Amtrak Vacations
Pacific Coast and Alaska Rail and Sail with the Norwegian Jade®
Coast Starlight rail journey plus 7-night Alaska cruise from Vancouver
12 daysfrom $2,499
25% rail
Amtrak Vacations · Independent rail & cruise vacation
Alaska and Pacific Coast Rail and Sail with the Norwegian Jade®
Alaska cruise and Coast Starlight rail journey from Anchorage to Los Angeles
Amtrak Vacations packages this 12-day, 11-night rail and cruise vacation that begins in Anchorage and ends in Los Angeles. Travellers transfer to Seward to board a 7-night Norwegian Cruise Line sailing, spending days at sea and in port at Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, with stops for glacier viewing at Hubbard Glacier and passage through the Inside Passage's wildlife-rich waters. After disembarking, two nights in Vancouver include a hop-on, hop-off city tour past Granville Island, Chinatown, and Gastown, plus admission to the Vancouver Lookout. The trip then shifts from ship to rail: an overnight ride on Amtrak's Coast Starlight carries travellers down the Pacific coast, through the Cascade Mountains and along Pacific Coast Highway cliffs, to Los Angeles. The evidence names the ship as both the Norwegian Jade and the Norwegian Jewel in different places, so confirm which vessel applies to your sailing. This trip suits travellers who want most of a long vacation spent cruising, with a single scenic overnight train ride added at the end rather than a rail-heavy itinerary.
What to know before you look closer
- The evidence names the ship as the Norwegian Jade in the package title but describes the day-by-day itinerary aboard the Norwegian Jewel throughout; confirm which vessel applies to your sailing with Amtrak Vacations.
- The published itinerary has no day 11 entry between the overnight train ride and the arrival in Los Angeles; confirm the missing day's details before booking.
- Government taxes and fees applicable to the cruise are not included in the price.
- Several Anchorage hotels are listed as options without a stated night count, while only the Vancouver hotels and 2 included nights are itemized; confirm whether a pre-cruise Anchorage night is included.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Anchorage to Seward (Embark at 9:00 PM)
Transfer from the Anchorage Airport to the cruise port in Seward, Alaska to embark on the Norwegian Jewel.
- Day 2overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Cruise Hubbard Glacier (At Sea)
Get up close and personal with the gigantic Hubbard Glacier, North America's largest tidewater glacier. It's 1,350 square miles of blue ice and one of the most active in Alaska!
- Day 3overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Icy Strait Point (Docked 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Your experience at Icy Strait Point today includes the best of the surrounding natural resources and the fascinating regional culture. Watch humpback whales and brown bears in their natural habitat, and enjoy expressive Tlingit dancing and art. Sample fresh Dungeness crab straight from the local waters.
- Day 4overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Juneau (Docked 7:00 AM to 1:15 PM)
Today you will dock in Juneau, Alaska. Juneau has been called "Alaska's peak experience," certainly due in part to its unparalleled glacier viewing from such places as Tracy Arm Fjord, the Juneau Icefields and Glacier Bay National Park. Kayak up one of the area's many protected waterways, go flightseeing, tour historic downtown or try your hand at panning for gold.
- Day 5overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Skagway (Docked 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Today, you'll sail into beautiful Skagway. In a single year from 1896 to 1897, this remote town along the Inside Passage grew from a few tents to a city of 20,000 gold seekers. Today, travelers come in search of other riches - to experience yesteryear along Skagway's charming boardwalk lined with buildings that replicate those Gold Rush days.
- Day 6overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Ketchikan (Docked 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM)
Spend the day in Ketchikan. Its Tlingit Indian name, Kach Khanna, means "spread wings of the eagle." Chances are you'll see one of these magnificent birds perched atop a Sitka tree. Thanks to its abundant rainfall, Ketchikan is surrounded by some of the world's most lush wilderness.
- Day 7overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Cruise Inside Passage (At Sea)
Today, sail through the islands of the Inside Passage, the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world, and get ready for amazing views and wildlife like nowhere else! Be on the lookout for orcas and humpback whales!
- Day 8overnight: Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
This morning, you'll arrive in Vancouver! Enjoy a full day of sightseeing with your included hop-on, hop-off city tour. Visit popular attractions including Granville Island, Chinatown, Coal Harbor, Gastown and more!
- Day 9overnight: Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
Continue exploring Vancouver at your leisure today. Be sure to check out Stanley Park and take a stroll along the seawall for great views looking back at the city. Also included is admission to the Vancouver Lookout for incredible views of the city, harbor and surrounding mountains.
- Day 10railovernight: Onboard Amtrak (Coast Starlight)
Overnight Onboard Amtrak
This morning, board Amtrak's Coast Starlight train for a scenic overnight ride down the western coast of the US to Los Angeles. Enjoy beautiful landscapes as you travel through the Cascade Mountains and along the cliffs of Pacific Coast Highway. Be sure to spend time in the observation car soaking in these incredible views!
- Day 12
Your Journey Ends in Los Angeles
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 2The cruise passes North America's largest tidewater glacier, the 1,350 square mile Hubbard Glacier.
- Day 5The ship docks in Skagway, a former Gold Rush boomtown that grew from a few tents to 20,000 gold seekers in a single year.
- Day 8A hop-on, hop-off city tour of Vancouver visits Granville Island, Chinatown, Coal Harbor, and Gastown.
- Day 10Amtrak's Coast Starlight begins its overnight ride from Vancouver to Los Angeles, crossing the Cascade Mountains and the cliffs of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Included
- One-way Amtrak® in Coach accommodations from Vancouver to Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight®
- 2 nights' hotel accommodations
- 1 night onboard Amtrak
- 7 nights' onboard the Jewel
- Transfer from Anchorage airport to Seward cruise port
Not included
- Government taxes and fees applicable to the cruise
Questions travellers ask
- Is train travel included?
- Yes, one overnight ride on Amtrak's Coast Starlight train in Coach class from Vancouver to Los Angeles is included, covering 1 night onboard the train.
- Which cruise ship is used?
- The evidence names the ship as the Norwegian Jade in places and the Norwegian Jewel throughout the day-by-day itinerary. The cruise is Norwegian Cruise Line's 7-day Alaska sailing from Seward, southbound, calling at Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.
- Is this trip guided or independent?
- It is described as an independent rail and cruise vacation. Vancouver includes an included hop-on, hop-off city tour, but day 9 there is free to explore at your leisure.
- What is not included?
- Government taxes and fees applicable to the cruise are not included.
- How many nights are onboard the ship versus on land?
- The package includes 7 nights onboard the ship, 2 nights of hotel accommodations, and 1 night onboard the Amtrak train.
