One of the best ways to explore Alaska is on a cruise. During your expedition, you’ll travel to different cities, small towns and national parks, allowing you to see all that Alaska has to offer. Not to mention, cruise ships can access certain locations that are challenging to reach by car or air, so you’ll have the opportunity to explore off-the-beaten-path landmarks.
With more than 50 Alaska cruise lines and ships sailing north each summer, there’s no single best cruise line for Alaska. The right pick depends on your budget, your pace and how close you want to get to the wildlife.
Here’s how the best Alaska cruises stack up by cruise line, from budget-friendly to ultra-luxury. Compare your options below to find the Alaskan cruise that fits you.
Princess Cruises
Cruise Line at a Glance:
- Best for: Romantic getaways
- AAA Member benefits: Reduced deposit (as low as $50 per person), along with a complimentary Princess Medallion clip (first two guests in the stateroom) during quarterly cruise sales
- Unique features: North to Alaska program, Discovery at SEA program, specialty dining, Vegas-style casino, afternoon tea, sports court, art gallery, spa and an open-air amphitheater for movie screenings.
Princess Cruises offers one of the widest selections of Alaska itineraries of any cruise line and it’s earned its reputation as one of the best Alaska cruise lines for couples. While Princess Cruises welcomes all passengers, it’s nicknamed “The Love Boat” and offers amenities and excursions geared toward couples.
Popular Alaskan excursions for couples include two-person kayaking with scenic views of glaciers, dog sledding and whale watching on a yacht. On board, you can purchase honeymoon, wedding and anniversary packages to make your Alaskan adventure extra special.
Discovery Princess: Inside Passage (Roundtrip Vancouver)
- Duration: 7 nights
- Starting price: $999 per person
- Departs from: Vancouver
At about $150 a day before extras, the Discovery Princess is one of the more affordable ways to see Alaska on a big ship. The Discovery Princess docks at Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, giving you a full sampling of Gold Rush history and salmon country in a single week.
Onboard, look for the SeaWalk glass walkway and an outdoor movie theater alongside the traditional amenities like the spa, casino, snack stations and pools you’d expect from a Princess ship.
Pro tip: When you board, head directly to The Sanctuary, a private adults-only upper deck area. Make reservations for high-demand sailing days to get the best views.
Since this itinerary sails round-trip from Vancouver, it’s worth tacking on an extra day or two in the city to check out things to do in Vancouver before or after your cruise, from Stanley Park to Granville Island Public Market.
Royal Princess: Inside Passage (with Glacier Bay National Park)
- Duration: 7 nights
- Starting price: $1,279 per person
- Departs from: Seattle
If Glacier Bay National Park is on your must-see list, the Royal Princess is the itinerary to book—and one worth reserving early. The National Park Service caps park entry at two large cruise ships per day. That works out to a seasonal ceiling of roughly 153 sailings from June through August and 122 during the shoulder months of May and September.
Princess is one of the few lines that holds a permit. The Royal Princess spends about eight hours inside the park, including roughly an hour parked at the face of Margerie Glacier. During that time, the ship slowly rotates 360 degrees so every stateroom and viewing area gets a turn facing the ice.
National Park Service rangers board early in the morning and stay aboard most of the day. They narrate from the bridge, give talks in the theater and answer questions out on deck. A Huna Tlingit cultural interpreter joins them to share the history of the park's original inhabitants.
Beyond Glacier Bay, this 7-night round-trip from Seattle also stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia.
Holland America
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Overall experience
- AAA member benefits: $50 onboard spending credit per person for first two guests in stateroom and $50 Denali Dollars per person for first two guests on Alaska Cruise tours, Verandah staterooms and above
- Unique features: Regional cooking demonstrations and tastings, Global Fresh Fish Program, complimentary pickleball lessons and presentations by rangers and members of local tribes
Holland America Line has stood out as a top name in the world of cruising for over 150 years. Known for exceptional service, award-winning dining and informative programming, this cruise line ensures a remarkable travel experience. Plus, Holland America backs every one of its Alaska sailings with a guarantee that you’ll see a glacier.
The line’s Alaska cruises depart out of Vancouver, Seattle or Anchorage and its shore excursions run from a crab-fishing tour aboard a ship featured on the hit TV show Deadliest Catch to a visit to a native village and a dog-sledding and glacier-viewing adventure by helicopter.
Zaandam: Denali and Yukon Tour Y4L
- Duration: 12 nights
- Starting price: $4,499 per person
- Departs from: Anchorage
This is Holland America’s deepest dive into Alaska’s interior, pairing a 7-night cruise with a 5-night land tour. It’s the only major line that includes an overnight stay in Dawson City, Yukon, which is part of the Tr’ondëk-Klondike UNESCO World Heritage site, added in 2023.
You’ll ride Holland America’s own glass-domed McKinley Explorer rail cars to Denali National Park for a two-night stay. While there, you’ll join the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a fully narrated 5- to 6-hour excursion into the park (snack included). That’s your best shot at spotting Denali’s wildlife and North America’s tallest peak.
From there it’s on to Fairbanks for a ride aboard the sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery, then a short flight across the border to Dawson City before boarding the Zaandam.
Senior International Travel Advisor Susan Sabie, a AAA expert, says extending your trip with a land tour is “most definitely” worth it since the Alaskan interior looks nothing like what you see from the ship’s deck. You may also spot moose, grizzly bears, Dall sheep and caribou you’d otherwise miss entirely.
Noordam: Great Alaskan Explorer
- Duration: 14 nights
- Starting price: $1,819 per person
- Departs from: Vancouver
The Great Alaska Explorer is one of the longest round-trip Alaska itineraries sailing today, at 14 nights and it allows you to see more of the state than the standard stops.
Aboard the roughly 1,924-passenger Noordam, this Seattle roundtrip spends about seven days in port and six or seven at sea, calling on Kodiak and Valdez (two ports most Alaska cruises skip entirely) along with Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
It also includes a day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, so a longer, less-crowded route doesn’t mean giving up the marquee glacier day. Onboard, the Vista-class ship is known for museum-quality art and a full slate of regional cooking demonstrations.
Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Families and first-time cruisers
- AAA member benefits:$50 onboard credit per stateroom on balcony staterooms and above, a bottle of sparkling wine and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus a complimentary 8x10 photo per stateroom on sailings of 7 nights or longer
- Unique features: North Star observation pod (Quantum-class ships like Ovation of the Seas), SeaPlex indoor activity complex, rock climbing, 17-plus dining venues, Broadway-caliber shows
Royal Caribbean brings its signature big-ship energy to Alaska, which makes it a strong choice if you’re cruising with kids or teens who want more to do than scenery-watching between ports. Between the SeaPlex sports complex, rock climbing wall, waterslide and full entertainment lineup, there’s enough onboard to fill sea days even before you factor in glacier viewing.
Serenade of the Seas: Alaska Inside Passage
- Duration: 7 nights
- Starting price: $860 per person
- Departs from: Vancouver
Sailing round-trip from Vancouver, the Serenade of the Seas hits a strong lineup of Inside Passage highlights, including Sitka, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert.
As a 2003-built Radiance-class ship, Serenade carries 2,466 guests at capacity—a fraction of the 4,000-plus guests on Royal Caribbean’s newer Quantum and Oasis-class ships. That smaller scale makes it feel considerably calmer, while still delivering the line's signature entertainment.
About 3 acres of this ship’s exterior are glass, including ocean-facing glass elevators and a multi-level Centrum atrium featuring aerial acrobatic shows. The all-weather Solarium makes a comfortable backup viewing spot if Alaska’s weather doesn’t cooperate.
Ovation of the Seas: Southbound Alaska and Hubbard Glacier
- Duration: 14 nights
- Starting price: $1,054 per person
- Departs from: Seward
This southbound sailing starts in Seward, near Anchorage. Over 7 nights, it works its way down to Vancouver, stopping at Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway and Icy Strait Point along the way.
Ovation of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships, carrying around 4,180 guests at double occupancy (more than double that of Serenade of the Seas above). It leans into that scale with amenities built for a bigger crowd.
The North Star observation capsule rises more than 300 feet above sea level for 360-degree glacier views. The SeaPlex complex packs in bumper cars, roller skating and a circus school with a flying trapeze. And the RipCord by iFly simulator lets you try skydiving without leaving the ship. With 16 dining venues and a full entertainment lineup, this itinerary suits travelers who want big-ship energy alongside their glacier views.
Celebrity Cruises
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Affordability
- AAA member benefits: Onboard credit per stateroom based on category booked: $25 (outside), $50 (balcony), $75 (Concierge Class and above)
- Unique features: Spa, fitness center, casino, children’s program, shows, shopping
Celebrity Cruises offers trips to Alaska ranging from six to 13 nights at various price points. You can choose from itineraries sailing to Dawes Glacier, Hubbard Glacier, Denali National Park and Preserve and other areas of the state.
Celebrity boasts five ships that sail to Alaska, including the Celebrity Summit, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Solstice. No matter which itinerary you choose, you’re getting the same access to Alaska’s glaciers and wildlife at a price that undercuts most big-ship competitors.
Celebrity Solstice: Alaska Wildlife Encounter Cruisetour
- Duration: 11 nights
- Starting price: $3,194 per person
- Departs from: Vancouver
This cruisetour pairs a 7-night sailing from Vancouver with four nights exploring Alaska’s interior by land after you disembark. The tour is built around seeing Alaska’s Big Five wildlife: grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep.
The land portion starts with an overnight at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, with Denali views right from town. From there, the Denali Natural History Tour takes you on a guided trip into the park's taiga forest and rolling tundra. The land tour wraps up with a scenic ride on the domed Wilderness Express rail between Talkeetna and Anchorage.
This itinerary is built for travelers who want the wildlife-spotting odds of a land tour, since all five of those species are far more common inland than along the coast. And once you’re back on the water, you don’t have to give up the comfort of a full cruise.
Norwegian Cruises
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Flexible dining and a casual, freestyle vibe
- AAA member benefits: 25 onboard credit per Studio/Inside stateroom, $50 per Oceanview, $75 per Balcony/Club Balcony and $100 per Suite/Haven stateroom
- Unique features: Freestyle Dining with no fixed dining times or assigned seating, a two-story go-kart track on Norwegian Encore, large-scale entertainment, casual atmosphere geared toward independent travelers
Norwegian takes a different approach to Alaska than most of the lines on this list. There are no assigned dining times, no formal nights and a lineup of restaurants and entertainment built for travelers who’d rather set their own schedule than follow a set routine. It’s a good fit if you want the scenery of Alaska without the structure of other cruise lines.
Norwegian Encore: Alaska Round-Trip Seattle
- Duration: 7 nights
- Starting price: $1,729 per person
- Departs from: Seattle
The Norwegian Encore sails roundtrip from Seattle on a well-rounded Inside Passage route that includes Juneau, Skagway, a full day of scenic cruising through Glacier Bay National Park (with a National Park Service ranger-led talk included), Ketchikan and a call in Victoria, British Columbia on the way back.
Unlike other cruise lines, Norwegian Encore docks at Ward Cove in Ketchikan rather than downtown, offering you a unique entry point to the city.
As a Breakaway-Plus class ship carrying around 4,000 guests, the Encore has room for extras you won’t find on the smaller ships in this lineup, including a five-level go-kart track that’s included in the cruise fare. It’s also one of the longer Alaska cruise seasons on this list, with sailings running from April into October.
Carnival Cruises
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Budget-friendly, laid-back cruising
- AAA member benefits: Onboard credit up to $200 per stateroom on balcony and suite categories for sailings of 6 nights or longer
- Unique features: Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, RedFrog Rum Bar, Cloud 9 Spa, casual dining and entertainment throughout
Carnival brings its usual value and laid-back energy to Alaska. If you’ve sailed Carnival in the Caribbean before, expect the same casual dining, signature bars, entertainment and family-friendly activities, just with glaciers and wildlife outside your window instead of palm trees.
Carnival Luminosa: Alaska Inside Passage and Glacier from San Francisco
- Duration: 11 nights
- Starting price: $1,279 per person
- Departs from: San Francisco
One of the few Alaska itineraries that sails roundtrip from San Francisco, the Carnival Luminosa is worth a look if you'd rather skip the longer flight to Seattle or Vancouver.
Carnival doesn’t hold a Glacier Bay permit, so the glacier payoff here comes from Tracy Arm Fjord instead. The ship cruises slowly past calving glaciers in this 30-mile fjord, while you watch for black and brown bears, mountain goats and harbor seals.
Along the way, the Carnival Luminosa also stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, with an outdoor movie theater and solarium rounding out the sea-day options.
Seabourn
Cruise Line At-a-Glance:
- Best for: Ultra-luxury, small-ship intimacy
- AAA member benefits: Up to $200 per suite onboard credit
- Unique features: All-suite accommodations, all-inclusive fine dining and premium spirits, a guest count around 600, expert-led enrichment talks
If you’ve ever wondered why small-ship cruises to Alaska cost more, AAA Minneapolis Branch Manager Sherri Schreckenghaust (a AAA expert) has a straightforward answer: smaller ships “get closer to shore and navigate narrow channels, where it’s easier to view wildlife up close” and get more personal attention from guides. That intimacy does come at a premium over big-ship sailings, though.
Seabourn is the line to book if that trade-off appeals to you. Every stateroom is a suite, dining and premium drinks are included and the guest count tops out around 600.
Seabourn Encore: Alaska Glaciers, Canadian Inside Passage and Glacier Bay
- Duration: 8 nights
- Starting price: $7,083 per person
- Departs from: Juneau
Sailing one-way between Vancouver and Juneau over eight nights, the Seabourn Encore threads through the Inside Passage to Ketchikan and Sitka before a full day in Glacier Bay National Park. The ship continues north to the Inian Islands, nicknamed “The Laundry Chute” for the tidal currents that rip through the narrow channels there, where sea otters, seals, sea lions and humpback whales gather in the nutrient-rich water.
Next, the ship continues to Icy Strait Point and a call in Haines, a quieter port on the Lynn Canal that most big-ship itineraries skip entirely, before ending in Juneau.
Seabourn’s fleet carries between 264 and 600 guests per ship. Plus, every stateroom is a suite and the number of crew members almost equals the number of guests. This is part of why this itinerary moves at such a deliberate pace compared to the big-ship routes above.
Tips for Booking Your Alaskan Cruise
Selecting the perfect Alaska cruise is about more than picking a cruise line. These details can help you get the most out of your cruise to Alaska, including getting the experiences you actually want:
- The best time to book a cruise is typically six to 12 months out, especially for peak-season (June-August) sailings, when the best cabins and pricing go first.
- Consider shoulder season (May, September) for cheaper fares and thinner crowds, trading a bit of warmth for savings.
- If Glacier Bay National Park is a must-see, book early and double-check it’s actually on your itinerary. Permit-holding sailings (like the Royal Princess and Noordam itineraries above) tend to fill up faster than routes that skip it.
- Choose a balcony or higher stateroom on the glacier-viewing side of the ship, where possible. Several AAA Member onboard credit offers above are also tied to balcony-and-up bookings.
- Book shore excursions as soon as your cruise is confirmed. Popular options like whale-watching tours, glacier flightseeing and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway routinely sell out weeks or months ahead, especially in June and July.
- A AAA Travel Agent can help you stack Member benefits (onboard credit, Denali Dollars, shore excursion credit and more) on top of the cruise line’s own pricing.
FAQs
Do I need a passport for an Alaska cruise?
Whether you need a passport for your Alaskan cruise depends on your itinerary. Round-trip sailings that start and end at the same U.S. port (like Seattle) technically don’t require a passport since you’re only briefly in Canadian waters, but a passport is still strongly recommended in case of a medical emergency or itinerary change.
One-way itineraries between Vancouver, Seattle and Anchorage always cross an international border, so a passport is required.
What wildlife will I see on an Alaska cruise?
Expect humpback and orca whales, bald eagles, sea otters, seals and sea lions from the ship, plus a good chance at spotting moose, black bears or brown bears on shore excursions and land tours. Remember, seeing specific wildlife is rarely guaranteed.
Why should I choose an Alaskan cruise over a Caribbean cruise?
Choosing between an Alaskan cruise and a Caribbean cruise comes down to the experience you’re after. Alaska delivers glaciers and wilderness, while the Caribbean delivers beaches and warm water.
What is the best month to cruise to Alaska?
The Alaska cruise season runs mid-May through mid-September. June through August brings the warmest weather and longest days, while May and September offer lower fares and thinner crowds.
Is it worth paying extra for a balcony on an Alaskan cruise?
For most travelers, yes, it’s worth paying extra for a balcony on cruises to Alaska. Glacier viewing and wildlife-spotting are a big part of the appeal and a private balcony lets you watch at your own pace without competing for deck space.
Book Your Alaskan Cruise with AAA
Whichever Alaska cruise line you choose from above, a AAA Travel Agent can help you compare sailings side by side and book everything in one place through AAA Travel.
If you’re not a AAA Member yet, join to access these savings before you book, then let a AAA Travel Agent help you turn your Alaska cruise into a fully planned trip from departure to disembarkation.