The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage extends 500 miles (800 km) from north to south and 100 miles (160 km) from east to west. The area encompasses 1,000 islands, 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of shoreline and thousands of coves and bays. Cruising through the Inside Passage is really what has made Alaska cruising so popular. There are glaciers the size of Rhode Island. Misty rain forests and ghostly blue fjords.  And spirited communities that celebrate their varied heritage. Be sure to take in every view as you sail through one of the most beautiful parts of Alaska. Cruises to Alaska´s Inside Passage stop in four major destinations – Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Ketchikan – each with its own unique style and identity. Other stops on your Alaskan itinerary may include Anchorage, Icy Strait, Prince Rupert, Denali National Park, Haines, Glacier Bay, and Vancouver, British Columbia (or Victoria, British Columbia), Canada.