Echoes of the Past: Remembering the Civil War with Charleston
« All Yorktown cruise options
- Day 1 Alexandria, Virginia / Embark
- Day 2 Alexandria / Mount Vernon
- Day 3 Colonial Beach, Virginia / Fredericksburg
- Day 4 Yorktown / Colonial Williamsburg
- Day 5 Hopewell / Petersburg / Richmond
- Day 6 Cruising the Intracoastal Waterway
- Day 7 New Bern, North Carolina
- Day 8 Morehead City
- Day 9 Wilmington and Fort Fisher
- Day 10 Charleston, South Carolina
- Day 11 Charleston / Disembark
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||||
| E | D | C | B | A | AA | S | |
| Oct 28 '13 |
$5,395 | $5,995 | $6,995 | $7,895 | $8,495 | $8,995 | $9,895 |
| Port charges & taxes: $235 per person | |||||||
Please note: Cruise fare does not include fuel surcharges.
Deposit & Payment Day 1 Alexandria, Virginia / Embark
Fly to Washington, DC and transfer to the port in Alexandria to embark Yorktown. Overnight aboard ship docked in Alexandria.
Day 2 Alexandria / Mount Vernon
Today drive to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s massive estate and gardens. Spend the day touring the sweeping grounds including the mansion, museum, slaves’ quarters, and the gardens. Also visit the recently opened distillery, a reconstruction of Washington’s original whiskey distillery.
Day 3 Colonial Beach, Virginia / Fredericksburg
Arrive in Colonial Beach, set beautifully on the Potomac River, for an excursion to Fredericksburg. The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought here in 1862 as it is midway between Washington, D.C. and Richmond. The battle, a Confederate victory, is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles in the Civil War, with many more Union casualties than Confederate. The Fredericksburg Historical District contains over 350 buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park which preserves portions of four major Civil War battlefields. Nearby is the Kenmore Plantation. Built in the 1770s, it was the home of George Washington’s sister, Betty and her husband, Fielding Lewis.
Day 4 Yorktown / Colonial Williamsburg
From the port of Yorktown, your excursion leads to historic Colonial Williamsburg. The capital of the Virginia colony from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg is the nation’s premier living museum, offering visitors a glimpse of life as it was in the 17th and 18th centuries. A guided tour leads along the Duke of Gloucester Street, past the Capitol, the courthouse, the Governor’s Palace and the historic Bruton Parish Church, which has held Episcopal services here since 1715. Then enjoy time at leisure to explore the museums and side streets, which are filled with taverns, bakeries and the restored houses of wheelwrights, coopers, apothecaries and other tradesmen.
Day 5 Hopewell / Petersburg / Richmond
Sailing in the James River, disembark at Hopewell and drive to nearby Petersburg, the site of the last major battle of the Civil War (April 1865), a 10-month siege that is still the longest siege in American history. Visit the Siege Museum, housed in the elegant Exchange Building (ca. 1839), and the Petersburg National Battlefield, which preserves and protects Peterburg’s Civil War legacy. From Petersburg, drive to Richmond, the affluent city that became the Confederate capital on May 29, 1861. Richmond witnessed two major war campaigns, the first in 1862, the other in 1864. Explore the city’s major sites, including the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, and the old Tredegar Ironworks, which houses the visitors center for the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Reboard the ship in Richmond and spend the night aboard docked in Richmond along the James River.
Day 6 Cruising the Intracoastal Waterway
Spend the day aboard Yorktown enjoying lectures and stunning views.
Day 7 New Bern, North Carolina
Visit historic New Bern (settled in 1710), which was captured early in the Civil War by Union forces. Despite repeated Confederate attempts to retake the city, New Bern remained in Union hands until the end of the war. The jewel among New Bern’s sites is Tryon Palace and its elegant gardens, which you will visit. Visit the elegant Attmore-Oliver House, built in 1790, now housing the New Bern Historical Society, with its exhibits relating to New Bern’s role during the Civil War.
Day 8 Morehead City
Built in the mid-19th century as the terminus of the North Carolina Railroad, Morehead City was home to large encampments by both armies during the Civil War. Visit the History Place, with its exhibits relating to the Civil War, as well as Fort Macon, a Confederate garrison during the Civil War.
Day 9 Wilmington and Fort Fisher
Founded in 1739 in a strategic situation, Wilmington flourished on maritime trade, made possible by its deep water port. By 1860, Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city. During the Civil War, the 161-mile Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, at that time the longest railroad in the world, and the city port, were of vital importance to the South, and Wilmington’s fall to the Union in January 1865, was a severe blow to the Confederacy. In the morning, tour Wilmington’s historic district, a veritable open air museum of 19th-century architecture. In the afternoon, drive to Fort Fisher, a Confederate stronghold that fell to the Union in January 13 - 15, 1865, after a massive assault by a force of 9,000 men and 56 ships.
Day 10 Charleston, South Carolina
Arrive today in Charleston, one of the East Coast’s loveliest cities. A prosperous, cosmopolitan seaport from colonial times, it was here in Charleston’s harbor that Confederate troops first fired upon Fort Sumter, thus starting the Civil War. Tour Charleston’s extensive historic district, including the Heyward-Washington House, an 18th-century structure which features a separate kitchen house and enchanting formal garden. In the afternoon, drive to Middleton Place Plantation, a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that is a National Historic Landmark. Situated on the Ashley River, the property includes the House Museum, built in 1755 as the gentlemen’s guest quarters, and 65 acres of magnificent gardens, or take the ferry to Fort Sumter, site of the 1861 beginning of the Civil War.
Day 11 Charleston / Disembark
Disembark in Charleston in the morning.
Itinerary Notes
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS• 10-night cruise aboard the 138-guest Yorktown
• Complete program of tours and excursions
• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship
• All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
• Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying study leaders
• Professional tour staff
• Complete pre-departure materials
• Gratuities to guides and drivers
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is $950, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and Discover. Alternatively, you can send a check to our Missoula, Montana, office or register online at: https://www.adventure-life.com/forms/fourways.php
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure.
Final payment by bank transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex. Credit Card payments subject to 3% convenience fee and maximum $15,000 charge.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 100 days prior to departure.
Click here to see a copy of our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellation Policy
| Days Prior to departure | Fee |
|---|---|
| 91 days or more | $500 |
| 90-61 days | 55% cruise cost |
| 60-0 days | 100% cruise cost |
Yorktown
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 138
The Yorktown is the perfect vessel for relaxed and convivial exploration of America’s great coastal waterways. Built in Florida in 1988 specifically for coastal cruising and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Yorktown flies the American flag and is staffed by friendly and experienced American officers and crew. 257 feet long, 43 feet wide, with a draft of 8 feet, the Yorktown is able to maneuver in secluded waterways and visit small ports that are inaccessible to larger vessels. And Yorktown’s American registry makes it possible to operate domestic itineraries unavailable to foreign-flag ships.
In addition to a large sun deck, the Yorktown boasts a spacious lounge for social gatherings and lectures as well as quiet space for private conversation. The ship’s cuisine, served in a dining room large enough to accommodate all guests at once, emphasizes American regional culinary traditions and specialties. Both the lounge and dining room are surrounded by large picture windows that afford unobstructed
views of the passing scenery.
Accommodating 138 guests in 69 exterior cabins, the Yorktown enjoys an atmosphere of warm and relaxed informality that endears it to repeat and new guests alike.
Measuring 257 feet long, 43 feet wide, and with a draft of just eight feet, the ship's easy maneuverability and shallow draft enable exploration of secluded waterways beyond the reach of bigger ships. A fleet of motorized landing craft can be launched in minutes for spontaneous landings on small islands and deserted beaches.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | E Outside cabins with two lower beds, two portholes, private shower & toilet. Cabins M11-M17 |
| D Outside cabins with two lower beds, two windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L43-48 | |
 | C Outside cabins with two lower beds, two windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins P49-P76 |
| B Outside cabins with two lower beds, two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins M18-M26 | |
 | A Outside cabins with two lower beds, two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L29-L42 |
 | AA Outside cabins with two lower beds (converts to queen), two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L27-28, P59-60 |
 | S Superior outside cabins with walk-out balcony, queen bed, private shower & toilet. Cabins S77-S80 |
