Cruise Only vs. Alaska Cruise – Which Cruise is Right for You?

The state of Alaska is vast: it includes 365 million acres It is more than twice the size of the state of Texas. With only 17,000 miles of public roads, much of Alaska is remote and accessible only by ship or plane.

A cruise is one of the best and easiest ways to visit the Great Land. However, if you want to explore more of the state’s exceptional beauty, including its rugged wilderness areas – such as Denali National Park and Preserve and Fairbanks, the city known as “Golden Heart of Alaska“- Think of a cruise. A cruise is a combined vacation between sea and land.

Cruise benefits only

Most Alaska cruises are shorter than cruises, typically lasting seven nights. With an extra night in the city before the cruise (as a temporary solution in case travel plans go wrong), you can make the cruise in just over a week. Plus, many ships sail back and forth from major cities like Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia, so booking airfare and transfers should be easier (and cheaper) since you’ll be arriving and departing from the same place.

Another advantage is that you will only need to pack and unpack once (excluding hotel stays before the cruise) if you are only taking a cruise. You will not have to move your luggage between hotels and other means of transportation, such as buses, trains and planes.

1 week alaska cruises

If you think a cruise-only vacation is for you, there are a few popular seven-night Alaska cruise itineraries you can take to visit the south-central region of Alaska.

Norwegian Cruise Line Round trip “Glacier Bay, Juneau and Ketchikan”. From Seattle include stops in the coastal cities of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan (Ward Cove) in Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia, and scenic cruises in the magical Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. A number of other lines also offer departures in Seattle, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Virgin Voyages (starting in 2026).

Seven-night round trip Alaska Dos Glacier Cruise with Celebrity Cruises From Vancouver it traverses the scenic Inside Passage and Endicott Arm Gorge (home of the Dawes Glacier). It calls at Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan ports in Alaska. Several other lines offer round-trip flights from Vancouver, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Disney Cruise Line.

You can also book a one-way trip for a week, either heading south or north along the coast. Many larger and smaller lines offer such trips. If you prefer a larger ship, Royal Caribbean offers that Sailing from Seward, Alaska or Vancouver Which includes two days of scenic cruises on the Hubbard Glacier and the Inside Passage, plus visits to the ports of Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan.

For a smaller luxury ship, Regent Seven Seas Cruises Offers one-way cruises from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver (or reverse itinerary). These cruises sail the Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area, and the Pacific Ocean. They call it Point Fjord Glacier (Hona) and Ketchikan in Alaska, as well as Vancouver.

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Only longer cruises, some to less popular ports

Since you’ve traveled far to visit Alaska, you may want to book a longer trip to see more of this amazing state. Extended itineraries, especially on smaller ships and expedition-style ships, often call for more remote and less-visited destinations.

Silversea 14-night round-trip sailing From Vancouver includes stops in some of Alaska’s most popular port cities, such as Ketchikan, Icy Straight Point, Skagway, Seward (Anchorage), and Juneau, as well as the less frequented Valdez, Haines, and Klawock. You’ll also find trips with a few lines that stop in the small towns of Wrangell on the Inside Passage and Homer on the Kenai Peninsula.

If you’re interested in a more immersive Alaska experience — and sailing on a much smaller ship (about 40 to 86 guests) — consider booking your cruise with Alaska dream cruises or UnCruise Adventures. These companies offer unique wilderness itineraries, featuring wildlife viewing and active exploration in canoes and kayaks right from the ship. Both lines offer seven-night flights and longer flights.

National Geographic – Lindblad Travels It also features off-the-grid itineraries into the Alaskan wilderness on small expedition-style ships, including destinations along the Inside Passage. The line’s eight-night “Exploring the ABC Islands of Southeast Alaska” round-trip from Juneau (on a 62-guest ship) includes a Zodiac cruise through Alaska’s Inian Islands; You’ll spend six days exploring Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagov Islands and searching for wildlife such as killer whales, humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions and brown (or grizzly) bears.

Cruises – Explore Alaska by sea and shore

For a great Alaska vacation, consider taking a cruise. A combined sea-land vacation offers the best of both experiences: sailing along Alaska’s picturesque coast and exploring the boundless wilderness of the interior.

Several large cruise lines offer cruises, including Holland America, Princess, Norway, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, as well as smaller lines such as Azamara cruises And American cruise lines. Others, such as Oceania Cruises and Silversea, offer cruise extensions with fully escorted pre-cruise or post-cruise land tours. These extras include a visit to Denali or a train ride through the Canadian Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. However, they are not full programs like cruises.

What is included in a cruise?

Depending on your itinerary, your cruise may be at the beginning or end of the cruise, with the rest of the time spent on shore. There are many variables and options with cruises. Most begin or end with a seven-night cruise, followed by several days, a week or more of travel between hotels and destinations, with various tours and sightseeing options along the way.

Some parts are accompanied on the grounds, while other parts can be done on your own. These trips can last a long time 19 daysdelusion Usually includes transportation By luxury steam coach and glass dome railway car with the Alaska Railroad. Some land tours may also include flights. Hotels and travel between destinations are usually included in the price. However, meals and some premium land excursions — such as an Arctic aerial adventure or a northern lights viewing tour from Fairbanks — will be at an additional cost.

For example, Princess A 13-day Denali Explorer cruise From Vancouver to Fairbanks. After the cruise, disembark in Whittier and spend an evening in Anchorage before boarding a Direct-to-the-Wilderness train car for a two-night stay at Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, followed by two nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. Both properties are located directly outside the entrance to Denali.

While you’re there, you can visit the park with a tour in search of Denali’s “Big Five”: brown (or grizzly) bears, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, and caribou. Other optional excursions include a dog sledding experience, a flight or helicopter tour, Arctic grayling fly fishing, and an evening covered wagon ride with an Alaskan feast.

The final stop on your Alaska adventure is Fairbanks, where you’ll have an included tour of the Chena River on a sternboat steamer, then pan for gold and enjoy a gourmet miners’ lunch at Gold Dredge 8.

Norwegian offers a “Alyeska Denali – 12 Day Southern Cruise” Which features a five-day land portion before the seven-night cruise. This trip starts in Anchorage and includes the Alaska Railroad Dome Car to Denali and a bus ride to Girdwood, home to the beautiful city. Alyeska ResortIt is located at the foot of the Chugach Mountains. After spending the night in Girdwood, you’ll head to Whittier to begin your cruise.

You’ll also find cruises with Princess that include a hotel stay Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. This inn provides access to the Wrangell—St. Elias National Park and Preserve (the largest national park in the United States) and Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, the gateway to adventures in Kenai Fjords National Park.

The ultimate Alaska cruise

And if you want to head as far north as Nome, Alaska, then cross the Arctic Circle and visit Kodiak Island — home to the world’s second-largest bears (next to polar bears) — and do it all while on a ship (no land included), book a cruise 28-day “Legendary Solstice of the Alaskan Arctic Circle” cruise With Holland America. This bucket-list cruise sails round-trip from Seattle and includes several days of scenic cruises, 12 ports of call, and small towns like Valdez, Haines, Wrangell, and Dutch Harbor in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.