Noordam: 15-Night Transpacific from Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the world's great cities, a metropolis of nearly 14 million people (37 million in the greater metro area) that layers cutting-edge technology, ancient temples, obsessive food culture, and distinctive neighborhood personalities into a dense, efficient urban landscape. The Tokyo cruise port is primarily at Harumi Passenger Ship Terminal or the newer Tokyo International Cruise Terminal in the waterfront area, both on Tokyo Bay with the city skyline in the background.

Sitka sits on the outer coast of Baranof Island, facing the open Pacific rather than the protected Inside Passage. This gives it a different character from other Alaska cruise ports: more exposed, more wild, with ocean swells and offshore islands visible from town.

Ketchikan cruise port is the first major stop on most Alaska Inside Passage itineraries coming up from Seattle or Vancouver. The town sits on Revillagigedo Island in Alaska's southernmost panhandle, wedged between the ocean and steep forested mountains.

Seattle cruise port is the primary departure point for Alaska cruises out of the United States, with ships running the Inside Passage route from late April through early October. The city has two cruise terminals about three miles apart on the downtown waterfront.