For many travelers, Alaska is a bucket list destination. The beautiful glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and exciting adventures, like dog sledding in Skagway or a helicopter ride above Mendenhall Glacier, offer vacationers a truly unique and once-in-a-lifetime trip!
Alaskan cruises are a popular choice for those wishing to explore the northernmost state in the U.S. In addition to visiting different ports along the coast, most itineraries will include sea days that sail through fjords and allow guests to marvel in the natural beauty of Alaska from the comfort of a "floating city." They are unlike Caribbean cruises in that you will not look out at miles and miles of open water.
If you are thinking about taking an Alaskan cruise, you are probably wondering what the best cruise line for this region is. There is no simple or right answer; it varies depending on the interests, personalities, budgets, and even the ages of you and your travel party.
Do you want to sail on the newest, most innovative ship? Are you looking for a vacation that is kid-friendly? Would you like to explore more of Alaska through a pre- or post-cruise tour?
The answers to these questions, among others, will help determine what cruise line is best for your Alaskan vacation!
Best for cruisers on a budget: Norwegian Cruise Line
If you are looking to sail to Alaska on a budget, we recommend Norwegian Cruise Line for a few different reasons.
First, Norwegian’s “Free at Sea” Program means that you will automatically get more included than you would with just the base fare, if you opt to pay for the gratuities. This means enjoying an unlimited open bar, specialty dining, and Wi-Fi while onboard!
The biggest perk, however, is the shore excursion credit. While you can have a great day in port wandering through town, you will want to take advantage of excursions to get the most out of your time in Alaska. These excursions are often expensive, so having a credit of $50 per excursion, per stateroom will help to reduce the overall cost.
Second, they have sailings that depart from major cities, such as Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, Canada. Sailing from a larger city usually means that transportation costs will be significantly less.
For the 2024 season, a 7-day cruise on the Norwegian Jewel from Vancouver, Canada is as low as $791.96/per person, including all taxes and port fees! While this price does not include gratuities, specialty dining, or an unlimited open bar, it does include Wi-Fi and the shore excursion credits.
Runner up: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival is known for being one of the cheaper mainstream cruise lines. Even if the base fare seems higher, onboard extras are often less expensive than other cruise lines. For that reason, it’s a good runner-up if you’re interested in splurging on alcoholic beverages, specialty dining meals, and Wi-Fi.
A 7-day cruise onboard the Carnival Spirit from Seattle, Washington is as low as $914.12/per person, including all taxes, port fees, and gratuities, during the 2024 Alaskan cruise season.
That being said, you can often find great rates on many mainstream cruise lines, so long as you are flexible with your dates and do not mind cruising during shoulder season, which is the beginning and end of the season. Looking ahead to 2024, for instance, a 6-night cruise onboard Celebrity Solstice that departs May 6, 2024 starts at $740 per person.
You are also more likely to find a cheaper cruise the further in advance you book!
Read more: Why you should book an Alaska cruise now
Best for active cruisers: Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean’s known for their innovative, thrilling ships. Sure, you could leisurely hang out on the pool deck and soak up Alaska’s scenery, but wouldn’t it be neater to do so from a capsule that soars 300 feet above sea level? We think so, too.
In 2023 and 2024, Ovation and Quantum of the Seas will be making roundtrip sailings from Seattle, Washington.
You certainly will not get bored with the iFly skydiving simulator, North Star observation capsule, Flowrider surf simulator, rock climbing wall, bumper cars, roller skating, archery, and original theatrical productions that include aerial acrobats and musical acts. Plus, you can recharge from your adventurous day in port by relaxing in the heated whirlpools before a jam packed sea day.
For those who don't care for the onboard thrills, Royal Caribbean also sends older ships to make one-way voyages that visit more scenic destinations. Maybe you'd rather be more active in port than on the ship!
Runner up: Norwegian Cruise Line
Sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line means taking advantage of the only go-kart race tracks at sea, virtual reality gaming, bowling, laser tag, and Broadway-style performances. These are SIX and Kinky Boots onboard the Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore, respectively.
Read more: 10 Things I loved and hated about Norwegian Bliss cruise ship
Best for itinerary focused cruisers: Holland America Line
Holland America Line has been cruising to Alaska for 75 years, longer than any other cruise line.
If sailing through Alaska is not enough for you, they offer award-winning Yukon and Denali cruisetours that extend your vacation with a scenic train ride and up to 3 nights at the McKinley Chalet Resort at the gates of the Denali National Park. Additionally, they offer more cruises to Glacier Bay than any other cruise line!
Alaska Up Close™ is unique to Holland America Line and enriches the cruisers’ experience through exclusive onboard programming, cruise activities, and award-winning shore excursions, including privileged access to Glacier Bay National Park.
Runner up: Princess Cruises
Like Holland America Line, Princess Cruises offers cruisetours that allow guests to extend their time in Alaska, and they have their own enrichment program called North to Alaska.
You are more likely to find families on a Princess cruise versus a Holland America cruise. Onboard, kids will enjoy the Alaska Explorers Youth Program, where they can participate in activities such as the Jr. Ranger Program and totem pole decorating. Plus, they bring on Skagway’s newest sled dogs (i.e., puppies) while in Skagway!
Read more: Should I cruise on Princess to Alaska? I booked a sailing to see for myself
Second runner up: Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is an upscale cruise line that is owned by Royal Caribbean Group. Onboard, you will not find all of the thrills that Royal Caribbean is known for, such as water slides, surfing and skydiving simulators, bumper cars, and more. Instead, the cruise line focuses on destination-focused itineraries onboard their award-winning ships.
They, too, offer cruisetours for those who want to make the most out of their time in The Last Frontier. These 9- to 13-night tours combine an Alaska cruise with land tours that take you through remote roads and railways to places like Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali. Plus, all cruisetours include a rail experience that lasts anywhere from three to five hours.
All three of these cruise lines (i.e., Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises) allow guests to choose their rate when booking. You can select a base fare or opt to pay a little bit extra to have a more inclusive experience. If you are thinking about purchasing a lot of cruise add-ons, such as drink packages, Wi-Fi, etc., sailing with one of these lines might be a good choice for your next Alaska cruise!
Best for families: Disney Cruise Line
There truly is something for everyone onboard a Disney Cruise, which is why it is a great choice for families sailing to Alaska. The youth clubs will keep children as young as six months old to those as old as seventeen entertained while parents sneak away for an adults-only evening, complete with dinner at Palo and drinks at the French Quarter Lounge.
There are also some Disney exclusives that you can only find onboard sailings to Alaska, like the Pixar Pals Party. Kids will love hanging out with characters from Toy Story, Up, Monsters, Inc., and more! One important distinction between a Disney cruise to Alaska and the Caribbean is that the deck party is themed after Frozen, rather than Pirates of the Caribbean.
Oh, and expect to see Mickey and his pals decked out in rain gear, lumberjack outfits, and even luxurious coats with matching boots!
If going on a Disney cruise to Alaska is something you would like to check off of your bucket list, note that they only deploy a single ship to the region each year. Book early so you can secure your preferred cabin and date!
Runner up: Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are great choices if you have active teenagers who need stimulation and want their sea days to be jam-packed, but Princess Cruises is another alternative if you are looking for a more low-key, enriching experience due to their Alaska Explorers Youth Program and North to Alaska Program.
Best for solo cruisers: tie between Holland America, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean
If you’re cruising solo, you are probably looking for a very specific experience. Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International all offer solo cabins on select vessels.
Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, is best if you are looking to mingle with other cruisers, due to the dedicated lounge for solo travelers.
No cruise line, however, offers a surplus of solo staterooms. If you are looking to cruise to Alaska alone and want to avoid the double occupancy fare, make sure that you book in advance!
Read more: Going on a cruise alone? Here are the 8 best solo cruise cabins
What is the best cruise line for an Alaskan sailing?
You can absolutely take your coworkers' perspective into consideration, but the experience they had on a multigenerational family reunion cruise might be different than what you are looking for on a budget-friendly couples-only getaway.
At the end of the day, the best cruise line is the one that meets the needs of you and your travel party!
If you're a family looking for an exciting adventure ashore and onboard, you'll want to speak with your travel agent about cruises on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. Those with younger kids who want a more relaxed onboard experience will love the magic that Disney brings to this region.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
