Ocean Discovery – Seattle, Ketchikan & Sitka

About this cruise

If you want the classic cruise without a massive time commitment, this is a strong option. 8 nights from Seattle on September 2, 2027, visiting Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway, Victoria and Vancouver. You wind up in Vancouver, so it's worth planning a night or two there. There's a stretch of back-to-back port days, so those days are busy, but the sea days around them give you time to recharge. The wildlife alone makes it worth it: whales, bears, eagles, sea otters. Bring binoculars. Most ports give you about 9 hours, so you can do more than just tick off the main sights. As for the ship itself, Brilliant Lady (2025) is one of the newer ships out there, with current design and recent tech throughout. The sweet spot for most travellers: you get to know the ship, see the ports, and come home before the laundry piles up. Being shoulder season helps: golden light, comfortable weather, and shorter queues at the popular spots. Hard to ask for much more than that, honestly.