Holland vs Princess Alaska Cruise 2026

Holland America vs Princess scorecard

Graded on the criteria in how we rate cruises.
Criterion	Holland America	Princess
Value	Good Premium fares similar to Princess buy a calmer ship and strong itineraries, but drinks, Wi-Fi and tips push the total up unless a promotion covers them.	Good Fares often close to the mainstream lines, with packages that usually cost less than buying drinks, Wi-Fi and tips separately.
Food	Good A steady, traditional main dining room and buffet; specialty restaurants cost extra outside the Have It All package.	Good Solid main dining and plenty of casual venues, with the most choice on Sun and Star Princess; the best meals cost extra without Premier.
Cabins	Good The Pinnacle-class ships have the most up-to-date cabins; the Vista and R-class ships from 1999 to 2006 are older and simpler.	Good The Sphere- and Royal-class ships have modern balcony cabins; the Grand-class ships are older.
Ship and onboard	Good Uncrowded ships with live-music venues and lectures, but no waterslides or thrill rides and quiet late evenings.	Good More dining venues and shows than Holland America, and the Medallion wearable makes boarding and payments easy, but few big-ship thrills.
Itineraries	Strong Alaska since 1947 with Glacier Bay access, its own Denali Lodge and Yukon cruisetours, plus voyages of up to 28 days.	Strong The strongest Alaska program of any line, with the most Glacier Bay calls and five lodges, plus Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and the Panama Canal.
What is included	Mixed The base fare covers dining, shows and live music; drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and crew appreciation need Have It All or cost extra.	Good The base fare is standard, but Plus bundles drinks, Wi-Fi and crew tips, and Premier adds specialty dining, photos and an excursion credit.
Fit	Good A strong fit for couples, older travelers and multi-generation trips, a weak one for young families and night owls.	Good A strong fit for couples, retirees and multi-generation groups, a weak one for families with kids who want slides.

The grades are close because these are sister lines, both owned by Carnival Corporation, selling a similar calm, premium-leaning cruise. The real differences are ship size, how much choice you get in Alaska and what kind of land tour you want.

Strengths

Holland America: a quieter ship and a longer view of Alaska. Its six Alaska ships run from the 1,400-guest Zaandam to the 2,650-guest Koningsdam, smaller than the big ships most rivals send north, so there’s more room at the rail on glacier day. It has sailed Alaska since 1947, and 2027 is its 80th season. It is one of only six lines the National Park Service authorizes to enter Glacier Bay, and it says it holds more Glacier Bay permits than any other line. On Glacier Bay days a Park Service ranger comes aboard to narrate. Every Alaska cruise carries a Glacier Guarantee: if the ship doesn’t visit a glacier, you get a future cruise credit worth 15% of your fare.

Princess: the most choice. Princess says more guests choose it in Alaska than any other line, and it has 85 Glacier Bay calls on its 2027 schedule. It sends eight ships, runs five of its own wilderness lodges, including the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, and sells 28 cruisetour itineraries for 2027 that link a cruise with Denali, Kenai Fjords or Wrangell-St. Elias. Star Princess, its newest ship, sails Seattle round trips every Sunday.

Weaknesses

Holland America: quiet evenings and little for children or teens. Drinks, Wi-Fi and crew appreciation are extra unless you buy Have It All. Some of its Alaska ships date from 1999 to 2006.

Princess: bigger ships, up to about 4,300 guests, so glacier-day crowds at the rail are larger. Its Alaska fleet mixes the new Sphere-class Star Princess with Grand-class ships from the mid-2000s, so check which ship sails your date.

Who should pick which

First-time Alaska cruisers: Princess, for the widest choice of dates and a simple Seattle round trip.
Denali land tour: Princess, for the most lodges and cruisetour itineraries. Holland America is a strong second, with its own Denali Lodge and the McKinley Explorer train.
Yukon and Dawson City: Holland America. Its cruisetours add the Yukon and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, which is the main difference from Princess.
Couples and older travelers who want calm: Holland America.
Multi-generation groups with kids: Princess, which has more for children and teens, though neither line has slides.
Longer trips: Holland America, with 14- and 18-day voyages and a 28-day Arctic Circle voyage from Seattle in June 2027. Princess’s longer options leave from California.

Alaska ships and routes

Holland America in 2027 sends Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam, from April to September. Eurodam’s 7-day Alaska Explorer round trips from Seattle include Glacier Bay. Koningsdam and Zaandam sail 7-day Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver. Nieuw Amsterdam and Westerdam run 7-day Glacier Discovery one-ways between Vancouver and Whittier, which both include Glacier Bay and are the cruise half of most cruisetours. Full details are in our Holland America Alaska guide.

Princess in 2027 sends Star, Royal, Discovery, Crown, Emerald, Ruby, Coral and Island Princess. Star Princess sails Sunday round trips from Seattle, and Royal Princess sails Saturday round trips that include Glacier Bay. Discovery, Crown, Coral and Island Princess sail the one-way Voyage of the Glaciers between Vancouver and Whittier. Ruby Princess runs 10-day round trips from San Francisco, and Emerald Princess two 16-day round trips from Los Angeles. See our Princess Alaska guide.

Not every sailing on either line goes into Glacier Bay; some visit Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm or Dawes Glacier instead, so check the itinerary for your date. For documents, a U.S. citizen on a Seattle round trip can usually sail without a passport, but one-way trips and Vancouver round trips need one; see our no-passport cruise guide.

Cruisetours: Denali and the Yukon

Both lines own their Denali lodges, which is why they lead our best cruise lines for Alaska. Princess has more: five lodges and 28 cruisetour itineraries, up to a 17-night escorted tour that stays at all five. Holland America’s cruisetours run 9 to 17 days, always include one to three nights at its Denali Lodge, a Denali National Park tour and the McKinley Explorer train, and some continue into the Yukon. On both, book the land part with the cruise: lodge rooms are limited in July, and the cruise direction decides whether you do the land days before or after the ship.

Price and what’s included

Both are premium lines priced not far above the mainstream lines, and both include the main dining room, the buffet and shows. The packages differ. Holland America’s Have It All adds a drinks package, Wi-Fi, specialty dining on up to three nights, a shore excursion credit and prepaid crew appreciation. Princess Plus bundles up to 15 drinks a day, Wi-Fi for one device, crew gratuities and four casual dining meals per cruise. Premier raises that to unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi for four devices and unlimited specialty dining, and adds photos, reserved theater seating and a shore excursion credit. Both Princess packages are priced per person, per day. On either line, if you’d buy drinks and Wi-Fi anyway, the package usually works out cheaper.

Ships beyond Alaska

Holland America has 11 ships of about 1,400 to 2,700 guests, led by the Pinnacle-class Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam. It is strong on the Panama Canal, Europe and long voyages, including the Grand World Voyage. Princess has 17 ships of about 2,000 to 4,300 guests, led by Sun Princess and Star Princess, and sails Mexico and Hawaii from the West Coast as well as the Caribbean and Europe. Coral and Island Princess were built to fit the original Panama Canal locks; see our Panama Canal cruise guide.

Families and adults

Princess has more for families: kids’ and teen clubs and more on board, which is why it is our pick for multigenerational trips in the best family cruises. Holland America has a youth program but is not built around kids. For adults, both work: Holland America for live music, lectures and early nights, Princess for more shows and, on ships such as Sun Princess, The Sanctuary, an adults-only deck retreat.

Holland America vs Princess FAQ

Is Princess or Holland America better for Alaska?

Princess for most people, especially first-timers and anyone adding Denali: more ships, more Glacier Bay calls and more lodges. Holland America for a smaller, quieter ship, the Yukon or a longer voyage. Both are in our best cruise lines for Alaska.

Are Princess and Holland America the same company?

They are sister lines, both owned by Carnival Corporation, but they run separate fleets, cruisetours and lodges in Alaska.

Which goes to Glacier Bay, Princess or Holland America?

Both. They are two of the six lines the National Park Service authorizes to enter Glacier Bay. Princess has 85 calls scheduled for 2027. Not every sailing on either line goes in, so check your itinerary.

Which is better for older travelers, Princess or Holland America?

Holland America, for its smaller ships, slower pace and live music. Princess suits older travelers who want more on board or are traveling with grandchildren. Our Holland America review and Princess review go deeper, and both lines are in our best cruises for seniors.

Which has better cruisetours, Princess or Holland America?

Princess for Denali and the widest choice, with five lodges and 28 itineraries for 2027. Holland America if you want to add the Yukon and Dawson City.

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