Alaska and British Columbia – Inside Passage, Bears and Aleutian Islands Expedition Cruise

Enjoy British Columbia’s largest city Our expedition cruise starts with an overnight stay in the beautiful city of Vancouver at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Vancouver's neighbourhoods buzz with restaurants offering delicious international cuisine. Don’t miss Gastown, Vancouver’s Victorian neighbourhood. Here you'll find Vancouver Lookout, offering 360º panoramic views over the city. If you have time, why not arrive early and join our optional Pre-Programme, taking a luxury train trip through the Rockies. What better way to begin your adventure.

Explore British Columbia’s largest city

After an enjoyable breakfast at your hotel, we’ll take you 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.   

Up close to nature as we explore islands and channels The Inside Passage coastal route takes us through great North American Pacific Fjordland, a protected stretch of water over 930 miles long. Unlike other cruises which pass through at night, we'll visit during the day. This sublime scenery is something you’ll want to make the most of. Our smaller expedition ship allows us to explore the lesser-travelled channels, so we can get closer to the beautiful and fascinating scenery. Keep your cameras and binoculars at the ready, as you catch sight of dolphins, porpoises, orcas and humpback whales. As always, there’s plenty to see and learn in the Science Center, with insightful lectures from your Expedition Team.

Alaskan wilderness where wildlife thrives all around 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. Look out for mountain goats, bears and moose. In the water, you'll find Pacific salmon, along with otters, sea lions, harbour seals, orcas and Dall porpoises. And look skywards for hummingbirds, herons and Bald Eagles.

Visit one of Alaska’s oldest harbour towns Your cruise continues to Wrangell. Nearby is the incredible Petroglyph Beach, where you'll find around 50 ancient rock carvings. Bring paper to make some stone rubbings. Visit the local museum to learn about Wrangell's fascinating past. Now part of the US, it was once governed by Britain, Russia and Tlingit people. Cross to Shakes Island, where the Chief Shakes Tribal House and totem poles tell the story of the indigenous Tlingit. Surrounded by the alluring scenery around Stikine River and Mount Dewey, you'll enjoy the nature trails. Alternatively, join the included activity, taking small expedition boats through the breathtaking scenery and glaciers of the waters around Wrangell.

Stunning scenery and a unique mix of cultures Surrounded by Tongass National Forest, Sitka is only accessible by sea and air. Get out on deck for stunning views of the Sisters Mountains and Mount Edgecumbe Volcano. Discover Sitka's fascinating history with our Expedition Team. Inhabited by the Tlingit for 10,000 years, it was occupied by Russia in 1804, before being sold to America after the Crimean War. Today, Sitka blends all three cultures. Visit the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Russian Bishop's House. Sitka National Historic Park is a real highlight, where you'll see ornate Haida and Tlingit totem poles. Or enjoy a walking trail through the forest to the ocean.

Wildlife watching in glacier-fed waters You'll experience an amazing expedition day in Icy Bay today. Three glaciers – Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall – regularly calf into the bay. If conditions allow, the Expedition Team will take you ashore on the 34-mile-long, 8-mile-wide Guyot Glacier or you can explore in kayaks on an optional excursion. 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, can be seen in these waters. Our onboard photographer is ready with expert tips on how to get the best from your camera.

A day of discovery, wellness and birdwatching at sea Our 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 Center, the Expedition Team invite you to join lectures about the region’s wildlife, geology, glaciology, history and culture, preparing for our next landings. Relax in the Explorer Lounge and share a drink with your fellow shipmates or just enjoy the view. See if you can spot all three species of North Atlantic albatross. Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses are fairly common but Short-tailed Albatrosses are a rare sight.

Home of the Alutiiq people and Kodiak brown bear Spruce forests and grasslands earned Kodiak Island its nickname: ‘the Emerald Isle’. It's the second largest island in the US, which means there's plenty to see. You'll discover the island’s rich indigenous heritage at the Alutiiq Museum. Visit the 1808 Baranov Museum, the oldest standing building in the state. Your included excursion today takes you to Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, with its strategic WWII 1939 naval fort and bunkers. The island’s most famous inhabitants though are the Kodiak bears. Around 3,500 of these mighty creatures live in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, which covers two thirds of the island.

Grizzly bears and volcanoes in Katmai National Park The bear spotting continues today in the four million acre Katmai National Park, with over a dozen active volcanoes. Katmai is home to communities of brown bears, and more than 2,000 protected grizzly bears – the largest concentration in the world. Accompanied by an experienced bear guard, we'll be safely scouting for grizzlies from on deck or in small expedition boats. The bears might be foraging for berries, diving for clams, or catching fish in the stream. Depending on conditions, we'll either visit Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay or Kukak Bay. Keep your eyes open for sea otters, seabirds and humpback whales too.

Explore rugged scenery in an untamed wilderness

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. 

Explore Unga – an Alaskan ghost town 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. Pink lousewort, a carpet of wildflowers, and fireweed surround the abandoned shacks as nature has gradually taken over. If weather permits, we'll explore that nature on our included landing.

Diverse history and rich wildlife in a vibrant fishing hub With a volcano as its backdrop, America's largest fishing port Dutch Harbor is a fascinating place to visit. You'll be able to explore to the full with your included hop-on, hop-off shuttle ticket. 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 1942 battle that took place here. Scout for Bald Eagles and puffins in the skies. Foxes, lemmings and wild horses thrive on land and whales, sea lions and porpoises in the waters. Dutch Harbor is where reality television series ‘The Deadliest Catch’ was filmed, following crab fishers at work under extreme conditions.

Enjoy the moment as we cruise along the coast Part of being on an expedition is taking time out to connect with the sights and sounds of the world around you. A day at sea lets you do just that. Sit back and take in the panoramic views from our Explorer Lounge, or enjoy the scenery glides by from the infinity pool or the outdoor hot tubs. 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. You'll learn more about the region's geography, climate and birdlife from the Expedition Team in the Science Center and in their daily lecture programme.

Look out for wildlife on the largest Pribilof Island

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. 

Deserted settlements and rare birds on this remote island Part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 200 miles from the nearest village, St Matthew Island is wild, remote and isolated. A few hardy souls have tried – and failed – to make a home here. You can see traces of abandoned buildings between black sand beaches and wildflower-dotted tundra. Today, the only inhabitants are birds, including thousands of puffins, murres and cormorants. If you’re lucky on our included nature landing, you’ll catch sight of 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.

International Date Line – where tomorrow meets today As we cruise the Bering Sea, you'll have Russia to the east and the United States to the west. We'll also cross the International Date Line, where ‘tomorrow’ is on your right, and ‘today’ is on your left. Natural wonders abound here so keep an eye out for humpback whales, and spot 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 Center.

Learn about Nome’s golden past

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 our own MS Roald Amundsen, before flying back to Seattle, where you’ll enjoy an overnight stay. 

End your adventure in the Emerald City

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! 

Itineraries are subject to change.