Itineraries
Northbound vs Southbound Alaska Cruises
On a one way Gulf of Alaska cruise you choose a direction, and the choice matters more for your logistics than for what you see. The scenery is identical. What changes is where you start, where you finish, and how easily the rest of the trip fits around it.
The short answer
Northbound sails Vancouver to Whittier or Seward and is better if you are continuing to Denali, because you end near Anchorage with the land segment ahead of you. Southbound reverses it and is better if you want a city break at the end and cheaper flights home from Vancouver. The scenery is the same in both directions.
Key points
- Scenery is identical in both directions. This is not a differentiator.
- Northbound ends near Anchorage, which suits a Denali extension.
- Southbound ends in Vancouver, which usually means cheaper flights home.
- Northbound often prices slightly higher because of Denali demand.
- Both require an open jaw flight booking, which costs 10 to 30 percent more.
A one way Gulf of Alaska cruise runs between Vancouver and either Whittier or Seward, adding Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord to the standard Inside Passage ports. The first question people ask is which direction to sail.
The short answer is that the scenery is identical, so decide on logistics.
What does not differ
The route is the same water travelled in reverse. Same ports, same fjords, same glaciers, same wildlife. There is no direction in which you see more.
Two persistent claims are worth addressing directly.
"One direction has better views from the balcony." On the Gulf crossing the coast is more often to starboard northbound and to port southbound, but it is usually distant, and at every glacier the ship rotates through 360 degrees so that everyone gets the same view. This is not a reason to choose a direction, and it is certainly not a reason to pay a premium for a specific side. See balcony versus interior.
"One direction has better weather." No. Both directions sail the same water in the same season.
What does differ
Where you end up
This is the decision.
Northbound ends at Whittier or Seward, roughly 60 or 125 miles from Anchorage. That places you at the start of the road and rail network into interior Alaska, with Denali ahead of you.
Southbound ends in Vancouver, a major city with a large international airport twenty five minutes from the terminal.
The Denali connection
If you want to see Denali, northbound is the natural shape. You cruise, you disembark, and the land segment continues onward with your luggage moving in the same direction. On a cruisetour the operator handles this end to end.
Southbound reverses it: you fly to Anchorage, do the land segment first, then join the ship. That works, and some travellers prefer it because the land segment is more strenuous and doing it first means the cruise becomes the rest at the end.
Flights
| Direction | Fly into | Fly home from | Typical flight cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northbound | Vancouver | Anchorage | Higher |
| Southbound | Anchorage | Vancouver | Lower |
Anchorage flights cost more than Vancouver flights from almost every United States origin, and the schedules are thinner. That makes southbound marginally cheaper and marginally easier.
Either way you need an open jaw ticket. Book it as a single multi city booking rather than two one ways: the fare is usually lower and the airline stays responsible if a leg is delayed. See flight costs.
Price
Northbound sailings frequently price a little above southbound, because demand from cruisetour travellers is concentrated in that direction. The gap is typically 5 to 15 percent on the fare, and combined with the flight difference, southbound often works out several hundred dollars cheaper for a couple.
The last evening
On a northbound sailing, College Fjord is the final scenic event, usually transited in the evening before arriving at Whittier the next morning. In June that happens in full daylight and it is a genuinely good last night, provided you have packed earlier in the day.
On a southbound sailing, College Fjord comes on the first morning, which is a strong opening but competes with the disorientation of a first full day.
The one way versus round trip question
Before choosing a direction, it is worth asking whether you want a one way at all.
| Factor | One way Gulf | Round trip Inside Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Glaciers | Hubbard and College Fjord added | Glacier Bay more likely |
| Sea conditions | Open ocean crossing for 12 to 24 hours | Sheltered throughout |
| Flights | Open jaw, more expensive | Simple return |
| Denali | Natural continuation | Requires separate arrangement |
| Typical fare | 10 to 20 percent higher | Lower |
For a first Alaska cruise we would generally take the round trip. For a second visit, or when Denali is a specific goal, the one way earns its extra cost. See the Inside Passage explained.
Our recommendation
Take northbound if Denali is part of the plan, if you want the land segment to feel like a continuation rather than a prelude, or if ending in Alaska rather than Canada appeals.
Take southbound if you want the cheaper and simpler flight arrangement, if you would rather finish in a city with restaurants and a spare day, or if you want the land portion behind you before you relax on the ship.
Neither is wrong, and nobody has ever regretted the direction for scenic reasons.
Frequently asked questions
Is northbound or southbound better for an Alaska cruise?
Is the scenery different northbound versus southbound?
Which direction is cheaper for an Alaska cruise?
Do I need an open jaw flight for a one way Alaska cruise?
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