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Voyager of the Seas passing through a channel in Port Kelang, Malaysia by Fredrick Filix – Unsplash
Best Alaska Cruises
Alaska is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., it borders the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. Roughly 1.5 million people visit Alaska on a cruise ship each season. With more than 2,500 islands, mountainsides that tickle coastal waterways, a robust seasonal whale population, among other wildlife, and rich local culture in some truly remote communities, some of which are only accessible by water, it’s easy to see why so many travelers decide to sail in Alaska.
One of the most magical ways to explore Alaska’s expansive coastline, stunning snow-capped mountains, awe-inspiring glaciers, and protected wildlife is by sea. And that’s precisely why so many people who visit Alaska do so via a cruise. Plus, it’s the best way to experience the iconic Inside Passage, the most popular route for cruise ships departing from Seattle and Vancouver from May through September. The key to planning the perfect adventure is finding the right cruise for your personality, budget, and preferences. Here are the best Alaska cruises.
1. Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises ships grant unparalleled access to Alaska’s glaciers and fjords because of their small, yacht-like size. Guests are treated to unique experiences, like anchoring right in Misty Fjords and Kenai Fjords, which is something you’d have to do on a shore excursion if you were on a larger ship with another cruise line.
The Cruises offer an all-inclusive option includes WIFI, unlimited drinks, and Signature Expeditions program that offers expert guides who give lectures and take guests on intimate excursions.
2. Celebrity Millennium Cruises
Vacation in a cruise ship by Adam Gonzales – Unsplash
The Celebrity Millennium, launched in 2000, has recently undergone a complete modernization, which includes luxury staterooms, enhanced technology, and renovated restaurants and lounges.
If you’re passionate about the finer things in life, Celebrity Cruises may very well speak to your soul. The Sky Suite in the Retreat, for instance, includes a long list of curated amenities, endless views, a Personal Retreat Host, private dining, and exclusive spaces, like the Retreat Lounge and Sundeck.
The Millennium offers Edge series staterooms with Infinite Veranda at the touch of a button, your entire living space becomes the veranda, which means you can walk right out to the water’s edge. And 99% of the staterooms on Celebrity Edge have king-size beds, featuring Celebrity eXhale bedding and Cashmere mattresses.
3. Oceania cruises
Oceania cruises introduce Alaska to guests by offering local experiences in partnership with native tribes for a more meaningful connection to the area beyond sightseeing.
Oceania Cruises’ Regatta dazzles guests with bejeweled chandeliers in the Grand Dining Room, fresh color palettes, and new furnishings in the public spaces, plus new everything in the suites and staterooms. Between the gentle rocking of the ship and the Ultra Tranquility Bed, you’re sure to rest during your cruise.
4. The Discovery Princess
Princess Cruises ship by iSAW Company – Unsplash
Princess has been sailing Alaska for over 50 years, and with six ships, five wilderness lodges, and its own domed rail car, this cruise line knows the region well.
The Discovery Princess had her naming ceremony in April of 2022, so she’s a brand-new addition to the line’s fleet. As such, technology is a big part of the experience.
Cruise guests will receive a free Medallion device with a complimentary lanyard, which allows you to do things like open your cabin door, track onboard purchases, find family and friends, locate venues, and check daily activities.
5. Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Cruises is a luxurious way to explore America’s Last Frontier. With its intimate size and maneuverability, world-class dining, social atmosphere, and high-end amenities. The Grill by world-renowned chef Thomas Keller, and an open-kitchen style option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Enjoy the magical moments spent exploring the far end of the Misty Fjords on Zodiac, learn more about the local wildlife and geology during lectures with the Expedition Team, and kayak along Hubbard Glacier.
6. Holland America Line
A cruise ship by Christian Lambert – Unsplash
Holland America Line’s Koningsdam offers everything long-time cruisers appreciate, from a comfortable size and price point to onboard activities and numerous dining options.
Holland America offers more access to Glacier Bay National Park and has more departures featuring Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line.
This “best of” 7-night itinerary is focused on the region’s iconic Inside Passage, which gives passengers an efficient taste of all the area’s most photographed and talked about sights.
7. American Queen Voyages
The 186-passenger Ocean Victory, from American Queen Voyages may be small in stature, but she’s big on value. The all-inclusive sailing includes one pre-cruise hotel night, ground transfers, unlimited guided tours, and beverages, open bars and lounges, unlimited food, in-room dining, WiFi, bicycles, walking sticks, and daily live entertainment and enrichment.
As part of the American Queen Voyages expedition experience, the line has partnered with Dr. Michelle Fournet, an acclaimed acoustic ecologist and leading expert in the communication of North Pacific humpback whales.
Guests will also learn about and participate in whale tracking through fluke identification by uploading their own photos from the vessel to a scientific database following their seasonal movements.
8. Royal Caribbean International
Cruise ships in the Bahamas by Fernando Jorge – Unsplash
Royal Caribbean International includes recreational activities like a flow rider surf simulator, iFly skydiving simulator, and rock climbing wall, high-tech virtual balcony views, and North Star, a glass observation capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level for bird’s eye views.
The cruise offers 16 dining options, 10 bars and lounges, myriad activities and shows, a spa and fitness center, pool tables, and table tennis. Add to that guest lectures, outdoor movie nights, live music, an arcade and casino, theme nights, bumper cars, archery, and dance and sushi-making classes.
9. Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is one of the more family-friendly lines sailing in Alaska, considering there are kids’ clubs and programming specifically geared at youngsters.
Over the course of nine days, this sailing on the 1,976-passenger Norwegian Sun visits seven ports, including Sitka, Ice Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, and spends a full day puttering around the otherworldly Hubbard Glacier.
All in all, the sailing is affordable, and travelers can customize the land part of their itineraries to fulfill their Alaska wish list, by opting for excursions that include kayaking to the face of a glacier; going on a flightseeing tour to see brown bears feast on salmon; meeting with sled dogs; shopping for Indigenous handicrafts; marveling at totem poles; and visiting local breweries.
10. Ponant’s Cruise
Ponant promises you unforgettable moments aboard their sleek and intimately sized cruise yachts, all of which sail under the French flag. Discover the innovatively designed cruise ship Le Boréal and her three sister vessels: L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial. Experience Le Ponant, our famous three-masted ship, with her 32 staterooms, each combining traditional authenticity with modern comfort; and enjoy the pleasures of Le Lapérouse, a technologically cutting-edge cruise ship.
Enjoy the opportunity to visit extraordinary locations on one of their many expedition cruises. Discover multi-faceted continents and forgotten lands endowed with natural treasures while experiencing the refined atmosphere and comfort of life on board. Combining wonderful itineraries with five-star hotel service, their exceptional luxury cruises à la française have been created to deliver quality and excellence through an unprecedented sailing experience.
