Travel in city Ketchikan

Upcoming season marks Princess’ 55th anniversary sailing to Alaska.

Embark on a journey through Alaska's pristine wilderness aboard a cruise ship, where you can experience the awe-inspiring nature of the last American frontier in comfort.

Alaska's impressive southern coastlines contain hordes of island archipelagos, deep fjords and ancient glaciers. Nearly all of the area is roadless, so seafaring vessels, including cruise ships, are a popular way for visitors to experience these pristine areas.

Traveling aboard an Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) – the ferry network that connects Alaska's coastal communities – offers the same views as the cruise ships, but without the fluff.

Getting around Alaska can be challenging. However, with enough time and planning, it is possible to get off the beaten path and experience real adventure in North America’s “Last Frontier.”

This article originally appeared in the March issue of AGENTatHOME magazine.  Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.

These cruises are going to be rare ones, Holland America fans. So get ready to book before they fill up.

Cruise travel has never been more popular as the industry is expected to achieve record levels in 2024.

The best Alaska cruise excursions can range from the thrilling to the serene. Passengers can fly on sleds led by huskies, ogle bald eagles and salmon-gobbling grizzlies, and soar over towering glaciers in a helicopter. And the best part? All these activities are planned for you as part of the cruise itinerary—as a way for travelers to sample the diverse wonders of The Last Frontier in one fell swoop.

In January, Alaska celebrated its 65th anniversary of becoming the 49th state. Such a milestone sets the stage for high expectations, and with good reason: Following a record-setting tourism season in 2023 led by more than 1.6 million cruise visitors, predictions are for another banner year in 2024, according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA).

Some people dismiss bucket list travel to Alaska and Europe as too expensive or too difficult to plan. But it doesn't have to be. Book a trip to one of those regions with Norwegian Cruise Line, and you'll find it's a vacation that's both flexible and easy to organize.

I'm an experienced cruiser who has sailed around the globe.

With vast swaths of wilderness, communities that are only accessible by boat or plane, and plenty of untamed characters who’ve chosen to live in one of the most rural and dramatic landscapes in the United States, it’s no surprise that Alaska is called the Last Frontier.

Traditionally, Alaska cruises have been seven days in length—either a weeklong loop of the Inside Passage roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, or a similar transit across the Gulf of Alaska sailing one way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier.

If you’re like many travelers, you’ve long dreamed of taking a cruise to Alaska—and for good reason. An Alaskan ocean voyage provides an enviable almost-Arctic itinerary, opportunities for adventure at every port, and a constant supply of magnificently icy views, the likes of which probably won’t exist in 50, or even 20, years. You get all this via the comfort of an ocean liner that’s stocked with restaurants, theaters, hotel-like guest rooms, and much more.

Last summer, on an overcast July day, the coastal town of Sitka, once the capital of Russian Alaska and long a popular stop on Inside Passage cruises in Southeast Alaska, was thronged with passengers disembarking from three cruise ships. To accommodate the crowds, the city had closed the main street to cars. In their place, food trucks, carts and stands had popped up, creating a festival atmosphere where ambulatory diners spooned seafood chowder and gobbled tacos.