Princess Cruises • The Great Land
Alaska was made for Princess.
Glacier Bay. Legendary rail journeys. Wilderness lodges at the doorstep of national parks. Discover an Alaska vacation that goes far beyond an ordinary cruise.
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Why Princess for Alaska?
Why Princess stands apart in Alaska
Princess has spent more than half a century developing one of the most complete ways to experience Alaska—at sea, in port and deep within the interior.
01
North to Alaska
Local seafood, Alaska personalities, cultural programs and even sled-dog visits bring the destination aboard.
02
Glacier Bay Access
Princess is among the select lines authorized to enter Glacier Bay, with park rangers joining the ship for the day.
03
22-Time Winner
Travel Weekly readers have voted Princess Best Cruise Line in Alaska 22 times.
04
Outstanding Value
Plus and Premier bundle drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, dining and more into one strong-value package.
05
A Complete Vacation
Excellent dining, polished entertainment and comfortable ships complete the experience.
My take: Other cruise lines visit Alaska. Princess
is built around Alaska. Its access, destination programming, rail
service and lodge network create a vacation that is difficult for
another line to match from one booking.
Choose your Alaska
One remarkable destination. Two excellent ways to see it.
The right choice depends on your available time, budget and how deeply you want to explore Alaska.
Easy and convenient
7-Day Roundtrip Seattle
A straightforward weeklong vacation with roundtrip flights to the same city, three classic Alaska ports and a full day in Glacier Bay National Park on select sailings.
✓Ideal for first-time Alaska visitors with one week
✓Simple roundtrip Seattle air and hotel planning
✓Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria
✓Choose a sailing that specifically lists Glacier Bay
The complete Alaska experience
CruiseTour + Voyage of the Glaciers
Pair a one-way seven-night cruise between Vancouver and Whittier with scenic transportation and Princess wilderness lodge stays near Alaska's great national parks.
✓Ideal for a true once-in-a-lifetime Alaska vacation
✓Coastal scenery plus Alaska's vast interior
✓Two glacier-viewing experiences during the cruise
✓Princess coordinates lodging and transportation
Not sure which is right for you? The Seattle cruise is wonderfully convenient, but for a major bucket-list vacation, I recommend considering a CruiseTour so you experience both coastal and interior Alaska.
A perfect first Alaska cruise
7 days roundtrip from Seattle
For travelers who want Alaska's greatest coastal highlights without a longer land journey, Princess offers a wonderfully convenient weeklong option. You can fly roundtrip to Seattle, unpack once and experience Alaska's most famous ports along with one of the world's greatest protected landscapes.
Look specifically for Glacier Bay. Not every Seattle departure enters Glacier Bay National Park. I recommend choosing an itinerary that clearly lists “Glacier Bay National Park” rather than assuming every glacier-viewing route is the same.
Day 1Depart Seattle
Day 2At sea
Day 3Juneau, Alaska
Day 4Skagway, Alaska
Day 5Scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park
Day 6Ketchikan, Alaska
Day 7Victoria, British Columbia
Day 8Return to Seattle
Sample route shown for illustration. Port order and schedules vary by ship and departure date.
Wildlife at sea and ashore
Keep watching the water
Whales, sea lions, otters, eagles and other wildlife are part of Alaska's magic. A dedicated whale-watching excursion offers your best opportunity for a closer encounter, but memorable sightings can happen right from the ship.
A national park day at sea
Glacier Bay comes with expert guides
National Park Service rangers board the ship in Glacier Bay to provide commentary, answer questions and help guests understand the glaciers, wildlife and protected landscape unfolding around them.
Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. Exact port order, arrival times and scenic-cruising destinations vary by sailing.
See beyond the shoreline
What is a Princess CruiseTour?
A CruiseTour combines a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with multiple nights exploring Alaska's interior. Princess arranges the major pieces into one connected vacation, including transportation and stays at its own wilderness lodges.
01 • Cruise
Voyage of the Glaciers
Sail between Vancouver and Whittier, visit Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences.
02 • Rail
Travel through the wilderness
Glass-domed railcars transform part of your transportation into one of the most scenic experiences of the vacation.
03 • Lodge
Stay inside the experience
Princess-owned lodges place you near Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and the wild landscapes of the Kenai Peninsula.
Coastal and interior Alaska
The Voyage of the Glaciers travels approximately 500 miles farther into the Gulf of Alaska than a roundtrip Inside Passage cruise. From Whittier, your land journey continues toward Denali and other interior destinations.
The journey becomes part of the experience
Princess glass-domed railcars offer elevated panoramic views as mountains, rivers and wilderness unfold outside. Applicable routes may also feature onboard narration, dining and an open-air viewing platform.
Fairbanks from the river
Many CruiseTours visiting Fairbanks include the Riverboat Discovery, a sternwheeler journey along the Chena River that introduces guests to the history and culture of Alaska's interior.
More time for wildlife
Traveling inland expands your opportunity to experience Alaska's immense landscapes and watch for moose, bears, caribou, Dall sheep and other wildlife in their natural habitat.
Five Princess properties
Your wilderness base camps
Each lodge opens a different corner of Alaska. The right CruiseTour is about choosing the lodge combination—and enough time—to experience the places that interest you most.
Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge
Set along the Chena River, this comfortable gateway to Alaska's interior offers access to the Riverboat Discovery, Gold Dredge 8 and adventures beneath the midnight sun.
Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge
Located about a mile from the entrance to Denali National Park, this lively riverside lodge is the base for park tours, rafting, flightseeing and wildlife adventures.
Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge
This peaceful Denali State Park retreat offers expansive decks, easy access to Talkeetna and remarkable views of Denali when the mountain emerges.
Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
Surrounded by mountains, forest and the Kenai River, this intimate lodge is a peaceful base for fishing, wildlife, Kenai Fjords and outdoor exploration.
Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge
Remote and scenic, Copper River sits at the edge of Wrangell-St. Elias—the largest national park in the United States—and rewards travelers who want to venture farther.
Sample route shown for illustration. Exact ships, glacier-viewing locations and schedules vary by departure.
Why IB5 is my favorite Denali Explorer
IB5 visits all three Princess lodges on this route—Fairbanks, Denali and Mt. McKinley—but it does not feel like a race. With two nights at both Denali and Mt. McKinley, you have time for an excursion, time to enjoy the lodge itself and time to simply take in the Alaska scenery. It offers a much better pace than CruiseTours that require you to pack up and move almost every morning.
Three Princess lodges
Experience Fairbanks, Denali and Mt. McKinley rather than seeing only one corner of interior Alaska.
Two-night stays
Two nights at Denali and Mt. McKinley create breathing room to explore and relax.
Included experiences
A Fairbanks riverboat cruise and a Denali National Park tour are built into the journey.
Scenic rail finale
Travel from the Mt. McKinley area to Talkeetna, then board Princess's glass-domed rail service to the ship in Whittier.
Your IB5 journey, day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Fairbanks
Check in at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge and settle into Alaska's “Golden Heart City.” I recommend arriving a day early when flight schedules allow.
Day 2
Fairbanks to Denali
Experience the included Riverboat Discovery cruise, then travel to Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge for the first of two nights.
Day 3
Denali National Park
Take the included Denali park tour and watch for wildlife. The remainder of the day allows time for optional excursions or relaxing beside the Nenana River.
Day 4
Denali to Mt. McKinley
Travel to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge in Denali State Park and settle in for another two-night stay.
Day 5
Mt. McKinley at your pace
Enjoy a full day for an optional wilderness adventure, time in Talkeetna or a relaxed day at the lodge with views of Denali when weather permits.
Day 6
Scenic rail to Whittier
Transfer to Talkeetna and board a Princess glass-domed railcar for the spectacular journey to Whittier, where you embark your ship.
Day 7
Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord
Enjoy the first of two glacier-viewing experiences from the ship. The featured destination varies by itinerary.
Day 8
Glacier Bay National Park
Spend the day among tidewater glaciers, mountains and wildlife while National Park Service rangers provide onboard commentary.
Day 9
Skagway
Discover Klondike Gold Rush history and the dramatic scenery of the White Pass.
Day 10
Juneau
Choose among whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, flightseeing and other adventures from Alaska's capital.
Day 11
Ketchikan
Explore Alaska Native culture, colorful Creek Street and southeastern Alaska's rainforest landscapes.
Day 12
Inside Passage
Enjoy a final day of coastal scenery and shipboard relaxation while sailing south through British Columbia.
Day 13
Vancouver
Disembark in Vancouver for your flight home or an optional post-cruise stay.
Princess markets IB5 as a 12-day vacation because it includes 12 nights; arrival through disembarkation spans 13 calendar days. Routing, included activities and glacier-viewing locations are subject to change by season and departure.
The classic Inside Passage ports
Three ports. Three very different adventures.
The ports may be the same, but how you experience each one can make an enormous difference. Alaska offers everything from easy sightseeing and cultural attractions to flightseeing, rail journeys and active wilderness adventures.
You will visit all three. Every Princess Alaska itinerary featured on this page—both the 7-day roundtrip Seattle Glacier Bay cruise and the Voyage of the Glaciers paired with CruiseTours—includes Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
Gold Rush country
Skagway
Historic storefronts and mountain passes recall the stampeders who traveled through Skagway toward the Klondike gold fields. The legendary White Pass & Yukon Route railway climbs from town into dramatic mountain scenery and is the classic Skagway experience.
My excursion tip: Consider a tour combining the railway in one direction with the Klondike Highway in the other for different views and additional photo stops.
Alaska's capital
Juneau
Accessible only by air or sea, Juneau combines glaciers, marine wildlife and a compact downtown beneath dramatic mountains. Popular choices include whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, gold panning and unforgettable helicopter trips for glacier landings or dogsledding.
My excursion tip: For many first-time visitors, a combination of whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier provides two signature Juneau experiences in one day.
Salmon, rainforest and culture
Ketchikan
Colorful Ketchikan is known for Alaska Native heritage, salmon, temperate rainforest and historic Creek Street. Excursions range from Misty Fjords flightseeing and cultural tours to wildlife outings and the lively Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.
My excursion tip: Creek Street is easy to explore independently, leaving your excursion time available for Misty Fjords, Native culture, rainforest wildlife or the lumberjack show.
You do not have to sort through every excursion alone.
I’ll help you choose the best activities in each port based on your interests, budget, activity level and travel style. My clients receive insider excursion information, personalized recommendations and my Alaska Port Guide after booking, so you can plan each day with confidence.
Expert guidance from planning to departure
Ready to plan your Alaska vacation?
I’ll help you compare Princess ships, dates, routes, CruiseTours, staterooms and packages—then guide you toward the excursions that best fit your interests. You’ll have personal assistance before, during and after booking, along with my Alaska Port Guide to help you prepare.
Contact Me to Start Planning
Personal vacation planning from Superliner Travel •
Princess Alaska Expert
