Alaskan Explorer Cruise

Day 1: Juneau, AK

Settle into your hotel and enjoy time to explore Juneau. Downtown, peruse unique shops, excellent museums, and native heritage sites. Ride the enclosed tramway up the steep mountainside for spectacular views of forested islands, quiet coves, and rugged coastal mountains.

Day 2: Afternoon of Cruising

Before boarding, enjoy a guided exploration of Juneau which concludes at the ship. Be treated to a Welcome Reception as you begin your Alaska journey.

Day 3: Haines, Alaska

Nestled at the northern end of the Lynn Canal, the mountains rise steeply from the shoreline and seem to wrap around Haines. Along a river on the edge of town, view the bears that regularly feed on salmon.

Bald eagles are the stars of more than 260 species of birds in the adjacent Chilkat Valley. Enjoy a variety of activities, including a guided wildlife expedition, a private kayaking and rafting tour, or a visit to bald eagle rehabilitation center.

Day 4: Day of Cruising the Inside Passage

Relish a day of scenic cruising along the Inside Passage. Savor delicious cuisine, enjoy festive onboard activities and illuminating presentations, or just relax and be spoiled by the gracious hospitality of our all-American crew. As you glide smoothly aboard the new American Constellation, the only fully stabilized small cruise ship in the region, enjoy every modern comfort and convenience. 

Nestle beside the large windows in one of our many lounges to revel in the scenery as you make new friends. Relax in the luxury of your stateroom, featuring a wall of windows, or sit out on your private veranda as the captain maneuvers the ship beside churning waterfalls, backcountry lodges, or into magical coves. 

Thousands of humpback whales migrate for the nutrient-rich waters, as do orcas, sea lions, seals, dolphins, and porpoise. Watch for gliding or breaching whales, or even an incredible sighting of “bubble-net feeding” as the whales work to feed in tandem. Along the shoreline, you may also spot black and brown bears as well as Sitka black-tailed deer. 

Day 5: Glacier Bay, Alaska

There is no place in the world quite like Glacier Bay National Park. The park sprawls majestically over 3.3 million acres of dynamic topography. Thousands of glaciers descend toward the bay, which is surrounded by the Fairweather Mountain Range, known to collect more than 200 feet of snow annually.  

American Cruise Lines is one of a few cruise lines allowed privileged access into this natural wonder. Savor a day cruising through this 60-mile bay as you delight in the diverse and stunning surroundings. Sip on cocoa as the ship floats beneath massive glaciers. Gaze in amazement at hundreds of seals hauled out on floating icebergs and massive chunks of ice breaking off and collapsing into the water. Enjoy awe-inspiring sights as your onboard presenter shares stories about the unique aspects that make this place so remarkable.

From the comfort of your private balcony, watch for abundant marine and shoreside wildlife, including otters, seals, sea lions, black and brown bears, mountain goats, and many birds. 

Day 6: Sitka, Alaska

Discover this unique Alaskan town, which ascends beautifully up the hillside, with a harbor ornamented with lovely islands. Local museums feature artifacts and exhibits about the area’s long and rich history as an ancestral home of the Tlingit natives, the capital for Russia’s fur-trading enterprise, and the site of the formal transfer from the Russian empire to the United States on October 18, 1867. 

Choose from dozens of attractions listed on the National Register of Historic Places, seven of which are National Historic Landmarks. Surrounded by rainforest, this island community is framed by both mountains and sea and is teeming with wildlife, including brown bears, bald eagles, and all five species of Pacific salmon.

Day 7: Wrangell, Alaska

Wrangell’s cozy little bay offers a broad view of the attractive town and along the long valley descending from the backdrop of coastal mountains. To the north of town, the Stikine River empties into the ocean in braided rivulets across a wide delta. Salmon runs attract wildlife and observation areas enable you to safely watch eagles, seals, black bears, and brown bears feasting on the spawning fish.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take a jet boat ride up the river, an important route during the Gold Rush. On your exploration of the town, savor the flavors of fresh salmon and halibut, participate in native Tlingit culture, or stop and pick from the wild bushes of blueberries and huckleberries.

Day 8: Cruising the Wrangell Narrows

Cruising between Wrangell and Petersburg, the ship travels through the Wrangell Narrows – a deep and narrow waterway which resembles a fjord with steep and verdant shorelines gliding alongside the ship. Delight in a tasty snack and beverage as you nestle in to admire the scenic landscapes.

Bask in stunning views of glaciers, strings of cascading waterfalls, and wildlife ranging from marine mammals to a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds. Enjoy activities with your ship staff, listen to an enlightening presentation from the guest speaker, and sample the chef’s regional creations.

Day 9: Petersburg, Alaska

As your ship docks in Petersburg, admire the surrounding mountains which rise to the sky, white and gleaming. Founded more than 100 years ago by Norwegian fishermen, Petersburg is an authentic Alaskan fishing town, with most families making their living from the sea. Be warmly welcomed by locals and excursion guides who are proud to share the treasures of their hometown and honor the culture of those who first settled here.   

For a spectacular view, take a flightseeing excursion and soar over massive glaciers, majestic valleys, and mystic bays. Explore the charming shops and quaint museums of downtown or hike along the waterfront to enjoy the surrounding wilderness. Charter a fishing boat for the afternoon in the adjacent Frederick Sound or delight in a jet boat adventure to nearby LeConte Glacier Bay.

Day 10: Cruising the Inside Passage & Frederick Sound

After several days of exploration, a cruising day is the perfect opportunity to relax and recharge as you enjoy marvelous views of Alaska’s natural wonders. Sail through glacier-carved fjords framed by sky-piercing mountains that frame our cruising route and provide a dramatic backdrop as they rise from sea level up to more than 15,000 feet. View numerous scattered islands, forested down to the waterline.

Your captain will position the ship for the best up-close viewing of whales, sea lions, seals, porpoises, and puffins. Bald eagles and seabirds may also be spotted flying overhead.

Day 11: Tracy Arm, AK

This day of cruising offers an array of scenic highlights as our small ship meanders the narrow channel of the Tracy Arm Fjord. Throughout the 25-mile journey, the waterway averages only about a mile wide, framed by steep vertical cliffs stretching more than 3,000 feet high. Pockets of valleys reveal views of larger, snow-capped peaks featuring mountainsides adorned with ancient forest and swaths of sparkling glaciers. 

Hundreds of waterfalls cascade down the cliffs and tumble into the water. The miraculous journey is further heightened as the ship arrives at the faces of the stunning twin Sawyer Glaciers that once combined to carve out this incredible waterway. Seals lounge with their young on small ice floes. During glacier viewing, the crew prepares a delicious hot-chocolate bar with an array of toppings and liqueurs.

The area is almost unchanged since naturalist John Muir visited in 1879 and described this special place as “shut in by sublime cliffs, nobly sculptured, and adorned with waterfalls and fringes of trees, bushes, and patches of flowers.” 

Day 12: Juneau, AK

After an exciting adventure exploring the best of Alaska, end your journey where it began, in Juneau. Enjoy breakfast on board before departing the ship.

You may decide to stay longer in this enchanting destination, brimming with incredible wildlife viewing, shopping, eateries, and breweries. of Alaska’s capital.

Included

• Cruise passage
• All gourmet meals
• Breakfast room service
• Snacks
• Cocktail hour each evening
• Entertainment aboard the ship
• Acclaimed enrichment program
• Wi-Fi throughout the ship
• Personalized service from a dedicated crew

Not Included

• Air transport to/from embarkation/debarkation destinations
• Most shore tours (unless otherwise noted)
• Port charges and fees

American Constellation

The 175-passenger American Constellation is uniquely designed to navigate the inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest, bringing guests to beautiful ports the larger ships can’t access.

American Constellation Details …

American Constitution

The 175-passenger American Constitution is designed with elegance in mind. This coastal cruise ship is uniquely designed to navigate the inland coastal waterways of the East Coast.

American Constitution Details …