Our virtual Alaska cruise on the Diamond Princess continues on the morning of our fifth day, as the ship heads to the end of a long, majestic fjord, pulling into port at the picturesque and historic Gold Rush town of Skagway.
Skagway was a wild town during the gold rush years, and the place has an incredibly colorful history.
After breakfast, you disembark from the ship, heading into the picturesque small town.
Skagway has a surprising number of fun shops, galleries, and restaurants. There are also a number of historic sites dating back to the Alaska Gold Rush of 1896.
After a morning of shopping, visiting some historic Gold Rush sites, and taking in Skagway’s incredible scenery, you hop on the historic White Pass Railroad for a scenic trip into Canada’s Yukon Territory.
The three-hour narrated trip takes you through some amazingly scenic Alpine mountain terrain, past beautiful turquoise lakes, across high trestles, and alongside incredible waterfalls.
The train returns to Skagway late in the afternoon, dropping you off literally right at the docks.
You enjoy another incredible dinner, then head on deck to watch as the ship sets sail again, past breaching orcas and on down the breathtaking fjord.
The next morning, after breakfast, you head out on deck as the Diamond Princess enters the absolutely amazing Glacier Bay National Park.
This breathtaking web of steep, lush fjords, towering coastal mountain peaks, and vast glaciers is, for me, the highlight of any cruise to Alaska.
You spend several hours on deck, taking in the majestic scenery and watching vast glaciers “calve”, as huge chucks of ice he size of large buildings break off, splashing into the waters of the fjord.
Finally, as the boat heads back out of the park, you take in a wonderful afternoon high tea, indulging in a wide variety of gourmet pastries and finger foods.
As the ship heads out into the Gulf of Alaska, you have an incredible lobster dinner, then head back onto the deck to take in the late sunset, watching it reflect off the towering peaks along the coastline, which rise up over 18,000 feet within just miles from the shore.
Another perfect ending to a perfect day on your Alaska cruise on the Diamond Princess.
