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Alaska Hey, Can The Caribou Come out And Play? Make new friends on an Alaska cruise vacation. Compliments of Royal Caribbean International

Sea lions. King crabs. Moose. There’s really no telling who you’ll meet in Alaska. Especially on a 7-night Alaska cruise vacation or a 1 0-night Whistler cruisetour with Royal Caribbean lnternational.  Join us aboard Radiance of the Seas® or Serenade of the Seas,® and you’ll journey to some of the most amazing destinations in the world — making all sorts of new friends along the way.

Before you set sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, stop by and say hello to the aquatic animals at the Vancouver Aquarium. You’ll find Beluga whales, octopuses, sharks and harbor seals will all be happy to make your acquaintance at this interactive marine sanctuary.

Once you come onboard, you’ll be welcomed by a different group of friendly faces — Royal Caribbean’s staff, whose Gold Anchor Service makes you feel right at home. So settle in, mix and mingle with other guests, and marvel at the stunning panoramic views as your ship makes its way along Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Soon you’ll arrive in Juneau, the capital of Alaska, and home to some of Alaska’s most spectacular scenery. After talking to the locals in Juneau’s city center, venture out to the surrounding glacial landscapes to buddy up with a pack of Alaskan huskies. Go for an exhilarating dogsled ride over snow-covered glaciers and listen to your guide’s stories of life as a dog musher. Then hang out with Alaska’s largest marine animals on a whale- watching cruise from Auke Bay. Keep your eyes peeled and you may just come face to face with humpback and killer whales.
 

Your next port-of-call is Skagway, a city born during the historic gold rush of 1898, and you’ll have a chance to search for your own shiny nuggets, then seek out one of Alaska’s most impressive wilderness treasures, the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. This protected area boasts the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world, so there’s a great chance you’ll see many of these majestic creatures. The fun continues as you ride the White Pass Scenic Railway up to the US/Canada Summit, an area where large herds of caribou once crossed on their annual migration.

As your adventure continues, you’ll hear cracking, splashing and galloping on shore. While it may sound like a wild animal, it’s really the mighty Hubbard Glacier’s unique way of introducing itself. This 1,350-foot natural wonder is one of the most active glaciers of its kind. In a process called calving, sheets of ice separate from its ice field and crash into the sea, creating a sound that echoes for miles.

In Ketchikan, you’ll encounter some of Alaska’s famous finned residents while sportfishing off shore. Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” these cool waters abound with five varieties of North Pacific salmon. Of course the biggest fans of salmon are Alaskan black bears. And you’ll have an opportunity to hobnob with these furry fellows, too, on a guided bear-watching expedition.

After each full day exploring Alaska’s wilds, you might be ready to relax. Fortunately, you’ll find all the creature comforts you can imagine right onboard your ship, including a soothing massage in the full-service spa and a gourmet meal
surrounded by your family and friends.

 If you choose the 10-night Whistler cruisetour, there are even more friends for you to meet up ahead. Take off on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler, the premier resort town situated at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Here, you can take in the picturesque vistas as you ride a gondola over 5,000 feet up to the top of Whistler Mountain. On the way, scout for ptarmigan, whiskey jacks, and marmots, the critters that call Whistler home. Back at sea level, it’s beavers and black-tailed deer that will keep you company as you explore a tranquil glacier river while canoeing the Whistler
Wetlands. One more adventure you won’t want to miss is zip-trekking from treetop to treetop over Whistler’s forests, rivers and gorges. In between zips, you’ll have time to swap stories with your traveling companions. Just don’t be surprised if you and your new pals become lifelong friends. That always seems to happen on a cruise or cruisetour with Royal Caribbean.
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Explore Wondrous Ports of Call

It’s an untamed frontier, a vast wilderness long ago colonized by pockets of humanity who sought unimagined riches and their own land to own. And while more than a century has passed since these intrepid pioneers made their way to Alaska, little has changed in the landscape or in the spirit of the land.

In fact, that’s just one of the reasons so many modern adventurers make their way north, seeking a respite from the hectic pace of their own lives. Alaska offers something that no other destination in the U.S. can a combination of the wild and the exotic, all wrapped up in one magnificent landscape after another. It’s the only place in our country where glaciers calve and whales breach... where bears and moose outnumber the human population, and where eagles soar majestically over mountains and cities alike.

With all the destinations that await you in Alaska, you don’t even have to leave the ship to view the most stunning one. Because as you cruise through Alaska’s Inside Passage, you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the brilliant ice—blue glaciers that stand in stark contrast to the lush rainforests. Fjords and snowcapped peaks add to the 274 miles of dramatic scenery.

That’s not to say that any of the other places you’ll visit are any less spectacular. Each offers own unique charm and beauty. For instance, Ketchikan offers a blend of Native American culture, frontier charm and artistic sensibilities. It’s not only the ancestral home of the Tlingit tribe, but it also holds the distinction of offering the world’s largest collection of totem poles. An excursion to Saxman Native Village is the perfect place to view these impressive wood sculptures and to experience the Tlingit culture first hand.

Sitka may be one of the most visually stunning ports of call on your journey, framed by the Pacific Ocean and Mount Edgecumbe, an extinct volcano. Today, Sitka is a tranquil fishing village, but it once was part of the czarist Russian Empire. So it shouldn’t be surprising that native Tlingit culture and a domed Russian cathedral are found intermingled in this historic location. In fact, a visit to Sitka Historical Park takes you to the very spot where the Tlingits and Russian settlers battled for “possession” of the land.

You’ll find just as eclectic a cultural mix in Juneau, where the frontier spirit lives on amidst more cosmopolitan sensibilities. Its picture-perfect skyline is dwarfed by the majestic Coast Range Mountains, and the city serves as the gateway to an abundance, of adventures. For avid fishermen, the waters off Juneau are an angler’s dream come true. For the more adventurous, a helicopter glacier trek to the Juneau Ice fields offers an unbelievable experience and unparalleled views of this magnificent glacier. And for those who want to get a taste of Alaska at a more relaxing pace, there’s always panning for gold in the Last Chance Basin.

It’s hard to ignore the gold rush fever that Skagway still instills in visitors as it embraces its frontier spirit. A ride on the historic White Pass Railway can even take you to places where prospecting for gold is still all the fashion. Or you can simply enjoy the breathtaking views and visits to the famous Gold Rush Cemetery and Kiondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

TOTEM Totem poles tell stories of historical events. The figures are not gods or demons for worshipping purposes, but rather symbolic, like the figures in European heraldry. A totem pole usually serves one of four purposes:      Crest poles give the ancestry of a particular family.      History poles record the history of a clan.      Legend poles illustrate folklore or real life experiences.      Memorial poles commemorate a particular individual.