Cruise Alaska, and you’ll encounter massive tidewater glaciers, iconic wildlife, Klondike Gold Rush history and fascinating Native Alaskan cultures. No matter which Cruise Alaska you choose, you’ll travel to the best places for viewing wildlife and experience scenic cruising along Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay, your Alaska vacation is a pleasure from start to finish.

Join Gerry and Mary Buckley, owners of The Complete Traveler, for a June 16-29 for Cruise Alaska. The first day, the cruise sails from Vancouver, glides under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, and cruisers will enter the scenic wonders of the Inside Passage. You can’t miss all the glaciers, or the huge populations of whales, sea lions, and seals. Alaska’s capital, Juneau, is the main city draw of the Inside Passage.

Day two will be spent at sea. Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising and immerse yourself in the Holland America Line elegance. 

On the third day, Cruise Alaska will stop in Ketchikan, a unique Alaskan port famous for it’s richly native culture, salmon fishing, and scenic misty fjords. The city is backed by forested slopes and distinctively shaped Deer Mountain and faces Tongass Narrows, a waterway humming with floatplanes, fishing boats, ferries and barges hauling freight to other Inside Passage ports.

June 19 will bring you to Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. Cruisers will be able to choose from shore excursions and still have time to shop. Juneau’s lively downtown is compact, easy to navigate on foot and always a favorite with visitors. Within easy walking distance of the cruise ship docks are many of Juneau’s main attractions, including the state capitol building, Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, several museums and historic South Franklin Street, where turn-of-the-century buildings today are gift shops, restaurants and pubs.

Day five will bring your Cruise Alaska to Skagway. Step back into the days of the last great gold rush – you will be able to choose from shore excursions and shopping.

Skagway features a seven-block corridor along Broadway features historic false-front shops and restaurants, wooden sidewalks, locals in period costumes and restored buildings, many of which are part of the National Park Service-managed Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

Day six will be spent at Glacier Bay. You’ll cruise along the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a park service ranger narrates. Day seven will be spent at sea in the Gulf of Alaska, so you can enjoy a leisurely day of Cruise Alaska.

On June 23, Cruise Alaska will disembark in Fairbanks and enjoy a scenic motorcoach journey along Turnagain Arm to Anchorage, where cruisers will catch a flight back to Fairbanks. Just south of Anchorage, the Seward Highway hugs the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm, arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America. 

Day nine will be spent at Denali National Park, a magnificent national treasure. The towering granite spires and snowy summits of Denali National Park and Preserve straddles 160 miles of the Alaska Range and display so much elevation they are often lost in the clouds. Dominating this skyline is North America’s highest peak; Denali ascends majestically to 20,310 feet and is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Alaska.

Anchorage is on the itinerary for day 10. That morning, visitors will board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer, which will be bound for Anchorage. The last day concludes on day 11 in Anchorage.

For more information about Cruise Alaska with The Complete Traveler, call (913) 648-1560.