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Alaska's Inside Passage - Eastbound

7 nights Jul 5, 2026

The Alaska's Inside Passage - Eastbound is a 7-night Alaska cruise aboard National Geographic Venture, operated by Lindblad Expeditions. Departing Sitka on July 5, 2026, the voyage visits 5 ports.

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Itinerary

Sitka
Sitka photo
Sitka photo
Sitka photo
Day 1 Jul 5, 2026 Sitka Sitka began as a major Tlingit Indian village and was called “Shee Atika,” which translates roughly as “settlement on the outside of Shee.” “Shee” is the Tlingit name of Baranof Island. In 1799, Alexander Baranof, the general manager of the Russian American Company, decided to move his base of operations from Kodiak and set up camp at what is now called Old Sitka, 7.5 miles north of the present-day town. He called the settlement St. Archangel Michael. The Tlingit Indians of the area resisted the occupation and, in 1802, with Baranof away, burned the fort and massacred the Russian settlers. Two years later, Baranof returned and besieged the Indian fort. The Tlingits withdrew and the area was once again in Russian hands. This time, the Russians built the new city on a different site and called it New Archangel. For over six decades, New Archangel was the capital of the Russian empire in Alaska. By 1867, the Alaska colony had become too much of a financial burden to Russia. William Seward, U.S. Secretary of State, negotiated with the Russian Czar to purchase the Territory of Alaska for $7.2 million. The American press scoffed at Seward and the U.S. government for purchasing what they called “Seward's Folly,” “Seward's Icebox,” and “Walrussia.” On October 18, 1867, the Russian flag was lowered at New Archangel and the Stars and Stripes were raised over newly renamed Sitka. The name comes from the Tlingit word “Sheetkah,” which means “in this place.” All Russian citizens living in the former colony were given the opportunity to become American citizens. Many went home, although a few stayed or migrated to California. Sitka remained the capital of the Territory of Alaska from 1867 to 1906, when it was moved to Juneau. The move was a direct result of the gold rush. In plain terms, Sitka did not have any and Juneau did. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sitka became a full-scale naval base. At one time during the war, Sitka had a total population of 37,000. With the end of World War II, however, the city settled into a quieter existence. The biggest boom in modern days for Sitka came in 1959 when the Alaska Lumber and Pulp Company built a pulp mill at Silver Bay, near the city. Today, picturesque Sitka is known for its fishing and of course its many historic attractions. Go to Sitka Cruises visiting Sitka

Sitka → Juneau · approximate route

Pricing

Current prices

Per person · 2 guests · incl. taxes & fees

Price information is not available.

All cabin grades (5) Detailed cabin specs available at booking.
Name Supplier code Type
Balcony Cabin 04 Balcony
Outside Cabin 01 Oceanview
Outside Cabin 02 Oceanview
Outside Cabin 03 Oceanview
Outside Cabin 05 Oceanview

Ship

National Geographic Venture
Your ship National Geographic Venture 3★ 2,920 GT 100 guests National Geographic Venture will be the perfect ship to explore Alaska’s Inside Passage and beyond. To build her and her sister ship, National Geographic Quest, we turned to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, the company that built the beloved National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion—vessels that, with our regular maintenance schedule and refurbishments have been operating successfully for decades. Nichols Brothers has been building boats on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington since 1964 and we are proud that the Venture and Quest will be the first expedition ships of their kind to be purposefully designed and built for expedition travel and made entirely in the U.S. Designed with over 50 years of expedition heritage, National Geographic Venture is able to explore the same remote locations we’ve sought out for decades while setting a new standard in comfort and style. She will follow National Geographic Quest in featuring step-out balconies (available in 22 of the 50 spacious cabins), plus 6 sets of connecting cabins for families and groups; a Sun Deck bar, and a designated mudroom for expedition gear. Go to National Geographic Venture Cruises on National Geographic Venture
Deck plan for Main Deck

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