Alaska Cruises
Alaska Cruise Packages and Cruisetours
A cruisetour combines a cruise with a land segment, usually running inland from Whittier or Seward to Denali National Park and often on to Fairbanks. It adds $1,400 to $3,000 per person and a great deal of coach and rail travel. For some travellers it is the best part of the trip, and for others it is a week they would rather have spent differently.
The short answer
An Alaska cruisetour is a cruise plus a land extension, typically to Denali and Fairbanks, running ten to seventeen nights in total and adding $1,400 to $3,000 per person. Princess owns its lodges and rail cars, making its cruisetours the most seamless. Booking the land segment independently usually costs 20 to 35 percent less but requires arranging everything yourself.
Key points
- A cruisetour adds $1,400 to $3,000 per person and 3 to 8 nights on land.
- Princess owns its lodges and rail cars, so its cruisetours are the most integrated.
- Holland America offers the only mainstream Yukon Territory land programme.
- Booking independently typically costs 20 to 35 percent less for a comparable itinerary.
- Land segments involve substantial coach and rail travel, which is the most common complaint.
A cruise shows you the Alaska coast. A cruisetour shows you the interior as well. They are genuinely different landscapes: the coast is rainforest, fjord and glacier, while the interior is boreal forest, tundra and the highest mountain in North America.
Whether the second half is worth having depends on what you want from the trip, how much coach travel you tolerate, and whether you would rather organise it yourself.
What a cruisetour actually is
- Cruisetour
- A single booking combining a seven night cruise with a land segment of three to eight nights, sold as one package with transfers and baggage handling included.
- Northbound cruisetour
- The cruise comes first, sailing Vancouver to Whittier or Seward, then the land segment runs inland. You end in Fairbanks or Anchorage.
- Southbound cruisetour
- The land segment comes first, then you join the ship for the sailing south to Vancouver.
- Land only extension
- A land programme booked without the cruise, or arranged independently around it.
The land segment almost always follows the same corridor: Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, connected by the Alaska Railroad and by coach. Holland America is the exception, offering routes into the Yukon Territory from Skagway.
What the land segment covers
| Stop | Typical nights | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 1 | Alaska Native Heritage Center, museums, a base for onward travel |
| Talkeetna | 1 to 2 | Flightseeing over Denali, the best road accessible mountain views |
| Denali National Park | 2 to 3 | Tundra wilderness tours, wildlife, the park road |
| Fairbanks | 1 to 2 | Riverboat cruise, gold dredge, aurora in late season |
| Copper River or Kenai | 1 to 2 | On alternative Princess routings |
| Whitehorse and Dawson City | 2 to 4 | Holland America Yukon programmes only |
Cruisetour programmes compared
| Line | Owns lodges? | Own rail cars? | Distinctive routing | Typical add on per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess | Yes, five wilderness lodges | Yes, glass domed | Mt. McKinley lodge Denali views | $1,600 to $3,000 |
| Holland America | Yes, at Denali | Yes, domed cars | Yukon Territory programmes | $1,500 to $3,200 |
| Norwegian | No | No | Third party hotels | $1,400 to $2,600 |
| Royal Caribbean | No | No | Third party hotels | $1,400 to $2,500 |
| Celebrity | No | No | Third party hotels | $1,500 to $2,800 |
Princess is the most integrated product. It owns five wilderness lodges positioned at Denali, Mt. McKinley, Copper River, Kenai and Fairbanks, and operates its own glass domed rail cars with an open air viewing platform. Baggage moves from ship to rail to lodge without you touching it, and the standard is consistent at every stop.
Holland America is the alternative worth considering specifically for its Yukon Territory routes, which reach Whitehorse and Dawson City over the White Pass from Skagway. No other mainstream line offers this, and it gives the land segment a narrative that the Denali corridor does not have.
Booking the land segment independently
Everything a cruisetour does can be arranged yourself, usually for 20 to 35 percent less. Whether that is worth doing depends on how much you value the seamlessness.
| Item | Cruisetour | Independent |
|---|---|---|
| Rail Whittier or Seward to Denali | Included | $400 to $700 |
| Denali area accommodation, 2 nights | Included | $500 to $900 |
| Denali tundra tour | Usually included | $300 to $400 |
| Talkeetna or Fairbanks night | Included | $250 to $450 |
| Transfers and baggage handling | Included | $150 to $300 |
| Anchorage night | Included | $250 to $400 |
| Total for two | $3,200 to $6,000 | $1,850 to $3,150 |
Strengths
- Independent booking typically saves 20 to 35 percent.
- You choose your own hotels and pace.
- You can spend longer in the places you actually like.
- You can add Kenai Fjords or Wrangell St. Elias, which cruisetours rarely include.
Trade offs
- You handle every booking, transfer and baggage move yourself.
- No single point of accountability if something fails.
- Denali area accommodation is limited and books out early.
- Alaska Railroad seats on peak dates sell out months ahead.
Should you book a cruisetour at all?
| Book a cruisetour if | Skip it if |
|---|---|
| Seeing Denali is a specific goal | The glaciers and ports are what you came for |
| You want everything arranged for you | You enjoy organising your own travel |
| You have 12 or more days available | You have a week |
| You tolerate coach and rail travel well | Long transfers tire you out |
| This may be your only Alaska trip | You expect to return |
| You want interior wildlife: grizzly, caribou, moose | Marine wildlife is the priority |
Other package types
- Cruise plus hotel packages bundle pre or post cruise nights in Seattle, Vancouver or Anchorage with transfers. Convenient, rarely the cheapest.
- Cruise plus air packages include flights, and give the line responsibility for getting you to the ship. Typically 10 to 30 percent more than booking flights yourself, and worth it on complex one way itineraries.
- All inclusive fare bundles such as Celebrity all included or Holland America Have It All roll drinks, WiFi and gratuities into the fare. Frequently good value, but model your own consumption.
- Rail only extensions let you add an Alaska Railroad journey without a full cruisetour, which is a good middle path.
- Park and cruise hotel packages bundle a pre cruise night with terminal parking, and for drivers frequently cost less than parking alone. See hotel costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Alaska cruisetour?
Is an Alaska cruisetour worth it?
Which cruise line has the best Alaska cruisetours?
Can I book the Alaska land segment myself?
How many days do I need for Denali?
Will I see Denali the mountain on a cruisetour?
Keep researching
The most integrated cruisetour product.
The only Yukon land programme.
The alternative to a full cruisetour.
Where most cruisetours begin or end.
Where a cruisetour fits in the budget.