Best Alaska Cruises 2025
To choose the very best Alaska cruise itineraries, I tapped into my own personal experience as a cruiser and also reached out to Brittany Chrusciel, an expert in the category who has sailed on over 50 cruises, for insights. If you're planning a trip during Alaska cruise season (April through October), we've curated our top picks for 2025.
Nieuw Amsterdam exterior. Courtesy of Holland America Line Reserve At Holland America Recommended Itinerary: Nieuw Amsterdam , 7-day Glacier Discovery Departures: May-September All-Star Amenities: Five specialty dining restaurants; private balcony breakfast or dinner
Holland America Line has been sailing to Alaska for more than 75 years and is considered one of the most classic Alaska cruise experiences. It holds the most permits to visit Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line and features a wide range of onboard wildlife experts, who host daily programs helping passengers find animals in their natural environments. The cruise line's 'Alaska Up Close' program immerses guests in local cultures through onboard workshops and activities; on all of its Alaska cruises, a Huna Native Interpreter comes aboard to share the history of the Tlingit people. We recommend its 7-Day Glacier Discovery itinerary, which is offered both northbound and southbound. Both cruise along the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, calling upon Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
Silversea's small luxury cruise ship, Silver Moon, at sail in Alaska. Silversea Cruises Recommended Itinerary: Silver Nova , 7-day Vancouver to Seward, Alaska Departures: June-September All-Star Amenities: Complimentary in-cabin robes and slippers; tea and coffee service; breakfast in bed; traditional afternoon tea; gala evenings; specialty dining restaurants
For travelers who want an Alaska cruise experiences with high-end amenities and fine dining, Silversea Cruises is Chrusciel's top pick. 'The cruise line sails several small ships that offer personal touches and luxurious amenities, including the Silver Moon vessel, which hold only 600 passengers but has eight dining options—including its innovative S.A.L.T. Bar and Lab,' she says. For Alaska cruises, Chrusciel recommends the cruise line's Silver Nova itineraries, particularly the week-long Vancouver to Seward, Alaska sail. 'The ship launched in 2023 and is designed with uninhibited views of the sea, perfect for scenic sailing and glacier viewing,' she says.
Norwegian Aqua cruise ship at sea. Norwegian Cruise Line Recommended Itinerary: Norwegian Encore , 7-day Alaska: Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan Departures: May-September All-Star Amenities: Wide range of balcony accommodations; Broadway-quality shows; specialty dining restaurants; adults-only pool and hot tub; spa and salon
Chrusciel recommends Norwegian Cruise Line for families or multigenerational groups looking to visit Alaska for the first time. 'Convenience and broad appeal are often top of mind for families and groups, and Norwegian Cruise Line does this well with a fleet of modern, amenity-packed mega-ships bound for the Last Frontier each Alaska season,' she says. The cruise line's Encore , Joy and Bliss ships all sail to Glacier Bay; we recommend the 7-day voyage to Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan for a robust exploration of all that Alaska has to offer. Best Alaska Cruise For Couples: Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises ship sailing in Anchorage, Alaska. Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Reserve At Princess Cruises Recommended Itinerary: Royal Princess , 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Departures: May-September All-Star Amenities: Wide range of balcony accommodations; Reserve Collection mini-suites; The Sanctuary, an exclusive adults-only retreat; Princess Luxury Beds in every cabin; private balcony breakfast; a handful of speciality dining options; romance packages
Another classic Alaska cruise experience, Princess Cruises has been sailing to the destination for more than 50 years. My very first cruise—both as a whole, and to Alaska—was with Princess, and I still recommend the cruise line to those who are seeking an easy to navigate experience with plenty of activities. For couples, this cruise line is a particularly great choice: Nicknamed 'The Love Boat,' the brand has a long history of hosting duos and honeymooners, immersing its guests into the sights, sounds, flavors and history of the 49th state through its award-winning North to Alaska programming. For those booking for next year, a new ship is also on the horizon: ' Star Princess , a brand-new ship sailing convenient, week-long cruises round trip from Seattle, is a ship to keep an eye on next year,' says Chrusciel. Best Small Ship Alaska Cruise: Alaskan Dream Cruises
Chicagof Dream exterior. Courtesy of Alaska Dream Cruises Alaskan Dream Cruises Reserve At Alaskan Dream Cruise Recommended Itinerary: Chichagof Dream, North to True Alaska Expedition Departures: May-September All-Star Amenities: Small-ship experience with just 76 passengers; 5-night itinerary; travel with like-minded adventurers
'A naturally stunning destination like Alaska encourages you to get as close to your surroundings as possible, which is a job well suited to a small ship,' says Chrusciel. She recommends Alaskan Dream Cruises' small-ship itineraries; because of their size, they can call upon more remote destinations, leaving the crowds behind. Knowledgeable expedition leaders serve as personal guides on every voyage, sharing their expertise in biology, geography and ecology, as well as sharing about the Southeast Alaska's local cultures. Life aboard Alaskan Dream Cruises' five ships is casual and relaxed, meals feature fresh local fare, and everyone strives to provide opportunities for guests to make personal connections to the region's places and people. Alaska Cruise With The Most Adventurous Excursions: UnCruise Adventures
UnCruise Wilderness Legacy in Glacier Bay. Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures UnCruise Adventures Reserve At UnCruise Adventures Recommended Itinerary: Wilderness Legacy , Glaciers & Tranquility, Alaska's Adult-Only Adventure Departures: April-September All-Star Amenities: Beer and wine tastings; complimentary drinks; hot tub; onboard naturals and guides; onboard launch platform for kayaks and paddleboards
UnCruise Adventures provides an 'unfiltered type of voyage,' according to Chrusciel. The Alaska-based cruise line prioritizes adventurous excursions, like paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking and taking a skiff out in search of spotting wildlife. For the daring, there's even a chance to go on a polar plunge. 'Uncruise provides not only an authentic experience in the region but, much like Alaskan Dream Cruises, these ships also allow you to sail round trip from Alaskan ports like Juneau or Sitka without the need to call in Canada—a loophole only reserved for U.S.-based vessels,' says Chrusciel. Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted travel team has researched, written and published dozens of cruise guides spotlighting itineraries around the globe. This story was written by Forbes Vetted's senior travel editor, Astrid Taran, an eight-year industry veteran who's traveled to over 40 countries and has sailed on multiple cruise lines, including several on this list. Her very first cruise experience was an Alaska cruise. She has written multiple cruise guides for Forbes Vetted, including the Most Exciting New Cruises Of 2025 and the Best Caribbean Cruises.
This story was edited by Forbes Vetted deputy editor Jane Sung, who oversees the travel section. She has traveled extensively and sailed on several cruises, including a memorable one to Alaska.
For this story, Taran spoke to Brittany Chrusciel, a travel writer and former Forbes Vetted contributor who specializes in cruise travel and has sailed on over 50 cruise ships. How We Chose The Best Alaska Cruises
We selected the top contenders based on personal experience as well as extensive research. For this story, Taran combined first-person experience on cruises she's personally sailed on as well as spent hours combing through reviews.
We included options that are both family-friendly and adult-only. For our family-friendly selections, we prioritized cruises that also offered plenty of activities for adults.
We included a mix of mega-ship cruises with a robust variety of entertainment, as well as smaller and more intimate cruises that provide a more personalized experience. More Travel Stories
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
JD Vance says it was ‘very cool' to have Disneyland shut down for his family vacation - but apologizes for ‘longer lines'
Vice President JD Vance is sorry — but not that sorry — for any disruptions his July family trip to Disneyland in California may have caused. 'We had the island to ourselves which was very cool. I had never been to Disneyland. I thought it was awesome,' Vance said during an episode of the Katie Miller Podcast that aired on Monday. Speaking with Miller, a former Trump White House official who is married to current deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, Vance apologized to those impacted by the security preparations for his visit. 'Sorry to all the people who were at Disneyland for the longer lines, but we had a very good time,' the vice president said with a smile, holding up his hands in mock defense. But Vance's visit to the Anaheim park was met with more than just lengthy lines. Hundreds protested his presence at Disneyland, which came as Trump administration immigration officials and federal troops were helping conduct and secure deportation raids across the Los Angeles area. It's not the only recent Vance visit that has ruffled local feathers. Earlier this month The Guardian was first to report that authorities traveling with Vance requested the water levels be raised in an Ohio river to accommodate a kayaking trip for the VP's 41st birthday. Vance's office said the Secret Service requested the change in flow into the Little Miami River without his knowledge. A source familiar with the request told The Independent at the time that the ask was made for security reasons after a boat ran aground during an advance scouting trip. 'The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the Vice President or his staff, as was the case last weekend,' a spokesperson told The Independent. Vance is currently in the U.K., where he has mixed another vacation with diplomacy. He spent the weekend with foreign secretary David Lammy at his official country estate in Chevening, Kent, and is currently vacationing at a holiday retreat in the Cotswolds. The vice president's presence in the countryside has reportedly caused what locals called a 'circus' of security preparations including road closures, police door knocks, and official vehicles driving on crammed back streets. An Oxfordshire resident told The Observer locals were 'used to seeing police around' in the scenic part of the country — which has played host to U.S. celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Taylor Swift — but there has been 'nothing like this.' Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials scramble to prepare for historic Alaska meeting
Donald Trump RussiaFacebookTweetLink Follow American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday's summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the two world leaders were severely limited. When word reached certain prominent Alaskans that Trump and Putin were coming, a few began reaching out to the president's allies with a proposition: could their home be an option? It's unclear if those offers ever reached White House officials, who were calling sites in Juneau, the state capital, along with Anchorage and Fairbanks. Organizers of the summit soon came to believe the only city in the massive state with viable options for the summit would be Anchorage. And only Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern edge of the city, would meet the requirements for the historic meeting, though the White House had hoped to avoid the optics of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a US military installation. That is where the two men will meet Friday, two White House officials said. The struggle underscored the rush now underway to nail down the details of Friday's meeting, the first time the top US and Russian leaders have met in more than four years. The summit is still largely a work in progress as US and Russian officials make haste to prepare for the high-profile encounter. The two countries' top diplomats — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — spoke Tuesday to discuss 'certain aspects of preparation,' according to Russia's foreign ministry. Usually, a high-stakes summit with a US adversary would be preceded by extensive negotiations over the agenda and outcomes. But Trump himself has said he is approaching the meeting as a 'feel-out' session, with few advance expectations for how it will proceed. The White House on Tuesday termed it a 'listening session.' 'The president feels like, 'look, I've got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him,'' Rubio said in a morning radio interview Tuesday with Sid Rosenberg, offering one explanation for why Trump's five known phone calls with Putin this year wouldn't suffice in determining the Russian leader's intentions. Trump's administration and the Kremlin landed on Alaska as the site for the summit after a lengthy behind-the-scenes back-and-forth, according to people familiar with the matter. There were few places that would work for the sit-down, the people said, particularly given a war crimes warrant issued for Putin's arrest by the International Criminal Court in 2023. With that fact looming, Russia balked at a European destination — even in a city like Vienna or Geneva, where US and Russian leaders have met dating back to the Cold War. While Putin himself raised the United Arab Emirates as an 'entirely suitable' location, many inside the White House hoped to avoid another lengthy trek to the Middle East after Trump's visit in May. In the end, sources said, it came down to Hungary — whose Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is close to both Trump and Putin — and the United States as possible hosts, according to two US officials. American officials were pleased and somewhat surprised when the Russian president agreed to a meeting on US soil — on land that once was part of the Russian empire, no less. 'I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us going to his country or even a third-party place,' Trump said this week, as his team was rushing to finalize details of the summit. Others were not so taken. 'The only better place for Putin than Alaska would be if the summit were being held in Moscow,' said Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, who fell out with Trump during his first term. 'So, the initial setup, I think, is a great victory for Putin.' The last time an American president met with Putin — President Joe Biden's 2021 summit in Geneva — the date and venue were announced three weeks ahead of time. But the planning between Russian and American officials started months before that. Biden, on a week-long swing through Europe, spent the days leading up to the sit-down in intensive preparation with top advisers, blocking out time in the mornings to parse potential directions the conversation could take and anticipate some of Putin's moves. He consulted other leaders, including the German chancellor, for pointers on how to approach the notoriously wily Russian leader. By the time the summit arrived, aides had planned the day down to the most minute detail, including what order the leaders would arrive, how long each session would last and what type of flower would sit on the table (it was white roses). American officials even ensured there were bottles of orange Gatorade — labeled 'POTUS' — inside a refrigerator at the 18th-century villa where the meeting took place. During Trump's first term, he and Putin sat one-on-one in Helsinki, Finland, during a summit in 2018 that ended with a remarkable moment when Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence agencies on the question of Russian election interference. Trump also met Putin alone in 2017, during their first encounter at the G20 summit in Hamburg. While American and Russian officials have been in extensive conversations to prepare for the sit-down since it was agreed to last week, the encounter that prompted the event remains something of a mystery. Trump's foreign envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow last Wednesday for a meeting with Putin that resulted in the decision to meet, though what exactly Putin said in the meeting is still largely unknown. European officials spent much of the last week trying to ascertain the parameters of a peace deal that Putin offered up, but some said they were frustrated by the lack of clarity offered by Witkoff, a real estate developer and longtime friend of Trump's. Trump plans to hear from European leaders in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, arranged by the Germans so the president can get their perspective ahead of the Friday meeting. And he has promised to get on the phone with them, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, immediately after the summit concludes. But Zelensky isn't expected to be in Alaska for the summit, so any potential trilateral meeting is off the table for now. Instead, Trump will spend at least part of the summit meeting with Putin one-on-one, the White House said Tuesday, allowing time for the two men to carry out a discussion unheard by anyone else aside from their translators. 'That's part of the plan,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked whether the two presidents would meet as a pair. 'As for the other mechanics and logistics, I will let our team speak to that when they're ironed out.' It's not atypical for leaders to meet alone with their counterparts, but Trump and Putin's relationship has been the subject of intense scrutiny. And during Trump's first term, even senior officials said they sometimes were left in the dark about what was discussed when aides were left out. In Trump's previous two meetings with Putin, both encounters included translators, but not high-ranking aides. After the Germany meeting, Trump reportedly asked his translator for his notes. For his part, Putin has spent the days ahead of Friday's meeting placing phone calls to his remaining global allies — including some who have staged their own high-profile summits with Trump. That included North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the Kremlin said Tuesday, who met three times with Trump during his first term, but still hasn't abandoned his nuclear weapons.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials scramble to prepare for historic Alaska meeting
Donald Trump RussiaFacebookTweetLink Follow American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday's summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the two world leaders were severely limited. When word reached certain prominent Alaskans that Trump and Putin were coming, a few began reaching out to the president's allies with a proposition: could their home be an option? It's unclear if those offers ever reached White House officials, who were calling sites in Juneau, the state capital, along with Anchorage and Fairbanks. Organizers of the summit soon came to believe the only city in the massive state with viable options for the summit would be Anchorage. And only Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern edge of the city, would meet the requirements for the historic meeting, though the White House had hoped to avoid the optics of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a US military installation. That is where the two men will meet Friday, two White House officials said. The struggle underscored the rush now underway to nail down the details of Friday's meeting, the first time the top US and Russian leaders have met in more than four years. The summit is still largely a work in progress as US and Russian officials make haste to prepare for the high-profile encounter. The two countries' top diplomats — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — spoke Tuesday to discuss 'certain aspects of preparation,' according to Russia's foreign ministry. Usually, a high-stakes summit with a US adversary would be preceded by extensive negotiations over the agenda and outcomes. But Trump himself has said he is approaching the meeting as a 'feel-out' session, with few advance expectations for how it will proceed. The White House on Tuesday termed it a 'listening session.' 'The president feels like, 'look, I've got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him,'' Rubio said in a morning radio interview Tuesday with Sid Rosenberg, offering one explanation for why Trump's five known phone calls with Putin this year wouldn't suffice in determining the Russian leader's intentions. Trump's administration and the Kremlin landed on Alaska as the site for the summit after a lengthy behind-the-scenes back-and-forth, according to people familiar with the matter. There were few places that would work for the sit-down, the people said, particularly given a war crimes warrant issued for Putin's arrest by the International Criminal Court in 2023. With that fact looming, Russia balked at a European destination — even in a city like Vienna or Geneva, where US and Russian leaders have met dating back to the Cold War. While Putin himself raised the United Arab Emirates as an 'entirely suitable' location, many inside the White House hoped to avoid another lengthy trek to the Middle East after Trump's visit in May. In the end, sources said, it came down to Hungary — whose Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is close to both Trump and Putin — and the United States as possible hosts, according to two US officials. American officials were pleased and somewhat surprised when the Russian president agreed to a meeting on US soil — on land that once was part of the Russian empire, no less. 'I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us going to his country or even a third-party place,' Trump said this week, as his team was rushing to finalize details of the summit. Others were not so taken. 'The only better place for Putin than Alaska would be if the summit were being held in Moscow,' said Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, who fell out with Trump during his first term. 'So, the initial setup, I think, is a great victory for Putin.' The last time an American president met with Putin — President Joe Biden's 2021 summit in Geneva — the date and venue were announced three weeks ahead of time. But the planning between Russian and American officials started months before that. Biden, on a week-long swing through Europe, spent the days leading up to the sit-down in intensive preparation with top advisers, blocking out time in the mornings to parse potential directions the conversation could take and anticipate some of Putin's moves. He consulted other leaders, including the German chancellor, for pointers on how to approach the notoriously wily Russian leader. By the time the summit arrived, aides had planned the day down to the most minute detail, including what order the leaders would arrive, how long each session would last and what type of flower would sit on the table (it was white roses). American officials even ensured there were bottles of orange Gatorade — labeled 'POTUS' — inside a refrigerator at the 18th-century villa where the meeting took place. During Trump's first term, he and Putin sat one-on-one in Helsinki, Finland, during a summit in 2018 that ended with a remarkable moment when Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence agencies on the question of Russian election interference. Trump also met Putin alone in 2017, during their first encounter at the G20 summit in Hamburg. While American and Russian officials have been in extensive conversations to prepare for the sit-down since it was agreed to last week, the encounter that prompted the event remains something of a mystery. Trump's foreign envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow last Wednesday for a meeting with Putin that resulted in the decision to meet, though what exactly Putin said in the meeting is still largely unknown. European officials spent much of the last week trying to ascertain the parameters of a peace deal that Putin offered up, but some said they were frustrated by the lack of clarity offered by Witkoff, a real estate developer and longtime friend of Trump's. Trump plans to hear from European leaders in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, arranged by the Germans so the president can get their perspective ahead of the Friday meeting. And he has promised to get on the phone with them, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, immediately after the summit concludes. But Zelensky isn't expected to be in Alaska for the summit, so any potential trilateral meeting is off the table for now. Instead, Trump will spend at least part of the summit meeting with Putin one-on-one, the White House said Tuesday, allowing time for the two men to carry out a discussion unheard by anyone else aside from their translators. 'That's part of the plan,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked whether the two presidents would meet as a pair. 'As for the other mechanics and logistics, I will let our team speak to that when they're ironed out.' It's not atypical for leaders to meet alone with their counterparts, but Trump and Putin's relationship has been the subject of intense scrutiny. And during Trump's first term, even senior officials said they sometimes were left in the dark about what was discussed when aides were left out. In Trump's previous two meetings with Putin, both encounters included translators, but not high-ranking aides. After the Germany meeting, Trump reportedly asked his translator for his notes. For his part, Putin has spent the days ahead of Friday's meeting placing phone calls to his remaining global allies — including some who have staged their own high-profile summits with Trump. That included North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the Kremlin said Tuesday, who met three times with Trump during his first term, but still hasn't abandoned his nuclear weapons.
