Alaska - Southbound Whittier

Seward is the most often used cruise ship port for Anchorage, Alaska. (Whittier is used by Princess Cruises.) It lies at the head of a fjord that enters the Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific Ocean. Seward is a two to four hour trip by car, bus or train from Anchorage. Ice-free the year round, Seward was a natural choice as the ocean terminal and supply centre during the construction of the Alaska Railroad that links Seward and Whittier passing through Anchorage to Fairbanks 760 km north. Read more about Anchorage (Seward), 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. These phenomena quickly passed and were followed by short retreats, but the glacier is once again on the move and Russell Fjord is headed for another spell as an inland body of water. Read more about Hubbard Glacier, USA

Alaska’s newest cruise port, Icy Strait Point, is located just down the road from Hoonah, and 35 km S.E. of Glacier Bay National Park. It is the result of collaboration between the local communities and cruise corporations, to attract visitors eager to experience America’s ‘last wilderness.’ Millions of dollars have been invested in creating a facility that offers cruise travellers an authentic and refreshing Arctic experience. Visitors can explore secluded beaches, take walks through old-growth forests, experience some of the best whale-watching and bear viewing opportunities, as well as ride the world’s highest zip line. Read more about Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), 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. Visitors often take the Mount Roberts Tramway, an aerial tramway, that takes them from the cruise ship docks up to the SW ridge of Mount Roberts, providing great scenic views of Juneau and the Gastineau Channel. Read more about Juneau, USA

Endicott Arm is a fjord 80 km south of Juneau in the Inside Passage, and lies inside the largest temperate rain forest in the world - the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, USA. From the entrance of the fjord to the face of Dawes Glacier is almost 60 km. The water is covered with ice spawned from the glacier, from small brash ice to chunks the size of three-storey buildings. Indeed, the border with Canada is only 15 km further east. Read more about Endicott Arm, USA

Skagway in Alaska, USA, is an historical city where the past lives on, and a place where the romance and excitement of yesteryear linger around every street corner as well as in every bend of the trail. Gateway to the Klondike and the Gold Rush, visitors can still ride the antique White Pass and Yukon narrow-gauge railway up through silvery-purple rock faces, past Deadhorse Gulch, to see what it was like back then. While in Skagway you can easily walk around town, see all of the historical sites along the back streets and stroll down historic Broadway. Read more about Skagway, 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. Ketchikan’s impressive variety of shops and galleries feature work by many of the island’s resident artists as well as an assortment of souvenir items and unique gifts that make shopping a ‘must-do’. 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. Carved by glaciers and blanketed with majestic hemlock and spruce, the Passage is a region of pristine water, snow-capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands. 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. This beautiful city brims with attractions such as Vancouver's Olympic Village located on the SE side of False Creek, which offers stunning views of the city's downtown skyline and Coastal mountains. Read more about Vancouver, Canada