Which Princess Alaska cruisetour is right for you? A complete guide to all your options
Editor's Note
Is an Alaska cruisetour with Princess right for you?
If you've landed on this page, you're probably trying to figure that out, and you're likely a bit overwhelmed.
Princess cruisetours to Alaska pair a seven-night cruise along Alaska's southeastern coast with at least a few days of overland touring in the state's interior. However, factors like the length of the trip, the places you'll visit and the things you'll see can vary greatly depending on which itinerary you pick.
Princess is, quite simply, the leader in cruisetours in Alaska — in all sorts of ways. They offer more Alaska cruisetours itineraries and carry more cruisetour passengers than any other company.
They also notably offer a whopping 28 Alaska cruisetour itineraries, each a little different. That's far more than any other cruise company.
So if you're considering booking an Alaska cruisetour with Princess, here's everything you need to know first.
What is an Alaska cruisetour with Princess?
Let's start with the basics. A cruisetour combines a cruise along Alaska's coast with a multiday overland tour of the state's rugged interior. It is both a cruise and a land tour of Alaska — hence the name.
Princess cruisetours combine a seven-day cruise along Alaska's southeastern coast, which Princess calls Voyages of the Glaciers, with three to 10 days of overland touring.
The resulting cruisetours thus range in length from 10 to 17 days.
A cruisetour isn't the only way to experience Alaska by ship. You can also sign up for a cruise-only trip to the state, and many cruise-loving vacationers interested in seeing Alaska do just that. All the major cruise lines operating in Alaska, including Princess, offer cruise-only sailings, and as someone who has covered Alaska cruises for many years, I can say they are wonderful trips.
Still, for reasons I will explain below, a cruisetour is arguably the best way to get a broad Alaska experience in a single trip.
Why choose a Princess cruisetour to Alaska?
Cruise-and-land-tour combinations are available in many destinations around the world, but nowhere is it as big a phenomenon as in Alaska. This is because Alaska is a destination that, perhaps more than any other, is best experienced by a combination of ship and land travel. One of the two most famous places to visit in the state, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve*, is best seen by ship; the other, Denali National Park and Preserve, is best explored by land.
Only on an Alaska cruisetour can you easily see both of these iconic destinations in a single trip.
Related: The ultimate guide to Alaska cruises
A cruisetour can also get you to all or most of Alaska's best-known towns — Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Fairbanks, to name a few — in a single easy-to-arrange trip. That's almost impossible to do any other way, including by renting a car and driving yourself. At least one of these towns, Juneau, isn't accessible by road. The others are spread out and sometimes difficult to visit independently.
That's the general argument for choosing a cruisetour for your Alaska vacation.
The argument for choosing a Princess cruisetour, specifically, is that no other company offers as much choice in cruisetour itineraries or as wide an array of exclusive or semi-exclusive elements as Princess.
Princess is, quite simply, the leader in cruisetours in Alaska — in all sorts of ways.
Princess offers more Alaska cruisetours itineraries and carries more cruisetour passengers than any other company.
More importantly, Princess has been operating cruises and cruisetours in Alaska longer than almost any other company — nearly 60 years. That deep history has enabled Princess to build an unmatched array of exclusive company-owned infrastructure across the state, along with relationships with travel suppliers that deliver a truly seamless travel experience on land and at sea.
In Alaska, Princess functions as a full-service travel company that owns some of the best land accommodations and operates its own transportation services, in addition to offering the largest array of cruise itineraries.
This includes:
- Five custom-built Princess lodges in key Alaska destinations
- A fleet of luxury glass-domed Princess rail cars that provide direct-to-the-wilderness service
- A fleet of luxury Princess Tours motorcoaches
Princess, through its parent company Carnival Corporation, also owns part of the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad in Skagway, as well as part of the town's historic port and retail operations.
Princess also arranges day tours out of its five lodges. This includes everything from flightseeing tours and whitewater rafting outings to guided hikes, fishing trips and a visit to the Kennecott Copper Mine.
Princess is also one of only a handful of cruise companies with permits to enter Glacier Bay National Park*, allowing you to see the majesty of the park's glaciers up close from the deck of your ship.
Every Princess cruisetour in Alaska includes a visit to Glacier Bay National Park*, which is not something most other cruise brands can say.
What's included in a Princess cruisetour to Alaska?
Booking a Princess cruisetour to Alaska means you're signing up for a vacation in which Princess will arrange almost every aspect of your trip, both on land and at sea.
For starters, there is the cruise itself. Every Princess cruisetour in Alaska includes a seven-night, one-way sailing between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska.
Princess cruisetours also include accommodations (often at Princess-owned lodges) during the land portion of the trip and transportation around the state, either on Princess Tours motorcoaches or Princess-owned rail cars.
Princess can also arrange your flights to and from the trip (for an extra charge) and airport transfers.
Related: The 10 best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler
Travelers on Princess trains in Alaska also receive included transfers to and from the rail depot and your Princess-arranged lodging.
Some of Alaska's best lodges
The five lodges that Princess owns in Alaska play a big role in the land portion of most Princess cruisetours, serving not just as lodging for the night but as a base for exploring some of the state's best-known attractions.
They are:
- Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge®
- Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge®
- Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge®
- Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge®
- Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge®
The first two lodges are at iconic Denali National Park. Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge sits a mile from the park's entrance, which is notably closer to the park than any other lodging and is often billed as the most comfortable place to stay in the vicinity of the park. It features an expansive deck overlooking the Nenana River with views into the park.
The Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is on Alaska's scenic Kenai Peninsula, known as an adventure playground for its world-class fishing and outdoor activities like hiking, rafting and kayaking.
The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge sits at the junction of two rivers just outside of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park — the largest national park in the U.S. It offers spectacular mountain views.
Among the things not included in some Princess cruisetours are meals during the land portion of the trip. Excursions while visiting ports on the cruise portion of the trip are not included in cruisetour fares. Excursions on the land portion of the trips, including while staying at Princess lodges, are included in some cruisetours but not all (more on that below).
Where do Princess Alaska cruisetours begin?
All Princess cruisetours begin in one of three places: Anchorage, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska; or Vancouver, British Columbia.
Cruisetours that begin in Anchorage or Fairbanks start with the overland touring portion, followed by the cruise. Cruisetours that begin in Vancouver begin with the cruise portion, followed by the overland touring.
In both cases, the cruise portion will be a one-way, seven-night sailing between Whittier, Alaska — a small port town about 50 miles southeast of Anchorage — and Vancouver.
That means that when booking your flights, you'll need an "open jaw" ticket that brings you into Alaska at the start and home from Vancouver — or vice versa.
Note that you can book your own air for these trips (many TPG readers like to use points and miles) or let Princess book flights for you through its Princess EZair service.
You may have read that Princess operates cruises to Alaska out of five ports: Seattle, Whittier, Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This is true, but Princess cruisetours are only available in conjunction with cruises out of Whittier and Vancouver.
Related: 15 Alaska cruise mistakes you never want to make
This is because sailings out of Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles are round-trip itineraries not designed to connect with overland touring.
In both 2027 and 2028, Princess will operate eight ships in Alaska, but only four of those ships will sail the one-way route between Whittier and Vancouver used for cruisetours.
In both years, the four ships sailing the one-way route are Discovery Princess, Crown Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess.
Princess calls these one-way sailings between Whittier and Vancouver Voyage of the Glaciers sailings. In addition to being one of the main elements of every cruisetour, you can book them as stand-alone, cruise-only sailings.
When choosing a cruisetour, pay attention to which ship operates your specific departure, as each vessel is a little different.
Among the four vessels, Coral Princess and Island Princess are the oldest and smallest (at 91,627 gross tons), and they are best suited to cruisers seeking a more intimate Alaska cruise experience. Each carries around 2,000 passengers.
| Name of ship | Gross tons | Passenger capacity | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
Coral Princess | 91,627 | 2,000 | 2003 |
Island Princess | 91,627 | 2,214 | 2003 |
Crown Princess | 113,561 | 3,080 | 2006 |
Discovery Princess | 145,000 | 3,660 | 2022 |
Crown Princess is about 20% larger than Coral Princess and Island Princess at 113,561 gross tons, with more onboard venues and a higher passenger count of around 3,000. It is part of the line's Grand Class of vessels, which is one of my favorite ship classes. It is a class of ships that is large enough to have many onboard venues and amenities, but not so large as to be overwhelming.
Discovery Princess is the newest and largest (at 145,000 gross tons) of the four vessels on the Voyage of the Glaciers route and has many more onboard venues. If you're a fan of big new cruise ships, it's probably the choice for you.
Related: The 4 types of Princess ships, explained
What are the itinerary choices for a Princess Alaska cruisetour?
As noted above, Princess offers a huge range of cruisetour options in Alaska — 28 in all. Choosing the right one, however, isn't as complicated as that number might suggest.
Depending on how long you want to stay in Alaska and what sort of experience you're after, you can narrow down the choices pretty quickly.
Princess breaks down its 28 Alaska cruisetour itineraries into three broad categories that vary in length and tour inclusions:
- Denali Essentials trips (10-12 days)
- Denali Explorer trips (10-15 days)
- Denali Escorted trips (12-17 days)
At the core of the offerings are the Denali Explorer trips, the most popular choice, which offer a broad overview of Alaska's biggest attractions.
Like all Princess cruisetours, the Denali Explorer trips include a seven-night voyage between Vancouver and Whittier. These cruises always include two days of glacier viewing at two of Alaska's three most famous places for seeing glaciers: Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord. They also include stops at three of the most popular cruise destinations in the state: Juneau, Ketchikan, and either Skagway or Icy Strait Point.
On top of that, you will get:
- Three to eight nights of overland travel
- Exclusive Princess rail service to or from Denali National Park
- A stay in the Denali area
- An included Natural History Tour in Denali National Park
- A stay in Fairbanks or Anchorage
- A Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Dredge 8 tour in Fairbanks (if applicable)
For these Denali Explorer trips, a visit to Denali National Park is central to the land portion of the experience. But some of the longer ones also include a visit to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and/or Kenai Fjords National Park (where you'll stay at Princess lodges).
If you're seeking a cruise to Alaska plus a visit to Denali and maybe a bit more, these are the tours for you.
The Denali Escorted trips follow a similar structure to the Denali Explorer trips but are significantly more full-service.
On Denali Explorer tours, meals are not included during the land portion, and no tour director accompanies the group. On the land portion of the Denali Escorted trips, by contrast, most meals are included, and you are escorted by a tour director.
| Type of Princess cruisetour | Length of trip, including cruise portion | Focus of the land portion | Most meals included during land portion | Rail travel included during land portion | Denali tours included | Tour director escort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denali Essentials | 10-12 days | Denali National Park | No | Yes | 0 | No |
Denali Explorer | 10-15 days | Denali National Park and sometimes other parks | No | Yes | 1 (Natural History tour) | No |
Denali Escorted | 12-17 days | Denali National Park and sometimes other parks | Yes | Yes | 1 (Tundra Wilderness tour) | Yes |
If you're the type of traveler who likes full-service tours where every detail, including meals, is arranged by the tour company, and you want a tour director, the Denali Escorted trips are the right choice for you.
Related: The 6 best Alaska shore excursions
For travelers on the opposite side of the spectrum and prefer to be more on their own when vacationing, the Denali Essentials itineraries are the trips specifically designed for you.
The land portion of Denali Essentials trips includes all the basic arrangements — your lodging and transportation between places — but no pre-scheduled tours, meals or the services of a tour director.
The Denali Essentials trips are also among the shorter Alaska cruisetours Princess offers and focus on Denali National Park for their land portions.
In addition to all of the above, Princess also offers hotel stays in Anchorage or Vancouver that you can add to the start or end of your trip. Known as Cruise Plus Hotel Packages, they include a hotel stay and a transfer to or from your ship or the airport.
Many of the cruisetours include stays at two of the five Princess lodges in the Denali area. Sometimes, stays in three or even four lodges are included. For travelers who really want to do it all, the most epic of the 28 tours available is a 17-night fully escorted Denali Escorted tour that includes two nights at each of the five lodges.
When does Princess offer Alaska cruisetours
The Alaska cruisetour season runs from May to September.
For 2027, Princess cruisetours run from May 8 to Sept. 8.
For the 2028 season, the start dates for the first and last Princess cruisetours are also May 8 and Sept. 8.
What do Princess cruisetours cost?
The cost of a Princess cruisetour to Alaska varies widely depending on the type of tour you choose and its length, as well as the type of cabin you want on the cruise portion of the trip.
The 10-day Denali Explorer cruisetours include a seven-night cruise and three nights of overland touring focused on Denali National Park. The longer and more inclusive 17-day Denali Escorted tours are at the high end.
Generally, Denali Explorer cruisetours cost less per day than Denali Escorted tours because they have fewer inclusions. The Denali Essentials tours typically cost even less.
Whichever tour you choose, planning ahead is the best way to get a good deal. Booking early gives you the widest selection of dates and cabins, and the lowest-priced options tend to sell out first.
Keep in mind that, as is standard for cruises, all pricing is based on double occupancy. That means you will only get the prices listed above if two people are traveling together in the same room, each paying the stated fare.
Bottom line
A cruisetour is one of the best ways to experience Alaska broadly, and no other company offers as wide a range of cruisetours or as many exclusive options as Princess. The longest-running and largest operator of cruises to Alaska by passenger volume, Princess has developed an unrivaled network of company-owned lodges and its own transportation infrastructure, including motorcoaches and rail cars, enables a seamless vacation experience for all of its passengers.
Visit princess.com to book your next cruise or cruisetour to Alaska.
*Princess Cruises is an authorized concessioner of Glacier Bay National Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some departure dates for Alaska cruisetours as well as specific cabin types for the cruise portion of such trips, can sell out months in advance, so it pays to begin the booking process early. For the best selection of cabins, itineraries and pricing, TPG recommends booking Princess cruisetours six to 12 months in advance.
The season for Alaska cruisetours is very short, lasting from May to September, so those are the only months when you can do a Princess cruisetour in Alaska.
Among these months, June and July offer the longest daylight hours (with up to 18 hours of sunlight for sightseeing), while July and August are the peak months for viewing whales and bears.
May and September, which are the "shoulder season" months at the start and end of the Alaska cruise season, are often less crowded in Alaskan ports and can also bring somewhat lower fares.
You are not required to book flights through Princess and can book your own flights to and from the starting and ending points for any Princess cruisetour.
If booking independently, make sure to adhere to Princess's recommended arrival and departure times. At TPG, we always recommend that travelers fly to any cruise or cruisetour a day before the scheduled start of the trip so that they don't miss the trip in the event of a flight delay.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.