Cruising is often what people think about when they first consider a trip to Alaska and cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage is the way many visitors travel to Alaska the first time. Alaska is one of America’s most popular cruise destinations, with most cruises available between mid-May and mid-September.

Today’s cruises attract a more varied passenger, welcoming more families, more young and middle-aged couples and singles, and more active seniors on board. Each cruise ship offers a distinctive experience. Determining which cruise line and which ship within each cruise line is “best” depends in part on the kind of experience you are looking for.

Itineraries vary. Most ships depart Vancouver, some from Seattle and a few from San Francisco but all travel through the Inside Passage. Shore excursions range from city tours and museum visits to white water rafting, helicopter flightseeing and glacier landings. There is something for everyone and it can often be booked by us prior to your departure.

Ports of call differ by itinerary. Inside Passage cruises can be purchased as a one-way three-night, one-way four-night, or round-trip seven-night voyage and include some of the following communities, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Haines. Some of the ships visit Glacier Bay National Park where a National Park Service naturalist boards the ship for a full days’ narration of the Park’s attractions.

Some ships continue across the Gulf of Alaska and take seven days to sail one-way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, the primary ports for Anchorage. Gulf of Alaska itineraries may include visits to Valdez, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord, or another town or natural attraction. Taking a one-way cruise opens the entire state for pre- or post- cruise land tour option. Consider the benefits of booking an extensive land package; you experience more of Alaska. The land package can be as all inclusive as the cruise or, depending on your interests and time available, as independent and flexible as you would like it to be.