Glaciers, whales and a bucket list, checked.
Round-trip Inside Passage weeks from Seattle or Vancouver, one-way Glacier Route voyages, or a cruisetour that adds Denali and the Alaska Railroad. SmartCruiser prices every Alaska sailing from every major line, adds onboard credit, and shows you where you save against the public fare.
Three ways to do Alaska
The ship is only half the decision. Round trip, one way or cruisetour changes where you fly, how long you go and what you see.
Round-trip Inside Passage
- 7 nights from Seattle or Vancouver, back to the same port
- Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan plus a glacier day: Tracy Arm, Endicott Arm or Glacier Bay
- Fly in and out of one city; passport recommended, not required for US citizens from Seattle
Best for: first Alaska trip, families, a single week off.
One-way Glacier Route
- 7 nights between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier (Anchorage)
- Crosses the Gulf of Alaska: Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord plus Glacier Bay on most lines
- Open-jaw flights, more sea days, less backtracking
Best for: scenery first, photographers, anyone adding a land stay.
Cruisetour: cruise + Denali
- One-way cruise plus 3 to 7 nights on land, all booked as one package
- Alaska Railroad to Denali, wilderness lodges, Fairbanks or the Kenai Peninsula
- Princess and Holland America own their lodges; Royal, Celebrity and NCL partner with local operators
Best for: once-in-a-lifetime trips, wildlife, 10 to 14 nights.
How an Alaska cruisetour works
A cruisetour is a one-way cruise with a guided land tour attached, sold as one price with hotels, rail and transfers included. Here is what you are actually buying.
Pick the direction
Northbound: cruise first from Vancouver, then land tour from Seward or Whittier up to Denali, fly home from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Southbound: land first, cruise home to Vancouver. Southbound ends the trip on the relaxing part.
Pick the length of the land portion
Three nights gets you Denali on the railroad. Five to seven nights adds Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula or a second lodge. The cruise portion is always 7 nights.
Pick how you travel on land
Princess and Holland America move you by their own glass-domed railcars and motorcoaches to lodges they own (McKinley, Denali, Kenai). Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian use the Alaska Railroad and partner hotels. Both work; the lodge lines feel more seamless.
Check what is included
Hotels, rail, coach transfers and a tour director are in. Most land meals and the big-ticket Denali excursions (flightseeing, Tundra Wilderness Tour) are extra. Ask us for the real all-in number before you compare.
Cruisetours are priced by phone
Cruisetour fares change with the land tour, the direction, the lodge mix and your flights, so they do not fit a search box. Tell us your dates and how many days you want on land and we price every line side by side, including the senior, resident and Special SmartCruiser rates that apply to the cruise portion.
- Princess: Denali Explorer and Off the Beaten Path tours, 10 to 15 nights
- Holland America: Yukon and Denali land tours, 9 to 18 nights
- Royal Caribbean and Celebrity: Alaska Cruisetours, 9 to 13 nights
- Norwegian: Cruisetours from Seward, 10 to 12 nights
Alaska deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Alaska sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Alaska sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Four gateways to Alaska
Where you sail from decides the itinerary. Seattle and Vancouver do round trips; Vancouver, Seward and Whittier do the one-way Glacier Route; San Francisco runs the long way up.
Shore excursions you can book before you sail
Every SmartCruiser port guide lists the tours you can book for that day ashore: small-group sightseeing, beach days, snorkel trips and private guides from Shore Excursions Group, an independent tour company with its own return-to-ship guarantee and 14-day cancellation terms. Popular Alaska ports to start with: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Victoria. Shore Excursions Group sells and operates the tours; SmartCruiser earns a commission on bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.
Which cruise line fits you?
Alaska rewards the right ship: mid-size ships get into Glacier Bay and smaller ports, big ships bring the entertainment. Our one-line take on each, with a link to the deals page.
When to go
The season runs late April to late September. Every month trades something: price, daylight, wildlife or weather.
Alaska questions we answer every day
Do I need a passport for Alaska?
For a round trip from Seattle, US citizens can sail with a birth certificate and photo ID, though a passport is recommended. Anything that starts or ends in Vancouver, including all one-way Glacier Route cruises and cruisetours, requires a passport because you enter Canada.
Which side of the ship is best?
On a northbound one-way, starboard faces the coast; on southbound, port side does. Round trips see both sides on the way in and out, and the ship turns in the glacier bays so every balcony gets a view. A balcony is worth it in Alaska more than anywhere else.
Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier?
Glacier Bay is a national park with limited daily permits, held mostly by Princess, Holland America and Norwegian; you see several glaciers plus park rangers on board. Hubbard is one enormous, very active tidewater glacier on the one-way route. Many one-way itineraries include both.
What should I pack?
Layers: a waterproof shell, fleece, hat and gloves for glacier days, and a swimsuit for the hot tub while you watch the scenery. Daytime temperatures run 50 to 65 degrees, and Juneau and Ketchikan are rainforest, so expect some rain.
Is a cruisetour worth the extra days and money?
If Denali and the interior are on your list, yes: it is the only practical way to combine them with the coast in one trip. If you want the glaciers and the port towns, a 7-night cruise does it. We price both for you, including the fares that apply to the cruise portion.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page is per person, double occupancy, and includes taxes, fees and port expenses. Gratuities, drinks packages, excursions and flights are extra.
Talk to an Alaska specialist
Cruise, one-way or cruisetour: tell us your dates and we price every line side by side, with the fares you qualify for. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.