Alaska Cruise Guide: Best Months, Routes, and Cabins

An Alaska cruise is the trip almost nobody regrets. It's also the trip where the details (month, route, cabin) change the experience more than the ship does.

Pick your month

May is dry, cool, and the best value. June and July have the longest days, the warmest weather, and the highest prices. Late August and September bring fewer crowds, better northern lights odds, and more rain. Wildlife is good all season, though bears are most reliable in July and August.

Round trip or one way?

Round trip from Seattle or Vancouver is simpler and cheaper, and it usually visits Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. One way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier opens up Hubbard Glacier and connects to a land tour into Denali. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, do the one way and add the land portion.

The glacier day is the point

Glacier Bay requires a permit and not every ship has one. Ask before you book. Hubbard, Endicott Arm, and Tracy Arm are excellent alternatives, but if Glacier Bay matters to you, it has to be built into the sailing you choose.

Which cabin

A verandah is worth it in Alaska in a way it isn't everywhere else, because the scenery happens all day and often in silence. Ships turn during glacier viewing so both sides get a look, so don't overthink port versus starboard. Do pick a cabin away from the pool deck if you want quiet mornings.

What to pack

Layers, a real rain jacket, and binoculars. It's cooler than people expect, even in July.

Book early

Alaska has a short season and limited ships. The best combinations of date, route, and cabin sell out nine to twelve months ahead. Tell us your summer window and we'll start looking.