Itinerary Details (Information thanks to Silver Seas and Wikipedia)
Wikipedia: Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state ofAlaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an area of 9,311.24 km2 (3,595.09 sq mi).[2] It is 160 km (100 miles) long and in width ranges from 16 to 96 km (10 to 60 miles). Kodiak Island is the namesake for Kodiak Seamount, which lies off the coast at the Aleutian Trench. The largest community on the island is the city of Kodiak, Alaska. Kodiak Island is mountainous and heavily forested in the north and east, but fairly treeless on the south. The island has many deep, ice-free baysthat provide sheltered anchorages for boats. The southwestern two-thirds of the island, like much of the Kodiak Archipelago, is part ofKodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
01 Oct 2015 Thursday Day at Sea
17 Sep 2015 Thursday Seward (Anchorage), AK, USA Depart: 7:00 PM
It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward
exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National
Forest, and Resurrection Bay, Seward offers all the quaint realities of a small
railroad town with the bonus of jaw-dropping scenery. This little town of fewer
than 3,000 citizens was founded in 1903, when survey crews arrived at the
ice-free port and began planning a railroad to the Interior. Since its
inception, Seward has relied heavily on tourism and commercial fishing. It is
also the launching point for excursions into Kenai Fjords National Park, where
it is quite common to see marine life and calving glaciers.
Wikipedia: Seward (Alutiiq: Qutalleq)
is a city in Kenai
Peninsula Borough in
the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau
estimates, the population of the city is 3,016.[4] It
was named after William H. Seward,United
States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. In 1867, he fought for the
U.S. purchase of Alaska which he finally negotiated to acquire
from Russia.
Mile 0 of the historic Iditarod Trail is at Seward. In the early 1900s the
trail was blazed in order to transport people and goods to and from the port of
Seward to interior Alaska. In 1793 Alexander
Baranov of the Shelikhov-Golikov
company (precursor of
the Russian-American
Company) established a fur trade post
on Resurrection Bay where Seward is today, and had a
three-masted vessel, the Phoenix, built at the post by James
Shields, an English shipwright in Russian service.[5]
18 Sep 2015 Friday - Kodiak,
Kodiak Island, AK, USA Arrive: 8:00
AM Depart: 3:00 PM
Kodiak,
Kodiak Island, AK, United States of America
Today commercial fishing is
king in Kodiak. Despite its small population—about 13,500 people scattered among
the several islands in the Kodiak group—the city is among the busiest fishing
ports in the United States. The harbor is also an important supply point for
small communities on the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula. Visitors to
the island tend to follow one of two agendas: either immediately fly out to a
remote lodge for fishing, kayaking, or bear viewing; or stay in town and access
whatever pursuits they can reach from the limited road system.Wikipedia: Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state ofAlaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an area of 9,311.24 km2 (3,595.09 sq mi).[2] It is 160 km (100 miles) long and in width ranges from 16 to 96 km (10 to 60 miles). Kodiak Island is the namesake for Kodiak Seamount, which lies off the coast at the Aleutian Trench. The largest community on the island is the city of Kodiak, Alaska. Kodiak Island is mountainous and heavily forested in the north and east, but fairly treeless on the south. The island has many deep, ice-free baysthat provide sheltered anchorages for boats. The southwestern two-thirds of the island, like much of the Kodiak Archipelago, is part ofKodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
19 Sep 2015 Saturday
Day at Sea
20 Sep 2015 Sunday Dutch Harbour, Unalaska Is. AK,USA Arrive: 8:00 AM Depart: 1:00 PM
Dutch Harbour, Unalaska, AK, United States of
America
The
Aleutians are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands extending in an
arc from the Kamchatka Peninsula towards Alaska. The islands became the
stepping stones of history that attracted Russian explorers to Alaska in the
18th century. Along the treeless, windswept islands, one can see onion-domed
churches mixed in with rusted Quonset huts, weed-covered bunkers and shell
casings; reminders of the bitter campaigns fought here between American and
Japanese forces during World War II. Together with the city of Unalaska, Dutch
Harbor, located at Unalaska Island at the end of the Aleutian chain, is a
bustling community with about 4,000 residents.
Wikipedia: Unalaska (Aleut: Iluulux̂[3]) is a city in the Aleutians West
Census Area, a regional component of the Unorganized Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska is located on Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Islands off mainland Alaska. The population
was 4,376 at the 2010 census,
which is 79% of the entire Aleutians West Census Area. Unalaska is the
second-largest city in the Unorganized Borough, behind Bethel.
The Aleut or
Unangan people have lived on Unalaska Island for thousands of years.[4] The
Unangan, who were the first to inhabit the island of Unalaska, named it
"Ounalashka", meaning "near the peninsula". The regional
native corporation has adopted this moniker, and is known as the Ounalashka
Corporation.[5] The
Russian fur trade reached
Unalaska when Stepan
Glotov and his crew
arrived on August 1, 1759. Natives, Russians and their descendants comprised
most of the community's population until the middle 20th century, when the
involvement of the United States in World War II led
to a large-scale influx of people and construction of buildings all along the
strategically-located Aleutians.
Almost all of the
community's port facilities are on Amaknak Island, better known as Dutch Harbor or
just "Dutch". It is the largest fisheries port in the U.S. by volume
caught. It includes Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S.
Army, a U.S. National
Historic Landmark. Dutch Harbor lies within the city limits of
Unalaska and is connected to Unalaska by a bridge. Amaknak Island is home to
almost 59 percent of the city's population, although it has less than 3 percent
of its land area.
The island of Unalaska was
first inhabited by the Aleut people,
who named it "Ounalashka",
meaning: "Near the Peninsula". They developed an intricate and
complex society long before their first contact with the Russian fur traders who
would document their existence.
21 Sep 2015 Monday Day at Sea
22 Sep 2015 Tuesday Day at Sea
23 Sep 2015 Wednesday Date Line
(lose a day)
24 Sep 2015 Thursday Day at Sea
25 Sep 2015 Friday Petropavlovsk (Kamchatsky), Russian
Federation Arrive: 7:00 AM Depart: 6:00 PM
Petropavlovsk (Kamchatsky), Russian Federation
The
Kamchatka Peninsula is part of the Eastern frontier of Russia. Due to its close
proximity to the United States, the region has played a strategic role in the
defense of Russian territory throughout modern history. As a result, the
territory was closed for many years to foreigners and Russians alike. Fortunately,
the region's isolated position played a significant role in preserving and
protecting its unique wilderness and rich biodiversity. With few roads, most
regional transportation is by plane, boat, or helicopter.
Wikipedia: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russian: Петропа́вловск-Камча́тский) is the city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural
center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Population: 179,780 (2010 Census);[3]198,028 (2002 Census);[6] 268,747 (1989 Census).[7]
he city is situated on
high hills and surrounded by volcanoes. The surrounding terrain is mountainous
enough that the horizon cannot be seen clearly from any point in town. Across Avacha Bay from the city is Russia's largestsubmarine base, the Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base,
established during the Soviet regime and still used by the Russian Navy.[8] The
city is located 6,766 kilometers (4,204 mi) from Moscow and about 2,220 kilometers
(1,380 mi) from Vladivostok.
The city was founded
by Danish navigator Vitus Bering in the service of the Russian Navy. Bering reached Avacha Bay in late 1740
and laid the foundation stone for the harbor town, naming the new settlement
"Petropavlovsk" (Peter and Paul) after his two ships, the St. Peter and theSt. Paul, built in Okhotsk for his second expedition. The town's
location on the sheltered Avacha Bay and at the mouth of the Avacha River saw it develop to become the most
important settlement in Kamchatka. It was granted town status on April 9,
1812.
26 Sep 2015 Saturday Day at Sea
27 Sep 2015 Sunday Day at Sea
27 Sep 2015 Sunday Day at Sea
28 Sep 2015 Monday Kushiro, Japan Arrive: 8:00 AM Depart: 5:00 PM
Kushiro, Japan Kushiro,
known as the "town of mist", is situated in the south eastern part of
Hokkaido. With about 200,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city in the region
and the base for deep-sea fishing. The marine products industry of Kushiro has
flourished since the early 20 th century and many streets of this port town
retain features of this era. Thanks to its strategic location on Hokkaido's
Eastern Pacific seaboard and the area's only ice free port, Kushiro is
experiencing steady growth as an important economic, social and cultural centre.
A literary atmosphere can be attributed to the poet and novelist Takuboku
Ishikawa, who lived here in the early 20th century.
Wikipedia: Kushiro (釧路市 Kushiro-shi?) is a Japanese city in Kushiro
Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous
city in eastern Hokkaido.
An Imperial decree in July 1899 established
Kushiro as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.[1]
Kushiro
has been an important port because it is more reliably ice-free
during winter than alternative Russian Far East warm-water ports such as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky or other ports in Hokkaido such as Hakodate, which occasionally do freeze for
short periods due to the lower salinity of the Sea of Japan. For this reason,
Kushiro was considered a valuable target for the Tsars during the Russo-Japanese Wars, but it only became a
really important port during the 1920s with the growth of commercial fishing,
for which its reliable freedom from ice reduced costs.[2]
On
October 11, 2005 the town of Akan,
from Akan District, and the town of Onbetsu,
from Shiranuka District, was merged into
Kushiro.
In
2008 the city had an estimated population of 189,539 and a total area of
1,362.75 km2 (526.16 sq mi),
giving a population density of 140 persons per km² (363 persons
per sq. mi.).
29 Sep 2015 Tuesday Hakodate, Japan Arrive: 8:00 AM Depart: 11:00 PM
Hakodate,
Japan
Facing
out on two bays, Hakodate is a 19th-century port town, with clapboard buildings
on sloping streets, a dockside tourist zone, streetcars, and fresh fish on
every menu. In the downtown historic quarter, a mountain rises 1,100 feet above
the city on the southern point of the narrow peninsula. Russians, Americans,
Chinese, and Europeans have all left their mark; this was one of the first three
Japanese ports the Meiji government opened up to international trade in 1859.
The main sights around the foot of Mt. Hakodate.
Wikipedia: Hakodate (函館市 Hakodate-shi?) is a city and port located
inOshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.
As
of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of
279,851 with 143,221 households and
a population density of 412.83 persons per km² (1,069.2
persons per sq. mi.). The total area is 677.77 km2 (261.69 sq mi). The city is
now the third biggest in Hokkaido after Sapporo and Asahikawa.
Hakodate was Japan's
first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa,
and used to be the most important port in northern Japan. Also, the city had
been the biggest city in Hokkaido before the Great Hakodate Fire of 1934.
30 Sep 2015 Wednesday Amori, Japan Arrive: 8:00 AM Depart: 11:00 PM
Aomori,
Japan
Aomori's
main event is its Nebuta Matsuri Festival,held August 2 to 7. People come to
see illuminated floats of gigantic samurai figures paraded through the streets
at night. Aomori's festival is one of Japan's largest, and is said to celebrate
the euphoria of post-battle victory, and is thus encouraged to be noisier and
livelier than you may have been exposed to in other Japanese festivals. Dancers,
called heneto, run alongside the floats, dancing crazily, and you're encouraged
to join in. Throughout the year you can enjoy delicious seafood from Aomori
Bay, including Oma no Maguro (tuna of Oma), as well as delicious fruits and
vegetables (particularly garlic).
Wikipedia:
Aomori
Prefecture (青森県 Aomori-ken?) is
a prefecture of Japanlocated in the Tōhoku region.[2] The capital is the city
of Aomori. Until
the Meiji
Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as the northern
part of Mutsu Province.[4]
During
the Edo period the Hirosaki clan began building a seaport at the current city
of Aomori. There were green woods near the city which were used as landmarks
for the ships that came into port. These green woods called aoi-mori is where
Aomori got its name. The prefecture came into existence in 1871. The town of
Aomori was established in 1889. The town was incorporated as a city in 1898
with a population of 28,000. On May 3, 1910 a fire broke out in the Yasukata district.
Fanned by strong winds, the fire quickly devastated the whole city. The
conflagration claimed 26 lives and injured a further 160 residents. It
destroyed 5,246 houses and burnt 19 storage sheds and 157 warehouses. At
10:30 p.m. on July 28, 1945 a squadron of AmericanB29 bombers bombed
over 90% of the city.
01 Oct 2015 Thursday Day at Sea
02 Oct 2015 Friday Tokyo, Japan Arrive: 8:00 AM
Tokyo, Japan
In
places Tokyo seems to have been frozen in time—especially in the traditions
that underpin many Tokyoites’ lives or the temples and gardens that have
survived centuries of upheaval—yet in others the city never stands still, and
change of some kind—gradual and rapid—is always afoot. Lights, sushi, manga!
Sprawling, frenetic, and endlessly fascinating, Japan’s capital is a city of
contrasts. Shrines and gardens are pockets of calm between famously crowded
streets and soaring office buildings. Mom-and-pop noodle houses share street
space with Western-style chain restaurants and exquisite fine dining. Shopping
yields lovely folk arts as well as the newest electronics.
Wikipedia: Tokyo (東京 Tōkyō?,
"Eastern Capital")(Japanese: [toːkjoː] (
listen),English /ˈtoʊki.oʊ/),
officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都 Tōkyō-to?),[5]is
one of the 47 prefectures of Japan,[6] and is both the capital andlargest
city of Japan. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most
populous metropolitan area in
the world.[7] It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government.
Tokyo is in the Kantō regionon the southeastern side of the main
island Honshu and
includes theIzu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.[8] Formerly
known as Edo,
it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when ShogunTokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It
officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the
old capital of Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed
Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo
Prefecture (東京府 Tōkyō-fu?) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi?).
listen),English /ˈtoʊki.oʊ/),
officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都 Tōkyō-to?),[5]is
one of the 47 prefectures of Japan,[6] and is both the capital andlargest
city of Japan. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most
populous metropolitan area in
the world.[7] It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government.
Tokyo is in the Kantō regionon the southeastern side of the main
island Honshu and
includes theIzu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.[8] Formerly
known as Edo,
it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when ShogunTokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It
officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the
old capital of Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed
Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo
Prefecture (東京府 Tōkyō-fu?) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi?).
Tokyo
is often referred to and thought of as a city, but is officially known and
governed as a "metropolitan prefecture", which differs from and
combines elements of both a city and a prefecture; a characteristic unique to
Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of
Tokyo (each governed
as an individual city), which cover the area that was formerly the City of
Tokyo before it merged and became the subsequent metropolitan prefecture in
1943. The metropolitan government also administers 39municipalities in the western part of the prefecture
and the two outlying island chains. The population of the special wards is over
9 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13
million. The prefecture is part of the world's most
populous metropolitan area with
upwards of 37.8 million people and the world's largest urban
agglomeration economy. The city hosts 51 of theFortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any
city in the world.[9] Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit.
The city is also home to various television networks like Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television and the Tokyo
Broadcasting System.
