18 nights · Long Beach-San Pedro, California · Departs Los Angeles (USA) · Visiting San Diego, San Francisco, Victoria BC, Vancouver, Wrangell AK, Juneau, Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert BC · Aboard MSC Explora Journeys on the MSC Explora 3
Image courtesy of MSC Explora Journeys ©
| Cruise line | MSC Explora Journeys |
|---|---|
| Ship | MSC Explora 3 |
| Duration | 18 nights |
| Port calls | 12 |
| Departures | 1 sailings |
| From fare | $10,885 per person |
| Year built | 2026 |
| Guests | 1473 |
| Cabins | 463 |
| Crew | 640 |
| Length | 268 m |
| Beam | 32 m |
| Cruising speed | 18.0 kn |
San Pedro is Los Angeles’s maritime gateway, home to one of the world’s busiest container ports. See the Battleship Iowa, explore San Pedro’s waterfront, or visit the Korean Bell of Friendship for coastal views. Downtown’s museums and architecture sit roughly 20 miles north, while Hollywood and the beaches call for longer excursions. Choose a district and give it time; this vast city is best explored with a clear plan.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tracy Arm is a 30-mile glacial fjord in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, about 45 miles south of Juneau. Its steep granite walls rise above teal water, while waterfalls stream down the cliffs in summer. At the fjord’s head, the twin Sawyer Glaciers calve ice into the water, often sending small bergs drifting past. Ships move slowly here; the best views are from deck, where wildlife may include seals and eagles.
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.
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.
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.
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 29, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
Good to know: Prices are quoted per person based on double occupancy and include all applicable taxes and fees. Availability and prices can change quickly, so please continue through the booking process to confirm the latest availability and pricing before you pay.
We work hard to make sure everything on this website is accurate and up to date. However, some information may be incomplete or inaccurate, including details supplied by third parties or otherwise outside our control, and we cannot be held responsible for such errors. We work with 41 cruise line operators, that are providing cruises on 585 ships visiting 1,731 ports across 7,194 unique cruises, creating 13,822 itineraries. This is a great deal of data to continually update daily from our suppliers. If a pricing error, misrepresentation, or omission occurs, we reserve the right to adjust the pricing, correct the information, or cancel or decline any booking made in error, with notice to you. Thank you for your understanding!
