Alaska Cruise & America’s West Coast

Fly to California's largest city, Los Angeles, where you’ll be welcomed by your tour manager and driven to your hotel in Buena Park for check-in.  Afterwards, you’ll have the rest of the evening at leisure to settle in and explore the local area. 

Your American adventure kicks off with a day discovering palm-fringed Santa Monica and its famous pier that marks the end of Route 66. This fashionable coastal city, west of downtown Los Angeles, looks out over the Pacific Ocean and is home to striking Art Deco architecture and an assortment of boutique shops and art galleries. 

Start by taking a walk along the pier, a historic landmark that is over 100 years old and features an amusement park with a solar-powered Ferris wheel, an aquarium, and various restaurants. Stretching out on either side of the pier is Santa Monica State Beach, a sandy stretch, lined with a boardwalk that is often referred to as ‘The Strand’.   

Watch the world go by from a beachfront café before heading to the Third Street Promenade, a car-free outdoor mall with colourful street art, street performers, and restaurants. From here, the tour will drive to nearby Hollywood, the iconic hub of the entertainment industry. Watched over by the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, this neighbourhood is where you can find several renowned landmarks.

Chart the history of the city’s film industry along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, see the TCL Chinese Theatre, with its handprints and footprints of the big names, and visit the Hollywood & Highland shopping and entertainment complex. Lastly, pass along the Sunset Strip in Sunset Boulevard with its legendary rock clubs and celebrity haunts.   

Check out of your hotel this morning ahead of a scenic drive along the Californian coast to nearby Santa Barbara. Known as the American Riviera, this idyllic seaside town showcases California’s Spanish colonial heritage with its traditional white stucco buildings, and you’ll have the day at leisure to explore. 

For insight into the town’s Catholic roots, pay a visit to the Mission Santa Barbara, a grand 18th-century Franciscan church often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Missions’. You’ll also find a number of high-end boutiques, and cafés along the town’s seafront promenade, while a relaxing few hours spent on the beach is always an option.  

Later, continue to Pismo Beach, a classic Californian beach town famous for its lively pier and year-round surfing spots. Overlooking the Pacific Coast, stop at the Spyglass Inn for your next overnight stay. After checking into your hotel early this evening, you’ll be free to wind down, perhaps with a stroll along the nearby white-sand beaches.

This morning, leave Pismo Beach’s coastal vistas behind as you board a coach for the journey north to the Golden Gate City, San Francisco. After settling into your new hotel, you can explore the surrounding area, perhaps with a stop in nearby Union Square, the city’s bustling commercial hub.  

Here, you’ll find a collection of high-end boutiques, cafés, and restaurants set against the imposing backdrop of Macy’s flagship California store. This historic department store, which was rebuilt after a major earthquake in 1906, has been a staple of San Francisco’s retail industry for over a century. 

This morning, join a captivating tour of San Francisco’s most famous landmarks.   

Your first stop this morning will be the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, one of the world’s most recognisable sights, which spans the mile-long strait of the same name. Starting with a trip to the nearby visitors’ centre, where you can find souvenirs to commemorate the day, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the bridge’s red facades which are perfect for a few precious holiday photos. A spectacular feat of modern engineering, the bridge has become synonymous with the USA’s Pacific Coast. 

After time spent admiring the Golden Gate and its namesake bridge, you’ll cross the bay into neighbouring Marin County for a stop in Sausalito. This former harbour town, now an artistic retreat for the rich and famous, offers exquisite views over Richardson Bay and a lively waterfront promenade perfect for enjoying a drink and watching the world go by. This afternoon, board the Bay ferry for the journey back across the Golden Gate Strait which goes right by the infamous Alcatraz Island, a former prison which once housed the likes of Al Capone and the United States’ most notorious criminals. The ferry will then dock at Fisherman’s Wharf, a popular waterfront area famous for its fresh seafood and tourist-friendly bars.   

After a busy day’s exploration in San Francisco, enjoy a well-earned rest with the evening at leisure.   

Enjoy a leisurely morning, perhaps visiting some of your favourite spots from the previous day’s tour or heading to Fisherman’s Wharf for a while.  

Later this afternoon, you’ll be dropped off at the docks and can step aboard your impressive home-from-home for the next few days, MS Carnival Luminosa. Settle into your cabin and spend some time getting acquainted with the on-board amenities before setting sail in the early evening.  

Another day of sailing awaits this morning, and can make the most of the on-board amenities, from its live theatre performances to its wide range of all-inclusive restaurants, and coastal views of the Inside Passage. Those who’d prefer a more relaxing day can also enjoy the Cloud 9 Spa or the Serenity Retreat.  

Today you'll call at the Alaskan capital, Juneau, in its setting at the foot of the magnificent mountains from which the Mendenhall Glacier flows. Built with the proceeds of gold prospecting, Juneau, which is only accessible by air or sea, is a surprisingly stylish city framed by dense forest.  

While in the city, you can join several optional shore excursions, including guided city tours and a trip to the breath-taking Mendenhall Glacier. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also take part in kayaking or dog-sledding activities. 

This morning, arrive in Skagway, the northernmost point of your cruise, ahead of a day’s exploration. Once a pioneering hub of the Klondike Gold Rush, this town still retains the rugged charm of its prospecting past with authentic honky-tonk saloons and painted timber-frame houses. Here, you can take in the town’s captivating collection of Gold Rush artefacts. 

You’ll also be free to experience Skagway your own way with a number of optional shore excursions. Embrace the Yukon Territory’s wild natural beauty with an excursion into the Klondike Gold Rush National Park. Discover one of the American Wild West’s most colourful chapters alongside a period-dressed guide and pan for gold with an optional visit to Skagway’s Gold Fever Experience. If you’d prefer to kick back, you can relax with panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes on a funicular ride up White Pass. 

However you choose to spend your day, return to Carnival Luminosa later this afternoon for the overnight sailing south.  

Wake up to views of the expansive Tracy Arm fjord, an impressive 30-mile stretch of woodland, granite waterfalls and glacial ice. As you cruise along its winding inlets, spot the local wildlife in their natural habitats, from bears, deer and wolves on land to the humpback whales and orcas in the icy waters below.  

As you approach the end of the fjord, you’ll be met by the magnificent Sawyer Glacier. Split into two parts, this blue ice cap runs for 14 miles from the Coast Mountains to Tracy Arm’s waters and often sheds ‘bergy bits’ throughout the summer. Listen out for the sound of moving ice while you’re here for the chance to witness one of these dramatic ‘calvings’ in action. 

Afterwards, head back down to the mouth of Tracy Arm ahead of an overnight sailing south to Ketchikan, the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’.  

Today’s port of call awaits this morning with a stop in Ketchikan, Alaska’s first city, with its wooden buildings, boardwalks and arts and crafts stores. Known for its century-old fishing industry, this remote town is backed by spectacular scenery and illustrates its Native American heritage.  

Wander along Creek Street, a stilted boardwalk with timber buildings and discover the town’s history at the Tongass Historical Museum. You can also pay a visit to the town’s Totem Heritage Centre, which showcases the lives, cultures and artwork of the areas native Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples.  

If you’d prefer a more nature-focused day, you can also soar above the vast Misty Fjords National Monument with an optional floatplane shore excursion. 

Drop anchor back in San Francisco this morning drawing your Alaskan cruise to a close.  

Then, board the coach for a drive south along the Pacific coast to the harbour town of Monterey.  From the Old Fisherman’s Wharf and historic Cannery Row to the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, there’s plenty to enjoy on the waterfront.  

After a short stop in Monterey, continue south to idyllic Carmel-by-the-Sea where you’ll find picturesque cottages, cafés and boutiques set amongst white-sand beaches and craggy hillsides.  

In the early evening, head to San Francisco airport for your overnight return flight.