We recently did our first Alaskan cruise and our first cruise on Princess Cruises. After being told how wonderful the Alaskan cruises are we felt we had to experience this ourselves. After researching and talking with lots of people over the years we chose Princess and were not disappointed at all.
Here are five reasons we selected Princess and how they delivered.
- Princess specializes in Alaska with nearly 60 years of experience and carries more guests to Alaska than any other cruise line. They have so many different options in ports they sail out of and lengths of cruises.
- The cruisetour add on where you can spend 3 to 10 nights on land either before or after your cruise. They have 5 different Wilderness Lodges that give you the chance to visit Denali National Park and other amazing locations in Alaska. We enjoyed 3 nights at the end of our cruise seeing the National Park.
- The Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service to a lodge. This was one of the biggest highlights of our trip — the over 10-hour train ride to the Princess Denali Lodge. We rode in glass-domed cars with a knowledgeable guide who pointed out the sights and knew when to stop talking and let us enjoy the views.
- Glacier Bay Access. Only a few cruise lines are permitted into Glacier Bay National Park, and only 2 ships a day are allowed into the bay. National Park Rangers board the ship and even set up a National Park Visitor Center onboard. They provide great commentary during the viewing of the glaciers throughout the day.
One of the unexpected highlights of the trip was the incredible wildlife we encountered along the way. We spotted Humpback Whales, Orcas, Sea Otters, Seals, Bald Eagles, Moose, Caribou, and even a Fox. We did a whale watching excursion to see the whales, and most of the others were seen on the transfers to and from the lodges.
- The Princess ships are the right size for Alaska. While the newest Princess ship, the Sun Princess, holding over 4,000 passengers, is sailing in Alaska in 2026, most of the ships are under 3,000 passengers allowing them to get closer to the glaciers and shore lines. We enjoyed the Grand Princess, and while over 25 years old it did provide a lot more windows and views from different parts of the ship than we are used to.
Lots of cruise lines go to Alaska and when deciding which one to sail on there are questions that you will have to answer about what you are looking for on this vacation. A travel agent like me can help you decide and plan. One example: a couple we spoke with missed out on whale watching because a ship rep told them they could book it onboard after sailing, but everything was sold out before the cruise started. Had they worked with an independent travel agent, they would have been given more options, and that excursion would have been locked in before the cruise started.
Email me at Tim@MaddenTravels.com and let’s start planning that Alaska cruise adventure for you.
