Cunard in Alaska

A voyage along the coastline of America’s 49^th state is high on many cruisers’ bucket-list and it’s easy to see why. Situated across the Bering Strait from Siberia and bordering the far northwest of Canada, holidays to this sparsely-populated region are full of allure. After a gap of twenty years, Cunard is returning to America’s ‘Last Frontier’ offering a series of cruises aboard the highly-rated Queen Elizabeth between May and late June 2018.

Glacier Bay National Park leaves visitors stunned by its majesty. Passengers watch from the open decks as the church-like silence is broken by a thunderous roar when gigantic slabs of compacted ice calve and explode away from the fissured glacier before falling in slow-motion into the sea causing a formidable splash. At the head of Tracy Arm Fjord cruise ships are humbled as they navigate past icebergs calved from the South Sawyer Glacier. On the surface of the petrol-blue sea little tussocks of ice are strewn, brilliant white, like blossom left from a wedding ceremony; while hair seals haul themselves up onto larger ice floes. It’s a similar breathtaking tableau at Hubbard Glacier.

The coast of Alaska is littered with amazing ice fields – none more breathtaking than the Mendenhall Glacier - reached by helicopter flights which land on the ice. Float planes also fly over the Norris and mighty Taku Glaciers offering an eagle’s perspective of these imposing ice-cliffs, mile-deep crevasses, and cyan-blue meltwater pools. Another unique experience is a dog sled ride pulled by a team of huskies. The guide explains the history of the legendary dog sled race - the Iditarod - and you get to spend some time with Husky pups. Other tours include Salmon Bakes or Crab Feasts - both quintessential outdoor events offering authentic cuisine served in typical Alaskan fashion.

Much of the older part of Ketchikan is suspended on pilings over the water. Creek Street was once the town’s red-light district. In its heyday during the early 1900s, this winding neighbourhood of public houses boasted more than 30 bordellos. Skagway seems scarcely to have changed in over a century since it was the hub of the great Klondike gold rush. In August 1896, three men found gold near the Klondike River. They staked their claims then walked into a bar and told the world.

Queen Elizabeth will sail on four 10-night round-trips from Vancouver visiting: Skagway; Sitka; Ketchikan; Icy Strait Point; Tracy Arm Fjord and Hubbard Glacier in the Inside Passage; as well as Victoria in British Columbia. There are options of 3- and 5-night pre- and post-cruise land-tours aboard the legendary Rocky Mountaineer train. To enlist for a cruise to one of the most spectacular regions on the planet speak to our experienced team on 0800 484 0370.