Day 1 Flight to Vancouver/Cruise

Our journey begins with a flight from Minneapolis to Vancouver. We will board the Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam for a fun-filled 7 night cruise. There are many activities and entertainment to enjoy onboard the ship including local entertainment and live music, theme nights, cooking classes, wine classes, card games, enrichment lectures with location guides and more! A daily schedule with activities offered each day will be in your cabin every evening. We will dock at different locations throughout the cruise, you may stay on the ship or go to shore. The ship will offer many port excursions that you may join, these are at your own cost. All meals onboard the cruise ship are included. There are four restaurants onboard the ship which are included in your cruise. The Main Dining Room is Holland American's flagship dining featuring a sophisticated sit down meal serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are 2 formal evenings for dinner and the rest are considered smart casual attire in the main dining room. There is other dining options onboard the ship including the Lido Market which is more casual and cafeteria like option. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all served here. Other lunch and afternoon dining options include the Dive In which offers great burgers and dogs to-go. New York Pizza, a poolside option for personal sized pizzas and Italian salads. Room service is always available also for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (L, D)

Day 2 Cruising the Inside Passage

Today we’ll travel along the Alaska's scenic Inside Passage, a renowned cruising route through a protected network of waterways, featuring glacier-cut fjords, lush rainforests, and diverse wildlife. Get outside and enjoy the scenery! This is also a great day to enjoy the all of the wonderful activities and entertainment onboard our ship. (B, L, D)

Day 3 Ketchikan, AK

This morning we will dock in Ketchikan, the town clutches the shores of the Tongass Narrows, with many shops and houses built right out over the water. The town calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Stroll and shop in the Creek Street Historic District, Alaska’s most notorious red-light district from 1902. (B, L, D)

Popular Port Excursions: The Lumberjack Show & Crab Feast, Misty Fjords by Float plane or Boat, Saxman Native Village Totem Pole Park, Totem Bight State Park, Salmon Fishing, Trolley Tour.

Day 4 Juneau, AK

No roads lead to Juneau, which gives the Alaskan capital a misty inscrutability. The massive Mendenhall Glacier and the immense Juneau Icefields are at it's back door. The vast Tongass National Forest stretches away to the northeast. The adventures are as bountiful as the daylight. (B, L, D)

Popular Port Excursions: Whale Watching Salmon Fishing, Mendenhall Glacier & the Fish Hatchery, Glacier Gardens, Floatplane Tour, Helicoptor & Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier, Mendenhall Lake Float Trip, Mount Roberts Tram!

Day 5 Skagway, AK

At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor, those looking to explore Alaska’s colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty. Walk the wooden boardwalks and see the restored buildings from the gold rush days while visiting the many shops and saloons in town. (B, L, D)

Popular Port Excursions: White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, Jewell Gardens, Gold Panning, Musher's Camp, Ghosts & Goodtime Girls Walking Tour, Skagway Street Car City Tour, “The Dangerous Days of ‘98” Show, Best of Skagway Tour & more!

Day 6 Glacier Bay, AK

Today we’ll cruise through Glacier Bay National Park, the glaciers practically terminate in your lap. When a chunk of ice splits off a glacier and thunders into the sea the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. There will be commentary throughout the day along with park rangers onboard to answer questions and give information about this beautiful place. (B, L, D)

Day 7 College Fjord, AK

Discovered in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound during an 1899 research expedition, spectacular College Fjord and its glaciers were named after prestigious east coast schools by the college professors who first laid eyes upon their majesty. College Fjord not only boasts the world’s largest collection of tidewater glaciers, but it features magnificent snowcapped mountains as far as the eyes can see. Plus, during the summer, it’s not unheard of to catch a glimpse of one of the area’s 40-ton humpback whales feeding in the waters of the fjord. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Whittier/Anchorage, AK

We will disembark the ship in Whittier, a remote village is nestled along breathtaking Prince William Sound, home to a stunning array of wildlife, including bald eagles, sea otters and killer whales. Our Riley motorcoach will be waiting for us to continue on the land portion of our tour. We’ll travel the Seward Highway to Anchorage. A stop will be made in Girdwood, at the Alyeska Aerial Tramway where we’ll ride to the 2,300 foot level of Mount Alyeska. Take in panoramic views from the top of surrounding glaciers, Turnagain Arm and the Chugach Mountains. Once we reach the top you can explore the area and have lunch on your own at the deli. Afterwards, we’ll continue to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. We’ll show you around the downtown area before dropping you off and giving you time to explore and have dinner. (B)

Day 9 Denali National Park, AK

Our morning will be spent at Happy Trails Kennels, home of the four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his family. We’ll see the training facility and kennel along with get the opportunity to meet the athletes, the stars of Happy Trails, the dogs! Next, we’ll continue to the historic village of Talkeetna which is nestled at the base of North America’s tallest peak, Denali. Lunch will be on your own here. We will continue to Denali, our home for two nights. After getting settle in our rooms, we’ll head out for some fun at the Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theater. The show tells the story of Fanny Quigley, a real pioneer in Kantishna back in the gold-rush days of the early 1900s—the same area that is now deep inside Denali National Park. The story is performed in an authentic, log-paneled roadhouse, and the actors and actresses do double-duty as your servers for the all-you-can-eat dinner. (B, D)

Day 10 Denali National Park, AK

Today’s adventure is one you will never forget! “Mildwater” River Rafting down the Nenana River. You may see moose, sheep, caribou and bear, as you raft downstream 11 miles. Hold on and enjoy this mild water introduction to rafting in Alaska. The most scenic portion of the river gives you a thrilling yet pleasant rafting experience. Afterwards, the day is at your leisure to relax at the hotel, explore the town or do an excursion such as flight seeing, ATV tour, Dog Sledding, biking and more! (B)

Day 11 Fairbanks, AK

Today will be spent aboard a special bus for the Tundra Wilderness Tour of Denali National Park. We’ll see incredible scenery, learn history of the park road and have some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife on this 6-8 hour tour. Keep an eye out for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears. We’ll also hope that we can become part of the 30% club’ and get to see “the great one” aka Mount Denali as only 30% of visitors to this area ever get to see it at all because of the almost constant cloud cover. After our tour, we will continue our trek north to Fairbanks, where we will spend the next two nights. (B)

Day 12 Fairbanks, AK

Our Alaskan adventure continues this morning! After a short tour of Fairbanks, we’ll stop at the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. It was built as a means of transporting crude oil from the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope to Valdez. Then we will head out to Gold Dredge 8 to strike it rich! Take a seat aboard a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush. The train ride takes you to Gold Dredge 8 where you will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning. Once the train arrives at the camp, you will try panning for yourself! This afternoon we will have an included lunch before we board the Riverboat Discovery to cruise along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. We’ll experience a real Alaskan Bush Pilot in action as he takes off from the river; see the home and kennels of Iditarod Champion, the late Susan Butcher and see her champion sled dogs in action; learn about the area’s Native cultures, lifestyles and experience frontier living first hand with a tour of an Athabascan Indian Village. Tonight, dinner is included at the Alaska Salmon Bake. Afterwards, we’ll walk over to Pioneer Park and see the “Golden Heart Review” a lighthearted, comic look at the colorful characters from early and present day Fairbanks. (B, L, D)

Day 13 Valdez, AK

We’ll be departing Fairbanks along the Richardson Highway, the first road known to gold seekers in 1898. Enjoy magnificent views of the Chugach Mountains and Alaska Range. A stop will be made at the Delta Junction Visitor Center, where you may have your picture taken with the monument that marks the end of the Alaska Highway or another favorite, the giant mosquito sculptures. Lunch on your own will be at Rika’s Roadhouse, which housed travelers back in the early 1900s. Then we’ll visit the Copper Center Visitor Center Complex to learn about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Continuing to Valdez, we’ll travel through the beautiful Thompson Pass with it’s narrow chasms and jagged slopes. The highway winds through the Keystone Canyon passing Bridal Veil Falls as it plummets to the roadside. We will make stops along the way for photos. Upon arrival into Valdez, we will check into our hotel located right on the harbor. (B)

Day 14 Valdez, AK

This morning we board a boat for a cruise of Prince William Sound passing Bligh Reef, where the Exxon Valdez spilled. We will cruise the majestic waters of Prince William Sound from Valdez to Columbia Glacier where you have a chance to view history in the making as Columbia Glacier retreats back into the Chugach Mountains. Our captain will travel the shoreline of the Valdez arm looking for the critters that call the Sound home. Watch for harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, whales, porpoise, eagles, puffins and other wildlife. He/She will share stories about the history of the Sound from early explorers, gold and copper mining, oil shipping, commercial fishing and the 1964 Earthquake. We’ll see and float within thousands of icebergs, many larger than the boat we are in. It is recommended to bring a coat, gloves and hat if you plan to go outside of the boat. Lunch is included onboard. We will arrive back at the Valdez Harbor and the rest of the day is on your own. Today you will have the option to spend the day fishing instead if you would like. Please call our office for more information and price. (B, L)

Day 15 Anchorage, AK

This morning we travel on the Richardson Highway again. We’ll make stops at Horse Tail Falls in the Keystone Canyon and Worthington Glacier on our way back through Thompson Pass. Along the way, we see beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers. Our stop for lunch (on your own) includes a view of Sheep Mountain, at an elevation of 6,300 feet. Sheep are often seen high up on these slopes. We’ll get a view of the Matanuska Glacier, the largest glacier accessible by a personal vehicle. This Glacier once reached all the way to Palmer, where we will make a stop at the visitor center and see the Matanuska Valley Agricultural Showcase Garden. This is our chance to view the vegetables you hear about all the time! We will continue to Anchorage. Upon arrival, we will visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to experience a sample of Alaska’s Native culture. More than just a museum, the center proves an opportunity to explore the indigenous cultures of Alaska firsthand, cultures that continue to adapt to modern society, yet still maintain a vibrant identity for the Native people of Alaska. Next, we’ll see the downtown area, where there will be free time to shop and explore. (B)

Day 16 Home

Today we say goodbye to our new friends and to this spectacular place. We will never forget the time we enjoyed in “the last frontier.”