the many isolated communities along the route. Read more about Inside Passage, Canada

Vancouver is a sophisticated coastal city located to the south of British Columbia, Canada. The city is linguistically and ethnically diverse as reflected in the fact that 52 percent of its inhabitants do not speak English as their first language. Ranked highly in worldwide ‘liveable city’ rankings for many years and being surrounded by nature’s scenery at its best, makes tourism its second largest industry. Read more about Vancouver, Canada