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Photo Credit: Robert Linder
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Getting to & Around Alaska: By Cruise
Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined. Seeing the varied landscapes, abundant marine wildlife, and tidewater glaciers by cruise ship is one of the top ways to travel to and around Alaska.
Cruising is the most popular way to explore the state for good reason. Cruise passengers travel in all-inclusive comfort on ships of all sizes and on itineraries of varying length, with abundant tour options in established ports of call. Cruise ships fall into two basic categories: large and small. Large cruise ships generally offer lavish entertainment, shopping, excellent meals, and extensive shore excursions to create a seamless travel experience. Small ships offer more individualized services with custom or specialty itinerary options, often with a focus on adventure or luxury experiences.
The Inside Passage is the most popular cruise route in Alaska. Inside Passage cruises venture along Alaska’s southeastern coast, guarded from rough seas by hundreds of islands. Cruise itineraries are generally seven to ten days, typically departing from Seattle or Vancouver, BC. Alaska land and sea cruise packages include round-trip or one-way itineraries, and often include post-cruise land tour options on a train or motorcoach for travelers wanting to continue their Alaska exploration. The most popular time to cruise is June – August, and cruises typically run May – September.
In addition to enriching and entertaining experiences onboard the ship, Alaska cruises are known for the wide variety of shore excursions and opportunities to explore the scenic port towns visited along the way. Cruise ship travelers enjoy tour options for all interests and activity levels including Alaska Native cultural tours, hiking, fishing, kayaking, flightseeing, history tours, dog sledding, food tours, and so much more.
Northbound cruise routes usually stop first in Ketchikan, followed by Juneau (Alaska’s capital city), Skagway, and visit Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. While these are the most visited places in the Inside Passage, other communities visited by cruise ships include Hoonah, Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Prince of Wales Island, and Haines. Longer cruise ship itineraries continue on to cross the Gulf of Alaska and end in port communities in Southcentral Alaska including Anchorage, Seward, and Whittier.
For more independent visitors interested in traveling to and around Alaska on the water, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system starts in Bellingham, WA and connects to over 35 coastal communities in the Inside Passage, Southcentral, and Southwest Alaska. Ferry passengers can walk on or bring their car or RV.
Get other travel tips for visiting Alaska.
Plan Your Trip
- Cruise (6)
- Glacier Bay Gustavus (1)
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (2)
- Haines (2)
- Hoonah (1)
- Inside Passage (4)
- Juneau (4)
- Ketchikan (4)
- Sitka (3)
- Skagway (4)
- Southcentral (1)
- Statewide (1)
- Wrangell (1)
- Accessible (2)
- Adventure Green Alaska (2)
- April (1)
- August (4)
- Group Friendly (1)
- July (4)
- June (4)
- May (3)
- September (3)
Cunard
A journey on a Cunard® ship will deliver you to untold possibilities. As you sail on the spacious deck of Queen Elizabeth® toward the horizon...
Princess Cruises
Princess® is the #1 Cruise Line in Alaska, with over 50 years' experience in the region. Choose from a variety of itineraries and connect with...
Holland America Line
The best of Alaska's glaciers and ports are yours on the ultimate Alaska cruise, with perfectly sized ships that get you closer to all the wonder...
North Pacific Expeditions
Alaska's ultimate small ship cruise adventures in beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park and Prince William Sound! Experience wildlife, active...
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Navigate Alaska
Alaska is a land of superlatives and adventure. Explore five distinct regions and varied travel routes and modes of transportation as you plan your Alaska getaway.
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Explore by Region
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Arctic
Alaska’s far north features the country’s only Arctic ecosystem; northern lights dance above the snowy tundra in winter, while birds and caribou graze during long summer days.
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Inside Passage
The Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska is home to breathtaking temperate rainforests, protected waterways, and glaciers reaching into deep coastal fjords.
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Interior
The Interior Region is a quintessentially Alaska landscape, bounded by high mountain ranges (it’s home to Denali) and crisscrossed by glorious river vistas.
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Southcentral
Southcentral Alaska is home to vividly diverse wilderness landscapes – from beaches to mountaintops to fjords – as well as half the state’s population.
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Southwest
Southwest Alaska’s islands, river deltas, and mountains teem with fish and wildlife.
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Explore All Communities Learn More about Parks Learn More about Cruising Learn More about Ferries Learn More about Air Services Learn More about Train Trips Explore Alaska Native Culture
Welcome to the Great Land! We are able to share Alaska's wonders with you because of the stewardship of the Alaska Native Peoples, who have lived here since time immemorial. We are grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional lands of our Alaska Native neighbors. It's important to us to pay our respects while offering to build mutual understanding across cultures. Find out more.
Welcome to the Great Land! We are able to share Alaska's wonders with you because of the stewardship of the Alaska Native Peoples, who have lived here since time immemorial.
We are grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional lands of our Alaska Native neighbors. It's important to us to pay our respects while offering to build mutual understanding across cultures.
We acknowledge the Indigenous Peoples whose land we inhabit and we hope you visit so that you can learn about not just the history of Alaska's Native people but their living cultures. Alaska is home to 229 federally recognized tribes and we acknowledge each of them, from the Iñupiat & St. Lawrence Island Yup'ik in the Arctic, the Dena (Athabascan) in Southcentral and Interior Alaska; the Yup'ik & Cup'ik, Unangax̂ and Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) in Southcentral and Southwest Alaska and the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian in Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage. We are committed to a meaningful relationship with each of these groups that supports tourism for the benefit of all.
Please take the time to learn more about experiencing Alaska's Native cultures and share in our acknowledgment of their histories before you visit Alaska.
Alaska: AKA Your Next Adventure
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