College Fjord, Alaska Cruise Port

Hidden away in the northern sector of peaceful Prince William Sound, College Fjord is a glacial palace with over a dozen breathtaking glaciers. Some of the glaciers have spruce forests growing along all their ice which provides a sense of scale not available at most glacier viewing sites. The fjord was named following an 1899 expedition that was meant to be a family outing for railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman, but soon ballooned into a tour that included scientists, naturalists, writers, and artists from renowned colleges on the east coast. As a result, many of the glaciers were named after the schools the impromptu explorers had attended. The northwest glaciers are named after the women’s alma maters, such as: Smith, Wellesley, Vassar, and Barnard, while the southeast glaciers are named after the men’s schools, like: Harvard, Columbia, Amherst, and Dartmouth. Today, you can cruise where the famed expedition once trekked.

• Relax with your rods and reels, or something more heavy-duty, for some of the best and most plentiful fishing in all of Alaska.
   
• Bask in the majestic glaciers, hop from college to college in an attempt to see them all from the tallest, Harvard, to the nonexistent Princeton—which the expedition took great pleasure in leaving out.
   
• Keep a keen eye out for seals and other wildlife swimming amongst the glaciers, and if you’re lucky you might see large groups of sea otters huddled together, making a raft.
   
• Save some time for an inspirational hike in which you’ll be able to explore the many forests and lakes jutting in and around the glaciers and mountains.