18 nights · BC Canada · Departs Vancouver (Canada) · Visiting Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Valdez, Kodiak Island, Homer AK, Anchorage AK, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Wrangell AK, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert BC · Aboard Holland America on the ms Zaandam
Image courtesy of Holland America ©
| Cruise line | Holland America |
|---|---|
| Ship | ms Zaandam |
| Duration | 18 nights |
| Port calls | 12 |
| Departures | 2 sailings |
| From fare | $2,514 per person |
| Year built | 2000 |
| Guests | 1718 |
| Cabins | 716 |
| Crew | 647 |
| Length | 202 m |
| Beam | 32 m |
| Cruising speed | 23.0 kn |
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 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.
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.
Valdez sits at the head of Prince William Sound, where steep Chugach peaks rise above sheltered water. From the harbor, boat tours reach tidewater glaciers and wildlife-rich coves; on land, waterfalls line the Richardson Highway. The town is also near the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, a striking feature of Alaska’s modern history. Explore by sea or road, then return to a working harbor framed by mountains.
Kodiak sits on the island of the same name, where the Gulf of Alaska meets a working fishing town. Fishing boats fill the harbor, and seafood remains central to the local economy. Russian America left its mark at Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church and the Baranov Museum. Beyond town, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge protects wilderness famed for brown bears, often reached by guided air or boat trips.
Homer rewards travelers who look beyond the harbor. At the end of the Sterling Highway, this lively Kenai Peninsula town faces Kachemak Bay and the mountains beyond. Walk the Homer Spit, a narrow gravel bar lined with fishing boats, shops, and seafood restaurants. Across the water, Kachemak Bay State Park protects a landscape of glaciers, coves, and trails. In town, galleries and the Pratt Museum tell stories of local art, history, and fishing.
Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, set between Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. Cruise ships generally dock at Seward or Whittier; Anchorage is the gateway inland. Explore the city’s Indigenous heritage, lively food scene and Alaska Native Heritage Center. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail pairs inlet views with the Chugach Mountains, and moose sometimes appear along its route. Then board the train or take the highway farther into Alaska.
Glacier Bay is Alaska at its most elemental: a vast marine wilderness where tidewater glaciers meet the sea. Cruise ships enter this protected national park, often with a park ranger aboard to interpret the landscape. Watch for calving ice, humpback whales, sea otters and bald eagles. The bay is also the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit, whose connection to this changing coast reaches back generations. Bring binoculars, and stay on deck.
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.
Wrangell occupies the northern tip of Wrangell Island, where the Stikine River meets the sea. Tlingit heritage and a layered past come into focus at Chief Shakes Island and the local museum. At Petroglyph Beach, ancient carvings appear between tides. In summer, boat trips reach Anan Wildlife Observatory, where bears gather to feed on salmon. Here, Indigenous history and untamed river country remain close at hand.
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.
Prince Rupert sits on Kaien Island, where British Columbia’s Inside Passage meets the Pacific. Its working harbour, rain-dark forests and mountain-framed shoreline give this northern port a distinctly maritime character. The Museum of Northern BC presents the art and history of the Tsimshian peoples. Their presence here spans millennia. In Cow Bay, browse waterfront shops and taste local seafood, including the region’s celebrated wild salmon.
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 7, 2026
Last updated October 11, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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