Alaska Cruises

Most Alaska cruises will visit either Glacier Bay National Park or Hubbard Glacier for a day of scenic cruising. At both, you will witness the majestic silence of a glacier, only broken by the creak of the glacial ice or the boom of ice calving off into the water.

Glacier Bay National Park is a 3.3 million acre UNESCO World Heritage Site brimming with natural wonders. Many cruises spend a full day among different glaciers including a stop at a major tidewater glacier.

The largest tidal glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier is an icy abyss, formed over centuries. Only by cruising alongside it can you appreciate the majesty of its colossal scale. Disarmingly beautiful, the gigantic wall of ice measures a staggering 5 miles wide and 40 storeys high. Known as the ‘Galloping Glacier’, multi-storey icebergs cannon into crystal waters.

While the exact stops differ for each cruise, along the way there will be options to get on shore to explore some of Alaska’s delightful towns and cities along the Inside Passage.

Many cruises visit Alaska’s state capital, Juneau. There is plenty to do in this city, including exploring the Mendenhall Glacier, taking in the scenery from the Mount Roberts Tramway and discovering the many nearby hiking trails.

Another popular stop is pretty Ketchikan, with colourful stilted houses lining picturesque Creek Street and an intriguing Native American history, which can be seen through the collection of totem poles dotted around the village. Known as the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’, watch fish jumping in the stream and spot bears coming to feast in the summer months.

Alaska boasts a diverse range of wildlife, and the chance to see some of these animals in their natural habitat is a highlight for many on an Alaskan cruise.

Bring binoculars for the best chance of spotting animals along the remote wilderness of the coastline, home to bears, moose and puffins. Above your ship, look up to watch eagles soaring and swooping into the waves to catch fish.

A cruise is the perfect place to witness some of Alaska’s fantastic marine life including sea otters, seals and sea lions, as well as the unforgettable sight of humpback whales and orcas breaching the waves.