Shore Excursion Ports

Originally a Maori settlement, Dunedin was first discovered by European whalers in the early 1800s. By 1848 a group of Scottish pioneers settled here, escaping religious persecution in their homeland and was given the name "Dunedin" which is the Gaelic word for Edinburgh. With the discovery of gold in 1861, thousands of prospectors arrived, and the township more than doubled to 5,000 residents. The rapid growth of the region around the turn of the century left Dunedin with the largest concentration of Victorian and Edwardian buildings outside Britain. With more than 120,000 inhabitants, it is presumably the best-preserved Victorian city in the world. Dunedin is also the home to New Zealand's oldest university, the University of Otago.

The town of Haines, located at the base of the Chilkat Peninsula, is the ancestral home to the Tlingit people. Tlingits were the first settlers to the area and called Haines "Dei-shu" meaning "The End of the Trail". The area is still rich with Tlingit culture and history. Haines is home to the first established US Military Base, Fort William H. Seward, which is over 100 years old.

Haines has the largest annual gathering of American bald eagles. Many tours in Haines often see a variety of wildlife, including eagles, bears and wolves. Tours such as the Alaska Nature & Wildlife Expedition and the Eagle Preserve Scenic Float Adventure are just a few of the popular tours Haines has to offer.

Hilo is located on the "Big Island" of Hawaii, and is the second largest settlement in the state. Hilo is on the eastern side of the island of Hawaii and houses the seat of the Big Island's government. Hilo is home to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and also home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world's leading producers of macadamia nuts.

Take a shore excursion to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and walk through green gardens and cascading waterfalls or to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to three volcanoes: Mauna Kea - the highest peak in the Pacific Basin; Mauna Loa - the largest mountain in the world; and Kilauea - the actively erupting volcano on the island. You may also wish to travel 11 miles north of Hilo to Akaka Falls, a spectacular 422-feet waterfall.

Juneau is located on the Gastineau Channel which was a favorite fishing ground for local Tlingit Indians, known then as the Auke and Taku tribes, who had inhabited the surrounding area for thousands of years. Juneau is named after Joe Juneau who, with Richard Harris, discovered gold nuggets "as large as peas and beans" in 1880. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined.

Juneau has been the capital of Alaska since the government was moved from Sitka in 1906. Today, over 30,000 people live in Juneau. Tours such as helicopter glacier flights which land on the ice and allow you to explore, and whale watching are just a few of the popular tours Juneau has to offer.

Ketchikan is known as Alaska’s “First City” because it’s the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp.

The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means “eagle with spread-out wings,” a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska’s claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska’s fourth largest city. Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, which includes the world’s oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center.

The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city’s colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sportfishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument.

Key West is the southernmost city of the Continental United States and is linked to the Florida mainland by the Overseas Highway.

Key West, once a haven for rum smugglers, is home to part of the only coral reef ecosystem in the United States.

Take a historic walking tour through the old town and explore Ernest Hemingway's house and his local haunts.

Aruba, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands is located in the southern Caribbean Sea. Aruba's topography is unusual for a Caribbean island. Miles of pristine white beaches dot the west coast of the island while the northeast coast is mostly inhabited due to its rugged vegetation. Aruba's dry climate has aided tourism as visitors can expect warm sunny weather year round. The average temperature is 82ºF , with cooling trade winds. Aruba also lies outside of the hurricane belt.

While touring the island whether by land, above or below the sea, you will surely be impressed with what this little island has to offer!

In 1799, the Russian explorer Alexander Baranof founded New Archangel next to the Tlingit village of Sitka. This was the beginning of permanent Russian settlement in North America. But New Archangel was destroyed three years later by the Tlingit Indians in an attempt to reclaim their ancestral home.

Their brief victory ended in 1804, when Baranof returned with warships and retook Sitka in the Battle of Alaska. Sitka was now the capital of Russian America. In 1867, the Imperial Russian flag was replaced by the Stars and Stripes when the United States purchased Alaska.

With the discovery of gold, and the rapid population growth that followed, Alaska’s capital moved north to Juneau in 1906. Today, picturesque Sitka, sitting opposite snow-capped Mount Edgecumbe, is known for its fishing, its annual summer classical music festival and, of course, its many historic visitor attractions.

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska’s largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered, drawing Skagway residents as well as the 10,000 people living in the nearby tent city of Dyea.

Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era, especially on Broadway with its false-front buildings and the Trail of ‘98 Museum’s outstanding collection of memorabilia.

This Caribbean island is covered by a lush tropical forest, with the magnificent Mount Liamuiga at its center.

St. Kitts is part of a tiny two-island independent state with Nevis, and natural preservation here is paramount as their law states no building may be taller than the surrounding palm trees.

Your visit to St Kitts would not be complete without a ride on the famous St Kitts Scenic Railway!

Charlotte Amalie is located on the island of St Thomas and is the capital and largest city of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The city is named after Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, queen consort to King Christian V of Denmark.

The city has been a famous deep water harbor for centuries and was once a haven to pirates. Blackbeard's Castle still stands on top of Blackbeard's Hill offering excellent views of the harbor entrance. These days, Charlotte Amalie is a very popular port of call for cruise ships.

Expore the sights and history of St Thomas on a shore excursion such as the Legends and Lore of St Thomas Walking Tour or under water by riding a submersible scooter on the B.O.S.S. Underwater Adventure Tour.

Victoria exudes old-world charm, and fragrant and colorful flowers are everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the city was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was a British colony and Victoria was its capital.

In 1858, Victoria was a tent city and the base for some 25,000 prospectors on their way to the Frasier River gold fields. When Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia in 1868, Victoria became the capital of the entire province.

Although it’s a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure craft, ferries and floatplanes. The city is renowned for its beautiful gardens, charming houses and very British feel.