Grand Alaska National Parks - Explore the Best that Alaska Has to Offer

Description

Begin your Alaska experience with an amazing exploration of Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Parks. Our Adventure Guides will be with you throughout your journey to some of the most pristine geography on earth.
Admire the untamed landscape of Denali National Park, where low-elevation forest rises to alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in the tallest peak in North America. Next, venture to Kenai Fjords National Park, an ever-changing destination where ocean, mountains, and ice meet. After your incredible National Parks exploration, board your ship to begin your 12-day Alaskan Explorer cruise.
On this incredible voyage, explore the very best that Alaska has to offer. On your private balcony or one of the many open deck areas, you will have a front row seat to Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes. Enjoy exclusive access into Glacier Bay, the world’s largest biosphere.
Learn about the Tlingit and Russian history that has shaped Sitka from our native guide. Experience a jet boat adventure in Wrangell and charter a fishing boat while in Petersburg. Immerse yourself in the scenic beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord and witness the hundreds of waterfalls cascading down its vertical cliffs.
At the end of an exciting, return to the comfoft of American Constellation and share the day’s adventure with fellow guests.

Trip Name

Grand Alaska National Parks - Explore the Best that Alaska Has to Offer

Days

Overview

Fleet of Small ShipsAmerican Cruise Lines offers the newest fleet in America, each ship accommodating just 90 to 180 guests. We offer 6 unique ship styles, including a new class of Patriot Class, Coastal Cats, Classic Paddlewheelers, Constellation Class Ships, Independence Class, and the only modern American Riverboats. We have become the industry leader by continuing to introduce new and innovative ships each year, with the most diverse fleet in the country. These new ships, built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Maryland, are a testament to premier nautical engineering and safety equipment, as well as state-of-the-art navigation. On board a sophisticated aesthetic, an unprecedented level of comfort, the largest staterooms globally, with full private balconies where indicated, and modern accommodations including high-speed internet powered by Starlink. Our fleet allows us to provide a genuine and customized exploration of areas inaccessible to large ships and crowds, and to explore each region in the most meaningful way possible. With land never out of sight allowing for more time to savor the scenery. Our small ship river cruises offer a more intimate look at American cities from charming small towns to gracious southern ports. American Riverboats | 180 GuestsAmerican Serenade - American Symphony - American Melody - American Jazz - American Song - American Harmony • Operates along the U.S. Rivers• Multiple Dining Venues• Sophisticated and Modern Décor • Outdoor Walking Track and Fitness Center• Multi-Story Glass Atrium• Unique Bow Ramp for Easy Boarding• Elevator Access to All Passenger Decks Coastal Cats Cruise Ships | 100 GuestsAmerican Eagle - American Glory - American Liberty - American Legend • Shallow Draft for Inland Exploration• Modern Interior Design• Multiple Dining Venues• Bow Observation Area for Scenic Viewing• Sun Deck with Walking Track• Activity / Tender Platform• Fitness Center• Elevator Access to Each Deck Constellation Class Coastal Ships | 170 GuestsAmerican Constellation - American Constitution • Traditional Bow for Coastal Travel• Main Deck Restaurant with 270º Views• Sun Deck with Shaded Lounge Area• Entertainment Lounge• Reading Lounge• Fitness Center• Elevator Access to All Passenger DecksPaddlewheelers | 180 GuestsAmerican Heritage - American Splendor - American Pride - American West • Classic Paddlewheel Aesthetic• Glass-Enclosed Restaurant • Open Seating Dining• Three Distinct Guest Lounges • Cozy Study Enclave• Fitness Center• Elevator Access to All Passenger DecksIndependence Class Coastal Ships | 90 GuestsAmerican Independence - American Spirit - American Star • Traditional Bow for Coastal Travel• Main Deck Restaurant with 270º Views• Sun Deck with Shaded Lounge Area• Entertainment Lounge• Reading Lounge• Fitness Center• Elevator Access to All Passenger DecksPatriot Class Coastal Ships | 125 GuestsAmerican Patriot - American Pioneer • Uniquely Designed Bow for Deeper Drafts• Luxurious Grand Suites• Open Seating Dining• Multiple Guest Lounges• Bow Terrace for Observation• Fitness Center• Elevator Access to All Decks

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 - Fairbanks, AK

Arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska’s largest interior city and meet your Adventure Guides for transportation to the hotel. They will be with you throughout your journey to some of the most pristine geography on earth.

Day 2 - Day 2 - Fairbanks, AK

Relax in the morning, enjoy lunch with your fellow explorers, and join your Adventure Guides for a narrated driving experiences through Fairbanks, including a visit to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center and the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Conclude the day with a Welcome Dinner.

Day 3 - Day 3 - Denali National Park, AK

Upon departing Fairbanks, a stop in Nenana will provide an opportunity to learn about the “golden spike,” which came to symbolize the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, the Pacific Railroad.Once in Denali, admire the scenic landscape, where low-elevation forest rises to alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in the tallest peak in North America, Mount Denali, formerly Mount McKinley. Stop at the Denali Visitor Center, where interpretive exhibits give you an overview of what the National Park has to offer. Hike short trails or explore the area around the Center, including the nearby bookstore/giftshop, and Alaska Railroad Depot.

Day 4 - Day 4 - Denali National Park, AK

After breakfast, enjoy a narrated Denali Park Road exploration. This comprehensive journey will lead you through the highlights of the park as a trained naturalist points out animals, geologic features, ecosystems, and more. Stop for a relaxing lunch before continuing your journey.Bears, moose, Dall sheep, and migratory birds are some of the animals you may encounter during your ride. In the evening, be treated to dinner and a relaxing hotel stay.

Day 5 - Day 5 - Travel to Anchorage, AK

Depart the Denali area by train in a deluxe dome rail car for your journey south to Talkeetna, a delightful and quirky town which began as a mining town and trading post and grew with the railway expansion.Discover beautiful heritage buildings and a vibrant arts scene on a stroll down historic Main Street where you can talk with locals and find a perfect Alaskan souvenir. Then continue on to Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Day 6 - Day 6 - Kenai Fjords National Park

Enjoy a full day in Kenai Fjords National Park, an ever-changing destination where ocean, mountains, and ice meet. The park is comprised of the Harding Icefield, the largest icefield entirely within U.S. borders, as well as outflowing glaciers, coastal fjords, and islands. Delight in a day of cruising along the shoreline and into fjords. Your captain will provide commentary along the way and position the boat for up-close viewing of glaciers and wildlife, including whales, stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters.

Day 7 - Day 7 - Anchorage, AK

After breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive to Anchorage with visit to the Alaska Sealife Center, the only cold water research and rehabilitation facility in Alaska.Moving north, a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a sanctuary which provides a home to injured and orphaned animals in 200 acres of spacious habitats. Meet the variety of animals native to Alaska, including bears, bison, reindeer, and wolf. You might even have the chance to feed a moose.Be treated to dinner and a relaxing stay in Anchorage.

Day 8 - Day 8 - Juneau, AK

After your incredible National Parks exploration, fly from Anchorage to Juneau. Settle into your hotel and enjoy the city.

Day 9 - Day 9 - Afternoon of Cruising

Before boarding, enjoy a guided Glacier Gardens & Brotherhood Bridge Exploration which concludes at the ship. Be treated to a Welcome Reception as you begin your Alaska journey.

Day 10 - Day 10 - Haines, AK

Nestled at the northern end of the Lynn Canal, the mountains rise steeply from the shoreline and seem to wrap around Haines. Along a river on the edge of town, view the bears that regularly feed on salmon.Bald eagles are the stars of more than 260 species of birds in the adjacent Chilkat Valley. Enjoy a variety of activities, including a guided wildlife expedition, a private kayaking and rafting tour, or a visit to bald eagle rehabilitation center.

Day 11 - Day 11 - Day of Cruising the Inside Passage

Relish a day of scenic cruising along the Inside Passage. Savor delicious cuisine, enjoy festive onboard activities and illuminating presentations, or just relax and be spoiled by the gracious hospitality of our all-American crew. As you glide smoothly aboard the new American Constellation, the only fully stabilized small cruise ship in the region, enjoy every modern comfort and convenience. Nestle beside the large windows in one of our many lounges to revel in the scenery as you make new friends. Relax in the luxury of your stateroom, featuring a wall of windows, or sit out on your private veranda as the captain maneuvers the ship beside churning waterfalls, backcountry lodges, or into magical coves. Thousands of humpback whales migrate for the nutrient-rich waters, as do orcas, sea lions, seals, dolphins, and porpoise. Watch for gliding or breaching whales, or even an incredible sighting of “bubble-net feeding” as the whales work to feed in tandem. Along the shoreline, you may also spot black and brown bears as well as Sitka black-tailed deer.

Day 12 - Day 12 - Glacier Bay, AK

There is no place in the world quite like Glacier Bay National Park. The park sprawls majestically over 3.3 million acres of dynamic topography. Thousands of glaciers descend toward the bay, which is surrounded by the Fairweather Mountain Range, known to collect more than 200 feet of snow annually. American Cruise Lines is one of a few cruise lines allowed privileged access into this natural wonder. Savor a day cruising through this 60-mile bay as you delight in the diverse and stunning surroundings. Sip on cocoa as the ship floats beneath massive glaciers. Gaze in amazement at hundreds of seals hauled out on floating icebergs and massive chunks of ice breaking off and collapsing into the water. Enjoy awe-inspiring sights as your onboard presenter shares stories about the unique aspects that make this place so remarkable.From the comfort of your private balcony, watch for abundant marine and shoreside wildlife, including otters, seals, sea lions, black and brown bears, mountain goats, and many birds.

Day 13 - Day 13 - Sitka, AK

Discover this unique Alaskan town, which ascends beautifully up the hillside, with a harbor ornamented with lovely islands. Local museums feature artifacts and exhibits about the area’s long and rich history as an ancestral home of the Tlingit natives, the capital for Russia’s fur-trading enterprise, and the site of the formal transfer from the Russian empire to the United States on October 18, 1867. Choose from dozens of attractions listed on the National Register of Historic Places, seven of which are National Historic Landmarks. Surrounded by rainforest, this island community is framed by both mountains and sea and is teeming with wildlife, including brown bears, bald eagles, and all five species of Pacific salmon.

Day 14 - Day 14 - Cruising the Inside Passage & Frederick Sound

After several days of exploration, a cruising day is the perfect opportunity to relax and recharge as you enjoy marvelous views of Alaska’s natural wonders. Sail through glacier-carved fjords framed by sky-piercing mountains that frame our cruising route and provide a dramatic backdrop as they rise from sea level up to more than 15,000 feet. View numerous scattered islands, forested down to the waterline.Your captain will position the ship for the best up-close viewing of whales, sea lions, seals, porpoises, and puffins. Bald eagles and seabirds may also be spotted flying overhead.

Day 15 - Day 15 - Petersburg, AK

As your ship docks in Petersburg, admire the surrounding mountains which rise to the sky, white and gleaming. Founded more than 100 years ago by Norwegian fishermen, Petersburg is an authentic Alaskan fishing town, with most families making their living from the sea. Be warmly welcomed by locals and excursion guides who are proud to share the treasures of their hometown and honor the culture of those who first settled here. For a spectacular view, take a flightseeing excursion and soar over massive glaciers, majestic valleys, and mystic bays. Explore the charming shops and quaint museums of downtown or hike along the waterfront to enjoy the surrounding wilderness. Charter a fishing boat for the afternoon in the adjacent Frederick Sound or delight in a jet boat adventure to nearby LeConte Glacier Bay.

Day 16 - Day 16 - Cruising the Wrangell Narrows

Cruising between Wrangell and Petersburg, the ship travels through the Wrangell Narrows – a deep and narrow waterway which resembles a fjord with steep and verdant shorelines gliding alongside the ship. Delight in a tasty snack and beverage as you nestle in to admire the scenic landscapes.Bask in stunning views of glaciers, strings of cascading waterfalls, and wildlife ranging from marine mammals to a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds. Enjoy activities with your ship staff, listen to an enlightening presentation from the guest speaker, and sample the chef’s regional creations.

Day 17 - Day 17 - Wrangell, AK

Wrangell’s cozy little bay offers a broad view of the attractive town and along the long valley descending from the backdrop of coastal mountains. To the north of town, the Stikine River empties into the ocean in braided rivulets across a wide delta. Salmon runs attract wildlife and observation areas enable you to safely watch eagles, seals, black bears, and brown bears feasting on the spawning fish.If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take a jet boat ride up the river, an important route during the Gold Rush. On your exploration of the town, savor the flavors of fresh salmon and halibut, participate in native Tlingit culture, or stop and pick from the wild bushes of blueberries and huckleberries.

Day 18 - Day 18 - Tracy Arm, AK

This day of cruising offers an array of scenic highlights as our small ship meanders the narrow channel of the Tracy Arm Fjord. Throughout the 25-mile journey, the waterway averages only about a mile wide, framed by steep vertical cliffs stretching more than 3,000 feet high. Pockets of valleys reveal views of larger, snow-capped peaks featuring mountainsides adorned with ancient forest and swaths of sparkling glaciers. Hundreds of waterfalls cascade down the cliffs and tumble into the water. The miraculous journey is further heightened as the ship arrives at the faces of the stunning twin Sawyer Glaciers that once combined to carve out this incredible waterway. Seals lounge with their young on small ice floes. During glacier viewing, the crew prepares a delicious hot-chocolate bar with an array of toppings and liqueurs.The area is almost unchanged since naturalist John Muir visited in 1879 and described this special place as "shut in by sublime cliffs, nobly sculptured, and adorned with waterfalls and fringes of trees, bushes, and patches of flowers."

Day 19 - Day 19 - Juneau, AK

After an exciting adventure exploring the best of Alaska, end your journey where it began, in Juneau. Enjoy breakfast on board before departing the ship.You may decide to stay longer in this enchanting destination, brimming with incredible wildlife viewing, shopping, eateries, and breweries. of Alaska’s capital.

Day 20 - Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Denali National Park: Admire the diverse landscapes and towering peaks of Denali National Park, including the highest point in North America.
Tracy Arm Fjord: Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord, with its cascading waterfalls and dramatic cliffs.