Behold Hubbard Glacier - Vancouver to Seattle

“Gassy Jack” Deighton saw a chance to make money from the miners on their way to the Yukon and the saloon he built became the focus of the shanty town known as Gas Town. From here, modern Vancouver was born - Canada’s third largest city. The government persuaded the settlers to change the name of the town to Vancouver, after Captain George Vancouver, who sailed the area’s waters in 1792. Today Vancouver offers travelers tram rides to the top of Grouse Mountain, the lovely Ming Dynasty Gardens, historic Gas Town and picturesque Stanley Park. Shore excursions on the first and last day of a cruise are only available for guests who are combining back-to-back voyages to create a longer cruise. Those guests may organize custom tours through the Destination Services Desk on board.

Ketchikan, on the southwest side of Revillagigedo Island, grew up around salmon canneries and sawmills. Ketchikan's name supposedly comes from the native term "Katch Kanna", which roughly translates: "spread wings of a thundering eagle." At one time Ketchikan was proclaimed the “Salmon Capital of the World.” An outstanding collection of totem poles make a visit to Ketchikan essential for anyone interested in Native art. Travelers flock to Ketchikan for their first look at the North Country, and are rarely disappointed.

In 1880, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris were prospecting for gold with the help of Indian guides. Here they discovered nuggets “as large as beans” at the mouth of the aptly named Gold Creek. Out of their discoveries came three of the largest gold digs in the world where more than $150 million in gold was mined. Juneau’s surrounding beauty and natural wonders have attracted cruise ship travelers for over a century, with steamship companies bringing tourists here since the early 1880’s.

Skagua, as it is known by the Tlingit, means” windy place.” Skagway, a place of many names, and much history is the northern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway. It was known to thousands of hopeful gold rushers as the gateway to the gold fields. Skagway retains the flavor of the gold rush era and the character of such colorful inhabitants as Soapy Smith “King of the Frontier Con Men”; especially on Broadway, with its false-front buildings, and in the Trail of ‘98 Museum, with its outstanding collection of gold fever memorabilia.

Discover the frontier town of Icy Strait surrounded by nature in its unspoiled glory. Pine trees as tall as skyscrapers, humpback whales, eagles, wild salmon, black bears and more, form the harmonious tapestry of life in this Alaskan hinterland. Visit the Native Theater and Heritage Center to see Tlinglit tribal members enacting their history through song and dance. Also worthy of attention are the elaborately carved totem poles. Stroll over to the Cannery Museum and find out how this staple of the Alaskan diet is processed. Shop for locally made preserves, jewelry, wooden carvings, clothing, and bath products. Take a walk along the well-marked nature trail to Hoonah. Enjoy delicious and abundant seafood, Dungeness crab, salmon, shrimp and cod in this remarkable natural environment.

Victoria is a picture-perfect city exuding old-world charm, with fragrant and colorful flowers everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company, it was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was made a British colony. In 1868, Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia. Although it is a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure crafts, ferries, and floatplanes.

Seattle, a city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark.