| Denali National
Park and Preserve Enjoy the extra day of unscheduled time built
into more cruisetours than ever. And don't miss an amazing array of optional
activities. Like flightseeing to Mt. McKinley and landing on a glacier. Each
adventure reflects our long relationship with Alaska's most respected adventure
operators and our unwavering commitment to making this the vacation of your
dreams.
For Thrill-Seekers
Soar in a helicopter above Denali National Park. Watch for moose, sheep, caribou
and bear and marvel at massive icefields. Land on a glacier to see ice falls,
moraines, ice bridges and glacier streams. This is a life-changing experience
you'll be talking about for years.
For the Adventurous
Here's your chance to paddle class III and IV rapids through breathtaking Canyon
Run. You'll bond with your expert guide and your raft-mates as the Nenana River
takes you on a wild ride through breathtaking wilderness.
For the Outdoor Enthusiast
Saddle up for a wilderness horseback adventure. Or ride a jet boat along the
Nenana River, visit a trapper's work camp, pan for gold.
For Independent Exploration
Visit www.nps.gov/dena then click on the in-depth section to learn how you can
explore Denali independently, make the best use of the Park's Shuttle Bus
system, hike with a park ranger, or attend one of the many activities the Park
Service has to offer.
Glacier Bay
National Park
How does it feel when a monumental chunk of ice
splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The
impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. You hold your breath as you
catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it all to happen again. And it does.
Glacier Bay has more actively calving glaciers than anywhere else in the world.
The highest concentration of tidewater glaciers
on the planet can be found at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Access to
this natural wonderland is extremely limited and not all cruiselines can offer
this highlight.
Spread across an impressive 3.3 million acres in southeastern Alaska, this
treasure trove of scenic coastal islands, narrow fjords and substantial wildlife
offers an inspirational glimpse of what Mother Nature does best.
"MORNING OF CREATION"
When John Muir discovered Glacier Bay in 1879, he surveyed the unblemished
panorama and declared it "still in the morning of creation." Muir wasn't the
first explorer to be in the area. Nearly a century earlier, George Vancouver's
ships sailed right past it because a wall of ice sealed off the entrance to the
bay. But over the last 200 years, the ice has been steadily receding, revealing
a stark landscape that's slowly being taken over by vegetation that can't resist
the fresh rock and soil. The result is a lush, temperate rainforest of spruces
and hemlocks that carpets large portions of the stunning terrain.
TARR INLET
At the head of Glacier Bay is the Tarr Inlet, where scientists have found
exposed rock that's believed to be more than 200 million years old. The Tarr
Inlet is home to the Grand Pacific Glacier, an active body of ice that's slowly
making its way toward the Margerie Glacier, which it last touched in 1912.
JOHNS HOPKINS INLET
As you cruise by the northeastern edge of the robust Fairweather Range, you'll
enter the Johns Hopkins Inlet, home to no less than nine glaciers. Framed by
rocky slopes that stretch skyward more than 6,000 feet, these wondrous bodies
are eclipsed only by the mighty Mount Fairweather itself, which at more than
15,300 feet is the highest point in southeast Alaska.
BRILLIANT BLUE GLOW
In the northeastern corner of Glacier Bay, the snow-covered Takhinsha Mountains
feed the active Muir Glacier, which regularly sheds walls of ice into the bay.
The brilliant blue glow of a calving glacier and the thunderous roar of ice
crashing into the water below are sights and sounds that you'll remember for the
rest of your life.
With such a diverse landscape, the park provides a variety of habitats for
animals, big and small. Large colonies of seabirds, migrating ducks and geese,
black bears, seals, sea lions, porpoises and whales are all common here.
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Articles To Read
Compliments of Princess Cruises
Alaska is the ultimate wilderness destination. More
than 1,400 miles north to south and 2,400 miles east to west, it boasts a vast
expanse of unspoiled wilderness that staggers the imagination. Trade freeways
for forests and street shoes for hiking boots. Alaska's wide-open spaces are
just what you have been missing. Her mountains, glaciers and wildlife are
exactly what you need. Stand in awe before nature's spectacle in Alaska's great
national parks and wildlife preserves.
Here are a series of interesting articles to help
you discover Alaska's great parks and destinations.
Activities & Adventure in Alaska
Take a look at our collection of articles about
activities and adventures. Perhaps one of them may inspire you.
History and Culture of Alaska
Alaska is, above all else, a land of remarkable diversity. There is urban
Anchorage and rural Copper Center. There are villages scattered throughout the
land and wilderness as far as the eye can see. Explore everything from native
villages to massive gold dredges, as you come face to face with Alaska's unique
history and culture.
We have collected a series of interesting articles to help you learn more about
Alaska's history and culture.
Alaska Rail Travel
So many wonders wait in Alaska's heartland- all linked by railway and frontier
spirit. Lush forests and meadows brimming with wildflowers. Rugged snowcapped
mountains flanked by miles of open tundra. Princess rail and lodge packages
allow you to explore Alaska's immense wilderness under the care of our friendly
guides. This is Alaska, where wilderness is king.
Search our collection of Alaska rail travel articles for inspiration in planning
your dream vacation.
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Kenai Fjords
National Park
Sweeping from rocky coastline to glacier-crowned
peaks, Kenai Fjords National Park is one of Southcentral Alaska's most scenic
attractions. A dayboat cruise through the park's long, steep-sided,
glacier-carved valleys gives you an up-close look at abundant wildlife. Watch
for bald eagles, listen to the sounds of thousands of seabirds and share the
waters with Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, Dall's porpoises, sea otters and
whales.
The gateway to Kenai Fjords is the scenic town of
Seward. At the head of dramatic Resurrection Bay, towering Mt. Marathon provides
a breathtaking backdrop for a historic downtown district filled with quaint
shops.
Kluane National
Park
Kluane National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, is so wild and remote few even know its name. Parks Canada brings
you guided explorations to help you appreciate the enormity of the land and the
diversity of the wildlife. And special presentations introduce you to wonders
like towering Mt. Logan, the continent's second-tallest peak. No one else offers
this unique combination of park-sponsored activities and optional excursions.
Pick your activity level from wild to mild. Your day includes a Parks Canada
orientation, a stop at the Kluane National Park Visitor Center, lunch and a
festive barbecue dinner. Here are some of the optional activities.
- Strenuous, full-day guided hike to the top of
King's Throne for lunch and views of Mt. Kennedy, Kathleen Lake and Shakwak
Valley.
- Full-day moderate guided trek through Alsek
Valley bear country via foot . Lunch overlooking the Alsek River and towering
peaks.
- Leisurely stroll with a Parks Canada Interpreter
following the forested Dezadeash River Trail for striking views of the Auriol
Mountain Range. Great for birdwatchers. After lunch enjoy the easy Kathleen Lake
trail (wheelchair accessible).
- Flightseeing excursions deep into Kluane
National Park to see the "world's largest non-polar icefield." After lunch take
the leisurely Kathleen Lake trail (wheelchair accessible).
- Full-day raft on the famed Tatshenshini River.
Pass through a canyon with 500-foot-tall walls. After lunch run the Boulder
Garden and Twin Holes rapids.
- Canoe fishing for lake trout, northern pike and
Arctic grayling on Pine Lake with a local Yukon guide. After lunch, take an easy
stroll on the Kathleen Lake trail (wheelchair accessible).
- Full-day guided hike at Kimberley Meadows. Take
a helicopter flight and land on a plateau near Kluane National Park. Lunch
overlooking endless mountain, glacier and valley views. Return via helicopter
for a hearty dinner with your fellow travelers.
Wrangell St. Elias
National Park
Wrangell St. Elias National Park is
the most remote of Alaska’s parks and offers unique opportunities for an
off-the-beaten-path experience. Highlights include the Bagley Icefield; Hubbard,
Nabesna and Malaspina Glaciers; Mt. Wrangell and Mt. St. Elias, and the
convergence of four major mountain ranges. The abandoned Kennicott copper mine
in the park interior is an increasingly popular destination and is a National
Historic Landmark. The high-grade copper ore of the Kennicott mine was among the
nation’s richest deposits ever found in the twentieth century. The impressive
structures that remain at the mill site and mines represent an ambitious time of
exploration and discovery in Alaska. As the most remote and least developed of
Alaska’s national parks, Wrangell St. Elias National Park is perfect for
wilderness-oriented, self-guided activities. Besides sightseeing, major
activities include backpacking, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing,
mountaineering, river rafting, and sea kayaking in protected bays. Opportunities
to view wildlife abound in Wrangell St. Elias. The park contains one of the
larges concentrations of Dall sheep in North America, and other large mammals
include mountain goats, caribou, moose, brown bear, black bear and bison.
Located in the heart of the Park is the historic mining town of Kennicott. River
rafting trips on the Gulkana River and spectacular flightseeing tours are also
available.
Dawson City,
Yukon Territory
When you think of the gold rush, think of this
Klondike National Historic Site. Dawson City is where more than 30,000
Stampeders transformed a fishing camp at the confluence of the Yukon and
Klondike rivers into the largest city west of Winnipeg and north of Seattle.
You'll find history along the creaky wooden sidewalks, at the Dawson City Museum
and Historical Society, and in the authentic costumes the townsfolk wear. For
the History Buff ; The gold rush lives on at Diamond Tooth Gertie's where you
can stake your poke in a blackjack game and get a kick out of the nightly show.
Or journey back in time at a production of the Gaslight Follies at the lavish
old-time Palace Grand Theatre.
Anchorage, Alaska
See some of Anchorage's historical points of
interest in this sprawling city of over 250,000 full-time residents. Continue to
the Alaska Native Heritage center.
Thanks to the development of the Alaska Native
Heritage Center in Anchorage, you may visit several of Alaska's fascinating
Native Groups, up close and personal, in the space of only a few hours.
Located on a 25-acre site, the Alaska Native
Heritage Center portrays Alaska's rich Native cultures. Full-scale models of
typical dwellings are open for you to peek into. Village elders and apprentice
youth - known as Native Tradition Bearers - demonstrate the time-honored customs
and crafts of the various Native groups. Watch with awe and appreciation as an
Athabascan Indian embroiders a leather moccasin, one tiny, fragile bead at a
time. As a Tlingit carver transforms a formless cedar log into an intricate
story in wood. Or as an Inupiat Eskimo.
Fairbanks, Alaska
When all stakes had been claimed and the rush for
gold had faded in the Klondike, the sourdoughs headed west toward Fairbanks in
the hopes of making their fortunes there. Trouble was, the gold in Fairbanks lay
buried deep under a layer of "muck" that had to be dug out. Thus the gold dredge
was conceived, a sort of floating gold pan that combined the four parts of the
mining process - digging, sorting, gold-saving and disposal of tailings.
One of these giant diggers was Gold Dredge No. 8,
a massive four-story-tall machine that was in operations right up until 1959.
The dredge represents such a valuable landmark to the historical archives of
Alaska that it has been placed on the register of National Historic Sites. Today
it is one of the few gold dredges still open to the public.
Visitors to Gold Dredge No. 8 are treated to a
guided tour inside the dredge where they'll hear tales of the rough-and-tumble
gold rush days and the hardships faced by the original dredge operators. They'll
also learn that this "workhorse of the riverbed" removed more than 33 tons of
gold from Goldstream Valley. A video presentation gives visitors insight into
the gold mining operations, and they can see for themselves relics from the
dredge's early days, including mining artifacts and the workers' bunkhouses at
Fairbanks Creek Camp.
Would-be prospectors are encouraged to "grab a
poke of dirt" and pan for some gold of their own. A strike is guaranteed and
panners can keep what they find as memento of their visit. The tour is topped
off with a hearty miner's stew and biscuits served family-style in the camp Mess
Hall. With memorabilia all around, the dining hall provides a fascinating
opportunity to step back in time and relive the glittering gold rush days of 100
years ago.
Fairbanks Riverboat Discovery Cruise
Relax on this scenic cruise on the Chena and Tanana rivers on the only authentic
operating sternwheeler in Alaska, the Discovery III. Enjoy a lively narration as
you view a trapper's cabin, log homes, and a bush pilot's performance. Watch a
dogsled demonstration with expert Alaskan dog mushers. Stop at the historic site
of a Chena Indian village to learn about Native Alaskan hunting and fishing
techniques.
Gates of the
Arctic National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park
Take a day-boat cruise through long, steep-sided, glacier-carved valleys mantled
by the 300-square-mile Harding Ice Field. Watch for bald eagles, listen to the
sounds of thousands of seabirds and share the park's waters with Stellar sea
lions, harbor seals, Dall porpoises, sea otters and whales
Haines
Founded by a Presbyterian missionary in November
1879, S. Hall Young built Haines between two waterways, the Chilkat River and
Lynn Canal. Located on America's longest fjord, Haines features a perfect
sampling of Alaska's history, beauty and lifestyle.
AN EYE FOR EAGLES
Haines is the home of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where as many as 4,000
bald eagles gather each fall to feast on spawning salmon along the Chilkat
River. Naturalists and photographers come from all over the world to witness one
of the most unusual and impressive sights in nature's kingdom. As many as 80
have been seen perched in a single tree and more than one hundred may be
captured in the frame of a single photograph.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Known for it's artistic flair, Haines is home to many galleries and shops of
both contemporary and native artwork. Cultural tours and walks are popular among
the tourists as they visit the museum and American Eagle Foundation. Outdoor
activities abound as you enjoy the scenic surrounding beauty.
HISTORIC SITE
During the 1900's, a permanent army post was built and named Fort William H.
Seward. This was the first army post in Alaska and can still be easily seen from
the sea. The installation was abandoned in 1946 and has since become a national
historic site.
Juneau, Alaska
Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on
the Gastineau Channel, the town of Juneau has the massive Mendenhall Glacier and
the immense Juneau Icefields at its back door. This is the place to let your
imagination run wild. Explore the lush Tongass Rain Forest. Shop the rustic
shops in town. Or get out and kayak, dogsled, raft, bike, hike, heli-hike,
flightsee, or fish. There's no end to the adventure since we're in port long
enough to truly take advantage of the long daylight hours. And climb aboard the
Mt. Roberts Tramway for a great spot to shoot a souvenir photo of your ship in
port.
Ketchikan, Alaska
Built out over the water and climbing weathered
stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of Tongass Narrows and drapes the
mountains with a cheerful air. Besides the main attractions - Creek Street, the
Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight and Saxman Village - there's one other
thing we highly recommend you do. A floatplane flightseeing trip to breathtaking
Misty Fjords National Monument is a transformational adventure not to be missed.
The souvenir photos you'll take from the pontoons of the plane are worth the
trip alone.
Nome and Kotzebue,
Alaska
Jet across the Arctic Circle to Kotzebue,
timeless realm of the Inupiat Eskimo. Follow the beat of a skin drum to the NANA
Museum of the Arctic, watch ancient dances and traditional blanket toss. In
Nome, the "Gold Rush Capital of the Arctic," learn how prospectors scooped a
million dollars worth of gold from beaches in the summer of 1899, then pan for
your own. See a sled dog team of Siberian Huskies in action and watch a King
Island Eskimo fashion a boat of sealskin, just as his ancestors have for
centuries
Prudhoe Bay,
Alaska
A trip to Prudhoe Bay spotlights the North
Slope's famed oil fields, the 800-mile TransAlaska pipeline and much more. In
fact, it's one of our premier wildlife-viewing adventures. Here, at the end of
the world, you can gaze across the vast Arctic Ocean. Then sightsee south along
the Dalton Highway "haul road," crossing the ancient Brooks Range mountains into
caribou country. Prudhoe Bay is offered on cruisetours 19 and 20.
Sitka, Alaska
Discover the echoes of Sitka's Russian heyday
beneath the onion domes of St. Michael's Cathedral and at a performance by the
New Archangel Dancers. Then stand on the spot where the United States took
possession of Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million, less than two cents per acre. The
dramatic setting in the shadow of Mt. Edgecumbe is one of the loveliest in the
Great Land. Take a stroll through old growth forest in Sitka National Historical
Park, shop the downtown district, and poke around the Sheldon Jackson Museum for
a close-up look at some of the city's most prized arts, crafts and Russian
relics.
Skagway, Alaska
History never gets old in Skagway. This Klondike
Gold Rush National Historical Park boasts restored buildings and wooden
boardwalks that invite you to take a stroll into the past. Take your time and
poke into every little store from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy's Dry
Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is
a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull
Annie and other vintage characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring
days, visit the nostalgic Trail of '98 Museum.
Tombstone
Territorial Park
In 2005 Holland America Line introduced its Great
Land Klondike visitors to the unique landscapes of Tombstone Territorial Park.
This is ancient land, part of the original North American continent, dating back
two billion years. Visitors driving out from Dawson City along the famous
Dempster Highway will pass through land merely 200 million years old - the
Tintina Trench, a massive fault line straddling the Yukon and parts of Alaska -
and travel into the sub-arctic tundra valleys of Tombstone Territorial Park.
The vistas are endless, the valleys broad and
rugged. This land attracted some of the first known settlements of man in the
New World and remains the ancestral home of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation.
It is also the realm of a full range of wildlife, from grizzlies and moose to
peregrines and plovers.
This remote wonderland receives very few
visitors. It is untamed in every sense of the word.
Tracy Arm & Twin
Sawyer Glaciers
Tracy Arm, a narrow, 26-mile-long fjord, is
another one of Alaska's most dramatic glacier settings. Sheltered waters wind
through 7,000-foot mountain peaks and nearly vertical rock cliffs laced with
waterfalls. At the head of the fjord the twin Sawyer Glaciers calve icebergs
into the jade-colored inland sea. Kittiwakes, mountain goats and seals are a
common sight. Whales and bears may even make an appearance in this magical place
where closeness and intimacy make visitors a part of the scene.
The Yukon
Sail past the Steamboat Graveyard where beached
paddle-wheelers evoke the rip-roaring days of the Yukon River. Stand on the
bridge of the mv Yukon Queen II, the only sightseeing vessel for cruisetour
travelers, as the Captain navigates the beautiful wilderness of the
third-longest river in North America. Look for moose wading in the shallows as
you enjoy a hearty prospector's lunch. Wave to rugged homesteaders as you pass
their stakes. Your 102-mile journey between Eagle and Dawson City is haunted by
echoes of the gold rush and blessed by magnificent scenery.
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