Alaska Cruises Guide
A practical, quick-read guide to cruise routes, ports, and glacier day tours in Alaska.
Alaska is one of the world’s best cruise destinations. You can wake up to tidewater glaciers, watch whales from deck, and step ashore in working coastal towns with real history. Most visitors choose the Inside Passage, but there are also itineraries to Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska, and select longer northern routes.
Use this page to compare cruise styles, review major cruise lines, and find day cruises in Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords.
Choose Your Alaska Cruise Style
- Large ocean cruise lines: Best for all-in-one travel with dining, onboard entertainment, and multiple ports.
- Small-ship day cruises: Best for close-up glacier and wildlife viewing with more time on deck.
- Cruisetour combinations: Pair your ship itinerary with rail or land extensions in Southcentral and Interior Alaska.
Popular Alaska Cruise Routes
- Inside Passage: The most popular route, often including Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and glacier viewing days.
- Gulf of Alaska: Common one-way itineraries linking Southcentral Alaska with Southeast ports.
- Prince William Sound day cruises: Excellent glacier and wildlife access from Whittier and Valdez.
Major Cruise Ports in Alaska
First-time visitors usually focus on a few core ports: Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Seward, and Whittier. If your itinerary includes Southcentral Alaska, consider adding time in Valdez and Prince William Sound for smaller-vessel glacier and wildlife trips.
Quick Booking Tips
- Compare itinerary timing, not just cabin price. Longer scenic cruising days often deliver the best value.
- Look closely at embarkation/disembarkation cities before booking flights.
- Bring layers, waterproof outerwear, and binoculars for deck viewing.
- Book popular shore excursions and glacier day cruises early in peak season.
Alaska Cruise Operators (Ocean Liners)
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Celebrity Cruises
- Cruise West
- Holland America Line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Princess Cruises
- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
- Silversea Cruises
Cruise Line Links
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Main site for itineraries, destinations, and current cruise offers.
- Celebrity Cruise Line
- Official booking and itinerary information for Alaska sailings and cruisetours.
- Holland America
- Alaska-focused itineraries with options for one-way and round-trip routes.
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Freestyle-style Alaska cruise options with varied ship sizes and port combinations.
- Princess Cruises :
- Alaska routes, seasonal promotions, and onboard planning resources. Check the Cruise deals & offers page for current pricing windows.
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Luxury-focused Alaska and global itineraries.
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
- Family-friendly ship options and Alaska route planning.
- Silversea Cruises
- Luxury expedition and premium cruise options, including Alaska sailings.
Glacier & Wildlife Day Cruises
Day cruises are ideal if you want more glacier time and wildlife viewing without committing to a full multi-day ocean itinerary. Top areas include Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords.
- Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise - In One Day!
- One-day glacier cruise experience from Anchorage/Whittier access points.
- Stan Stephens Cruises
- Valdez-based day cruises to tidewater glaciers and marine wildlife zones.
- Lu Lu Belle Tours
- Small-vessel day tours in Prince William Sound with glacier-focused itineraries.
- Major Marine Tours: Alaska Glacier & Wildlife Cruises
- Kenai Fjords and Prince William Sound day cruises with wildlife-focused options.
- Prince William Sound - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Kenai Fjords National Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Background information for two of Alaska’s best-known glacier cruise regions.
Alaska Cruise Deals & Promotions
- Carnival Cruise Lines - Carnival Specials
- The latest cruise sale and promotions. Get a great deal on a fantastic 'Fun Ship' cruise
- Celebrity Cruise Specials - web specials from celebritycruises.com
- Holland America Line - Alaska offerings
- Premium cruises from Holland America cruise lines. Find information on cruise packages to Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Panama Canal, Asia and the South Pacific
- NCL Cruise Specials -Norwegian Cruise Line
- Regent Seven Seas Cruise Vacation Special Offers
- Cruise specials from Regent Seven Seas Cruises include cruise vacation special offers and packages to many cruise destinations.
- Royal Caribbean International
- Royal Caribbean Offers: Great offers from Royal Caribbean's can help make your dream vacation a reality.
- Silversea Cruises: Enticing offers
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GREAT DEALS. SPECIAL EVENTS. LATEST NEWS AND MORE.
Be the first to receive special event notices and hot deals on our lodging and day cruises. Get the best rates on select dates and tour departures.
Related Reading
- Chilling Out with an Alaskan Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound
- A short story about a visit to Prince William Sound by Glacier cruise and sea kayak.
- Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System Main Information
- Official site of the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System providing passenger and vehicle transportation with ten ships visiting 33 ports along the coasts of Washington state, British Columbia, and Alaska
- Cruising Alaska on a Budget
- Alaska Deals
- Prince William Sound Alaska Cruise
- Alaska Cruises
- Alaska Discount Cruises
- AKBySea.com - Your Alaska Cruise, Your Way.
- AKBySea.com - This sounds like a dream private yacht charter through Southeast Alaska. Even the name of the yacht sounds cool, mad Crabber. With a name like that it's gotta be good.
- Alaska Cruises by Cruise Line
- Compare Alaska cruises by cruise line. Find the best Alaska cruise for you from top cruise lines