Luxury Cruises

Alaska Small Ship Cruise Vacations

8 Days MY 'Safari Explorer' Tour Package

Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Priced From: Contact Travelwizard

Alaska's Inside Passage - Juneau roundtrip

The Safari Explorer is 145-foot, 36 passenger luxury yacht

On the MY 'Safari Explorer' guests travel only during the day so there is nothing missed along the way. They anchor every night in pristine coves or dockside in small villages so guests can explore by water and on foot. Daytime cruising to secluded coves, islands and seldom-visited areas yield unique opportunities to experience a rich variety of wildlife and local cultures. With so few guests, the itineraries are flexible and can be altered at a moment's notice to maximize wildlife and scenic viewing opportunities

The 'Safari Explorer' offers personal and attentive guest services due to the ratio of 1 crew member for every 2 guests. The chef provides superb culinary masterpieces from specialized and custom menus all with gourmet flair and the attentive and knowledgeable expedition leader narrates the sights and sounds of the areas you are cruising through.

The 'Safari Explorer' features one very full day in Glacier Bay with some departures featuring two consecutive days in Glacier Bay. The itinerary will always be based in and out of Juneau, which does allow for more convenient flight arrivals and departures.

All of the staterooms on the 'Safari Explorer' have Tempur-Pedic mattresses, ample sized bathrooms and elegant accommodations in a casual atmosphere. There is an overall atmosphere of health and wellbeing aboard with complimentary massages from an onboard masseuse, yoga classes, sauna, and on-deck whirlpool spa and exercise equipment. The yacht features a wine library for special tastings. The salon has a large-screen TV/DVD and video library.

Day 2: Glacier Bay National Park
All by itself Glacier Bay National Park is larger than the state of Connecticut! Early this morning we'll pick up a National Park Service ranger, and then cruise deep into Glacier Bay. We'll linger by the Marble Islands, home to myriad seabirds including the ever-popular puffins. Wildlife is everywhere - humpback whales breaching in the waters, bears ambling along the shorelines, moose browsing in the shrubbery, mountain goats high on the cliffs. Nearly 60 miles up-bay we'll cruise close up to Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers, which frequently calve huge icebergs into the bay. Watch for seals sunning on the ice. This evening we'll exit the park and drop anchor in a secluded cove.

Day 3: Whale Watching
The waters of Icy Strait just outside Glacier Bay National Park are prime whale viewing waters. Humpback whales flip their tails to dive, spank their fins on the water, and occasionally even breach clear out of the water. As a team effort the whales engage in 'bubble feeding' - deep underwater they blow a circle of bubbles around schools of fish, which concentrate the prey for easier consumption. Your expert Captain knows where the best wildlife watching is to be had. You may enjoy a skiff ride near a pod of whales. These explorations by small skiff are one of the true delights of a yacht cruise adventure, as you cruise just feet away from rocky islets with a multitude of seabirds, tucked into tiny coves, and get close enough to waterfalls pouring from the cliffs above that you'll wish you had brought an umbrella. Overnight in Sitkoh Bay.

Day 4: Frederick Sound and Sea Lions
Today we'll cruise around wilderness Admiralty Island to more prime humpback-viewing waters in Frederick Sound. We'll take time for skiff operations and sea kayaking in Saginaw Bay, and cruise up-close to a sea lion colony at the Brothers Islands. Overnight Thomas Bay.

Day 5: Rainforest Hiking and Petersburg
Today we'll explore gorgeous trails in the Tongass National Forest near Petersburg. We'll also dock at the picturesque little Norwegian fishing village of Petersburg and will plenty of time for exploration on foot. This was a prime early fishing center for Alaska because free ice for cold storage washed up on the town's beaches in the form of icebergs, courtesy of nearby glaciers. Then we'll cruise north to Stephens Passage to find a peaceful anchorage for the evening, with kayaking and skiff explorations available after dinner.

Day 6: Admiralty Island - Bears
We'll tuck into Gambier Bay, a large, island-speckled body of water on the south coast of Admiralty Island National Monument. We'll drop the kayaks and launch the skiff for up-close exploration of this cool forested bay. Never logged, the thick evergreen forest crowds right down to the gravel beaches. Here is an outstanding opportunity to spot the huge brown - or grizzly - bears for which Admiralty Island is famous. At low tide they're right down on the beaches, seeking a shellfish supper. Once again under way, we'll watch for humpback whales before anchoring at Wood Spit for more exploration by kayak and skiff.

Day 7: Ford's Terror and Endicott Arm
Cliff-walled fjords sliced into the mountainous mainland are on tap today as we tuck into an area widely acclaimed as the most beautiful in all of Alaska. Snow gleams on mountaintops high overhead; as bears amble on the shoreline and mountain goats cling to impossibly precarious perches. Seemingly every few hundred yards another sparkling waterfall tumbles down the cliffs. Enjoy a skiff ride at Ford's Terror, named after an early mariner who was somewhat taken aback when a waterfall appeared at the turn of the tide where none had been visible at high tide. We'll anchor overnight at Taku Harbor to enjoy the Captain's Farewell Dinner in an utterly lovely setting.

Day 8: Juneau
After breakfast we'll arrive in Juneau. We'll bid you a fond farewell and transfer you to the airport for connections home.

Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252

12/08

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