Alaska Cruise Routes: A Cheat Sheet to Planning the Perfect Adventure

Pulling off the ideal Alaska adventure requires plenty of pre-trip planning—and a larger understanding of the state’s many travel options, starting with its variety of cruise routes.

 

As you think about which Alaskan cruise is right for you, you’ll want to consider which Alaska cruise route best meets your personal preferences, including sites you’re most interested in seeing and how many days you wish to spend in the state. 

 

Lindblad Expeditions has been exploring Alaska for more than 40 years aboard small-ship expeditions and has developed a wealth of expertise that will help ensure your adventure is indeed a perfect one. Read on for a cheat sheet on three major Alaska cruise routes along with picks for can’t-miss ports and cruise stops such as Sitka and Glacier Bay.

 

Alaska Cruise Route Map and Ports You Might Want to Visit 

 

Start by reviewing this cruise map which offers a detailed look at three Alaska cruise routes: Inside Passage, the Gulf of Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula.  
 

 

The most popular of Alaska cruise routes, the Inside Passage stretches 500 miles along the Pacific Ocean in Southeast Alaska.  

 

Within its glacier-carved labyrinth of channels, cruisers find relatively calm waters, a string of active cruise stops from Ketchikan to Skagway (look for Indigenous artwork and other locally made Alaska souvenirs), and stunning wilderness areas like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 

 

Inside Passage cruises typically sail round-trip from Seattle, Vancouver or British Columbia, although some operators like National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions embark and disembark ship farther north in Sitka or Juneau, Alaska.

 

Cruises that cross the Gulf of Alaska visit prime Inside Passage sites but also sail farther north and along the state’s southcentral coast, while featuring additional natural wonders such as Hubbard Glacier and Prince William Sound. Gulf of Alaska cruises often travel one-way between Seattle or Vancouver and Whittier or Seward, popular southcentral ports near Anchorage. 

 

The least-common of Alaska cruise routes, voyages along the Alaska Peninsula, which extends 550 miles from mainland Alaska down to the Aleutian Islands, grants access to rarely seen locales like Katmai National Park and Preserve plus remote islands such as Kodiak. Alaska Peninsula cruises often sail one-way from Seward southwest to Dutch Harbor on Unalaska, an island in the Aleutian chain. 

 

 

Inside Passage Alaskan Cruise Route

 

Roundtrip Inside Passage cruises departing from Seattle or Vancouver typically travel for seven days. Longer voyages beginning in San Francisco or San Diego can span up to two weeks and include more days at sea. Check out the Alaska Inside Passage cruise map above to see key cruise stops and wilderness areas found along this route.

 

• Choose This Cruise Route If: You are hoping to get a taste of Alaska’s highlights, may be prone to seasickness or prefer round-trip sailings.   

• Downsides to Consider: Inside Passage cruises don’t cover as much ground as those with Gulf of Alaska crossings. 

• Common Port Stops: Victoria, B.C., Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka, Petersburg, Icy Straight Point, Juneau, Haines, Skagway and Glacier Bay.

 

Crossing the Gulf of Alaska on a Cruise

 

Cruises that cross the Gulf of Alaska typically sail for seven days, sailing northbound from Vancouver or Seattle to Whittier or Seward (and reverse on southbound sailings). Because these voyages run one way rather than round trip, travelers hoping to extend their Alaska adventure can opt for pre- or post-cruise tours that often run up to an additional seven days and visit interior destinations like Denali National Park.

 

• Choose This Cruise Route If: You hope to see Alaska’s Inside Passage, plus experience more northerly wilderness areas and southcentral ports. 

• Downsides to Consider: Relative to the generally calm Inside Passage, the Gulf of Alaska can see choppier waters later in the cruise season.  

• Common Port Stops: Inside Passage ports such as Sitka and Skagway, plus Hubbard Glacier, Valdez, College Fjord, Whittier and Seward. 

 

 

Alaskan Peninsula Cruise

 

A typical Alaskan Peninsula cruise can last 11 days. Travelers fly into Anchorage before boarding their ship in Seward. One-way cruises often culminate in Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island and require return flights north to Anchorage. Although rare, longer expeditions that circumnavigate the Aleutian Islands or that pair the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska may also include stops on the Alaskan Peninsula (aka Aleutian Peninsula.)

 

• Choose This Cruise Route If: You previously sailed the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska and hope to broaden your Alaska cruise experience.  

• Downsides to Consider: Relative to other cruise routes, sailings along the Alaska Peninsula occur less frequently and can fill up quickly. 

• Common Port Stops: Katmai National Park, Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Preserve, Akutan Island and Dutch Harbor. 

 

 

So, which Alaska cruise route will it be? The Inside Passage, Gulf of Alaska or Alaskan Peninsula? Or perhaps some combination of the three? 

 

Regardless of your chosen route, remember that the perfect Alaskan adventure always begins with sufficient pre-trip planning.  

 

Before embarking, be sure to brush up on related travel topics like the best time to visit Alaska, what to pack (including essential gear for an Alaska photography cruise) and, depending on your itinerary and country of citizenship, if you need a passport or visa to travel in Alaska.