Alaska Cruises: Cruise to Alaska | Royal Caribbean Cruises (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Alaska cruise itinerary? ›

The Inside Passage Itinerary is the most popular cruise itinerary to Alaska. This itinerary typically includes Alaska's most visited ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Holland America Line

Round-trip from Vancouver. Holland America Line has been cruising Alaska's pristine glacial waters for more than 75 years – longer than any other cruise line. On top of that, the line features more voyages to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve than its competitors.

Northbound Alaska cruises sail up the coastline through the Inside Passage and along Hubbard Glacier, so your best view of Alaska's scenic landmasses are likely on the starboard side of the ship. Southbound Alaska cruises are the opposite.

10 Days. This is a very popular vacation length, and no wonder: 10 days is enough time to combine a cruise with a land tour and experience both sides of Alaska. Trips of this length usually include a whirlwind tour of some of Alaska's popular interior and Southcentral destinations, plus a 7-day cruise.

Alaskan cruise season is May through September with July and August being the highest season attracting the most travelers. Convention holds that the best months to cruise Alaska are July and August when the temperatures are at their highest and the weather is generally sunnier.

“If ever there was a cruise itinerary built for a balcony, it's an Alaskan cruise. The landscapes are incredible and there's a high probability you'll see whales. We recommend you find a room with a balcony and avoid the inside staterooms. On our recent Alaska cruise, we stayed in a stateroom with an obstructed view.

On an Alaska cruise, a balcony cabin provides your own private viewing space to take in spectacular scenery, glaciers, wildlife, and more. While this category of staterooms comes with a higher price tag, the benefits offered on an Alaska cruise will make a huge difference and is well worth the investment.

Most Alaska cruises depart from Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Anchorage Alaska, which includes departures from Seward and Whittier. Tap the links below for cruises from theses ports of call.

Is a passport required for an Alaska Cruise? For almost all Alaska cruises, a passport is required to travel.? All foreign flagged cruise ships traveling to Alaska will make stops in both the United States and Canada; and, some longer, repositioning Alaska cruises may begin and end in Mexico or another country.

Summer daytime highs are mild - generally in the low- to mid-60° F range, while nighttime lows are in the mid-to high-40s. It is a rainforest, so be prepared for light mist and rain at any time. In winter, temperatures rarely fall below 20° F, and snow along the temperate coastline tends to melt within a few days.

Which side of the ship is better for Caribbean cruise? ›

If you'd rather see the sunrise while sailing south or east, staying on the port side is your ideal choice as well. Choose the starboard side for the opposite situation: sunsets are visible on southbound and eastbound sailings while sunrises are visible on northbound and westbound cruises.

It's a matter of personal taste. Some people don't like open-jaw flights (flying into one city and out of another), and so prefer the round-trip Inside Passage route. Others don't mind that and enjoy the additional glacier visits of the Gulf cruise itineraries. It's entirely up to you.

For both cruising and land-based tours, May and September are the “shoulder” seasons in Alaska, with better deals and fewer crowds. Cruise prices during those times may be lower, perhaps by a couple hundred dollars per person.

Alaska Cruises Can Be Bumpy in the Gulf of Alaska

Rough Waters: The majority of sailing on an Alaska cruise is done in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, but ships sailing to Seward, Whittier or Anchorage must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which is much rougher.

If it's a typical tour, six months in advance is probably going to work. If it's last minute, well then you take what you can get.

We specialize in Alaska's top travel destinations such as Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Fairbanks, as well as Alaska's most popular national parks including Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

One of the best luxury Alaska cruise ships is the 746-passenger all-suite Seven Seas Explorer. It's one of Regent Seven Seas Cruises' most glam ships, and you can pamper yourself on board for a week as you sail from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia.

One of the famous and most popular places to visit in Alaska is the Denali National Park.