We have often been asked about an Alaskan cruise … and now we have looked at options for one around mid 2018 – as far as we can at this early stage. 2018 cruise schedules are not yet released, so we can only anticipate what may be available from currently scheduled Alaskan cruises.

We would expect to use a Royal Caribbean ship, proven to be the best conferencing ships available. Currently listed schedules for a popular itinerary are on Explorer of the Seas, a Voyager class ship which from late 2015 to early 2017 is alternating between southern summer seasons in Australia and northern summer seasons out of Seattle – doing only 7 night Alaskan cruises.

If the cruise goes ahead we expect to have a team of leading international presenters for another great conference at sea.

Although a number have expressed interest in an Alaskan cruise, we need to ensure there is sufficient interest before committing. If we get sufficient interest we can probably make a general commitment later this year based on results of our current cruise survey. We can then make a choice of cruise (dates and ship) and open for bookings when we know the 2018 Alaskan cruise schedules – probably around March/April 2017.

Tell us if you are – or may be – interested
To help us decide if there is sufficient interest to offer the cruise – please tell us your preferences with our current cruise survey.

Click here to do the short survey. In appreciation of your response we are offering AU$10 DISCOUNT off any one order of AU$20 or more from Genealogy ebooks – for completed survey submissions by 31 October 2015.

Likely itinerary
Here is a currently listed Alaskan cruise itinerary for Explorer of the Seas, a good indication of what to expect for a 2018 Unlock that Past – if it goes ahead

Map Alaska

  • DAY 1 Fri – Seattle, USA 04:00 PM – Seattle is an international port that boasts three professional sports teams, hundreds of restaurants, a myriad of cultural venues and a lifestyle that is unique to the Pacific Northwest. It is known as Emerald City due to the lush evergreen forests in the area. Well known for its impressive musical history, from jazz to the rock music style of grunge, to this day Seattle hosts a diverse and influential alternative music scene. Never forget that, here, one can drink the best coffee on the planet.
  • DAY 2 Sat – at sea – full conference day
  • DAY 3 Sun – Inside Passage, Canada – The Inside Passage is a coastal route for ocean-going vessels along a network of passages that weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United States, through western British Columbia in Canada, to northwestern Washington State in the USA. Carved by glaciers and blanketed with majestic hemlock and spruce, the Passage is a region of pristine water, snow-capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands.
  • DAY 3 (continued) Sun – Juneau, USA 12.00 PM 09:00 PM – Built on a narrow shelf between Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is Alaska’s state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing. Juneau is a blend of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, homemakers and lawyers, union workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders, all sharing an active port city within an inspiring wilderness setting. Visitors often take the Mount Roberts Tramway, an aerial tramway, that takes them from the cruise ship docks up to the SW ridge of Mount Roberts, providing great scenic views of Juneau and the Gastineau Channel. Twenty kilometres out of town is the Mendenhall glacier, a must-see.
  • DAY 4 Mon – Skagway, USA 07:00 AM 08:30 AM -Southern Caribbean Cruise Skagway in Alaska, USA, is an historical city where the past lives on, and a place where the romance and excitement of yesteryear linger around every street corner as well as in every bend of the trail. Gateway to the Klondike and the Gold Rush, visitors can still ride the antique White Pass and Yukon narrow-gauge railway up through silvery-purple rock faces, past Deadhorse Gulch, to see what it was like back then. While in Skagway you can easily walk around town, see all of the historical sites along the back streets and stroll down historic Broadway.
  • DAY 5 Tue – Tracy Arm, USA 07:00 AM 12:00 PM – Southern Caribbean Cruise Tracy Arm is an enormous fjord located 72 km south of Juneau, and lies inside the largest temperate rain forest in the world – the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, USA. Tracy Arm is comprised of Yosemite-like granite rocks, countless waterfalls, glass-smooth water, and mountain peaks rising over 2000 m. The ‘arm’ itself penetrates about 40 km into the Alaskan wilderness, bending between near-vertical mountain chasms with numerous waterfalls cascading from spruce and hemlock-forested valleys. The highlight of this fjord are the twin glaciers – North Sawyer and South Sawyer – that are arguably the bluest and most beautiful glaciers in Alaska.
  • DAY 6 Wed – at sea – full conference day
  • DAY 7 Thu – Victoria, Canada 09:00 AM 06:00 PM – Southern Caribbean Cruise Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada, and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada’s Pacific coast. It is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific NW, with British settlement beginning in 1841, and it still retains a number of historic buildings close to the harbour. The city certainly has a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and beams with ambience. Boasting the mildest climate in Canada it is green and beautiful year-round.
  • DAY 8 Fri – Seattle, USA 06:00 AM