Alaska cruises are everywhere each summer, but not all cruise lines are equal when it comes to what you actually get to see and do. With over 50 years of operating in the state, Princess Cruises has built up perks newer operators can't match — and for 2026 it's doubling down.
The biggest advantage is Glacier Bay National Park. This 3.3-million-acre wilderness holds more than 1,000 glaciers, and the National Park Service only allows two cruise ships per day inside, with permits prioritised for operators with the longest history in Alaska. Princess holds enough permits to offer more Glacier Bay sailings than most rivals, and it's worth understanding the difference: a typical Alaska cruise gives you a glacier or two from a distance, while a Glacier Bay day involves nine to 10 hours of slow sailing past tidewater ice — with calving glaciers, whales, sea lions, bears and otters along the way. Park rangers board to narrate the day and run Junior Ranger activities for kids.
Fleet and itinerary choice is the second edge. With Star Princess joining in late 2025, Princess will field eight ships in Alaska in 2026, carrying between 2,000 and 4,300 passengers, sailing round trip from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver — plus one-way cruises between Anchorage and Vancouver and more Seattle departures (including weekends) than most lines. That spread means a wide range of price points, from solo-friendly interior cabins to Sanctuary suites with unlimited drinks, a private adults-only pool and exclusive dining. More than 15 itineraries run from seven to 20 nights; the seven-day Inside Passage routes hit Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway with scenic cruising at Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, while the one-way Gulf of Alaska trips add Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Glacier Bay.
The third differentiator is what Princess calls cruisetours: roughly 30 combinations of a seven-day Gulf of Alaska cruise with three to eight nights on land, staying at one or more of the line's five wilderness lodges. Because Princess runs both halves, transfers — including glass-domed train rides — are handled for you. The lodges cover Alaska's highlights: Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge (666 rooms) sits a mile from the Denali National Park entrance; Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge has 460 rooms on 146 acres inside Denali State Park with views of the mountain itself; Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is a base for fishing and Kenai Fjords day cruises; Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge (85 rooms) is a gateway to enormous Wrangell-St. Elias; and Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge puts you near that city's downtown and riverboat cruises. Excursions range from dog sledding and flightseeing to salmon fishing on the Kenai River.
For travellers, the takeaway is simple: if seeing Glacier Bay matters to you, check which lines actually sail into it before booking. And if you want glaciers plus Denali or the Kenai Peninsula in one trip, a cruisetour saves the hassle of piecing together trains, coaches and hotels yourself. Princess won't always be the cheapest cabin on the block, but the access and logistics are hard to beat.
Reported by The Points Guy.
