18 nights · California · Departs San Diego (USA) · Visiting Santa Catalina Island CA, San Francisco, Astoria OR, Victoria BC, Nanaimo BC, Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Klawock AK · Aboard Crystal Cruises on the Crystal Symphony
Image courtesy of Crystal Cruises ©
| Cruise line | Crystal Cruises |
|---|---|
| Ship | Crystal Symphony |
| Duration | 18 nights |
| Port calls | 13 |
| Departures | 1 sailings |
| From fare | $9,130 per person |
| Year built | 1995 |
| Guests | 606 |
| Cabins | 310 |
| Crew | 530 |
| Length | 238 m |
| Beam | 31 m |
| Cruising speed | 21.0 kn |
San Diego makes an easy first impression: a working harbor, sunlit waterfront and Pacific air. From the cruise terminal, the USS Midway Museum and lively Embarcadero are close at hand. Balboa Park brings world-class museums, gardens and the San Diego Zoo together in one grand setting. In the Gaslamp Quarter, Victorian façades frame restaurants and bars. Nearby neighborhoods reveal Mexican heritage and coastal ease.
Just 22 miles off Southern California, Catalina Island makes an easy escape from the mainland. Most cruise visitors arrive by tender in Avalon. Palm-lined streets and hillside homes frame its compact waterfront. Walk to the Catalina Casino, a landmark built in 1929, or linger over lunch beside the harbor. Beyond town, explore quiet coves, take a glass-bottom boat, or rent a golf cart for island views.
San Francisco rewards visitors who look beyond the postcard. Ride a cable car over steep streets, then explore Chinatown, North Beach, or the Ferry Building’s stalls. The Golden Gate Bridge frames the bay, while Alcatraz offers a stark look at the city’s past. For a quieter hour, walk the waterfront or cross to Sausalito by ferry. Few ports make a day ashore feel so varied—and so distinctly Californian.
Astoria stands where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, at the edge of Oregon’s rugged north coast. Its steep streets climb past Victorian houses and traces of a working port shaped by fishing and shipping. At the Columbia River Maritime Museum, exhibits bring the river bar’s dangerous reputation into focus. For broad river and coast views, drive or walk to the Astoria Column. Nearby Fort Clatsop recalls the Lewis and Clark expedition’s winter on the coast.
Victoria, British Columbia, sits at the southern end of Vancouver Island, with a harbour at its heart. From the cruise terminal, reach the Inner Harbour by shuttle, taxi, or a pleasant waterfront walk. Here, the Parliament Buildings and Fairmont Empress frame the water. The compact centre is easy to explore on foot. Browse Government Street, visit the Royal BC Museum, or head north to Butchart Gardens, about 23 kilometres away.
Nanaimo gives you a practical gateway to Vancouver Island, with a handsome harbour and compact downtown close to the water. Follow the Harbourfront Walkway past marinas and cafés, then explore the Old City Quarter for heritage buildings and independent shops. Nanaimo is closely associated with its namesake bar, layered with chocolate, custard and coconut. A short passenger-ferry ride reaches Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) Marine Provincial Park, with forest trails and shoreline paths.
Vancouver puts mountains, ocean and a working harbour within easy reach of the city centre. From the cruise terminal at Canada Place, walk to Gastown’s brick lanes, the waterfront and the shops of Robson Street. Stanley Park offers seawall views and towering cedars, while Granville Island brings a lively public market and artisan studios. Beyond downtown, ferries cross to North Vancouver, where the Capilano Suspension Bridge and mountain trails reveal the region’s wilder side.
Set on Revillagigedo Island in southeast Alaska, Ketchikan is a working fishing town framed by the Tongass National Forest. Its waterfront rises steeply above the Inside Passage, where fishing boats and floatplanes share the harbor. Walk Creek Street, a former red-light district built over Ketchikan Creek. At the Totem Heritage Center, see Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art. For wilderness, boat or fly to Misty Fjords National Monument.
Juneau is Alaska’s capital, yet no road connects it to the rest of Alaska. Most visitors arrive by sea or air. Set between the Gastineau Channel and steep, forested mountains, the city makes an unusually compact base for exploring Southeast Alaska. From downtown, visit the Alaska State Museum, ride the Mount Roberts Tramway, or travel about 12 miles to Mendenhall Glacier. Whale-watching trips can reveal humpbacks feeding in nearby waters.
Skagway is a small Alaska town with a large place in gold-rush history. In 1898, prospectors crowded its waterfront before setting out for the Klondike. Today, restored storefronts and wooden boardwalks preserve the feel of that hurried boomtown. The White Pass & Yukon Route climbs from the harbor through steep mountain scenery on a celebrated narrow-gauge railway. Beyond town, trails and glacier-fed rivers bring the scale of Alaska’s wilderness close.
At Hubbard Glacier, your ship becomes a front-row seat to one of Alaska’s great natural spectacles. More than six miles wide at its face, this tidewater glacier descends from the Saint Elias Mountains into Disenchantment Bay. Listen for ice cracking, then watch bergs drift across the water. Unlike many glaciers, Hubbard has advanced in recent decades, at times constricting the entrance to Russell Fiord. Bring binoculars and a warm layer; the open deck offers the clearest views.
Set between forested mountains and the Pacific, Sitka occupies the west coast of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. Here, Tlingit history and Russian influence meet in a compact town reached chiefly by air or sea. Walk Sitka National Historical Park’s coastal trail among carved totem poles. The park interprets the 1804 conflict between Tlingit people and Russian forces. St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Sheldon Jackson Museum add depth, while nearby waters invite wildlife watching.
On Prince of Wales Island, Klawock offers a close look at Alaska’s Tlingit culture and island life. At Totem Park, carved poles recall clan histories and the community’s deep roots. Beyond town, forested roads lead through the Tongass to fishing coves, quiet beaches, and views across the Inside Passage. Come ashore ready to slow down, meet a small island community, and see Southeast Alaska beyond its best-known ports.
Victoria, British Columbia, sits at the southern end of Vancouver Island, with a harbour at its heart. From the cruise terminal, reach the Inner Harbour by shuttle, taxi, or a pleasant waterfront walk. Here, the Parliament Buildings and Fairmont Empress frame the water. The compact centre is easy to explore on foot. Browse Government Street, visit the Royal BC Museum, or head north to Butchart Gardens, about 23 kilometres away.
Vancouver puts mountains, ocean and a working harbour within easy reach of the city centre. From the cruise terminal at Canada Place, walk to Gastown’s brick lanes, the waterfront and the shops of Robson Street. Stanley Park offers seawall views and towering cedars, while Granville Island brings a lively public market and artisan studios. Beyond downtown, ferries cross to North Vancouver, where the Capilano Suspension Bridge and mountain trails reveal the region’s wilder side.
Published August 6, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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