Itinerary
Ship Onboard MS Roald Amundsen - Polar Outside Cabin
MS Roald Amundsen is a state-of-the-art vessel featuring new environmentally sustainable hybrid technology and that offers premium expedition comfort.
The stunning scenery is reflected in a rich and comfortable interior design. Scandinavian materials from nature, such as granite, oak, birch and wool are used to create relaxed and stylish cabins and public areas. All cabins are outside cabins, of which 50% have private balconies, and aft suites feature private outdoor hot tubs with spectacular views.
One of the most eye-catching exterior design features is the two-level indoor/outdoor Observation Deck. It is an ideal place to scan the scenery and watch for wildlife with your binoculars.
The Polar Outside cabins are primarily on the middle decks with windows, most are spacious, have flexible sleeping arrangements and TV for excellent and high standard accommodation. Can accommodate two to four passengers.
Day 1 Vancouver
Your expedition cruise starts with an overnight stay in Vancouver, a bustling and beautiful seaport set among steep mountains and English Bay. Vancouver's neighbourhoods buzz with world-class, farm-to-table cuisine. Don’t miss Gastown, Vancouver’s Victorian neighbourhood. Here you'll find the 553-foot Vancouver Lookout, offering 360º panoramic views over the city.
Overnight in Vancouver at Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
Day 2 Vancouver
After an enjoyable breakfast at your hotel, you'll be taken on a city tour showcasing the main highlights of fabulous Vancouver.
When the tour is over, you’ll be dropped at the pier where your expedition ship MS Roald Amundsen awaits you. Settle in and take your time to get to know the ship, before listening to the safety briefing.
Your knowledgeable Expedition Team will lead the way on excursions and landings. Get to know them and sit down to enjoy a welcome dinner — your grand Alaska adventure is now underway.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 3 Canada's Inside Passage
The Inside Passage coastal route takes you through the great North American Pacific Fjordland, a protected stretch of water over 930 miles long. Unlike other cruises that pass through at night, you’ll be able to view the sublime scenery in all its glory during the day.
The smaller expedition ship allows you to reach areas that larger vessels can’t, letting you explore lesser-travelled channels with breathtaking scenery. Keep your cameras and binoculars at the ready to catch sight of whales, including humpback, fin, minke, and perhaps even orca.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 4 Misty Fjords
Part of the Tongass National Forest, Misty Fjords is a pristine wilderness of evergreens, waterfalls and snow-capped peaks. Influential mountaineer John Muir described it as one of the most beautiful places he’d ever seen. Weather permitting, you'll join the Expedition Team to tour Misty Fjords on small expedition boats or take kayaks out for an optional excursion.
Misty Fjords is rich in wildlife. You’ll scan for mountain goats, black and brown bears and moose as you explore. The waters are home to Pacific salmon, otters, Steller sea lions, harbour seals, orcas and Dall’s porpoises. Skywards, you might spot herons and Bald Eagles.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 5 Wrangell
Continue cruising the Alaskan islands towards Wrangell. Only a mile out of town, Petroglyph Beach is where you'll see ancient rock carvings among the sand.
Visit the local museum to learn more about Wrangell's fascinating past. Now part of the United States, it was once governed by Britain, Russia and the Tlingit people. Cross to Shakes Island, where the Chief Shakes Tribal House and totem poles tell the story of the Indigenous Tlingit people.
Hikers will enjoy the nature trails, surrounded by alluring scenery at the mouth of Stikine River, and the foot of Mount Dewey at the edge of the rainforest.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 6 Sitka
Surrounded by Tongass National Forest, Sitka is only accessible by sea or air. Get out on deck for stunning views of the Sisters Mountains and Mount Edgecumbe volcano.
Inhabited by the Tlingit people for 10,000 years, the town was settled by Russian explorers around the turn of the 19th century before being sold to the United States after Russia lost the Crimean War. Today, Sitka has roots in all three cultures.
A visit to the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Russian Bishop's House is recommended. Admire ornate Haida and Tlingit totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park and enjoy a walking trail through the forest to the ocean.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 7 Icy Bay
Today is an exploration day in Icy Bay. Three glaciers – Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall – regularly calve into this bay. If conditions allow, you’ll explore in our small expedition boats or by kayak, immersing you in the remarkable beauty of this icy landscape.
Wildlife abounds in the Gulf of Alaska, offering unrivalled photography opportunities. Humpback whales, orcas, Stellar sea lions, sea otters and harbour seals lazing on floating chunks of ice are often seen in these waters.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 8 Gulf of Alaska
The cruise continues across the Gulf of Alaska. It's the ideal time to enjoy onboard facilities like the infinity pool and hot tubs or sauna. Hit the gym, go for a run, or enjoy a massage in the spa.
In the Science Centre, the Expedition Team invite you to join lectures about subjects such as Alaska’s wildlife, geology, glaciology, history and culture.
Relax in the Explorer Lounge & Bar and share a drink with your fellow guests, or just sit back and enjoy the view. See if you can spot all three species of North Pacific albatross. The Laysan and Black-footed Albatross are often sighted, but the Short-tailed Albatross is harder to spot.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 9 Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island got its nickname the ‘Emerald Isle’, due to its Spruce forests and grasslands, and it's the second-largest island in the US.
The island’s most famous inhabitants are Kodiak brown bears. Around 3,500 of them live in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, which covers two-thirds of the island.
Search for these powerful creatures in their natural habitat, marvelling at their size and grace from the safety of our small expedition boat. This perspective offers a rare glimpse into the lives of these bears against the backdrop of Alaska’s breathtakingly rugged landscape.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 10 Katmai National Park
Your adventure continues in the four million–acre Katmai National Park, which has over a dozen active volcanoes. Katmai is also home to more than 2,000 protected brown bears – the largest concentration in the world.
Accompanied by an experienced bear guard, you'll be safely scouting for bears from the deck or in small expedition boats. They might be foraging for berries, digging for clams or catching fish in the stream.
Depending on conditions, you might visit either Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay or Kukak Bay.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 11 Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is an untamed wilderness and a haven for wildlife. The region is characterised by its raw coastal landscapes, towering mountains and secluded bays.
Join your Expedition Team for close exploration of hidden bays and inlets along the shoreline, offering the opportunity to scout for bears, Bald Eagles, and marine species like sea otters and humpback whales. Learn about the geological evolution of the region, appreciating how natural forces have sculpted the unique topography around you.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 12 Unga
Wild and deserted, Unga Village is a picturesque, abandoned Alaskan town on the southern end of Unga Island in the remote Aleutian Islands.
It was settled by Aleuts in 1833 but was abandoned in 1969 as subsistence fishing proved insufficient to support living here. Today, the handful of wooden buildings that remain are the only evidence that people once lived here.
A carpet of pink lousewort, fireweed and other wildflowers surrounds the abandoned shacks as nature has gradually taken over. Experience the eerie beauty of this place during a nature landing with our small expedition boats.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin.
Day 13 Dutch Harbor
America's largest fishing port, Dutch Harbor is a fascinating place to visit. As you sail towards it, you may see Mount Makushin, a sometimes-steaming volcano reaching almost 6,000 ft.
Here, you’ll learn about the local Indigenous Unungan people at the Museum of the Aleutians. Visit the Russian Orthodox Cathedral or tour the WWII museum commemorating the battle that took place here in 1942.
Scout for Bald Eagles and puffins. Foxes, lemmings and wild horses thrive on land and whales, sea lions and porpoises in the waters. Dutch Harbor is where the reality television series The Deadliest Catch was filmed, following crab fishermen at work under extreme conditions.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 14 At Sea
Continue south through the Bering Sea, from the Aleutian Islands and towards your next stop of Dutch Harbor. The Expedition Team will prepare you for your upcoming destinations and continue their lecture series.
Keep scanning the seas and skies for puffins, auklets, and murrelets, especially closer to the coast. If you’re lucky, you might glimpse the Red-legged Kittiwake, only found in this part of the world.
If you’d like to take it easy, you can take in the panoramic views from our Explorer Lounge & Bar, from the infinity pool or the outdoor hot tubs.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin.
Day 15 St Paul
The windswept island of St Paul is home to the largest Unangan community in the US, numbering around 480. You can visit the historical remains of barabaras here – traditional dwellings built half-underground to protect against the sea winds.
St Paul is also designated an Important Bird Area, and around 300 species of migrating birds use it as a resting point. Scan for Horned and Tufted Puffins, the Pribilof Sandpiper and the rare Red-legged Kittiwake.
On the shore, you may find northern fur seals waddling and playing – half the world's population of these charming animals live on these islands.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 16 St Matthew
Part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 200 miles from the nearest village, St Matthew Island is wild, remote and isolated. You'll see traces of abandoned buildings between black sand beaches and wildflower-dotted tundra. A few hardy souls have tried – and failed – to make a home here.
Today, the only inhabitants are birds, including thousands of puffins, murres and cormorants. On your nature landing, if you’re lucky, you’ll see the rare McKay’s Bunting, which breeds almost exclusively here — and listen out for the sound of the singing vole, named after its unusual warning cry.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 17 Bering Sea
As you cruise the Bering Sea, you'll have Russia to the west and the United States to the east.
Natural wonders abound here, so keep an eye out for humpback whales, and seabirds wheeling through the skies.
This is your last full sea day, so relax and enjoy your time on board. The Expedition Team will recap the highlights of your Alaskan adventure, and you can continue your journey of discovery in the Science Centre.
Overnight stay onboard in a Polar Outside Cabin
Day 18 Nome Seattle
Prospectors first came to Nome in 1898, and people still hunt for gold here today. You'll see evidence of the Gold Rush all around, including abandoned dredges, turn-of-the-century steam engines and old railroad tracks, lending the town a unique atmosphere.
Nome was the end point of three of Roald Amundsen's great polar expeditions, including an attempt by air to reach the North Pole in 1926.
Naturally, Nome is a fitting place to bid farewell to MS Roald Amundsen, before flying back to Seattle, where you’ll enjoy an overnight stay.
Overnight stay in Seattle
Day 19 Seattle
Your Alaskan adventure comes to an end in Seattle.
If you have time before your onward journey, why not head to the Seattle Aquarium to see sea otters and a giant Pacific octopus. Or for incredible views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains, take a stroll through the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park, admiring the work of renowned artists as you go.
For a feast of the senses, visit the famous Pike Place Market. Operating for over a century, this lively farmer’s market boasts everything from buskers and bars to salmon-throwing fishmongers!
Accommodation
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
Vancouver
The Sheraton Wall Centre Downtown Vancouver Hotel is the perfect location for strolling scenic Robson Street and Yaletown or making connections in the nearby business and financial districts. Whatever your plans are, you'll find a feeling of welcome unlike any other at one of the best Vancouver hotels.
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