Alaska Cruises: Excursions

The grandeur of Alaska’s epic glaciers will thrill and delight you on Juneau’s only 5 glacier flightseeing tour. Seeing glaciers from the air is an Alaskan must do, and doing so by authentic Alaskan bush plane is the quintessential Alaskan experience! Your seaplane exploration begins as your aircraft gently takes off from the historic downtown waterfront carrying you over Juneau’s mining past. En route you will soar over lush wilderness of the Tongass National Forest until your first glimpse of five distinctly different majestic glaciers making up the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield. Glide over the deep crevasses and azure blue melt water pools of the Norris, Hole-In-The-Wall, East and West Twin Glaciers, plus the famous five mile wide Taku Glacier. Of the 36 named glaciers comprising the Juneau Icefield the Taku Glacier is the only glacier that is actually advancing, not retreating - one of only a few in the world. Make sure to bring your camera to capture the magical memories this trip is sure to provide. Note: Flight time is approximately 40 minutes. All participants enjoy a window seat for enhanced viewing and a headset for continuous narration. Weight surcharge does not apply. This tour is non-refundable. For more details about this tour please visit: www.alaskaglacierflightseeing.com
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Your adventure begins as you board your motorcoach for a ride through the historic streets of downtown Skagway to the Klondike Gold Fields. Once there, meet your guide and watch a video presentation introducing you to the dogs of the Klondike Gold Rush and highlights of what winter dog sledding is like today. Meet and interact with the Iditarod sled dogs and their puppies, stopping first by the checkpoint tent with your musher. Here you’ll be introduced to all the gear a musher and dog team takes with them on a long distance race. Your musher introduces you to the team and then hooks the dogs to a sled to demonstrate a run for you. After layering up step into the cold chamber and experience the cold of an Iditarod race in a 40° degree below zero room!

Afterwards, get ready to warm up with a little gold fever! Learn the art of panning for gold and practice your technique in warm water troughs. Gold is guaranteed! After you've hit pay dirt, weigh your fortune in The Gold Parlor. Use your free time to visit The Gold Shack and The Unexpected for Alaskan gifts and souvenirs. Take in a brief film of the northern lights, our dredge or Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush. Stroll the grounds and enjoy the interactive displays and surrounding scenery.

Note: Stay past your departure time, and Klondike Gold Fields will provide you a ticket for a shuttle ride back to your ship or town. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes from the Klondike Gold Fields.

Get ready to catch Dolly Varden, Sockeye and Pink Salmon on this one of a kind excursion. You’ll be met and taken to the small boat harbor to board your ferry for the journey to Haines. Keep an eye out for seals, whales and other wildlife as you listen to the stories of Skagway, Haines and upper Lynn Canal. Upon arrival in Haines you’ll be transported to Chilkoot Lake for your fishing adventure. There’s a maximum of 6 anglers per boat and everyone is in control of their own rod and reel. Experienced guides take care of all the baiting, netting and tangled lines so you can enjoy yourself fishing.

Keep a look out for some of the lakes locals, the majestic Bald Eagle and great coastal brown bears make this picturesque valley home and are fairly cooperative in posing for pictures. Be sure to bring layered clothing and extra film. “The fish you catch make the best pictures, the ones that got away make the best stories, and the time you spend make the best memories.” All gear, rods, reels, bait, lures, snacks, some rain gear, and safety equipment are provided.

Note: Participants must be at least 5 years of age. Fishing duration is approximately 3 hours. Alaska State Law requires a fishing license that can be purchased on the fishing boat for $20. Guests 15 and under do not need licenses. Fishing is conducted on a catch-and-release basis.

Wildlife is everywhere in Alaska! Crabs, eagles, whales, octopus, sea lions, porpoise, wolf eels, sharks and seals are all frequent visitors on the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour. Come aboard the Aleutian Ballad for the adventure of a lifetime! The Aleutian Ballad was made famous in season two of Discovery Channel’s award-winning TV series Deadliest Catch. But there are no rough seas here! You'll set out in the calm, protected waters of the Inside Passage to witness first-hand the amazing way of life of commercial fishermen. Marvel at the scenic beauty that surrounds you from the comfort of the heated and sheltered stadium-style seating lower deck or the open-air top deck. Watch as the skilled crew haul and set long line, barrel pots and huge 700 lb. king crab pots to reveal the catch of the day. The amazing marine life is placed in an on-deck aquarium so everyone can get up close with these unique creatures of the sea. This fascinating, educational and interactive experience is perfect for all ages and is packed with stories and adventures shared by the men and women who risk their lives fishing the Bering Sea. NOTE: This tour does NOT go out into the rough waters of the open ocean. It remains in the calm protected waterways of the Inside Passage surrounding Ketchikan. Participants must be at least 5 years of age. less

See the very best of the Tracy Arm wilderness area and an exciting close-up view of the majestic twin Sawyer Glaciers. Relax in the warm, spacious cabin, surrounded by large windows on a luxurious, high-speed catamaran as you depart Juneau harbor before your ship. Enjoy a variety of complimentary snacks and beverages while watching for gleaming, blue icebergs, which often mark the shallow-water entrance to Tracy Arm. Explore this ice-carved fjord, tracing the bases of cliffs that rise 4,000 feet above the jade-colored sea, as the onboard naturalist provides information about the area. There will be frequent stops to view wildlife. Feel the mist on your face as your Captain skillfully guides the vessel almost directly under a plunging waterfall. The catamaran’s extraordinary maneuverability will allow you to get close to North Sawyer Glacier, which cannot be approached by larger ships. You’ll then cruise slowly past seals resting atop recently-carved icebergs en route to a viewing stop near the face of spectacular South Sawyer Glacier. From the topside observation deck, you’ll be able to fully experience 'white thunder,' as immense spires of ice break from the glacier and crash into the sea. Following an extended drift near the glacier’s face, the catamaran will maneuver back into open water to pull alongside your awaiting cruise ship. Note: We recommend participants bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves to wear on the observation deck. In the event that unpredictable and ever-changing ice conditions preclude the vessel from entering the upper reaches of Tracy Arm fjord, the tour will be modified to explore Endicott Arm, an adjacent fjord and tidewater glacier of equal beauty. Due to diminishing daylight and ice condition this tour is not available in early May and mid to late September. This tour is available for guests on Norwegian Jewel only. less