How to Choose the Right Alaska Cruise for Your Vacation

If you've started looking at Alaska cruises, you've probably noticed something pretty quickly.

There are a LOT of choices.

Different cruise lines. Different ships. Different departure ports. Different itineraries. Glacier Bay. Hubbard Glacier. Inside Passage. Round-trip cruises. One-way cruises. Cruisetours.

And suddenly what seemed like a pretty simple question, “Which Alaska cruise should we take?” isn't quite so simple.

I've taken three Alaska cruises on three different cruise lines, so I've had the opportunity to experience Alaska from more than one perspective.

And while I definitely have an opinion about which cruise lines do Alaska best, I don't think there's one Alaska cruise that's right for everyone.

The best Alaska cruise depends on what you want to see, how you want to experience the destination, and what you want from the cruise ship itself.

So let's break that down.

Start With the Alaska Experience You Want

Before you compare ships or start looking at prices, think about what you actually want to see and do in Alaska.

Is Glacier Bay at the top of your list?

Are you more interested in wildlife?

Do you want to visit ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan?

Are you hoping to combine your cruise with time in Denali or other parts of Alaska?

Or are you traveling with a family that wants to experience Alaska during the day but also wants plenty to do on the ship?

Those answers can lead you to very different cruises.

And that's why I don't recommend choosing an Alaska cruise based solely on the cruise line or the price.

Start with Alaska.

Then look at the cruise.

Which Cruise Lines Do Alaska Best?

This is where I'm going to give you my opinion.

I've sailed Alaska three times on three different cruise lines, so I've had the opportunity to experience Alaska from more than one perspective.

If you ask me which cruise line I'd choose specifically for Alaska, Princess is my first choice. Holland America is a very close second.

That doesn't mean the other major cruise lines sailing Alaska aren't good options. They absolutely can be.

Disney, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, and MSC all offer Alaska sailings, and each brings a very different onboard experience to the trip.

That's actually an important part of choosing an Alaska cruise. You aren't just choosing how you want to see Alaska. You're choosing where you're going to spend your evenings, sea days, meals, and downtime.

So while I have a clear favorite for the Alaska experience itself, I wouldn't automatically put every traveler on Princess or Holland America.

Let's talk about why.

Princess Cruises

Princess has been sailing Alaska for more than 55 years, and it shows.

One of the things I like about Princess for Alaska is how much of the experience is built around the destination. Its North to Alaska program brings local experts, culture, food, and educational programming onboard, so the Alaska experience doesn't stop when you get back on the ship.

Princess also offers a wide variety of Alaska itineraries and cruisetours, which makes it a particularly good option if you want to combine your cruise with time on land.

For me, Princess is the line I'd look at first when someone says, “I want a really good Alaska cruise.”

Holland America Line

Holland America is my second choice, and there is a very good reason for that.

They have been sailing Alaska since 1947, and that kind of experience matters when the destination is this important to the trip. Their Alaska cruises put a lot of emphasis on wildlife, scenery, culture, and the destination itself.

And then there's Glacier Bay.

If you've never cruised Alaska before, you may be wondering why I'm making such a big deal about one particular place.

What Is Glacier Bay National Park?

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a huge protected wilderness area in southeast Alaska. It covers more than 3 million acres of glaciers, mountains, ocean, forests, and wildlife habitat.

It's home to tidewater glaciers, humpback whales, sea otters, bears, seals, and plenty of other wildlife.

When a cruise ship visits Glacier Bay, you're not getting off the ship and walking around a port. The ship spends much of the day traveling through the park, where you'll see glaciers, mountains, and wildlife from the ship. National Park Service rangers can also board the ship to provide information about the park, its history, wildlife, and environment.

And it is pretty incredible.

But here's the important part: Glacier Bay isn't available on every Alaska cruise.

The National Park Service limits the number of cruise ships that can enter Glacier Bay to two per day. Princess and Holland America are among the cruise lines currently authorized to operate there.

So, if Glacier Bay is high on your Alaska wish list, I want to know that before we start comparing cruises.

It can change which cruise lines and itineraries I recommend.

What If Princess or Holland America Isn't Your Style?

This is where I don't want you to read this article and think I'm telling everyone to book Princess.

If you're traveling with kids who are going to be happiest with a lot of activities and entertainment, a different cruise line may be a much better fit.

If you're traveling with several generations of your family, you may want a ship that offers a little bit of everything.

If you're a Disney family, the Disney cruise experience may be a big part of why you're taking the trip in the first place.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, and MSC can all make sense for the right traveler, too. The question isn't whether they're capable of taking you to Alaska. They are.

The question is whether what that cruise line does well matches what you want from your vacation.

That's why I don't think there's a single cruise line that wins for every Alaska traveler.

I have my favorite for experiencing Alaska. But I also want to know what you want your vacation to feel like when you're not standing on the balcony watching a glacier go by.

Don't Overlook the Itinerary

Once you've narrowed down the cruise lines that fit your travel style, look closely at the itinerary.

Two Alaska cruises can both be seven nights and still give you very different experiences.

Look at the ports.

Look at the scenic cruising.

Look at whether Glacier Bay is included.

Look at the departure and return ports.

And think about how much time you'll actually have in each place.

For example, a cruise that visits Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan might look similar to another cruise on paper, but the amount of time spent in each port can make a big difference in what you can actually do.

And don't assume that because you've seen one Alaska itinerary, you've seen them all.

You haven't.

Round-Trip or One-Way?

This is another decision that can make a big difference.

A round-trip Alaska cruise typically starts and ends in the same port, which can make travel planning simpler.

But a one-way cruise between Vancouver and an Alaska port can open up some other possibilities.

If you want to spend additional time in Alaska before or after your cruise, a one-way itinerary can make a lot of sense.

This is also where cruisetours come into the conversation.

Princess and Holland America both offer options that combine a cruise with time on land, allowing you to experience more of Alaska than you can see from the ship alone.

If you've traveled all the way to Alaska, I think it's worth at least considering whether you want to see more than the coastline.

And Then There's the Ship

This is the part I really don't want travelers to overlook.

You're going to Alaska for Alaska.

But you're still booking a cruise.

If you have cruised before, you probably already know what you like and don't like about different cruise lines. Use that information.

If you loved having lots of activities and entertainment on a previous cruise, don't assume you suddenly won't care about those things just because you're going to Alaska.

If you prefer a quieter ship with more emphasis on destination enrichment, that's important too.

And if you're traveling with children, the ship may be a huge part of how much everyone enjoys the vacation.

There's nothing wrong with wanting an amazing Alaska experience and a ship your family loves.

You don't have to choose one or the other.

So, How Do You Choose?

Start with the destination.

Figure out what matters most to you in Alaska. Maybe it's Glacier Bay. Maybe it's wildlife. Maybe it's specific ports. Maybe you want to add time on land. Maybe you simply want to sit on the ship, look at the scenery, and take it all in.

Then look at the cruise line.

What do you want the ship to offer your family? What kind of atmosphere do you enjoy? What matters to you when you're not exploring Alaska?

Then look at the specific itinerary and the details that can make one sailing very different from another.

That's a lot of pieces to put together.

And honestly, you don't have to do it alone.

That's one of the reasons I love what I do at The Vacation Game Plan. I can take the things that matter to you and your family and help narrow down the options. Instead of looking at dozens of Alaska cruises and trying to figure out the differences yourself, we can look at your priorities first and then find the sailings that actually make sense for you.

Maybe that means Princess. Maybe it's Holland America. Maybe it's Disney, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, or MSC.

There isn't a wrong answer if the cruise fits what you're looking for.

My job isn't to put every traveler on the same cruise.

It's to help you figure out which cruise makes the most sense for your vacation.

Because you're not just booking a cruise to Alaska.

You're choosing how you want to experience Alaska.

And that's a decision worth getting right.