[Narrator] There is something seductive about setting sail.

Casting off from the customary to discover new worlds, just as explorers have done for thousands of years.

Dipping our toes into the 70% of the planet covered in oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Exploring places that are only accessible by leaving the shore.

These are the world's greatest cruises.

Journeys that go beyond the setting and scenery to expand our horizons.

(triumphant music) It's the windiest, coldest, driest continent on Earth.

So inhospitable it has no permanent population.

So remote it was only discovered 200 years ago.

Yet, despite all the difficulties and desolation, it's considered the holy grail of cruising.

And for one simple reason-- there is nowhere else on the planet quite like Antarctica.

Even its polar opposite, the Arctic, fails to deliver anything as pristine as here.

It's 14 million square kilometers of mountains, volcanoes, glaciers and sheet ice, packed with penguins and seals.

A world as far removed as possible from the rest of civilization, yet a thriving ecosystem of its own.

It was literally the last frozen frontier when Russian explorers confirmed its existence in 1820.

A place that had never been inhabited by humans.

Had no trees or vegetation and with less than 200 millimeters of precipitation each year, which falls mainly as snow, it's drier than the Sahara Desert.

But it has ice, great sheets of it, up to 40 million years old and covering 98% of the land.

It's almost two kilometers thick, burying rivers and lakes and contains 70% of the Earth's freshwater supply.

If Antarctica ever melted, it's estimated the world's oceans would rise by 60 meters, the height of a 12-story building.

The fifth largest continent is owned by no one.

The Antarctic Treaty has been signed by 40 nations agreeing to maintain it as a peaceful reserve, free from all military, mining, and nuclear activity.

Around 4,000 scientists visit every year conducting research at the various bases in the hope of unlocking many of the planet's geological secrets, but they only have a small window to complete their experiments since Antarctica is a very seasonal destination.

Boating traffic is pretty much restricted to summer, when the ice pack reduces by almost half.

The vast majority of cruises leave from Ushuaia, Argentina's most southern city and the closest point to the Antarctic Peninsula 800 kilometers away.

The Drake Passage off Cape Horn is deserving of its formidable reputation for rough seas, with most vessels enduring two days of the exposed waters on the journey south.

The first sight of the Antarctic Territory is the South Shetland Islands.

The ice coverage is patchy at best this far north, which worked in the favor of whalers in the early part of the 20th century.

They set up stations to catch and harvest the lucrative mammals, decimating whale populations, which have yet to fully recover.

Today, Half Moon Bay is home to 2,000 breeding pairs of Chinstrap Penguins.

Every summer, the fully feathered fledglings take their first tentative swim to hunt, and wash away all evidence of their so far land-based life.

They share the shore relatively peacefully with the Antarctic Fur Seals, who prefer a fish-based diet.

The islands off the Antarctic Peninsula are not the world of white expected of the southern continent.

Deception Island is distinctively volcanic, last erupting in 1969 but still active.

The bay surrounding it is the flooded caldera from a massive eruption 10,000 years ago and there are still thermal springs around its edges.

The scenery turns decidedly more icy on the approach to the Antarctic Mainland.

Neko Harbour is the most visited part of the peninsula.

Enormous glaciers flank the entrance to the bay.

Leopard seals are attracted here by a ready supply of snacks on shore.

Apart from the Brown Skua birds in Neko Harbour, there are 250 breeding pairs of gentoos, the third largest penguin in the world.

They tend to congregate in the area close to the water's edge, where there's less ice but a greater risk of becoming seal food.

Their predators have their own problems to contend with.

Killer whales often work in pods to round up their meals and leopard seals are high on the menu.

It's a far more peaceful scene in Pleneau Bay in the Lemaire Channel.

A gathering point for icebergs that have turned into nature's stunning art gallery.

The water is dotted with hundreds of weather-sculptured formations.

Most have broken away from glaciers but a few are ancient relics of the compacted ice shelf dating back 20,000 years.

They are captivating but deceptively dangerous for cruising.

Solid as a rock and largely hidden from view below the water line.

In the midst of this natural showcase are reminders of the continent's human heritage.

Britain's Port Lockroy Base is no longer a scientific research station but it does have a museum offering a look at the early years of Antarctic exploration, and possibly the most isolated post office in the world.

It's the last glimpse of civilization before reaching the farthest point on the journey.

Lallemand Fjord is about as far south as most cruise ships can venture, a place that's rugged, remote, and out of reach for most people on the planet.

Less than 40,000 tourists a year get to cruise to Antarctica.

It's expensive, the voyage can be rough, and there are limited options for assistance in an emergency, but there's a stillness here.

An undeniable majesty in an icy world of wilderness and wildlife.

Moments of self-reflection and discovery forever etched in the memory, an experience worth travelling to the end of the Earth for.

(light upbeat music) Most cruise destinations have at least some opportunity for nature-based diversions, but few could claim to be as dedicated to the cause as this one.

Galapagos stands alone in the world of natural history, unrivaled in the density and diversity of life in its little patch in the middle of the Pacific.

The 19 volcanic islands straddle the equator, almost 1000 kilometers from the coast of their home country Ecuador.

Despite its tropical location, the archipelago's waters are surprisingly cool, fed by three ocean currents which bring nutrients up from the depths.

Its total isolation has worked in its favor... producing a rich ecosystem of endemic species that has captivated scientists for 500 years.

97% of the land is the national park and a marine reserve extends 45 miles out from the coast.

Galapagos is an impressive case study in how to manage fragile environments.

There are carefully monitored restrictions in place designed to protect the animals.

Cruise ships can carry no more than 100 passengers, on-shore excursions must be guided by a park ranger, and tour group sizes are restricted to 16 people.

There have been some allowances for human habitation.

There are substantial settlements on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal islands with two international airports connecting this wildlife hub to the outside world.

The vast majority of the 200,000 visitors a year explore the area by boat, allowing them greater access to the 100 significant sites scattered around the archipelago.

Cruise schedules need to be pre-approved by government officials to ensure no location is over-run by tourists.

The bird life around the islands is prolific.

47 species have been found here.

The shoreline is shared by blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigate birds, pelicans, and even the Galapagos Penguin, the only type to be found in the northern hemisphere.

There are no land-based predators in the Galapagos and very little competition for food, so the different species are comfortable, if occasionally reluctant, companions.

(playful music) Sea lions are a common feature on virtually every coastline.

The pups in particular are very playful and appear unperturbed sharing the shallows with snorkelers.

The adults, on the other hand, only budge from the beach when their bellies are empty.

This extended siesta makes them easy to observe up close.

Visitors are asked to keep a distance of at least two meters to minimize the disturbance to wildlife.

But that can sometimes be easier said than done.

Fernandina Island is a nesting place for the Galapagos Marine Iguana and it's fair to say they can get a little underfoot.

These unassuming lizards have played a major role in our understanding of evolution and the theory of natural selection.

When naturalist Charles Darwin arrived here in 1835, he noticed distinct differences in the iguanas on this island compared to others.

A lack of suitable food on land had forced them into the water and over time, they had adapted to survive.

A flattened tail helped them to swim.

A shortened snout enabled these vegetarians to scrape algae off rocks and strong claws allowed them to climb out of the sea.

In one of their most intriguing changes, they gained the ability to expel salt from their bodies by sneezing.

Darwin believed those who hadn't evolved had died out, leaving only the strongest to breed and pass on their genes.

Without a doubt, the animals are the star attraction in the Galapagos, but the islands themselves are worthy of close inspection.

There's plenty of evidence that reveals their volcanic origins, including lava tubes that undercut the rugged coastlines.

The calm, clear marine reserve has an eclectic mix of creatures that has given it a reputation as one of the best dive locations in the world.

Sharks and rays are high on most wish lists, but there's one animal above all others that everyone wants to see.

The Galapagos Tortoise is the granddaddy of the archipelago, with a life span easily in excess of 100 years.

Darwin studied this tortoise for his theory of evolution, noting that its shape varied from island to island, depending on the terrain it lived in and the location of its food.

The first explorers were so enamored with these reptiles they named the archipelago Galapago, which is Spanish for tortoise.

An estimated quarter of a million of these vegetation- chewing creatures covered the islands until humans arrived.

At up to 400 kilograms, they were sluggish and easy targets for hunters who wanted them for meat and oil.

Their numbers dropped to around 3,000 in the 1970s before they were listed as vulnerable and officially protected.

The population is now thought to be close to 20,000, thanks largely to the efforts of conservationists at a private reserve in Santa Cruz.

While people have made an impact on the islands, every effort is now focused on preserving this delicate ecosystem.

Galapagos transports its visitors to another time, another place where animals ruled unhindered by humans.

Those who are prepared to go out of the way to get here will find it exceeds their wildest dreams.

There is a body of water in Europe that has the ability to both unite and divide two neighbors.

It has given them a common seafaring heritage, punctuated with invasions and battles, but now foe has turned to friendly rivalry as they both compete for a stake in the lucrative cruising market.

Greece and Turkey share the Aegean Sea from opposing shorelines.

They both agree this is the gem of the Mediterranean but they differ on its hue.

In the east it's called the Turquoise Coast, in the west it's known as the Sapphire Sea.

Greece has the most substantial claim to this part of the world.

Its coastline fringes almost 13,000 kilometers of the Aegean, including thousands of closely clustered islands.

This is where Europe's first advanced civilization developed almost 5,000 years ago and it's also where its people first learnt to navigate.

The calm, clear seas around the islands provided ideal conditions to develop their sailing prowess, which they would eventually use for voyages far beyond the boundaries of the Mediterranean.

Cruise ships are still the preferred way for visitors to break free from the crowds but once in port, there's no escaping the popularity of Greece as a holiday destination.

More than 15 million visitors come here every year to experience the country that has profoundly influenced Western culture.

From art to architecture, the alphabet to astrology, so many elements of modern life can be traced back to ancient Greece.

Beyond Athens, it's the islands that most people want to see.

The stark rocky outcrops contrasted against the Aegean, an area sculpted by volcanoes but embellished by humans.

Images of the crater- topped Santorini are strikingly familiar but some of the less famous islands have played a greater role in Greece's past.

In the 17th century, Hydra became a major maritime port, taking advantage of the trade route passing through the Aegean.

The lavish homes of its sea captains still line the waterfront as a reminder of a more prosperous time.

Despite being named for its ancient springs, Hydra's water source quickly dried up and its supply is now shipped in from the mainland.

However, the dry conditions worked in the island's favor during the Ottoman Rule as without viable natural resources, Hydra was considered to be of little consequence to the empire.

This allowed the locals to amass a fleet of more than 150 boats which played a pivotal role in Greece gaining independence from Turkey in the early 19th century.

Today, it still has a modern maritime culture, but things are a little more traditional on shore.

Cars are banned on the compact island, so packhorses move the majority of goods.

It's impossible to ignore the history on nearby Crete, the largest and most southerly of the Greek islands.

It's a blend of Egyptian, Turkish, and Venetian influences but its most impressive feature pre-dates all of those settlements.

The palace of Knossos is thought to be around three and a half thousand years old and is lasting evidence of how advanced the ancient Minoan people were.

According to mythology, it was built to house the half-bull, half-man creature called Minotaur, the son of the King Minos.

It is considered to be the world's first labyrinth and an important cultural and political center for the Minoan people.

The history is just as noticeable on the other side of the Aegean.

It's no coincidence that some of Turkey's most revered sites are close to the coast.

Most invaders approached this way and it's still the best vantage point for accessing antiquity.

The so-called Turkish Riviera begins at the town of Cesme and weaves its way west through a series of bays and peninsulas to the city of Alanya.

Along the way, it encompasses numerous places of historical interest including the well-preserved remains of the Greek city of Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

This is the land of legends, the birthplace of the much celebrated Saint Nicholas and a place Roman ruler Marc Antony thought so beautiful he is said to have gifted it to his lover Cleopatra.

Large ships deliver tourists to the major ports every day but Turkey has a style of boat far better designed for getting into all the nooks and crannies.

Gulets are a modern take on a traditional fishing boat.

These wooden vessels are generally around 30 meters in length, carry only small groups, and can easily maneuver away from the crowds, of which there are plenty in Bodrum.

This is the headquarters of most of the charter operations in Turkey and it's wall-to- wall boats during summer.

Like many coastal centers, it had many different influences throughout the centuries.

The most obvious is right on the waterfront, a 15th-century castle constructed by an order of Catholic Knights.

Unlike Greece, Turkey has very few islands along its coast, but it does have long stretches of shoreline still untouched by development, meeting some of the clearest water in the world.

The area's natural attractions were enough to lure the Lycians from Crete two and half thousand years ago.

They established the ancient settlement of Telmessos which is now the city of Fethiye.

Telmessos was once famous as a place of culture and enlightenment, sought after by successive civilizations for its school of diviners and their powers of prediction.

Visitors today are drawn here not only for the history but the hedonistic pursuits.

Despite being a little rough underfoot, Oludeniz Beach is considered one of the best in the world.

This is largely due to its location on the edge of the aptly named Blue Lagoon.

The cluster of coves around Fethiye have been declared national parks but their pristine environment is also preserved by limited access from land.

Both the Turkish and Greek coasts of the Aegean Sea harbor remote settlements that have helped shape our world.

While it's impossible to avoid the crowds completely, approaching from sea offers some respite from the chaos and a chance to savor the present while exploring the past.

There are few places left as unexplored and unchanged as the islands of Papua New Guinea.

It's a land of more than 800 languages where 80% of its people still live in remote villages, some of whom have never had contact with the outside world.

This is a cruise through cultures and customs into the heart of PNG life, a rare glimpse into a traditional way of living which is thousands of years old.

Papua New Guinea is a place of contrasts.

Rich in resources but with a population living largely below the poverty line.

Most of the country is uninhabited, a vast wilderness made up of rainforests, mountain ranges, rivers, and reefs.

Its environment is so immaculate, while it only covers half a percent of the Earth's land mass, it contains up to 10% of all species.

For a country considered behind the times, PNG is proactive in preserving its biodiversity, especially at a village level where everyone relies on the lush world around them to survive.

But this hasn't always been a pleasant place to visit.

As recently as 50 years ago, the rituals of cannibalism and headhunting were still practiced by remote tribes.

During the second world war, more than 200,000 Japanese, Australian, and American servicemen lost their lives in the highly contested New Guinea campaign.

Battles for control of the country's mining resources have led to more bloodshed.

But this is not the PNG of coastal communities.

Away from the cities and industrial areas, there are people living peacefully off the sea and the forests, curious about visitors, but content to follow ancient customs.

Tourism in general is small scale in PNG.

It tends to attract the adventure market interested in the war history of the Kokoda Trail or the coral reefs known for both their quality and quantity of marine life.

Cruises here used to be the domain of divers but in recent years, they've opened up to those intrigued about traditional village life.

One of the most popular voyages takes in the northern group of islands, beginning in Rabaul in New Britain.

This was once a provincial capital until it was covered in ash in a volcanic eruption in 1994.

The Tavurvur and Vulcar Cones are still active here and considered amongst the most dangerous volcanoes in the country.

The coastal communities feel almost metropolitan compared to the settlements along the country's longest river.

The Sepik begins in the central ranges of PNG and flows more than 1100 kilometers to the sea.

Remote villages are scattered along its banks, still carving out an existence based on traditions handed down through the generations.

Tourists are a novelty in these parts and a visiting boat will bring the entire village to the water in a welcome that is genuine, if not a little overwhelming.

The cruise ends in Madang, which feels like a metropolis after the river.

The township is a meeting point for roads from the highlands and coast and is joined by boating traffic from the Sepik in a blend of cultures that certainly has its Western influences.

Papua New Guinea can't be experienced from the periphery.

It has elements worthy of sightseeing but this is a destination all about being ensconced in a different way of life.

In an ancient world, thankfully overlooked by modernization.

It's a cruise through customs and traditions where every sight, sound, smell, and smile will linger long after the journey ends.

Europe was made for calm water cruising.

There are hundreds of rivers running through the continent, connecting castles to cities and villages to vineyards.

Crossing cultures and countries on their journey to the sea.

The Rhine and the Danube are the most famous, and during the peak mid-year months, they turn into watery highways as tour boats and commercial vessels vie for space.

Fortunately, there are a few rivers that are less well-known and less-visited, that still allow travelers to experience Europe's old world charm at a cruisy pace.

Sitting right on the banks of the Seine, Paris is the obvious starting point for a river cruise but, unfortunately, the waters flow towards the English Channel rather than the more desirable Mediterranean.

So, it's the Saone and Rhone rivers flowing south through Burgundy and Provence that have attracted the interest of travelers seeking to explore the food and wine heartland of France.

Chalon is a convenient place for cruises to begin, halfway along the 480-kilometer Saone.

Down river, there are market towns such as Beaune sprinkled along the banks, and while this region is known more for its vineyards, its produce also benefits from the mild climate and rich soil.

Burgundy's pastoral pursuits have earned it a world-class reputation amongst Sommeliers but there are also glimpses of grandeur in amongst the grapes.

The Cluny Abbey was built in 910 AD and for 500 years was the largest religious building in Europe until losing its title to St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The cost of maintaining the structure proved too much for the rural town, and the brickwork slowly disintegrated over the centuries, leaving only a portion of the original building still standing.

The Saone and Rhone converge in Lyon, France's third largest city.

It's a sprawling metropolis of half a million people with an eclectic mix of architecture, some of which dates back 2,000 years.

Nearby Vienne is smaller, prettier, and just as historic.

It was once a prominent outpost in the Roman Empire.

Its sizeable amphitheater was built in the first century AD and could hold an audience of 14,000, which it still does today for the occasional concert.

The region attracted some high-profile guests in the Middle Ages.

A 14th-century castle was used as a summer residence for successive popes based out of Avignon, further south.

It was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair.

Locals using the stones for building works in the nearby village.

For a region renowned for its food, Provence is an unassuming place, dotted with quiet country towns barely changed over the centuries, yet there are hints of its former glory.

The thousand-year-old Saint Vincent's Cathedral was built when Viviers was an important meeting place in medieval times.

It still remains intact, towering above the Rhone.

Some of the area's history is of a more natural bent.

This is Europe's version of the Grand Canyon on the neighboring Adesche River.

Over millions of years, a pathway and hundreds of caves have been carved out of the limestone cliffs.

A welcome change from the human handiwork that dominates the region.

Roman relics are never far away.

The Pont du Gard is one of the best preserved aqueducts in the world and also the highest at almost 50 meters.

It's almost a thousand years older and in far better shape than the nearby Avignon Bridge, which has only retained four of its original 22 arches.

It's the most recognizable of the city's landmarks but not necessarily the most remarkable.

The 14th-century Palais de Popes still stands proud as the onetime home of five consecutive leaders of the Roman Catholic Church.

Downriver, the township of Arles has impressive features of its grandiose past, but a 19th-century visitor has given it a more popular legacy.

Vincent van Gogh was attracted to Provence by its color and sunlight, which shines for 300 days of the year.

His visit only lasted a few months, but he painted 350 works here.

If he had managed to cruise just a little further towards the Mediterranean, he would no doubt have been captivated by Camargue.

Nestled in Rhone's delta, this is a UNESCO biosphere reserve that's home to thousands of migratory birds, the most striking being the pink flamingo, which looks completely out of place in France, yet has made itself right at home in the marsh.

Cruising through the French countryside is a relaxing yet rewarding experience.

An intoxicating combination of fine food and wine served in an historic setting, with moments of natural brilliance, on the rivers less traveled.

It's difficult to get further away from it all than here.

A raw, rugged piece of the Australian coastline, largely unvisited, and in some places still uncharted.

This was the first part of the continent to be settled, but the last to be explored by most of the population.

The Kimberley Region is in the country's northwest.

Only 50,000 people live in this vast expanse of mountains, rivers, and plains that stretches over an area three times the size of England.

There's no shortage of shoreline to cruise along here, with more than 700 nautical miles of cliffs, coves, and capes from the pearling town of Broome to the outpost of Wyndham near the Northern Territory border.

This part of Australia is so remote, it's closer to Indonesia than its own state capital of Perth.

And that proximity has been a problem in the past.

In World War II, Japanese bombers out of Timor attacked the Kimberley, targeting an allied air force base in Broome.

They took out 22 aircraft, including a U.S.

liberator that was transporting wounded personnel.

Its crew and passengers were among the 100 people killed here in March 1942.

The Japanese had already targeted the merchant ship "Koolama" as it carried 180 people and war supplies to the army base in Wyndham.

The disabled ship managed to limp to port only to be sunk in another raid while alongside the town's wharf, but with the loss of no passengers or crew.

Hidden in amongst the scrub on an even more isolated part of the coastline is the wreckage of an American DC-3.

It wasn't the victim of battle, but rather navigational error.

The pilot became disoriented in bad weather, overshooting Broome by 600 kilometers and running out of fuel over a sand flat.

He and the crew escaped with minor injuries and survived for three days in the bush before being rescued by a Qantas flying boat.

Most of the drama along this part of the coast is of a more natural type.

Powerful waterfalls punctuate the Gorges as lasting reminders of the sheer volume of rainfall during the wet season between November and April.

Montgomery Reef lies just 20 kilometers off the coast.

It's Australia's largest inshore reef, and it supports a diverse range of marine life, including six of the seven species of sea turtles found worldwide.

The area's remoteness has helped preserve many of its natural features.

Much of the coastline is only accessible by air and sea, making a dramatic chunk of Australia's shore off limits to land-based travelers.

Visitors are dwarfed by the towering sandstone and limestone cliffs lining the gorges and gullies carved out over the past two billion years.

Aboriginal communities have lived here for 40,000 years and there are some impressive illustrations of early Kimberley life.

In 1891, explorer Joseph Bradshaw discovered a collection of paintings that are widely considered to be some of the most remarkable rock art in the world due to their definition and detail.

The style is very different to most indigenous art in Australia, leading many experts to believe the paintings were created by the ancestors of indigenous Australians who crossed the sea from Timor, some 60,000 years ago.

For a place that isn't on many people's radar, the Kimberley offers a surprisingly diverse range of features.

A natural palette of rich colors, showcased on a striking landscape, the mood of which changes dramatically with time and tide.

It's a visual feast on a cruise into splendid isolation.

One of the world's most idyllic cruising spots started out as a major disappointment.

Explorers were hoping to find a channel connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, but instead they discovered a maze of passages in Alaska's west that led them nowhere fast.

They had stumbled upon a serene part of the North American coast that had been home to the Tlingit people for thousands of years.

While it couldn't offer a prized continental crossing, it did provide a safe path for shipping traffic along the Pacific shoreline.

Officially, the Inside Passage starts in Puget Sound in Washington state and covers 40,000 kilometers of Canadian coast before reaching the Alaskan border.

It only extends 800 kilometers into America's most northern state, but this is by far its most scenic stretch.

The city of Ketchikan is the southern entrance to Alaska's Inside Passage.

The population of 14,000 is concentrated in a small coastal area, bursting over the banks.

The surrounding forest of spruce trees once provided a major industry for the region and a ready supply of material for the Tlingit people's skilled artwork.

Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of totem poles.

At least 80 are on display from the historic to works in progress.

Traditionally, these monumental carvings commemorated ancestors and cultural beliefs, or recounted important events.

Today, they are a standout feature of a community carved out of the wilderness.

It was the salmon that first drew the indigenous Americans to Ketchikan, and it's still big business today.

Fishing boats vie for space with all the other commercial vessels making the most of the calm inland waters sheltered by 1,000 islands.

The coastal communities are a deserving deviation on the voyage north but it's the natural attractions that have made this such a sought-after cruising spot.

The Inside Passage twists and turns its way through a 10 million hectare World Heritage Site, one of the largest internationally protected areas on the planet.

At the heart of it is the Glacier Bay National Park.

As early as 1925, American President Calvin Coolidge recognized the need to preserve this pristine environment.

Over the decades, its boundaries have expanded beyond the numerous nooks and crannies at its waterline, to the Tongass National Forest and Saint Elias mountain range.

When British explorer Captain George Vancouver arrived to chart the west coast in the late 1700s, the bay was one massive wall of ice.

Over the centuries, higher temperatures and lower snow falls melted the glacial mass, leaving up to 1,000 smaller versions remaining today.

One of the most visited is the Margerie Glacier.

It's 34 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers wide.

It was named after a French geologist who was the first of many to be captivated by its size and color.

While many glaciers in the area have receded, Margerie is still considered active, travelling on average two meters per day, causing the ice to calve as it meets the salt water in the bay.

The park can only be accessed by air and sea, but the vast majority of the half a million tourists who come here every year arrive by cruise ship.

Vessel and visitor numbers are regulated to protect the fragile ecosystem and ensure everyone gets a front row seat.

But it's not just humans attracted to the tranquil waters.

Marine mammals prefer the sanctuary and solitude the passage offers, away from the weather and predators along the coast.

Still waters run deep here.

Glacier Bay has an average depth of 240 meters.

That's as deep as most skyscrapers are high.

The cruising season only lasts through summer, as winter is typically windy, wet, and wild, especially when blizzards kick in.

The township of Skagway sits at the northern end of the Inside Passage.

This once-thriving city fell to pieces when the Klondike Gold Rush ended in the early 1900s.

It now has a permanent population of just over 1,000 but comes back to life every year thanks to the influx of visitors in the warmer months.

There are few cruise destinations that can offer wilderness on such a grand scale as Alaska's Inside Passage.

Despite its popularity, numbers are kept in check, making it still possible to soak in the scenery and absorb the serenity of nature at its finest.

Cruising is a gentle introduction to new worlds.

A way to experience history, culture, and nature, without completely abandoning creature comforts.

To push beyond our boundaries, expanding our knowledge and understanding, and learning to go with the flow as we see the Earth from an entirely different perspective.

(triumphant music)