Planning a trip to the U.S.' largest state by land (double the size of Texas) is no easy feat. That's why a cruise to and around its vast and varied terrain is arguably the best way to experience it. From May to September, ships operated by most major cruise lines depart from Seattle, Vancouver, and San Francisco and sail north through Pacific coastal waters to call on Alaska ports that offer access to massive glaciers and scenic bays teeming with humpback whales and orcas. Simply choose your cruise line, your ship, and your route.
Before you book a cruise to the Last Frontier, know that there are two main Alaska cruise routes — Inside Passage and Voyage of the Glaciers (aka Glacier Route). There is some overlap, but each route has pros and cons depending on your interests and activity level.
Here, we break down the basic elements of each route — just keep in mind that details such as port calls and scenic cruising locales for glacier viewing can vary by cruise line and specific itinerary.
Inside Passage Route
This is the best-known and most popular Alaska cruise route — and there are several reasons why. Shaped by massive glaciers millions of years ago, the Inside Passage stretches for more than 1,000 miles north from Washington state’s Puget Sound, along the Pacific coast of British Columbia, and then into southern Alaska up to Skagway. This itinerary is known for its spectacular scenery — including an abundance of islands and lush rainforests — and dramatic tidewater glaciers.
One of the main reasons that Inside Passage itineraries are popular is because they're convenient: Cruise ships sail the route roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver in just one week, which allows you to book roundtrip flights rather than two one-way flights (including a longer, pricier flight to or from Anchorage).
Mainstream cruise lines, such as Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Princess also sail some of their newer, larger ships on Inside Passage routes (4,300-passenger Star Princess will be the biggest cruise ship ever to sail in Alaska when it begins routes there in May 2026). This makes these voyages appealing to families seeking a ship with fun onboard activities.
Itinerary length: Most Inside Passage itineraries are seven nights, roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, although you’ll also find some 9- and 11-night roundtrip sailings from those Pacific Northwest ports and 10- and 11-night roundtrip itineraries from San Francisco.
Reasons to choose: Aside from the convenience of a roundtrip sailing and spectacular coastal scenery, Inside Passage cruises are known for navigating calmer coastal waters that are sheltered by large islands, rather than the choppier open waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The ports visited on Inside Passage itineraries also offer easy access to exciting activities — like kayaking, salmon fishing, hiking, zip-lining, dog sledding, and whale watching — as well as plenty of souvenir shops and fresh seafood eateries just beyond the ship’s gangway.
Ports usually visited: A seven-night Inside Passage cruise typically visits three or four Alaska ports, which can include Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, or Haines, as well as a day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, or Endicott Arm. Cruises sailing roundtrip from Seattle also visit Victoria, BC.
Top attractions and shore excursions:
Juneau: In Alaska’s capital (which is only accessible by air or water, not by road) you can see Mendenhall Glacier, venture to Tracy Arm Fjord on a full-day excursion, whale watch from the comfort of a sightseeing boat or kayak, and visit Alaskan sled dogs at a musher’s camp.
Skagway: Get a taste of the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush in this northernmost Inside Passage port as you pan for gold, ride the historical White Pass Scenic Railway as far as the Yukon, or book a wilderness safari to Glacier Point to observe wildlife such as whales, seals, and sea lions.
Sitka and Haines: Both of these neighboring ports are known for having abundant bear populations, so excursions designed to spot them in the wild are popular, as are visits to wildlife sanctuaries like the Alaskan Raptor Center near Sitka. Different activities, such as kayaking and hiking, are also centered on seeing wildlife, which includes otters, eagles, and black-tailed deer.
Icy Strait Point: This port is ideal for anyone looking to experience Alaska’s Indigenous Tlingit culture, though wildlife lovers can also whale watch or see bears from a back-country Jeep, an ATV, or an elevated observation platform.
Ketchikan: This southern Alaska port is the place to try your hand at salmon fishing — or at the very least indulge in a shoreside salmon and crab bake — as well as enjoy a kayak or canoe wildlife safari, Misty Fjord flightseeing, and a zip-line adventure through the area’s verdant rainforest.
Victoria, BC: The capital of British Columbia is a port-of-call on roundtrip Seattle sailings. Located on scenic Vancouver Island, Victoria is known for its 19th-century architecture, food and wine scene, whale watching, and beautiful Butchart Gardens (a massive limestone quarry that has been transformed into a lush garden oasis over the last 100 years).
Glacier Bay National Park: Many Inside Passage itineraries also spend a day cruising Glacier Bay National Park, which offers views of massive glaciers — the most impressive being Margerie Glacier — and calving icebergs that fill the white-capped bay with a soundtrack of cracks and booms. Some cruise lines visit Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier or Hubbard Glacier as well.
Voyage of the Glaciers Route
A Voyage of the Glaciers or Glacier Route itinerary will take you further north into the Alaskan wilderness and west across the Gulf of Alaska to Whittier or Seward, the ports that service Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. These itineraries are typically one-way, either northbound from Seattle or Vancouver to Whittier or Seward, or southbound from Whittier or Seward to Seattle or Vancouver.
While there will be some overlap in ports since these one-way itineraries also cruise a portion of Alaska’s Inside Passage, there will likely be more time dedicated to glacier viewing — typically two days — in scenic bays known for photogenic bright blue glaciers like Hubbard Glacier (the largest tidewater glacier in North America), Harvard Glacier in College Fjord, and Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. On a seven-night sailing, that leaves time for just three calls on Inside Passage ports such as Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.
Itinerary length: Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route sailings are often seven nights, but cover more ground since they are one-way rather than roundtrip. Some cruise lines also offer a limited number of 14-night Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route itineraries that sail roundtrip from Vancouver or Seattle.
Reasons to choose: The main reason to book a northbound or southbound Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route itinerary is that it will allow you to add a land journey — booked as a "cruise tour" through the cruise line or independently — either before (on southbound sailings) or after (on northbound sailings). These typically include a night or two in Anchorage and multi-day tours to experience notable wilderness regions such as Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park, where you’ll stay in atmospheric lodges.
Voyage of the Glaciers itineraries also tend to be a bit less "touristy" than Inside Passage cruises, since many of them spend more time sailing in Alaska’s scenic bays and less time in popular Inside Passage ports, which can be very crowded during peak cruise season.
Ports usually visited: A seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route itinerary, either northbound or southbound, will begin or end in Whittier or Seward (for Anchorage) and typically call on Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan while also offering scenic sailing to view Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord in Prince William Sound, and Glacier Bay. Cruises that embark or disembark in Seattle or San Francisco will also call on Victoria, BC.
Top attractions and shore excursions:
Anchorage: This city of 286,000 is the gateway to land adventure in Alaska and offers access to traditional art and culture at the Alaska Native Heritage Center and local animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, as well as many outdoor activities.
Victoria, BC: See above.
Skagway: See above.
Ketchikan: See above.
Juneau: See above.
Hubbard Glacier: Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route itineraries often visit the six-mile-wide Hubbard Glacier, located about 200 miles from Juneau in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Other cruises offer scenic sailings in College Fjord, which is located in the northern part of Prince William Sound and is home to multiple glaciers named for colleges such as Harvard, Yale, and Vassar. A visit to Glacier Bay can also be part of a Glacier Route sailing since exact routes vary by cruise line and itinerary length.
Bottom Line
While either itinerary will have you surrounded by the majesty of the Alaskan wilderness, if you’re more interested in port time with access to shopping, dining, and a full range of activities, and you enjoy newer, larger cruise ships, a roundtrip Inside Passage cruise will offer it all — including viewing some awesome glacial ice.
If, on the other hand, you enjoy more laid-back and scenic cruising and want to see multiple Alaskan glaciers while also extending your cruise vacation with a land journey to one or two of Alaska’s national parks, a one-way Voyage of the Glaciers/Glacier Route sailing could be right for you.
For more information on planning an Alaska cruise, including a cruise line and ship finder, visit our Alaska cruise page.
