Lively Tokyo is the departure point for this epic 20-night journey visiting two continents. But before we cross the International Dateline and make our way to North America, we’ve a few captivating places to explore in Japan. First Hitachinaka, a young city renowned for its blossom-filled oceanfront park, then Sendai with its impressive ruined castle and lively music scene. In Hakodate, sip tea looking over the rose garden at the Former British Consulate; in Aomori, admire the apple and cherry orchards set against the Hakkoda Mountains; and in Kushiro see red-crowned cranes, which thrive on the marshes. Now we sail to Alaska, making landfall at Kodiak, where natural delights include bald eagles soaring overhead. Finally, we arrive at Seward, on glittering Resurrection Bay, to hike to the fjords and dine on fresh halibut. We cruise past the awesome sight of the Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier in North America, heading for Skagway, with its Gold Rush-era buildings, then Icy Strait Point offers the thrills and spills of the world’s largest ziprider. Next, the onion-shaped dome of Saint Michael’s comes into view as we arrive at Sitka, Alaska’s original capital, once Russian territory. Onwards to Wrangell, home to the Tlingit people and 8,000-year-old rock carvings. Then we enter Canadian waters, passing through the spectacular Seymour Narrows before arriving in the Vancouver, a city of skyscrapers enfolded by majestic mountains.