9 Best Cruises to Alaska 2026 & 2027

The best cruise to Alaska – is there really one that is the absolute best? It’s different for everyone, but there is a best cruise for you.

You want to cruise to Alaska? Alaska has grown to be one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of itineraries to find you the best of the best – and as Alaska cruise experts, cruising this region hundreds of times over the past 15 years we know what to look for.

Top Picks

There’s a lot of cruises to pick from in Alaska, but here’s a quick look at my top picks for the best cruises to Alaska in 2026 & 2027:

Best One Week Seattle Roundtrip
Holland America Line 7-Day Alaskan Explorer
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Best One Week Vancouver Roundtrip
Princess Cruises Inside Passage with Glacier Bay National Park
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Best Glacier Cruise
Holland America Line Glacier Discovery Cruise
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Best Multi-Generational
Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Bliss 7-night Seattle Roundtrip
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Best Value Luxury Cruise to Alaska
Azamara Pursuit 10-Night Whittier to Vancouver
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Best Ultra-Luxury Cruise to Alaska
Seabourn

Best Bucket List Alaskan Cruise
Holland America Line 28 Day Arctic (2027)
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Best Alaska Cruise from California
Princess Cruises 20 Day Ultimate Alaska Solstice
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9 Best Cruises to Alaska 2026 & 2027

In Alaska you will find eagles and glaciers, whales and bears, as well as all of the jewelry shops and tourist shops you could ever need.

Picking out which Alaskan cruise is a balance of the best itinerary, onboard cruise experience, and budget. It is figuring out if you want to see the inside passage, or maybe visiting Glacier Bay is on your bucket list – or any glacier for that matter. Maybe you want some small ports mixed in or if you want to see the tourist side of Alaska, brought about by the million plus cruise visitors.

Best One Week Seattle Roundtrip

🛳️ 7 Night Alaskan Explorer on Holland America Line Eurodam

After reviewing every itinerary out there this one takes the cake. Maximizing your time in Alaska, this itinerary gives you the most you can get on a one week itinerary out of Seattle. Four Alaskan ports plus Glacier Bay National Park.

It is a short call in Victoria, B.C., but if you really want to see Victoria you could add an extra day onto your vacation and take the ferry from Seattle to Victoria.

Best One Week Vancouver Roundtrip

🛳️ 7 Night Inside Passage with Glacier Bay National Park
on Emerald Princess

There are two big advantages to sailing out of Vancouver for your cruise to Alaska:

• sailing the Inside Passage
• Leaving from Canada you don’t need to stop in an additional foreign port

This puts these itineraries ahead of their one week Seattle itinerary counterparts. Your sea-day back to Vancouver in particular is going to be spectacular scenic cruising and rather than shortened port days you’ll mostly see full days in port.

This itinerary features Skagway and Glacier Bay to help make for a truly unforgettable cruise.

Best Multi-Generational

Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Bliss

This takes the cake for multi-generational travel. A pretty great itinerary with Glacier Bay on a ship filled with entertainment options for the whole family. Plus, this ship has a great variety of stateroom types ranging from multi-room options with separate bedrooms to solo studio cabins.

Best Alaska Cruise For Families

Best Cruise for Glaciers – Holland America Line – 7 Day Glacier Discovery (2026 & 2027)

Best Glacier Cruise to Alaska

⚓ 7 Night Glacier Discovery Cruise Holland America Noordam

I love this itinerary as it features two days of glacier viewing – plus, an extra opportunity while in Juneau. It visits Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay National Park. Absolutely incredible.

This is the southbound itineraries, going from Whittier to Vancouver. The northbound itinerary also features two days of glacier gazing, but trades Hubbard Glacier for College Fjord.

Best Value Luxury Cruise to Alaska

11 Night Oceania Pursuit, Whittier to Vancouver

This luxury cruise is a step above what you’ll fins with most cruise lines, but doesn’t quite reach the level of ultra-luxury offered by some. If you’re looking for something in between (or maybe your wallet is looking for something in between) this is a great option.

This itinerary is especially great for someone that has done the traditional Alaska itinerary already. It foregoes Juneau and Ketchikan for some smaller spots, plus scenic cruising at Hubbard Glacier. Ports include Valdez, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Wrangell, Alaska and full day stays in Nanaimo and Victoria, British Columbia.

Best Luxury Cruise to Alaska – Seabourn

• 14 Night Alaska Glacier & Fjords Inside Passage on Seabourn Quest
• 🇨🇦 14 Night roundtrip out of Vancouver🏔️ Seven Alaskan Ports
• 🏔️ Hubbard Glacier, Scenic Cruising Misty Fjords
• 🇨🇦 Great Inside Passage Cruising
• 🍷 All Suite Ship, All Inclusive

I am biased because I’ve had the opportunity to cruise with Seabourn four times now – including in Alaska. They offered an incredible ultra-luxury cruise experience and I love the itinerary. It’s a great combination of scenic cruising, small ports, as well as some of the bigger more commercialized ports.

If you want to experience the nature of Alaska while enjoying champagne and caviar? This is the cruise for you.

Best Bucket List Alaskan Cruise – Holland America Line 28 Day Arctic (2027)

Best Bucket List Alaska Cruise

1. 28 Night Alaska Solstice Arctic Circle Cruise
   • 🇺🇸 28 Night roundtrip out of Seattle
     • 🏔️ Eleven Alaskan Ports
     • 🏔️ Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Prince William Sound, and Tracy Arm
2. Princess Cruises 22-Day Ultimate Alaska Solstice
   • 🇺🇸 22 Night roundtrip out of San Francisco, California
     • 🧊 Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
     • 🏔️ 9 Alaskan Ports
     • 🇨🇦 Full day visits in Vancouver and Victoria

This Holland America itinerary is just a “wow” of Alaskan exploration. I LOVE this itinerary. Yes, it is 4 weeks long, but it is absolutely worth it.

With 11 ports in Alaska, plus scenic cruising at Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Prince William Sound, and Tracy Arm. Plus, crossing of the Arctic Circle past Nome.

If you’ve wanted to cruise to Alaska and it’s been on your bucket list – this is your bucket list cruise.

Best Alaska Cruise from California – Princess Cruises

• 20-Day Ultimate Alaska Solstice Cruise on Ruby Princess
• 🏔️ Seven Alaskan Ports
• 🏔️ Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord
• 🇨🇦 Prince Rupert
• 🇽 Long cruise – although there are shorter 10 day options throughout the season

The 20 night cruise on Ruby Princess tops my list as the best cruise for first timers. The itinerary is superb, roundtrip from Vancouver which makes it easy for those that are maybe a little less comfortable with longer travel.

This itinerary will see you cruising the Inside Passage and the longer itinerary gives you longer days in the ports, as well as sailing in beautiful Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, and College Fjord, plus Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Anchorage, Valdez, Icy Straight Point, Sitka, and Prince Rupert.

Which Cruise Lines Go to Alaska?

Nearly all of the major cruise lines are sailing to Alaska including:

• Contemporary/Premium Lines:
  • Carnival
  • Celebrity
  • Disney
  • Holland America Line
  • MSC Cruises *new for 2026
  • Norwegian
  • Princess
  • Royal Caribbean
  • Virgin Voyages *new for 2026
• Upper Premium/Luxury/Ultra-Luxury Lines
  • Note – some of these luxury lines also offer expedition cruises
    • American Cruise Lines
    • Azamara
    • Crystal
    • Cunard
    • Explora Journeys
    • Hapag Lloyd
    • Oceania Cruises
    • Ponant
    • Regent Seven Seas
    • Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection *new for 2026
    • Scenic
    • Seabourn
    • Silversea
    • Viking Cruises
    • Windstar Cruises
• Expedition Cruise Lines:
  • Hurtigruten
  • National Geographic
  • UnCruise

This list may make you think that you need to take a luxury cruise to go to Alaska as so many luxury lines sail to this beautiful part of the world. Many of these luxury lines will only have one ship sailing in the region for the summer, whereas the other lines will typically have 5 or more ships in the region.

The good news is, as Alaska is more popular than ever whichever cruise line you have found that you like for you and your family, they likely will sail to Alaska.

Which cruise line is best for Alaska?

For your mainstream, big name cruise lines Holland America Line and Princess are rated highest for cruising to Alaska. Holland America has been cruising to Alaska for more than 75 years and consistently has more than half of their fleet of ships in Alaska in the summertime.

Princess has also proven to be a leader in cruising in Alaska, often deploying 6 or 7 ships to this region and offering roundtrip itineraries from the usual ports of Vancouver and Seattle, but also San Francisco.

Holland America and Princess are also among only a few lines that have permission to visit Glacier Bay National Park. For a full overview of which cruise lines go to Glacier Bay take a look at this post.

However, which cruise line is best in Alaska is really dependent on what you are looking for in a cruise vacation. The best cruise line for you might be on an expedition ship, like those of UnCruise Adventures, or maybe a National Geographic cruise.

Or, if you want to go the luxury direction you really can’t go wrong with any of the luxury lines and I would focus more on which itinerary is best for you. While I am partial to Seabourn having sailed on them many times, I think some of Silversea’s itineraries are a step above.

Top Tips for Picking The Best Alaska Cruise For You:

An Alaska cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure—but with so many options, how do you know which one is right for you? From glacier viewing to itinerary planning, here are the top things to consider when choosing your Alaska cruise.

For my complete list of Alaska Cruise Tips check out this post.

1. Decide What You Really Want to See and Do

Do you dream of seeing glaciers calving, spotting whales, hiking through pristine forests, or going on a fishing expedition? Each Alaska port offers different experiences, so knowing your top priorities will help guide your choice of cruise and itinerary.

2. Check Port Times—They Matter More Than You Think

Not all port stops are created equal. Some ships might not arrive until 1:00 PM, or they might leave a port as early as 1:00 PM. If you have a bucket-list port or excursion in mind, double-check how long your ship will be docked. It can make or break your plans.

3. Be Prepared for Tender Ports—Even the Big Ones

While most Alaska ports have docks, tendering (taking a small boat to shore) can still happen—even in major ports like Juneau or Ketchikan. This is rare, but it does happen. If you’re planning a non-ship excursion, build in some buffer time just in case.

4. Understand What “Inside Passage” Really Means

The iconic Inside Passage is only fully experienced on cruises that sail to, from, or roundtrip from Vancouver. Even then, not every ship (especially larger ones) goes through the full route. If you’re departing from Seattle and see “Inside Passage” on the itinerary, know that it’s typically just a partial experience—often just the stretch near Ketchikan.

5. Think About Whether You Want (or Don’t Want) Kids Around

Alaska cruises, even on traditionally quieter lines like Holland America, can be packed with families during summer. If you prefer a more adult atmosphere:

• Consider Viking Cruises (adults-only).
• Travel during the shoulder seasons—late April to May, or September to early October.
• Longer itineraries also tend to have fewer children onboard.

6. Make Sure the Itinerary Visits Glacier Bay (If That’s Important to You)

Glacier Bay is a crown jewel of Alaska cruising, but not all cruise lines have permits to visit. If it’s a must-see for you, confirm that the cruise you’re booking includes it. Some lines only go to other scenic glacier areas like Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm.

7. Match the Cruise Line to Your Family Needs

Traveling with kids, a baby, or multi-generational family? Make sure the cruise line offers the right amenities and services. Some lines are much more family-friendly than others, and choosing the right one can make a big difference in your onboard experience.

8. Legal Considerations: Can Everyone in Your Group Enter Canada?

Due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, nearly all Alaska cruises stop in Canada. If anyone in your group has a DUI or felony conviction, they may not be allowed to enter Canada—even on a cruise. It’s best to check legal eligibility before booking.

9. Be Flexible: Itineraries Can and Do Change

Weather and other unexpected factors sometimes force cruise lines to skip or change ports. While rare, it’s part of the Alaska cruising experience. Ask yourself: Will I still enjoy the cruise if one of my must-see ports gets canceled?

FAQ’s

When is the best time to see whales on an Alaskan cruise?

Luckily most of the cruise ship season corresponds to the best whale watching! The best whale watching is considered to be between May and September. This means if you’re really set on seeing whales you should avoid the very early season (late April) or very late season (October) cruises for the best whale watching opportunities.

From personal experience I’ve had great luck seeing whales throughout the season but definitely feels like activity is higher in the middle of the season (June, July, August). I’ve been on several whale watching tours in Juneau, Sitka (actually a sea otter tour but saw whales), as well as lots right near the ship in Icy Straight Point. Depending on itinerary you may be able to go on a whale watching tour in Victoria, British Columbia for orcas.

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Pricing for Alaskan Cruises 2025

What part of the ship is best for an Alaskan cruise?

First and foremost – a balcony. Get a balcony when sailing in Alaska. It is cooler outside but it is worth it to see the whales, sea otters, eagles, and glaciers as you sail through this incredible place.

The next recommendation I would have is less about sailing in Alaska and more about being onboard in general. The middle of the ship on a deck that is sandwiched between two other decks that have staterooms tends to be a nice quiet place where you will feel very little of the motion of the ocean.

What is the cheapest month to cruise to Alaska?

The least expensive month to cruise to Alaska is typically September. Every once in awhile there is a deal in May as well and if you are really bargain hunting you’ll want to plan for a last minute deal.

Can you see the Northern Lights?

Yes! Northern Lights were seen so much this year. There is no guarantee that you will see them and on the off chance that they are visible while you are in Alaska you’ll need to be willing to stay up late. You’ll have a better chance if you take a cruise that heads further north (think Anchorage area). There is also a slightly higher probability of seeing them around the Autumnal equinox in September than over the summer months.

If you want to know more about seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska – take a look at the Geology Institutes page that gauges Aurora activity.

Which passage is the best on an Alaskan cruise?

You’ll hear the phrase “Inside Passage” talked about a lot and featured on a lot of itineraries when cruising in Alaska.

Let me be clear on this – to get true inside passage cruising you need to cruise out of Vancouver, and even then not ever ship offers it. If you are on a cruise out of Seattle you will not get the experience of cruising the Inside Passage (no matter what your brochure says after leaving Ketchikan). It’s the difference of a couple hours of it versus an entire day.

The Inside Passage is an incredible stretch of water surrounded by mountains and with an abundance of wildlife along Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

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What Types of Alaskan Cruises Are There?

• One week Seattle round trip
• One week Vancouver round trip
• One week from Vancouver to either Seward or Anchorage and it’s opposite, from Seward or Anchorage back to Vancouver
  • These cruises are often paired with land journeys exploring Denali National Park
  • You can also go between Vancouver and Skagway (or the reverse) to do a 3 or 4 night cruise followed by a land journey.
• Longer than one week, roundtrip out of either Vancouver or Seattle
• Longer than one week, roundtrip out of either San Francisco or Los Angeles
• More immersive journeys offered by expedition or luxury lines can have more varied itineraries including Vancouver to Juneau or Juneau roundtrip

So, What’s the Best Cruise to Alaska ?

I say there is a best Alaskan cruise for everyone because there is! Alaska is truly beautiful. However, as you should with any cruise, do your research and make sure you are going on the right one for you!

Remember, if you don’t like being around kids, going on a one week Alaskan cruise in July is the wrong choice. If you want to do a lot of scenic cruising (like the inside passage for instance) and you chose the one week out of Seattle it is the wrong choice. I say these things because I have met the passengers that are onboard lamenting these very facts.

Or, hating the rain but choosing any Alaskan cruise in late September! While it might rain any of the year, in September your chance of rain goes up, so yet again, due to a lack of research, it is the wrong choice.

There is an Alaskan cruise that is the right fit for you! Do your research and get out there and make friends with a whale!

Conclusion: 10 Best Cruises to Alaska 2026 & 2027

The best cruise to Alaska is going to be different for everyone. It depends on what you want to see, how much time you have, and also what kind of cruise is best for you and your family!

For some people that will be exploring with Lindblad and National Geographic, for others it will be a luxury cruise with Seabourn or Silversea, and for others it will be a family cruise on Disney. There are so many choices, it’s really all about finding the right fit for your family.

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