Compare Northwest Passage Cruise from Greenland to Russia by Ponant vs Jewels of Alaska with Glacier Discovery Cruise - Verandah Cabin, Classic Group With Alaska Cruise Verandah Cabin Classic Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1Kangerlussuaq (Greenland)

Embarking 5.00pm to 6.00pm.

Day 2: Sisimiut (Greenland)

Day 3: Ilulissat- Disko Bay (Greenland)

At the heart of Disko Bay - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Ilulissat Icefjord provides an extraordinary spectacle of almost surreal beauty. The sculptural icebergs continue their on timeless journey, shimmering with their eternal light. Vast pieces of ice break off from the bergs and rejoin the inexorable movement of the sea. Close by lies the town of Ilulissat, the region’s principal destination. Encircled by icebergs, it has retained a unique mix of traditional Arctic life, with multicoloured wooden houses, huskies and the leather tanners who still work today using the ancient methods of their ancestors.

Day 4: Upernavik Fjord (Greenland)

Day 5: Melville Bay (Greenland)

Day 6: Savissivik (Greenland)

Day 7: Pond Inlet (Nunavut, Canada)

Placed like a custodian on the northern edge of Baffin Island, Pond Inlet appears to guard over the entrance to the legendary North West Passage. Formerly called Tununiq by the Inuit, this region was long ago inhabited by their ancestors, the Thule, who left behind numerous archaeological artefacts, little vestiges of the past. No matter where you look, your eyes will alight upon a unique landscape of snow-capped mountain ranges, each more beautiful than the last, standing opposite ice-blue glaciers whose vertiginous flows descend into the ocean. In the summertime, when the sun doesn’t set below the horizon, the light is truly magical, a palette of opaline blues, dusky pinks and pure white. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the bird colonies of Bylot Island; LE SOLÉAL route will sail you close to this uninhabited "Garden of Eden" so that you may wonder at its natural marvels.

Day 8: Beechey (Nunavut, Canada)

Beechey Island, looking across at the huge silhouette of Cape Riley, at the eastern end of Resolute Bay, will call to mind some of the most important moments of Franklin’s expedition. Sir John set off in 1845 in search of the mythical North West Passage and was forced to take shelter in Erebus Harbour for two long years, while he waited for the ice floes to recede and allow him a way through. It is a spectacular location; seeing the three wooden grave markers, bleached by the sun (indicating the burial places of at least three of Captain Franklin’s men) and visiting the memorial that has been erected in memory of Franklin and his men can only reinforce the hushed sense of reverence. If the surrounding wilderness impresses us, the ochres and yellows of the rocky desert soften the striking landscape.

Day 9: Fort Ross (Nunavut, Canada)

Sailing the Franklin and Ross Straits

Day 10: Gjoa Haven (Nunavut, Canada)

Sailing Queen Maud Gulf

Day 11: Sailing Queen Maud Gulf (Nunavut, Canada)

During the 15th century, linking Europe and Asia by the sea became the grail of generations of explorers and adventurers. Today, La Compagnie du Ponant is offering you the chance to explore this region which still sees only infrequent traffic, but where passion and the spirit of adventure abound. Do not miss the Bay of Cambridge, one of the mythical sites in this region. Here, when you look towards the horizon, way off on the other side of the fjord, you can see the silhouette of the Maud, Captain Roald AMUNDSEN’s famous three-master. When she got trapped here after partially sinking, it was a chance for the famous navigator to explore the Northeast Passage near the Siberian coast between 1918 and 1920. Though today we can still see part of her hull breaking the surface, a repatriation to Norway is being envisaged, to make the Maud the centrepiece of a new Museum.

Day 12: Navigation inside Coronation Gulf and Duke of York Archipelago (Nunavut, Canada)

Day 13: Jesse Harbour (NWT, Canada)

Prince of wales strait

Day 14: Franklin Bay (NWT, Canada)

Day 15: Sailing Beaufort Sea (NWT, Canada)

Day 16: Herschel Island (Tyukon, Canada)

The Canadian Arctic Archipelago is composed of a myriad of islands with jagged coastlines and reveals landscapes you will only see at this far end of the world. Come and discover the small canadian island of Herschel, a frozen paradise located in the Beaufort Sea just 2 km off the coast of the Yukon, within the Ivvavik National Park. During a long mapping expedition in 1826, Sir John FRANKLIN was the first european to lay eyes on these unique places and their inhabitants, the Inuvialuit, the nordic cousins of the Inuit. It was during this trip that he named the island after one of his friends, John HERSCHEL, a brilliant british astronomer and scientist. Herschel Island is a landmark in the West Arctic and has since served alternately as a whaling station, a relay station and a refuge for travellers. As Summer approaches, the soft glow of twilight begins to break the opacity of the polar night, and the hours of darkness get shorter and shorter… Set off in the wake of the great explorers, to discover a remote land, its people and cultures, and experience unique moments and rare emotions in landscapes you will not find anywhere else.

Day 17: Sailing the Arctic Ocean (Alaska, USA)

Day 18: Crossing the Bering Strait (Alaska, USA)

Day 19: Little Diomede (Alaska, USA)

Day 20: At Sea - Data Line Change

Day 21: Anadyr (Russia) 

Disembarkation

Day 1: Anchorage, the City of Lights and Flowers

Welcome to Alaska, an adventurous land of wildlife, mountains, national parks and glaciers. Upon arrival at Anchorage International Airport, you'll be transferred to your hotel.Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner.

Day 2: Anchorage Sightseeing and the Matanuska Valley

Get acquainted with Anchorage with on an immersive city tour. During a visit to the renowned Alaska Native Heritage Center, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you enjoy an exclusive presentation on Agutak (Eskimo ice cream) while learning how it's made by Alaska's first people. Learn how this culinary treat establishes a link to the past, inspires a sense of pride and spurs a dialogue on a culture's remarkable ability to survive. This afternoon, travel through the fertile Matanuska Valley and stop at a local farm to see how the long summer days and glacial silt create the perfect environment for growing vegetables and flowers. Depart Anchorage for the quaint community of Talkeetna, nestled at the base of Mount Denali, North America's tallest peak. The evening is yours at leisure, feel free to ask your Travel Director for suggestions on the best spots to grab a bite.

Day 3: Talkeetna Sightseeing

This morning, enjoy an immersive jet boat tour up the Chulitna River and make a visit to a trapper's cabin. Learn about the fascinating lifestyle of hunting and trapping in Interior Alaska.The rest of the day is yours to explore, perhaps discovering more of Talkeetna or joining an optional experience such as a flightseeing tour of the Alaska Range, or a dryland dog sledding ride.

Day 4: Journey Along the Alaskan Railroad Relaxed Start

Board the world-famous Alaska Railroad train after a morning at leisure and embark on a spectacular journey over swift-rushing streams, toward Denali National Park and Preserve.Later, meet a local climber who will share stories about what it's like to brave a climb up the tallest land-based mountain in the world.For tonight's dinner with wine, the choice is yours between a charming local brewery or your lodge's rustic restaurant during your Dine-Around evening.

Day 5: Denali National Park, the Crown Jewel of the Alaskan Wilderness Relaxed Start

With the Denali National Park and Preserve just a short drive away from your hotel, you'll find a number of ways to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness on your own, or spend the day partaking in one of our optional experiences. From an exciting rafting trip down the Nenana River(waiver required) to a helicopter flightseeing tour or a Denali Wilderness walking tour, the choice is yours – just don't forget your camera! End the day back at your lodge where you'll enjoy panoramic views of your surroundings at night.

Day 6: Girdwood and Mount Alyeska

Depart Denali and enjoy a scenic journey on the George Parks Highway.Stop in Big Lake and meet four-time Iditarod winner, Martin Buser and learn about the challenges of competing in the 1,049-mile (1,688 kilometre) dogsled race while enjoying lunch at his home.Journey on the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm with its dramatic views, before arriving in the town of Girdwood, home of the Alyeska Resort.In the evening, join your Travel Director for a wonderful Celebration Dinner, complete with wine and good cheer.

Day 7: Prince William Sound Cruise and on to join your Glacier Discovery Cruise Relaxed Start

Take this morning to enjoy the surroundings and amenities at the beautiful Alyeska resort. Travel to Whittier to board the 26 Glacier Cruise for a 100-mile boat tour of Prince William Sound and into the College Fjord where you will come up close and personal to the glaciers. Visit with the Captain in the wheelhouse and enjoy an included lunch. Continue your journey on the Glacier Discovery Cruise from Whittier, you will be transferred to the ship pier to board the MS Nieuw Amsterdam or MS Noordam where you'll enjoy dinner and set sail in the evening. While on board, the cruise line will provide you with options and activities for the day, so whether you want to stay on the ship or explore more on land, the choice is yours. You'll also have a wide range of meal options to choose from throughout your journey. Information about these will be given by the cruise line once on board.

Day 8: A Day at Sea

Enjoy the facilities on board the ship during this day at sea. You will find plenty of options for entertainment, dining or shopping or simply sit back and relax.

Day 9: Glacier Bay National Park

Today you’ll catch Glacier Bay National Park's immense glaciers, towering peaks and icy rivers while getting a glimpse at what Alaska was like before the first humans arrived.

Day 10: Haines

Haines, home to autumn's famous Alaska Bald Eagle Festival lies alongside the longest fjord in America. Visit galleries offering traditional Tlingit art in the quaint downtown.

Day 11: Juneau

Stroll Juneau's picturesque streets, stopping in eclectic shops and saloons from the Gold Rush era. Perhaps embark on an optional trip on the Mount Roberts Tramway for exhilarating views of the harbour and nearby mountains.

Day 12: Ketchikan

Check out the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, intricately carved with native designs. Perhaps take an optional guided tour through town or a floatplane flightseeing trip.

Day 13: Float Through the Inside Passage

Revel in the scenery as you slowly glide past a maze of bays, glacier-carved fjords and waterways protected from the open sea by rugged, isolated islands.

Day 14: Depart Vancouver

Sail into the iconic Vancouver Harbour early this morning. After disembarking, take your transfer to Vancouver International Airport or to the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver if you wish to extend your stay and explore more of this diverse city. Airport arrival will be at approximately 10:30.