Being based in Northern California may make us a little biased, but it’s hard to imagine a more spectacular port departure than San Francisco. Casting off from the historic Embarcadero, with Coit Tower rising above and the legendary skyline unfolding around you, San Francisco Bay delivers a breathtaking visual symphony. Alcatraz, Treasure Island, the Palace of the Fine Arts—and of course the incomparable Golden Gate Bridge—combine to create a send-off found nowhere else on earth. And this unforgettable experience is just the opening act of our exclusive “Golden Gateway” journey north to Alaska.

But before we set sail, the adventure begins ashore with three luxurious nights in the superb Beacon Grand Hotel in Powell St, with the famous cable car stopping right outside the front door, and Union Square, Chinatown, and North Beach only minutes away; the location could not be more perfect. This grand San Francisco hotel has earned every one of its accolades, and three nights allow you to savor it at a relaxed, unhurried pace.

Your stay includes a comprehensive city sightseeing tour (a 48-hour ticket for you to see a bit each day if you like), a scenic cruise on San Francisco Bay, and—most delightfully—a $100 gift card to the legendary Tadich Grill, the city’s oldest and most celebrated restaurant, perfect for a memorable lunch or dinner. As always, ample free time is built in for your own discoveries: wander the Italian-flavored streets of North Beach, visit historic Alcatraz, or escape to the towering redwoods of nearby Muir Woods. Three nights in the “City by the Bay” is a wonderful indulgence—we invite you to join us.

Arrive in San Francisco and, upon arrival at the Beacon Grand Hotel on Union Square, take in the stunning views in every direction as you begin a three-night stay at this fabled hotel. Tonight would be a fine time to enjoy a drink at the famed 'Starlite Room' bar with San Francisco sparkling all around you.

Today we have included a city sightseeing tour followed by a bay cruise that travels past Alcatraz, Angel Island, the Marina District, Marin, and under the Golden Gate Bridge. The afternoon is free for shopping or sightseeing, including nearby Chinatown, elegant Union Square, or our favorite, Italian-flavored North Beach. There is even time today to visit charming Sausalito, just a ferry ride away, or impressive Muir Woods.

All day to enjoy as you like, and a great day to take advantage of lunch or dinner at legendary Tadich Grill with the gift card we provide. Followed by a ride on the cable car or a visit to the lovely Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District. Our final evening at the Beacon Grand.

A good morning to sleep in and take in a few more sights before our transfer to the pier this afternoon, where we board the Ruby Princess. At 4 pm, the whistle blows, and we set sail, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge bound for Alaska, the Great Land.

In 1799, the Russian explorer Alexander Baranof founded New Archangel next to the Tlingit village of Sitka. This was the beginning of permanent Russian settlement in North America. But New Archangel was destroyed three years later by the Tlingit Indians in an attempt to reclaim their ancestral home.

A canoe slipped into the mouth of the Chilkat Inlet in November 1879, carrying Presbyterian missionary S. Hall Young and his friend, John Muir. Young told the Chilkat Indians that he wanted to build a Christian town. He chose space between two waterways, the Chilkat River and the Lynn Canal, and the town of Haines was born. During the 1900s, a permanent army post was built and named Fort William H. Seward.

Just west of Juneau, this breathtaking national park and preserve boasts some of the world's most spectacular tidewater glaciers, including Margerie Glacier, which often sheds colossal chunks of ice into the sea. Not surprisingly, Glacier Bay National Park and its epic ice giants are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising Alaska's magnificent park system.

Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan.

Nestled within a temperate rainforest, it experiences 220 days of rain each year, earning it the poetic nickname "The City of Rainbows." But from within the raindrops, Prince Rupert shines with heritage charms best seen in its Kwinitsa Railway Station Museum, The Museum of Northern British Columbia and the historic North Pacific Cannery compound.

Homeward bound