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Are you considering a Princess cruisetour to Alaska?
If you’ve found this page, you might be weighing this decision and possibly feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Choosing the right Alaska vacation involves many factors. Even if you believe a Princess cruisetour is for you, navigating the booking process can be confusing due to the numerous options available.
Princess stands out with an impressive 28 unique Alaska cruisetour itineraries—far more than any other cruise line. For comparison, Holland America, the next largest provider, offers only 18 itineraries.
All Princess Alaska cruisetours feature a seven-night cruise along the southeastern coastline complemented by several days of overland exploration into Alaska’s breathtaking interior. However, the duration of the trip and the specific destinations can vary significantly based on your chosen itinerary.
Here’s everything you need to know about Princess cruisetours to Alaska.
What Exactly is a Princess Cruisetour to Alaska?
To start, a cruisetour combines a coastline cruise with a multi-day land tour through Alaska’s rugged terrain. Essentially, it encompasses both sea and land travel, hence the name.
Specifically for Princess, these journeys pair a seven-day cruise (known as Voyages of the Glaciers) with an additional three to ten days of overland touring.
This results in cruisetours that range from 10 to 17 days in total length.
A cruisetour isn’t the only way to enjoy an Alaska cruise experience. Many cruise enthusiasts opt for cruise-only trips, and major cruise lines, including Princess, provide these excellent options.
However, for several reasons outlined below, a cruisetour may offer the most comprehensive Alaska experience in a single journey.
Why Opt for a Princess Cruisetour to Alaska?
While many regions worldwide offer cruises and land tours, this combination is particularly prevalent in Alaska. This is mainly because Alaska’s diverse landscapes are best experienced through both ship and land travel. Glacier Bay National Park, a renowned site, is best viewed from a vessel, while Denali National Park is most accessible via overland tours.
An Alaska cruisetour conveniently allows you to explore both iconic sites within a single trip.
You can also visit many of Alaska’s most celebrated towns—like Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Anchorage, and Fairbanks—making it a streamlined travel experience that would be challenging to replicate independently.
Choosing a Princess cruisetour specifically offers more diverse itineraries and unique components compared to other companies.
Princess is the frontrunner in Alaska cruisetours, offering a wider selection and serving more travelers than any other company.
With nearly 60 years of operation in Alaska, Princess has developed an expansive infrastructure and supplier relationships, ensuring a seamless travel experience both on land and sea.
Princess also provides opportunities to explore the Alaskan wilderness through day tours from its five lodges, offering activities like flightseeing, white-water rafting, guided hikes, fishing expeditions, and visits to the historic Kennecott Copper Mine.
Importantly, Princess is among the few companies authorized to take ships into Glacier Bay National Park, ensuring breathtaking glacier views right from the ship.
Most Princess cruisetours include a stop in Glacier Bay National Park, a unique feature not commonly offered by competitor lines. Indeed, Princess claims to transport more visitors to Glacier Bay than any other cruise operator.
What’s Included in a Princess Cruisetour to Alaska?
By choosing a Princess cruisetour, you’re signing up for a fully arranged vacation. Your trip—both land and sea—will be coordinated by Princess.
Your experience will start with a cruise. Each Princess cruisetour features a seven-night, one-way sailing between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska.
Moreover, your package typically includes accommodations—often at Princess-owned lodges—throughout the land segments and transportation around Alaska via Princess Tours motorcoaches or rail cars.
Additionally, Princess can assist with your flights to and from your cruise (for an added fee), as well as airport transfers.
Most tours that include rail travel have transfers to and from the rail depot and your accommodations covered.
Princess’s five wilderness lodges are pivotal to the land segments of most itineraries, serving both as accommodations and as bases for exploring top attractions.
- Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge
- Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge
- Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
- Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge
- Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge
Notably, Denali Princess is just one mile from the entrance to Denali National Park, making it one of the most convenient accommodation options.
The Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is situated on the scenic Kenai Peninsula, known for its exceptional fishing and outdoor adventures.
The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge offers stunning views at the junction of two rivers, adjacent to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the U.S.
Keep in mind that some meals during the land portion may not be covered. Cruise excursions, as well as most land excursions, are not necessarily included in all cruisetours. However, some itineraries include excursions organized while staying at the lodges.
Where Do Princess Alaska Cruisetours Begin?
All Princess cruisetours kick off from one of three locations: Anchorage, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska; or Vancouver, British Columbia.
If starting in Anchorage or Fairbanks, the land tour will commence first, followed by the cruise. Tours starting in Vancouver will feature the cruise portion first, proceeding to the land exploration.
In both instances, the cruise will be a one-way seven-night voyage from Whittier, Alaska, a quaint port town located 50 miles southeast of Anchorage.
This means when booking flights, you’ll need to secure an “open jaw” ticket—flying into Alaska at the trip’s start and returning from Vancouver, or vice versa.
It’s possible to arrange your own flights (many readers prefer using points and miles), or use Princess’s EZair service for booking.
You may have noticed that Princess offers cruises from five ports: Seattle, Whittier, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. While that’s accurate, cruisetours are only offered for cruises that depart from Whittier and Vancouver.
That’s because cruises from Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are round-trip sailings not designed for overland touring into the interior of Alaska.
During the 2026 and 2027 seasons, Princess will operate eight ships in Alaska, with only four following the one-way route between Whittier and Vancouver used for cruisetours.
The fleet for 2026 includes Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess, with a similar lineup for 2027, where Grand Princess will be replaced by Crown Princess.
These one-way cruises, termed Voyage of the Glaciers, are integral to every cruisetour but can also be booked as stand-alone sailings.
What Itineraries Are Available for Princess Alaska Cruisetours?
As previously mentioned, Princess provides a wide array of 28 cruisetour options. This might seem overwhelming, but it’s simpler than it appears.
You can effectively narrow down your choices based on your desired trip duration and the type of experience you’re looking for.
Princess categorizes the 28 Alaska cruisetour itineraries into four main types based on length and inclusions:
- Denali Explorer trips (10-13 nights)
- Off the Beaten Path trips (13-15 nights)
- Connoisseur trips (12-17 nights)
- On Your Own trips (10-11 nights)
The Denali Explorer trips are particularly popular, providing a well-rounded overview of Alaska’s major attractions.
Each Denali Explorer itinerary includes the seven-night cruise between Vancouver and Whittier. Additionally, they feature two days of glacier viewing at iconic locations including Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, and College Fjord. You will also stop at three notable destinations: Juneau, Ketchikan, and either Skagway or Icy Strait Point.
Furthermore, you’ll enjoy:
- Three to six nights of overland travel
- Exclusive Princess rail service to or from Denali National Park
- A stay in the Denali area
- An included Denali National Park tour
- A stay in Fairbanks or Anchorage
- Select additional sightseeing options
The Denali National Park visit is a central part of the land experience.
If you’re interested in visiting Denali along with a cruise, these trips are ideal.
If you want to explore even more sites and have extra time, the Off the Beaten Path trips offer similar experiences to the Denali Explorer tours but add stops at the Kenai Peninsula, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, or both.
These trips typically last 13 to 15 nights and include six to eight nights of overland travel.
The Connoisseur trips are akin to the Off the Beaten Path offerings but are more comprehensive.
While the Off the Beaten Path and Denali Explorer land segments do not include meals or dedicated tour guides, the Connoisseur trips provide most meals and are escorted by a tour director.
If you prefer tours where every detail, including dining, is planned out, the Connoisseur trips would be the best fit.
Conversely, travelers who prefer more freedom will find the On Your Own itineraries tailored to their needs.
The land portion covers basic arrangements such as accommodations and transport but lacks pre-planned tours, meals, or tour directors.
Similar to the Denali Explorer trips, the On Your Own itineraries focus on Denali National Park and are among the shorter options offered by Princess.
Moreover, packages to add hotel stays in Anchorage or Vancouver—known as Cruise Plus Hotel Packages—are available, which include transfers to and from the ship or airport.
Many itineraries feature stays in two or more of the five Princess lodges, with some encompassing all five. The most extensive tour, a 17-night Connoisseur tour, offers two nights at each lodge.
When Are Princess Alaska Cruisetours Available?
Alaska’s cruisetour season is relatively brief, spanning from May to September.
For the 2026 season, the first Princess cruisetours commence on May 9, and the last ones follow four months later on September 9.
In 2027, initial tours will begin on May 10, with the season concluding on September 8.
What Are the Costs of Princess Cruisetours?
Prices for a Princess cruisetour to Alaska vary considerably based on tour type, duration, and cabin choice.
The most economical option available for the 2026 season was a 10-day On Your Own cruisetour starting at $1,693 per person, equating to about $169 per day. This includes a seven-night cruise combined with three nights of land touring centered around Denali National Park.
At the higher end, the 17-day Connoisseur tours started at $6,023, approximately $354 daily.
These starting figures apply to the most basic cabin type on the cruise—an “inside cabin” with no windows. Rates will rise for larger, more amenity-filled accommodations.
For the 10-day On Your Own tour, starting rates increased to $1,875 (around $188 daily) for a cabin with a window and to $3,178 for a room with a balcony, and $3,724 for a suite.
Generally, On Your Own tours come in cheaper than Denali Explorer tours due to fewer included features. For example, the starting price for a 10-day Denali Explorer tour was $1,803.
For those interested in the Off the Beaten Path tours, a 13-day offering began at $2,223, approximately $171 daily.
As is common for cruise-related excursions, all pricing is “based on double occupancy,” meaning the listed rates apply only if two people share a cabin.
Final Thoughts
A cruisetour is an excellent way to gain a comprehensive view of Alaska, with Princess leading in both variety and exclusive options. As a dominant operator in Alaska cruising, Princess boasts an unmatched network of lodges and transportation, ensuring a smooth travel experience for vacationers.
