Alaska Cruise

An Alaska cruise sails between mid-May and mid-September, either as a seven-day round trip up the Inside Passage from Vancouver or Seattle, or as a one-way to Seward that opens the door to Denali. It is the one destination where the landscape, not the ports, is the main attraction.

Round trip or one way: the real decision

The round trip leaves Vancouver or Seattle and returns in seven days, working up the Inside Passage. It is the simplest to organise and the cheapest, with one flight out and one back.

The one way, known as the Gulf cruise, runs from Vancouver to Seward or Whittier, the ports serving Anchorage. It costs more in airfare, but it gives access to Denali National Park by train, and it crosses Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord, which round trips never see. Travellers doing this once in a lifetime almost always choose it.

Which ports do you call at?

Juneau, the capital with no road to it, for the Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching. Ketchikan, for totem poles and salmon. Skagway, for the White Pass gold rush railway. Sitka on some itineraries, for the Russian heritage.

The day that matters most is not a port call. Glacier Bay is transited without going ashore, with park rangers boarding the ship. The number of vessels admitted daily is capped, so not every cruise goes there. It is the first thing to verify before booking.

When should you go?

The season opens in late April and closes in late September. June and July bring the longest days, up to eighteen hours of light, and the best weather. May is drier and cheaper, with glaciers still very white. September brings northern lights on the northern routes, and rain.

For whales, the best window runs mid-June to mid-August. For bears fishing salmon, July and August.

Which lines sail Alaska?

• Holland America Line and Princess Cruises: the most established, with their own lodges and trains to Denali. They are the ones running combined land-and-sea trips.
• Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line: large ships, plenty to do, a good call with teenagers.
• Celebrity Cruises: adult crowd, better food.
• Disney Cruise Line: short season, unmatched youth programme.
• Lindblad Expeditions and Ponant: small expedition ships, kayaks and zodiacs, into bays the large ships cannot reach.

What you are not always told

Not every cruise goes to Glacier Bay

Permits are capped and shared among a few lines. An itinerary advertising "glaciers" may mean Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, which are beautiful but different. Checking the glacier by name before booking avoids an expensive disappointment.

It rains, and it is cold on deck

Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest. Ketchikan takes nearly four metres of rain a year. A waterproof shell and layers beat a heavy coat, and the best viewing hours happen outside, often at five degrees with wind.

The balcony earns its price here

In the Caribbean a balcony is a comfort. In Alaska it is a private viewing platform for glaciers and whales, often early in the morning. This is the one destination where paying the difference is worth it.

How do you get there from Montreal?

Flights to Vancouver run about five and a half hours non-stop, or to Seattle with a connection. The three-hour time difference works in your favour on the way out. For a one-way ending at Seward, you fly home from Anchorage, which usually needs a connection.

Vancouver deserves two nights before embarkation. The time change, the flight and the pleasure of the city easily justify the stop.

To compare itineraries, lines and Glacier Bay permits, reach an advisor at 1 866 628-6241. See also our cruise lines and ships and our other destinations.