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north america: alaska

Alaska\'s Southeast Explorer

The 11-day Alaska's Southeast Explorer cruise is the most complete small ship cruise available in Alaska. The 42-guest Alaskan Dream cruises faster than any other small cruise ship in Alaska — so you experience more wildlife, more glaciers and more Alaskan communities than any other cruise.

The Alaska's Southeast Explorer cruise visits Sitka, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau, Hobart Bay, Tracy Arm, Petersburg, Wrangell, Thorne Bay, Misty Fjords National Monument and Ketchikan. No other Alaskan cruise offers so many ports and wilderness cruising at such an exceptional value.

Day 1 - Sitka - Embark

Board a deluxe tourboat, for a “Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest” exploration of beautiful Sitka Sound. Home to marine mammals, Sitka Sound counts gray, humpback, and orca (killer) whales, sea otters, and Steller sea lions amongst the abundant wildlife. You’ll rendezvous with your ship near Peril Straits approximately 30 miles from Sitka, in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness. Once aboard, our crew members guide you to your cabin and invite you to gather in the forward lounge for a drink and welcome aboard hors d’oeuvres.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: dinner

Day 2 - Glacier Bay National Park

Explore magnificent Glacier Bay National Park, which features some of the wildest, most scenic country on earth. It is home to nearly half the tidewater glaciers in North America, over 200 species of birds, a resident pod of humpback whales and abundant black bears, grizzlies and mountain goats. A National Park Service Ranger leads the programming for the day and a Native Huna Tlingit interpretive naturalist joins in to reveal traditional ties to this ancient treasure.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - Skagway & Haines

Today visit the historic city and popular destination of Skagway, which hosts about 100 buildings from the gold rush era. Board the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad for a historic and unique trip (passport required). Built in 1898, during the Klondike gold rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Juneau & Orca Point Lodge

Juneau may be the most scenic setting of any state capital in America, only accessible by boat or plane. First visit the famous Mendenhall Glacier, an ice field the size of the state of Connecticut. Next ride the Mount Roberts Tram, which soars above Juneau’s downtown area to hiking trails and views of the harbor and surrounding mountains.

Depart Juneau for a short cruise to Colt Island, and go ashore for a grilled wild Alaska salmon demonstration and salmon and king crab dinner followed by a walking tour of the vegetable garden at the exclusive Orca Point Lodge, a lovely day lodge secluded far from the bustle of Juneau. Following dinner, stroll along the beach, learn about intertidal critters at our custom built touch-tank aquarium, browse the gift shop for locally produced curios, or simply relax on the deck with a beverage and enjoy an Alaskan sunset over the spectacular snow capped mountains of the Chilkat Peninsula.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - Tracy Arm

In Tracy Arm explore the full length of this ice-carved fjord; tracing the face of cliffs that rise 4,000 feet above the sea.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 - Hobart Bay

Enjoy exclusive access to Hobart Bay, an exclusive adventure base camp built especially for guests of Alaskan Dream Cruises. The camp is outfitted with sea kayaks, small outboard driven Zego runabouts, and ATVs to ride the old logging roads through the lush coastal rainforest providing vistas of the surrounding areas. Experience aspects of each of these Alaskan lifestyle activities accompanied by your Expedition Leader and crew.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7 - Petersburg

Petersburg is a fishing town established by Norwegian fishermen in the late 1800’s. At the Sons of Norway Hall, enjoy a Norwegian Folk Dance show performed by Petersburg’s children. Spend time on your own to take a short walk to Eagle Park, explore Sing Lee Alley, or shop downtown.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8 - Wrangell

Visit the rural community of Wrangell, located in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Take a jet boat tour of the Stikine River, the fastest navigable free-flowing river left in North America. The area is home to moose, deer, brown and black bear, beaver, hundreds of bald eagles and many other species.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9 - Thorne Bay & Kasaan

Thorne Bay was once one of the largest logging camps in the world. Venture on a gentle hike through the Tongass National Forest to view totems and local petroglyphs. In Kasaan, visit the Chief Son-I -Hat Whale House, the only remaining Haida clan house in Alaska.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 10 - Misty Fjord

Explore the pristine beauty of Misty Fjord. Learn the natural history of the fjords, listen to the call of nesting seabirds, and feel the mist of glistening waterfalls while gliding quietly beneath glacier-sculpted cliffs.

Accommodations: Alaskan Dream
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11 - Disembark in Ketchikan

The community is comprised of three islands, Revillagigedo, Gravina and Pennock and transportation between them requires a boat or ferry ride across the Tongass Narrows. One of “America’s Top 100 small arts communities” Ketchikan’s impressive variety of shops and galleries feature work by many of the island’s resident artists and an assortment of souvenir items and unique gifts that make shopping in this community a must do for any traveler.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

Alternative Itinerary: In addition to the southbound Sitka to Ketchikan itinerary detailed above, there is a northbound route.

Northbound Itinerary
Day 1 - Ketchikan
Day 2 - Misty Fjord
Day 3 - Thorne Bay
Day 4 - Petersburg
Day 5 - Wrangell
Day 6 - Hobart Bay & Tracy Arm
Day 7 - Juneau
Day 8 - Skagway
Day 9 - Hoonah
Day 10 - Glacier Bay
Day 11 - Sitka

Extend Your Trip: Call AdventureSmith Explorations about the possibilities of combining trips to Denali National Park.

Itinerary Notes: We may occasionally alter itineraries slightly for safety, or to take advantage of weather, wildlife, and unplanned discoveries. Our ability to be spontaneous makes our style of cruising unique.

Included: Selected guest cabin facilities; all meals aboard the vessel or where otherwise indicated; selected shore excursions as indicated in itinerary; ground transportation to and from the vessel and airport or select Sitka hotels; use of recreational equipment at Hobart Bay; all standard on-board services.

Exclusions: Airfare to and from Alaska; pre- and post-cruise hotel accommodations; non-complimentary beer, wine or alcohol selections; discretionary gratuities to crew; travel insurance; all taxes and port fees ($30-$150 per person depending on cabin category).

Room Configurations: Single supplement rates are 150% of the double occupancy rate. Single supplement rates are capacity controlled and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Third and fourth persons receive 30% off double occupancy rate.

Families & Children: Children (15 years and younger) receive 30% off double occupancy rate. Children under 2 are free.

Arrival & Departure: Alaska's Southeast Explorer begins in either Sitka or Ketchikan, Alaska (depending on itinerary: southbound or northbound). We recommend arriving one day prior to embarkation in case of flight delays, cancellations, or luggage issues. If arriving on the day of embarkation, it is advisable to schedule flights to arrive no later than 11:30 a.m. in Sitka or 10:30 a.m. in Ketchikan. Prior to embarking the day of your cruise, a walking tour is offered (may be guided or self-guided), which typically begins at 9:00 a.m. On the day of your disembarkation, plan flights to depart at 9:00 a.m. or later.

Payment & Cancellation: A deposit of $500.00 is required to secure a reservation. Final payment must reach our office 90 days prior to your cruise departure or in full at the time reservations are confirmed if less than 90 days prior. If this payment is not received in time, your space may be released; rebooking will then be subject to final availability. Deposits and final payments may be made by personal check, wire transfer, money order or credit card.

Guests who must cancel their cruise for any reason, including medical or family reasons, are subject to the following cancellation fees:
90 days or more prior to departure date: $250 per person
89 - 61 days prior to departure date: $500 per person
60 - 31 days prior to departure date: 50% of full fare
30 - 0 days prior to departure date: 100% of full fare

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: This Southeast Alaska small ship cruise will be enjoyed by anyone seeking to explore Alaska in style.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com