Princess cruise Alaska guide: which ship, which route, and whether to add a land tour

Why Princess leads in Alaska

Princess says more guests choose it in Alaska than any other cruise line, and that it takes more guests to Glacier Bay than anyone else. Glacier Bay National Park limits how many cruise ships may enter each season, and Princess is one of only six lines the National Park Service lists as authorized operators. For 2027 Princess has 85 Glacier Bay calls on its schedule.

The other half of the Princess advantage is on land. It runs its own wilderness lodges, including Mt. McKinley Princess and Denali Princess Wilderness Lodges, and sells 28 cruisetour itineraries that link a cruise with Denali, Kenai Fjords or Wrangell-St. Elias. The lodges, rail and transfers are handled by one company, which is the main reason to pick Princess over a line that simply sells you a cruise.

For the wider picture, see our Alaska cruise guide and how Princess ranks in our best cruise lines for Alaska.

Princess ships in Alaska for 2027

• Star PrincessSphere class, about 4,300 guestsThe newest Princess design and the first Sphere-class ship in Alaska: 7-day round trips from Seattle every Sunday.
  From $389 per personChecked September 2026
• Royal PrincessRoyal class, about 3,560 guestsSaturday 7-day round trips from Seattle that include Glacier Bay.
  From $134 per personChecked September 2026
• Discovery PrincessRoyal classInside Passage sailings from Vancouver and Voyage of the Glaciers one-ways to and from Whittier.
• Crown PrincessGrand classVancouver Inside Passage trips and Voyage of the Glaciers.
• Emerald PrincessGrand class7-day trips from Vancouver with Glacier Bay or Endicott Arm, plus two 16-day round trips from Los Angeles.
• Ruby PrincessGrand class10-day Inside Passage round trips from San Francisco.
• Coral PrincessCoral class, about 2,000 guestsSmaller ship on Vancouver trips and Voyage of the Glaciers.
• Island PrincessCoral class, about 2,200 guestsVoyage of the Glaciers between Vancouver and Whittier.
  From $309 per personChecked September 2026

Which Princess Alaska route to book

7-day round trip from Seattle (Star Princess or Royal Princess). The simplest choice: no one-way flights and no border crossing by air. Princess’s Seattle trips visit either Glacier Bay or Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, and the 2027 announcement names Glacier Bay only for Royal Princess’s Saturday sailings. So pick Royal Princess if Glacier Bay is your priority, and check the glacier day on any Star Princess date before you book. See our Seattle cruise port guide for terminals and parking.

Inside Passage from Vancouver (6 to 9 days). Coral, Crown, Discovery and Emerald Princess sail these, mostly with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier; Emerald has some 7-day trips with Glacier Bay.

Voyage of the Glaciers, Vancouver to Whittier (7 days, one-way). Coral, Island, Crown and Discovery Princess. Crossing the Gulf of Alaska adds more glacier scenery than an Inside Passage loop, and ending near Anchorage is what makes a land tour easy. You’ll need a passport for a one-way trip that starts in Canada. More in our guide to cruising without a passport.

Longer trips from California. Ruby Princess sails 10-day round trips from San Francisco, and Emerald Princess runs two 16-day round trips from Los Angeles with Glacier Bay. They suit people who’d rather add sea days than fly. See our Los Angeles cruise port guide.

Cruisetours: adding Denali

A cruisetour pairs a Voyage of the Glaciers sailing with three or more nights on land at the Princess Wilderness Lodges, which sit in Fairbanks, on the Kenai Peninsula, at Copper River and (two of them) in the Denali area. Every Princess cruisetour includes Denali National Park and a stay at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, and the trips run about 10 to 17 nights in total. The cruise half always includes Glacier Bay, plus either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord depending on the sailing. Princess’s longest option is a 17-night Denali escorted cruisetour that stays at all five of its lodges. Book the land part at the same time as the cruise: lodge rooms are limited, and the one-way cruise direction decides whether you do land before or after the ship.

Sample Princess Alaska sailings

Sample Princess Alaska sailings, 2027. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Apr 30, 2027	Princess Cruises, Star Princess	9	9 Night Alaska Cruise (from Vancouver, British Columbia)	$674	Check price
May 1, 2027	Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess	10	10 Night Alaska Cruise (from San Francisco, California)	$684	Check price
May 9, 2027	Princess Cruises, Star Princess	7	7 Night Alaska Cruise (from Seattle, Washington)	$524	Check price
May 12, 2027	Princess Cruises, Island Princess	7	7 Night Alaska Cruise (from Vancouver, British Columbia)	$309	Check price
May 19, 2027	Princess Cruises, Island Princess	7	7 Night Alaska Cruise (from Anchorage, Alaska)	$404	Check price
Sep 11, 2027	Princess Cruises, Royal Princess	10	10 Night Alaska Cruise (from Seattle, Washington)	$684	Check price

Princess Alaska FAQ

Which Princess ship is best for Alaska?

For a round trip from Seattle, Star Princess is the newest and has the most to do on board; Royal Princess is the pick if you want Glacier Bay on a Seattle round trip. For a cruisetour, choose a Voyage of the Glaciers ship such as Discovery or Island Princess.

Does Princess go to Glacier Bay?

Yes. Princess is one of six lines authorized by the National Park Service to enter Glacier Bay, and it has 85 Glacier Bay calls scheduled for 2027. Not every itinerary goes there, so check before you book.

When does the Princess Alaska season run?

Princess sails Alaska in the summer season, roughly May to September. See our Alaska guide for what each month is like. Exact first and last 2027 dates vary by ship, so check the sailing list for the ship you want.

Is a Princess cruisetour worth it?

If you want to see Denali, usually yes: Princess handles the lodges, rail and transfers, which is hard to arrange yourself in peak summer. If you only want the Inside Passage, a 7-day cruise is enough.

Do I need a passport for a Princess Alaska cruise?

Not for a round trip from Seattle or San Francisco if you’re a U.S. citizen with a birth certificate and photo ID. You do need one for sailings that start or end in Vancouver, and it’s the safer choice on every trip.