YOUR ULTIMATE ALASKA CRUISE CHECKLIST
✔ Your travel crew
Whether you’re sailing with your significant other, your family, a group of friends or traveling solo, browse our sailing options to find the perfect adventure in Alaska.
✔ Choose your Alaska itinerary
Find your ideal journey. Choose between port hopping onboard a 7-night cruise or opt for a multiday Cruisetour which combines a week-long sailing with land expeditions before or after your cruise vacation.
✔ Find a departure port
Exploring the Last Frontier is easier than ever. Kickstart your once-in-a-lifetime Alaska adventure from Seattle, Seward or Vancouver.
✔ Explore our ships
From the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship to the only bumper cars at sea, our fleet offers thrilling activities, world-class dining and Broadway-style entertainment. Choose your best Alaska cruise ship.
✔ Explore our shore excursions
Explore ultimate thrills and the best way to chill in Alaska with Royal Signature Excursions, hand-picked tours with premium transportation, expert local guides and renowned service.
✔ Prepare your travel essentials
Already booked? Check out our helpful list that details what to pack for a 7-day Alaska cruise, plus learn what travel essentials to bring.
YOUR ULTIMATE CRUISE CHECKLIST
✔ Your Travel Crew
Are you sailing with your significant other, your family, a group of friends or traveling solo? Browse our sailing options to find the perfect adventure for you.
✔Find a Departure Port
It’s easier than ever to visit your dream destinations. Kickstart your vacation right from your backyard, or choose an exciting port in another state.
✔Choose Your Destinations
The world’s boldest ships sail to nearly 300 destinations worldwide, with itineraries that put multiple checkmarks on your bucket list.
✔Explore Our Ships
From the tallest slide at sea to spellbinding ice-skating performances, our adventure-packed fleet offers thrilling activities, world-class dining and incredible entertainment. Choose the ship that’s right for you.
✔ Decide Your Itinerary & Book
You can’t go wrong with any itinerary you choose. Check out our weekend getaways and weeklong explorations. There are countless thrilling options.
✔ Prepare Your Travel Essentials
Already booked? Make the most out of your adventure by adding exciting shore excursions and deluxe drink packages. Be sure to also review packing tips and essential documents for seamless onboarding.
Save Big With These Alaska Cruise Deals
Once-in-a-lifetime comes seven days a week on an Alaska adventure with Royal Caribbean®. Our 2026 Alaska sailings are now open.
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AWE-INSPIRING SIGHTSEEING IN ALASKA
Nobody does Alaska like Royal Caribbean®. Adventure like never before with once-in-a-lifetime excursions – from sightseeing and dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier, whale watching off Icy Strait Point, and exploring Denali National Park on a guided Cruisetour. Cross Alaska off your bucket list with the cruise line voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers for 22 years running.
WILDLIFE
Calling all wildlife lovers — here’s your chance for face-to-face encounters with some fascinating Alaska locals. Watch massive whales breach and bob off the coast of Juneau. Paddle around the Tatoosh Islands for an unparalleled peek at playful otters, bald eagles soaring overhead, and rushing salmon headed for nesting waters. And be on the lookout for hulking bears as you hike through Herring Cove’s coastal rainforest.
NATURE
Discover an unbelievable range of majestic landscapes — from lush, rolling forests to icy straits of surreal grandeur. Trek across Mendenhall Glacier for staggering vistas, unchanged for thousands of years. Journey through breathtaking mountain scenery on the narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Hike through ‘the world’s longest outdoor museum’ on the Chilkoot Trail. And score bird’s-eye views of this magnificent territory via helicopter.
CULTURE
Journey into the past in quaint towns like historical Skagway, where snippets of the Klondike Gold Rush line the streets. Immerse yourself in Alaska’s vibrant Native history as you weave through towering, hand-carved totems in Ketchikan. And you can’t visit Alaska without visiting Denali National Park or indulging in a traditional salmon bake surrounded by rainforest. This is a culture quest that goes way off the grid.
COMPARING WEEKLONG CRUISE TO CRUISETOUR
Go dog sledding in Mendenhall Glacier or whale watching off Icy Strait Point during an unforgettable 7-night Alaska cruise. For a more immersive experience, consider a Cruisetour—this vacation package combines your 7-night cruise with 2-6 night land tours before or after sailing, giving you more time to explore deeper into Alaska, plus Denali National Park. No matter which way you choose to explore Alaska, adventure awaits.
- Cruise Only
- Depart from Seattle or Vancouver
- Explore breathtaking wilderness in Sitka
- Stroll Skagway’s charming downtown streets
- Be awestruck by towering glaciers
- Discover mining trails in Juneau
- Cruise Only
- Depart from Seattle or Vancouver
- Visit totem poles in Ketchikan
- Go whale watching in Juneau
- Explore Mendenhall Glacier
- Marvel at Victoria’s architecture
South-Side Escapes From Barbados
When it comes to exotic island sights, the southern Caribbean never disappoints. Discover some of its top-rated isles — like laid-back Aruba and Curaçao, culture-rich St. Maarten and spellbinding St. Lucia — on seven-night adventures from Barbados onboard Grandeur of the Seas®.
Itinerary:
• Bridgetown, Barbados
• Cruising
• Oranjestad, Aruba
• Willemstad, Curacao
• Cruising
• Philipsburg, St. Marteen
• Castries, St. Lucia
• Bridgetown, Barbados
- Cruise Only
- Depart from Seattle or Vancouver
- Marvel at the beauty of Alaska’s Inside Passage
- Go wildlife spotting in British Columbia
- Hike Baranof Island trails in Sitka
- Explore the wilderness in Ketchikan
- 2–6-night land tour, plus 7-night cruise
- Post-cruise land tours after a cruise from Vancouver to Seward
- Pre-cruise land tours before a cruise from Seward to Vancouver
- Explore alongside expert local Adventure Guides
- Rest up in authentic, cozy lodges
- Enjoy action-packed included excursions
- Venture into Alaska’s untamed wilderness
- Marvel at Denali National Park
ALASKA DEPARTURE PORTS
Choose from three lively ports to kick off your once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Alaska. Cruise from vibrant Seattle to visit ports like Skagway where you can dine like royalty on king crab. Go from sightseeing in bustling Vancouver to wildlife spotting in Juneau. Or jumpstart your Cruisetour travels from Seward to the Hubbard Glacier on your coolest vacation yet.
ALASKA PORT HIGHLIGHTS
Consider your Alaska bucket list conquered at the best Alaska cruise ports. Traveling back in time to the era of The Gold Rush in Skagway? Check. Kayaking with sea otters in Sitka? Done. Set your eyes on the largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier. Or for longer Alaska cruise itineraries, trek into Alaska’s Denali National Park, on a Cruisetour before or after your cruise. Cross all these once-in-a-lifetime experiences off your list on one unforgettable journey with Royal Caribbean®.
JUNEAU
Juneau is known for its snowcapped mountains, misty rainforests, massive glaciers and bounty of wildlife. The city’s picturesque downtown area offers bars that date from the mining era, boutique shops and storied landmarks. For a taste of outdoor thrills, you can take your pick of activities ranging from whale watching in Auke Bay Harbor to tundra trekking over Mendenhall Glacier.
KETCHIKAN
Ketchikan is known for being a great place to sample local culture, as it is home to three Indigenous tribes. You’ll see it in the colorful, hand-carved totems that line the city’s streets and parks. If you want to get up close to nature, venture into the Tongass National Forest, the largest in the United States, where you can catch a glimpse of local wildlife like bears, eagles and wolves.
SKAGWAY
Skagway was once known for being the starting point for gold stampeders heading for the promised land of the Yukon. Embark on the trail of the fortune seekers on a vintage train ride with dramatic, sweeping views at every turn. Trek through the dense rainforest and windswept valleys of Chilkoot Trail and follow in the footsteps of Klondike pioneers. Or stroll the charming downtown streets studded with historical buildings.
SITKA
Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. This is off-the-path Alaska, where you can kayak Sitka Sound alongside swimming sea otters or fly fish for the world’s biggest halibut. Whether it’s hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka, the midnight sun never sets on adventure.
ALASKA SHORE EXCURSIONS
Max every moment on the Last Frontier with an Alaska Shore Excursion. Go kayaking in Sitka and encounter incredible wildlife like orange-beaked puffins and orca whale pods. Reach peak excitement racing across the magnificent Mendenhall Glacier on a dogsledding trek. Hear the commanding crack of calving ice collapsing into the fjord at Dawes Glacier. And soak up epic views of wilderness in every direction while riding a vintage train through White Pass. Once-in-a-lifetime awaits you on an Alaska adventure with Royal Caribbean®.
BOLD PLANS IN FULL EFFECT
From scenic views to wilderness adventures, Alaska offers endless things to do for couples and families. Explore action-packed expeditions on land by day. But that’s just the beginning. Because endless thrills and ways to chill await you come night onboard the biggest, boldest ships in Alaska.
ADVENTURE FILLED DAYS
Take on action-packed expeditions with your crew all day long. Travel back in time to the era of The Gold Rush. Kayak with sea otters. Or set your eyes on Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. You decide what your Alaska experience will be.
BOLD NIGHTS AHEAD
Discover a culinary adventure around every corner with delicious, globally inspired dishes and crafted cocktails. Cheer to good times at lively bars. And be awestruck by Broadway-style entertainment.
SCENIC CRUISING
Fill each sea day with activities you can enjoy in any weather — take the whole fam for a spin on the bumper cars, challenge yourself to catch a wave on FlowRider® surf simulator as glaciers glide by, or feel the wind in your face with simulated skydiving on RipCord® by iFLY®, and so much more.
THE BEST ALASKA CRUISE SHIPS
Enjoy action-packed thrills and plenty of ways to chill, both on land and at sea during your cruise. Admire breathtaking views from 300 feet above in the North Star® observation capsule. Catch a wave on the FlowRider® surf simulator or challenge your crew to Rock Climbing with a view. Plus, indulge in world-class dining and wow-worthy entertainment.
WHAT TO KNOW
BEFORE YOU GO
Alaska Cruises Insider
Answer the call of the wild and go all out in Alaska. But before you do, be sure to check out our helpful resources packed with everything you need to know to max out memories in Alaska. Get tips on what to pack, how to choose your perfect stateroom onboard, useful planning insights and more.
1
The most popular Alaska cruise itinerary is the 7-Night Alaska Inside Passage. This itinerary awes explorers with miles and miles of wildlife-dotted fjords, tidewater glaciers, and vibrant forest scenery along the Pacific coast.
2
When packing for your Alaska cruise, prepare for temperature changes by layering with items like zip-up sweaters, boots, and rain ponchos. Bring a quality day pack to carry your essentials, and don’t forget cameras and binoculars.
3
The best time to visit Alaska depends on your preference: around June 21 for nearly 20 hours of daylight to experience the Midnight Sun, or in late summer for darker skies that allow better views of the Northern Lights.
RELATED PORTS
Whether you're interested in hiking through a forest, trekking to glaciers or a shopping spree downtown, the towns along Alaska's inside passage provide a variety of adventurous activities. Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. Anchorage is the state's largest city and a gateway to the rest of the state. Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks.
