Alaska Cruises Are Getting Longer

Traditionally, Alaska cruises have been seven days in length—either a weeklong loop of the Inside Passage roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, or a similar transit across the Gulf of Alaska sailing one way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier.

Lately, though, Alaska cruises have been getting longer. And it’s not just expedition companies, which typically operate longer and more wide-ranging itineraries, offering these lengthier voyages. Many of Alaska’s biggest mainstream, premium and luxury cruise lines have jumped on the trend, and at least one well-known big-ship line will be sailing as far as the Alaskan Arctic next year for the very first time.

Here are some of the more noteworthy examples of non-expedition, cruise-only itineraries for 2024 and 2025 of at least 10 days or more:

Holland America Line sends the 1,964-passenger Westerdam on one of the longest Alaska cruises in 2024: a new 28-day “Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice” itinerary that stops in 12 Alaska ports including Anchorage, Dutch Harbor, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Nome, Seward, Sitka, Valdez, and Wrangell. A single departure is scheduled for June 9, sailing roundtrip from Seattle, with a 2025 departure scheduled for June 8. HAL also offers 14-day “Great Alaskan Explorer” itineraries on the 2,106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam and 1,972-passenger Noordam roundtrip from Vancouver in 2024 and 2025.

Princess Cruises offers several lengthy new Alaska itineraries in 2025. The 22-day “Ultimate Alaska Solstice with Glacier Bay National Park” cruise departs aboard the 3,080-passenger Ruby Princess roundtrip from San Francisco on June 6. The 17-day “Ultimate Alaska with Glacier Bay National Park” cruise departs aboard the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess roundtrip from Seattle on May 6. A 16-day “Inside Passage with Glacier Bay National Park” cruise departs aboard the Grand Princess roundtrip from Los Angeles on August 30.

Norwegian Cruise Line has three 15-, 16- or 18-day Alaska/Japan or Alaska/Hawaii transpacific repositioning cruises in 2024 to begin or end the season. The 16-day eastbound “Honolulu to Vancouver: Kaui, Maui, Juneau & Ketchikan” aboard the Norwegian Spirit departs Honolulu on April 22 and arrives in Vancouver on May 8. The 18-day westbound “Alaska & Japan: Hubbard Glacier, Skagway and Juneau” aboard the 2,018-passenger Norwegian Spirit departs Vancouver on May 8 and arrives in Tokyo on May 26. The 15-day westbound “Alaska & Hawaii: Skagway, Juneau and Maui” aboard the 1,936-passenger Norwegian Sun departs Vancouver on October 8 and arrives in Honolulu on October 23. In 2025, the 3,804-passenger Norwegian Joy and 4,004-passenger Norwegian Bliss will offer 10-day loops from Seattle for a more immersive Alaska experience.

Carnival Cruise Line has eight 10- and 11-day Alaska cruises aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle sailing roundtrip from San Francisco in 2024 from May through September. Longer still are three two-week “Carnival Journeys” Alaska cruises. A single 14-day Alaska cruise aboard the Carnival Miracle sails roundtrip from Long Beach on April 21. Two more 14-day Alaska cruises sail aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit roundtrip from Seattle on April 23 and September 10. Additional longer sailings are planned for 2025.

Cunard Line’s longest Alaska sailing of the 2024 season is an open-jaw 13-night cruise on the 2,081-passenger Queen Elizabeth, which otherwise sails a program of nine- to 11-night roundtrips. Departing Vancouver on September 9 and arriving in San Francisco on September 22, the vessel’s ports of call on this itinerary include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Victoria with two days of scenic cruising at Hubbard Glacier and in Glacier Bay National Park.

Oceania Cruises has a 19-day Inside Passage cruise aboard the 684-passenger Regatta among its Alaska itineraries in 2024, which generally run seven to 12 days. Departing from Vancouver on September 14, this season-ending voyage arrives in San Francisco on September 29 after stopping in Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, Prince Rupert, Victoria, Astoria, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

Silversea Cruises has five Alaska itineraries of two weeks or more in 2024. The 392-passenger Silver Shadow sails 16 days from Seward to San Francisco on May 10. The 596-passenger Silver Muse has three 14-day cruises roundtrip from Seward departing in June and August. And on September 2, the Silver Muse concludes its Alaska season with a 23-day westbound transpacific repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo.

Seabourn Cruise Line offers a unique program of alternating seven-day, one-way Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Juneau that can be combined into lengthier 14-day loops without repetition of any ports of call. Departures are scheduled May through August or September and sail aboard the 458-passenger Seabourn Odyssey in 2024 or its sister ship the Seabourn Quest in 2025.

Viking sends the 930-passenger Viking Orion (2024) or Viking Orion and Viking Sea (2025) on a full season of 11-day "Alaska & the Inside Passage" cruises. Itineraries sail one way between Vancouver and Seward or reverse, stopping at seven ports of call along the way.

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