The Best Alaska Cruise Itinerary for You
Route, glacier day and season decide it.
Get a Cruise RecommendationThe Best Alaska Cruise Itinerary Depends on Three Choices
The best Alaska cruise itinerary for you comes down to three choices: round trip or one way, which glacier day, and when in the season you sail. Get those right and almost any ship will give you a wonderful week; get them wrong and you may spend more time at sea than among the mountains.
Choice 1: Round Trip or One Way
| Inside Passage round trip | One-way Gulf of Alaska | |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | Seattle or Vancouver, both ways | Vancouver (or Seattle) to Seward or Whittier, or the reverse |
| Typical length | 7 nights | 7 nights, often extended by a land tour |
| Highlights | Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, a glacier day; Victoria on Seattle trips | More glaciers further north, College Fjord, gateway to Anchorage and Denali |
| Best for | First-timers, families, easy flights | Travelers adding a cruisetour inland |
| Trade-off | You do not reach the Gulf | Open-jaw flights; more expensive airfare |
Seward and Whittier serve Anchorage, about two to three hours away by road or rail. Ask us to price the train or motorcoach transfer when you compare the two shapes.
Choice 2: Your Glacier Day
Glacier Bay National Park is the best-known glacier day, with park rangers coming aboard to narrate. Because the National Park Service limits how many large ships enter each day, it is worth asking specifically for an itinerary that includes it.
Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay is enormous and very active. Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm are narrow fjords leading to the Sawyer and Dawes glaciers; ice can stop big ships short. College Fjord, on Gulf routes, lines up glacier after glacier named for colleges.
Choice 3: When to Sail
The Alaska cruise season runs from about May to September. May and September bring fewer crowds and lower fares; June to August bring the warmest weather, the longest days and the busiest ports. Whales are seen throughout the season. For a month-by-month look, see Cruise Destination Guides.
Shore days are where Alaska shines: whale watching from Juneau, the White Pass railway from Skagway, totem parks in Ketchikan. Alaska Port Excursions covers excursions port by port.
Recommended Alaska Itineraries by Traveler
- First-time cruisers: 7-night Seattle or Vancouver round trip with Glacier Bay.
- Retirees and slower travelers: 7-night one-way cruise plus a land tour with rail to Denali.
- Families: round trip in July or August, with a big ship for sea days.
- Wildlife lovers: a small expedition ship in Southeast Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Alaska cruise itinerary?
For most travelers, a seven-night itinerary in June, July or August with three port calls and a full day in Glacier Bay or at Hubbard Glacier. Round trips from Seattle or Vancouver are easiest to fly to; one-way Gulf of Alaska routes see more and pair well with a land tour to Denali.
Why do Seattle cruises stop in Victoria?
US cabotage law, the Passenger Vessel Services Act, requires foreign-flagged ships sailing round trip from a US port to call at a foreign port. Victoria, British Columbia, is the usual stop on Seattle round trips.
Do all Alaska cruises go to Glacier Bay?
No. Entry to Glacier Bay National Park is limited by National Park Service permits, so only some ships and sailings include it. Others visit Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, or College Fjord instead.
Find the Right Alaska Itinerary
Tell us whether you want Glacier Bay, a land tour or a round trip. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will compare Alaska itineraries for your dates and quote them free.
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