Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice Cruise on Noordam

Transfer to Pier 91 and embark ship

The perfect combination of urban meets nature, Vancouver is a hub for lovers of the great outdoors. Enjoy picturesque views of the mountains while exploring the city’s local hot spots like Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown and more. Don’t forget to sample the best of the local culinary and cocktail scene for something truly unique. Here’s how to enjoy a stop at Hollywood of the North.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

Take an adventure and cruise to Ketchikan, Alaska. Alaska's "First City" of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries. Visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants on a cruise to Ketchikan excursion. Ketchikanis also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house.

A storied past mixed with jaw-dropping scenery sets Sitka, Alaska apart from other ports. Located on Baranof Island surrounded by the Sitka Sound’s icy blue water, it not only boasts lush scenery and captivating wildlife, Sitka offers a unique glimpse into Alaska history. Russia controlled Alaska from the mid-1700s until the United States purchased it in 1867, and Sitka was settled as the capital of Russian America with the name New Archangel.Sail to Sitka on an Alaska Cruise today and you’ll see vestiges of Russia’s influence. Stroll past the onion dome of St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Russian Bishop’s House, both National Historic Landmarks. On a Sitka, Alaska shore excursion, stop by the visitor center of the Sitka National Historical park to peruse fascinating collections of Russian and Native Alaskan artefacts, and then join a ranger-led tour of the battlefield where Russia fought the native Tlingit people.Surrounded by the Tongass National rain forest, nature abounds in Sitka, Alaska. A walk up Castle Hill offers the ideal vantage point to take in Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano. Visits to the Fortress of the Bear and Alaska Raptor Center are in order for any animal-lover. Both provide the opportunity to see Alaska wildlife, such as bears or raptors up-close, but safely.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

A paradise for fishing enthusiasts, Valdez offers every kind of salmon, huge halibut and ample opportunity to reel them in. Rivers and streams spill into the Sound here and are ideal for kayaking.

An Alaska glaciers cruise is the best way to see majestic, centuries-old rivers of ice cascading from the mountains to the sea. Glaciers have shaped many Alaska lakes, rivers and valleys one slow centimeter at a time. They’ve fascinated scientists and inspired artists for a long time. Scenic cruising College Fjord will bring you close to many glaciers—there’s even a spot where you can see eight at once. Your chances of watching ice thunder into the water is high, as the Prince William Sound is one of the most active areas for calving.Out of all Alaska fjords, College Fjord is the most storied. The Harriman Expedition of 1899 with John Muir and other notable scientists traversed the College Fjord aboard the George W. Elder, funded by Ivy League colleges. All of the glaciers were named for various schools. As you travel into College Fjord, the glaciers on the left are named for women's colleges and those on the right are named for men's colleges. The names are Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Smith, Vassar, and Yale).Harvard Glacier is the biggest – its face is a mile and a half across. In case you’re wondering, it is rumored that the scientists snubbed Princeton.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

The volcanic Aleutian Islands stretch between the United States and Russia in the Bering Sea. The archipelago’s largest community goes by two names—Unalaska and Dutch Harbour—though you may hear really old-time Aleut speakers say “Ounalashka” too. Want to sound like one of the fishing port’s 4,300-odd residents? Just stick with “Dutch.”In the easternmost arc—the Fox Island subgroup—this flourishing town depends more on the fish-processing industry than on tourism. In fact, Dutch Harbuor netted 762 million pounds in 2014, maintaining its “most seafood landed” status for the 18th consecutive year. But visitors may be more familiar with its fame from , a TV series about the brutal struggle to harvest Alaskan king crabs—a task often called the world’s most dangerous job.While its stark natural beauty is the main draw, Dutch woos tourists with the oldest Russian-Orthodox cruciform church in North America (note the darkened icons, damaged while locals were exiled to WWII internment camps). Learn more about the Aleutians’ war—Japanese forces invaded the area, making it the only occupied American soil during the conflict—at the National Historic Area.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

For more than 8,000 years the Inupiaq Eskimos have lived in this location. Learn about their fascinating culture and traditions from tribal elders and retrace the city’s boomtown Gold-Rush history.

The Arctic Circle is the most northerly circle of latitude and girdles the top of the earth, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, the North Pole and the northernmost regions of Alaska, Canada, Russia and the Nordic countries (including Norway, Finland and Greenland). The landscape is stark but also magical, with towering jagged glaciers, snowy tundras and seas filled with floating sheets of ice. Known as the Land of the Midnight Sun, the region boasts 24 hours of daylight during its short summer season. It is then that the ice retreats and the Arctic’s fauna and flora put on a splendid show, with bright blooms popping up among the glaciers and wildlife coming out of hibernation to rear their young.The opposite occurs during the winter solstice, when the sun appears only briefly, and the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis lights up the sky with magnificent flashes of green, red, purple and yellow. Despite the harsh climate and forbidding landscape—in winter, temperatures at the North Pole average minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit)—the Arctic is home to a wide variety of species, including polar bears, polar foxes, seals, walruses, whales and seabirds.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

Kodiak is all about bears. And what bears! This unique subspecies named for the Kodiak Archipelago where they are found evolved in isolation for around 12,000 years and can reach heights of 3 meters, or 10 feet, when standing on their hind legs. One of the world’s largest carnivores, the bears have a diet that goes far beyond meat (they can sleep for up to eight months, then wake up ravenous to feast predominantly on grass, plants, berries and fish). About 3,500 live on this tiny island, meaning you have a great chance of seeing one, if not many, from May through October!Shrubs and bushes cover the rolling hills here, giving Kodiak its Emerald Isle nickname. It was once a prime native hunting ground for the Alutiit, but their population plummeted after Russian traders and fur trappers settled the area in the late 1700s. Bought by the United States in 1867, Kodiak grew into a commercial fishing center. Today both the island and the hardworking town that shares its name attract anglers, hunters, adventure travelers and nature photographers. Top highlights include the Baranov Museum, the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

From ice-blue glaciers to beluga whales and the famous bore tide, a single cruise to Anchorage, Alaska will considerably shorten any nature-lover’s bucket list. Nestled between mountains and the Cook Inlet terminus, near many national and state parks, this hospitable haven is one of the best places to see Alaska wildlife. A city moose roaming the streets (there are about 1,500) is a regular sight and views of whales, puffins, otters, and Dall porpoises going about their days is just a short excursion away. Cruises to Anchorage are a must for those that want some of the most incredible bear viewing in the country.Although the wildlife is reason alone to cruise to Anchorage Alaska, the culture of the city itself is worth exploring. Almost half of the state’s residents live in Anchorage, a population that largely comprises military members, Alaska Natives, adventurous transplants from the “lower 48,” and oil industry workers. Coffee and espresso huts dot every corner and fresh halibut, smoked salmon and reindeer dogs are among the local eats.Anchorage is a year-round town. On some clear, dark nights during winter, the Northern Lights dance above. In spring, thousands of flowers planted by the city bloom to celebrate the season’s anticipated arrival. Summer brings the Midnight Sun where days can stretch to 19 hours.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

Hubbard Glacier feels like you’re approaching another planet in a tiny space craft. It is that big and that otherworldly. Among all the vanishing Alaska glaciers, Hubbard has a rapidly advancing ice margin— up to seven feet in one day—earning it the nickname, “the Galloping Glacier.”Hubbard Glacier cruises are so popular because of the glacier’s three-story icebergs that cannon into crystal waters, a process called calving. It’s also colorful. On clear days, Hubbard turns a stunning deep blue and on cloudy ones, its many ripples and icebergs shimmer in soft light.This glacier dwarfs the other glaciers in Alaska. It is the longest tidewater glacier in North America and starts 122 kilometers (76 miles) back, pouring down off the shoulder of Mt. Walsh. It has an impressive terminal face that is 11 kilometers (7 miles) long and 106 meters (350 feet) above the water line, making its regular audience of Alaska cruise ships look like toy boats.It’s a giant, but it’s not sleeping. Hubbard Glacier is one of the few Alaska glaciers that’s advancing and not succumbing to climate change. It sounds uplifting, but many fear that the expanding glacier will block the entrance to the fjord.

Take an Alaska cruise to Haines and you’ll soon discover why it’s considered the adventure capital of the state. It’s as if time has stopped in Haines. You’ll notice a distinct lack of chain stores and even stoplights, and the taverns and shops have that rustic frontier feel. Despite its chill vibe, there are plenty of things to do in Haines, Alaska. This town of only 1,300 topped Outside magazine’s list of “20 Best Places to Live and Play,” and for good reason. It’s a hotspot for rafting and hiking, salmon-, halibut- and trout-fishing in the Chilkat River or kayaking on Chilkoot Lake—as well as heli-skiing in the winter. A bald eagle festival takes place every November, when thousands of eagles soar into the area to feast on salmon. With numerous galleries and a museum dedicated to the hammer.

Cruise to Juneau, Alaska and visit the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day.Juneau is known for its outdoor recreation, fresh seafood and fine dining. The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a float-plane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around on Alaska cruise excursion.The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s number-one tourist destination.

Steep cliffs and glacier-covered mountains flank this fjord, fringed by the largest intact coastal temperate rain forest in the United States. Old-growth trees colonised Tracy Arm’s mouth long ago as the Ice Age retreated. But further up the sinuous 48-kilometer (30-mile) waterway, its icy grip lingers a little. There, the twin Sawyer Glaciers flow from the peaks down to the sea, sloughing off stories-high chunks of water frozen decades or even centuries before. Even more glorious than nearby Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm is part of the 5.7 million acres (or around 23,000 square kilometers) of pure wilderness sheltered by the Tongass National Forest (America’s biggest). Visitors often see bears, whales and mountain goats roaming across various corners of this pristine area—not to mention chubby baby seals resting on the ice floes.Summer temperatures average 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 16 degrees Celsius), so pack warm clothing. And don’t forget waterproof gear, even when travelling by cruise ship: More than a meter and a half of rain falls here each year! We also recommend a water bottle, thermos or reusable coffee cup: On scenic cruising days, cruise ships ban paper and disposable plastic products that could litter this unsullied environment.

Just outside of Wrangell, explore Tlingit culture, through authentic stories, intricately carved totem poles and dance, at the Chief Shakes Tribal House—built mainly by hand and largely by women.

Prince Rupert is a charming port on the secluded Kaien Island in British Columbia. Passengers on cruises to Prince Rupert will find a close-knit community nestled among jaw-dropping scenery. Vast forest, wide rivers and abundant wildlife make this port an unexpected favourite. Far from other more bustling B.C. cities, it is a gateway to pristine hiking and paddling spots. Butze Rapids Park and Trail is an easy to moderate trail that winds through temperate rain forest with excellent water views. Outdoor and nature activities are just the beginning. The area is known for a large population of bears and other wildlife.Those interested in culture should visit the Museum of Northern British Columbia on their Prince Rupert cruise stop. The museum has a large collection of Tsimshian art and artefacts, amongst other highlights. For a smaller city, Prince Rupert has big personality with a plethora of shops, seafood restaurants and a fish market.

Relax and make the most of the myriad of facilities available on board the ship, from fantastic entertainment to delicious and diverse dining options.

Disembark ship and transfer to airport for overnight flight to UK