Ride the Alaska Railroad and cruise the calm waters of Prince William Sound. Start your day on the Glacier Discovery Train that follows Turnagain Arm’s coastline, revealing stunning views in every direction. Tour guides on the Alaska Railroad provide exciting commentary about Alaska’s history and highlights along the route. The train veers away from the highway and winds along fast-flowing rivers at the base of the Chugach National Forest’s towering mountains.

In the glacier-filled Portage Valley, a series of small tunnels leads to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Here the train will pause and wait for North America’s longest shared rail and vehicle tunnel to open for rail transit to Whittier. This 2.5 mile-long tunnel, constructed in the 1940s, was the main supply link connecting Whittier’s deep ice-free port to Interior Alaska. In 2000, the tunnel expansion made it possible for rail and car traffic to use the tunnel on an alternating schedule. Marvel at the engineering it took to complete this phenomenal feat as you travel through this unique transportation corridor.

In Whittier, your cruise adventure continues right across the street from the rail stop.

Prince William Sound boasts one of the world’s largest concentrations of tidewater glaciers. College Fjord and Blackstone Bay provide impressive panoramic views of spectacular glaciers flowing down from the mountains to the saltwater. As the Captain navigates a path through the ice-filled waters, watch the dynamic tidewater glaciers closely as massive chunks of ice can calve (break off) at any moment and crash to the sea with a thunderous sound.

Marine wildlife and migratory birds easily outnumber people in Prince William Sound, so the odds are good that you will see a lot more than glaciers on our cruises! Sea otters are a common sight, along with harbor seals, Bald eagles, and kittiwakes. There are five species of wild Alaska salmon in the Sound. When the fish are in, the whales and bears will follow! It is not uncommon to see orca whales, humpback whales, sea lions, black bears, mountain goats, Dall’s porpoise, and migratory birds during the Cruise.