Your Alaska Adventure Awaits with Princess Cruises
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Alaska is one of those places that gets under your skin. The sheer scale of its glaciers, mountains, and untamed wilderness is something you must see to believe. And once you've been there, you start looking for ways to go deeper. Princess Cruises has been helping travelers do exactly that for more than five decades.
As the highest-rated Alaska cruise line, Princess has been sailing these waters longer than most, and that expertise shows. Whether you're scanning the water for humpback whales, watching a glacier calve into the sea, or rolling through a mountain valley on a scenic rail car, this is Alaska done right.
More than a cruise: Alaska Cruisetours
What makes Princess stand out in Alaska is what happens after the ship docks. Alaska cruisetours pair a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise, sailing into UNESCO World Heritage Site Glacier Bay National Park, with multiday land adventures that take you into the parts of Alaska most visitors never have the privilege to reach.
Itineraries range from 10 to 17 nights across several cruisetour categories. The Denali Explorer is the most popular, featuring a Natural History Tour into Denali, a Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise in Fairbanks, and Princess's exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service.
The Denali Essentials itinerary offers maximum flexibility, while the Denali Escorted option adds a professional tour director and most meals. For the ultimate immersion, the 15-day National Parks Expedition visits five parks in 2026: Denali, Kenai Fjords, Glacier Bay, Wrangell–St. Elias, and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway.
Riding the rails into the wilderness
Getting to the lodges is half the fun. Princess's Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service takes you straight from the ship into Alaska's interior along the Alaska Railroad route, through forests, mountains, and tundra with no transfers required. Wildlife sightings start long before you reach the lodge.
Five wilderness lodges, built for this land
Princess owns and operates its wilderness lodges. There are five of them situated near Alaska's most spectacular national parks. Each one puts you squarely in the wilderness, not on the edge of it.
The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is located just 1 mile from the entrance to Denali National Park, along the Nenana River Canyon. Guests can raft the river, meet an Iditarod musher and puppies, land on a glacier by helicopter, or just settle next to the fireside patio and watch the Alaska Range turn colors at dusk.
The Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge sits inside Denali State Park, with incredible views of North America's tallest peak. The Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge offers bungalow-style rooms with wood-burning stoves and decks perched above the Kenai River Valley. The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, inspired by the historic Kennecott Copper Mine, sits on a bluff overlooking Wrangell–St. Elias, the largest national park in the US. And Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is nestled on the banks of the Chena River in the heart of Alaska’s wild interior. This lodge sets the scene for experiencing local life, exciting gold rush history, and is just a short flight away from the Yukon River and the Arctic Circle.
Glaciers, wildlife and wild encounters
Princess sails more guests to Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line, and some itineraries visit up to four glaciers in a single sailing, including the spectacular Hubbard Glacier.
Along the way, wildlife is everywhere. Humpback whales breach off the bow. Bald eagles soar above the Inside Passage. Moose wade through boggy meadows. And sea lions lounge on rocky outcrops.
Living Alaska, not just seeing it
Princess's North to Alaska program brings authentic Alaskan culture to life on board and at the lodges. Hear indigenous stories, watch a seafood demonstration with the day's fresh catch, meet sled-dog puppies, and explore the lodge grounds on a geocaching expedition.
The excursion menu is packed with fun adventures, including glacier walks, dog sledding, flightseeing, fishing, hiking, riverboat cruises, cultural tours, and more. Families traveling with kids will find the Junior Ranger programs and totem art activities engaging and educational, while Indoor Virtual Stargazing provides a place to gather after an adventure-packed day.
The right ship for The Great Land
The new Star Princess arrived in Alaska for the 2026 season. Star Princess is the kind of ship that was made for this coastline, with cutting-edge design, panoramic viewing spaces, and elevated dining experiences.
Alaska is big, wild, and worth the effort. Princess takes care of the rest: the ships, trains, lodges, and connections—so you can experience Alaska at its best.