April 28, 2026

After sailing eight days, seven-time changes and 3,200 miles we arrived in Whittier, Alaska from Hakodate, Japan.

Nestled in the base of the Chugach Mountains, surrounded by snowcapped peaks and glistening glaciers, the tiny town of Whittier lays waiting to be discovered. Gateway to the magnificent Prince William Sound, a host of exhilarating adventures await in this magnificent wilderness setting. But to be clear, this is the wilderness! The remote town of Whittier was virtually cut off from the rest of the world until the year 2000, when the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was built to be able to accommodate vehicle traffic. Prior to that, the only way in or out was by boat or plane. Carved into a mountain it is the longest tunnel in North America at an amazing two and a half miles. The problem is the tunnel only has one lane so the flow of traffic must be alternated. Patient residents sometimes have to wait half an hour for their chance to leave or come back to Whittier.

Consequently, only 225 people live in Whittier. 90% of the population of Whittier lives in a single building that also houses a very small grocery store and medical clinic. The few children who live in Whittier don’t have to go outside to go to school, an inside tunnel leads them directly to their one room classroom. Between the months of October and April, most residents in Whittier disconnect their phones … they just don’t expect anyone to be calling!

But Whittier has a proud history. Whittier was a secret port on Prince William Sound built during World War II.  It was almost always covered with clouds so the Japanese planes could not see it most days.  It worked.  It was on no Japanese charts or maps! It is, however, a beautiful location.

 

It is the fact that Whittier is the gateway to the magnificent Prince William Sound that makes this area so incredibly beautiful. As you enter the Prince William Sound the icy waters expose the many fjords and one near Whittier, College Fjord, has glaciers named after famous Universities, many Ivy League. 

For the next 2 days we will be sailing through the Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. We will also enter Glacier Bay National Park, which boasts some of the world’s most spectacular tidewater glaciers, such as Margerie Glacier, which often drops colossal chunks of ice into the sea. Glacier Bay National Park has abundant wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals, black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles and large colonies of seabirds. The Coral Princess is one of a select few cruise ships permitted to cruise the pristine waters of Glacier Bay.

Let’s pray for some good weather so I can try and capture some more awesome photos for you!

Thanks for traveling with us