Luxury Alaska Cruise: Best Boats For The Adventure

Alaska is a bucket-list destination for many travellers, offering breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, icy blue glaciers and majestic snow-capped mountains. For those looking to explore this pristine wilderness in style, a luxury cruise is the perfect option. While luxury cruises to Alaska tend to be more expensive than mainstream cruises, they offer a range of perks such as all-suite accommodations, personalised service, intimate shore excursions and unparalleled access to the state's natural wonders. When it comes to choosing the best luxury boat for an Alaska cruise, here are some top options to consider:

- Silversea Cruises: Silversea offers small luxury ships designed for adventurers, visiting a mix of popular ports and off-the-beaten-path locales in Alaska. Their fares include luxurious ocean-view suites, butler service, gourmet dining and complimentary beverages.

- Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Regent's Seven Seas Explorer is known for its elegance and lavish accommodations. Their Alaska itineraries include round-trip voyages from Vancouver, offering scenic cruising through the Inside Passage and stops in Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

- Crystal Cruises: Crystal offers a limited number of Alaska cruises, but their ships feature top-notch service, elegant interiors, personal butler service and impressive cuisine. Their itineraries include round-trip voyages from Vancouver and one-way cruises from Vancouver or Seward, Alaska.

- Viking Ocean Cruises: Viking's 11-day Alaska & the Inside Passage cruise is available on various dates during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Their itineraries are curated for travellers interested in history, culture and cuisine, offering onboard enrichment lectures and regionally inspired dishes.

- Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn offers luxurious oceanfront suites, personalised service, complimentary fine wines and premium spirits, and caviar served throughout the sailing. Their Alaska Fjords & Canadian Inside Passage itinerary includes a day in Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, and optional guided excursions for up-close Zodiac, kayaking or catamaran experiences.

- PONANT: French luxury expedition line PONANT offers Alaska cruises aboard the yacht-style Le Soléal, with naturalist experts and guides on board. Guests can attend lectures, go on Zodiac landings, and enjoy elegant staterooms, a library, a spa and a gym.

- Holland America Line: Holland America Line has over 75 years of experience sailing to Alaska. They hold the most permits to visit Glacier Bay National Park and have wildlife experts on board to help passengers spot animals. Their Glacier Discovery itinerary includes cruising the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, and calling at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

- Cunard: Cunard combines luxury with adventure on its Queen Elizabeth ship, offering elegant accommodations, traditional afternoon tea and gala evenings. Their Alaska itineraries call at Juneau, Kodiak, Skagway, Prince Rupert, Seward, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Haines.

Silversea Cruises

One of the highlights of sailing with Silversea is the opportunity to go beyond the typical tourist trails. Their cruises offer a range of itineraries, from classic routes to off-the-beaten-track expeditions, ensuring that you can explore Alaska's wild and untamed nature in the way that suits you best.

The Silver Nova, Silversea's newest ship, is an ideal choice for cruising Alaska's famous Inside Passage. With abundant floor-to-ceiling windows, you'll be treated to phenomenal views throughout your journey. The seven-night Vancouver-to-Seward voyage ticks off all the must-see ports, including Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, and also takes in the awe-inspiring Hubbard Glacier.

Silversea's all-inclusive fares cover most shore excursions, so you can fully immerse yourself in Alaska's unique culture and natural wonders. In Ketchikan, for example, you can choose from 12 complimentary excursions, such as a Hovercraft cruise for wildlife spotting or a seafood feast at the Silverking Lodge. In Sitka, the options include a mountain hike to an alpine lake and a kayak adventure to a floating base camp.

Onboard, you'll find all-suite accommodations, complete with butler service and private teak verandas. The dining options are equally impressive, with a range of diverse cuisines and 24-hour dining service. The Silver Muse, another of Silversea's ships, boasts eight restaurants, including La Dame, which offers a bespoke menu of exquisite French cuisine.

Silversea's cruises to Alaska truly deliver on luxury and choice, ensuring you have a memorable and rewarding experience in this incredible part of the world.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Seven Seas Explorer is one of Regent Seven Seas Cruises' most glamorous ships. It's an all-suite ship with 746 passengers, where you can pamper yourself for a week as you sail from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia. The cruise fare includes many amenities such as round-trip air travel, shore excursions, specialty dining, 24-hour in-suite dining, alcohol, airport transfers, gratuities, and valet laundry service. The biggest suites come with even more perks, such as a one-night pre-cruise hotel stay and butler service.

In Alaska, there are many notable included excursions, such as driving the scenic Klondike Highway, feasting on freshly caught salmon at Liarsville Gold Rush Camp, or visiting a sled dog camp. In Juneau, you can search for humpbacks and orcas on wildlife quests or photograph the mighty Mendenhall Glacier. Ketchikan is totem territory, where you can meet Native American artists and learn about the significance of carvings in their culture. You can also visit a raptor rehab centre and stare down a bald eagle eye-to-eye.

Seabourn Cruise Line

If you're looking for a luxury cruise to Alaska, the Seabourn Cruise Line is an excellent choice. Seabourn offers a range of luxurious amenities and experiences that will make your journey to Alaska unforgettable.

Onboard a Seabourn ship, you'll find world-class dining options with open seating, so you can come and go as you please. The cuisine is exquisite, and the service is flawless. You can also enjoy a specialty crafted espresso just the way you like it.

For entertainment, Seabourn ships feature a casino, "An Evening with Tim Rice," a production showcasing the work of the acclaimed English musical theatre lyricist, and various other performances. There is also a Card Room for those who enjoy a game of bridge or simply want to relax and socialise. The Club is another great venue, offering afternoon tea and transforming into a dance club in the evening.

When it comes to accommodations, Seabourn offers a range of suite options, including Ocean View Suites, Veranda Suites, and Penthouse Suites. All suites feature comfortable living areas, spacious bathrooms, and interactive flat-screen televisions. Veranda Suites and Penthouse Suites offer the added benefit of a private veranda, perfect for taking in the stunning Alaskan scenery.

But what sets Seabourn apart is their focus on creating personalised, immersive experiences in Alaska. Their expert Expedition Team provides insightful Seabourn Conversations on topics such as marine biology, ornithology, geology, history, and photography. You can also join Ventures by Seabourn, which offers adventurous activities like kayaking, Zodiac rides, and group hikes to get up close and personal with iconic destinations.

With curated voyages, intimate ships, and personalised service, Seabourn ensures that every step of your journey is tailored to your needs. Their all-inclusive premium spirits and dining options, along with their attentive staff, will make your Alaskan cruise a truly luxurious and memorable experience.

Viking Ocean Cruises

The Viking Orion, which sails to Alaska, has six stateroom categories, with each room spacious enough for a king-size bed and a veranda. The entry-level cabins offer a minimum of 270 square feet, including a private veranda, a king-size bed, a spacious bathroom with a heated floor and anti-fog mirror, and a mini-bar with soft drinks and snacks. The ship also has several dining areas and bars, a sports deck, cinema, fitness centre, shops, and a theatre. The main pool has a retractable roof, allowing swimming in any season, even on the way to chilly Alaska. Viking Orion's 10-night cruise between Vancouver and Seward includes scenic sailing of the Inside Passage and Yakutat Bay, and a stop at the rarely visited Valdez.

Dining on Viking Ocean Cruises is destination-focused, with ingredients and recipes from the places you visit. As part of your cruise fare, all meals are included, as is beer and wine with lunch and dinner. The Restaurant is Viking's main dining venue, serving a mix of regional favourites and American classics. For upscale comfort food, there's Manfredi's Italian Restaurant, serving Tuscan and Roman cuisine. The World Cafe offers a lively, buffet-style meal with several stations, including a deli, pasta or wok station, sushi bar, and dessert table. Afternoon tea is served in the Wintergarden, with freshly-prepared finger sandwiches, scones, tea, and desserts.

Cunard Cruise Line

Cunard's Alaska cruises offer over 140 ways to enhance your time on and off the shore, with special dining, daytime activities and evening entertainment, all themed around Alaska. Their voyages also include guest speakers, such as renowned explorers, mountaineers and photographers, who offer fascinating insights into the region.

The cruise line's guide to Alaska provides essential packing tips and a reading list to prepare you for your journey. They also offer hotel packages in Seattle, allowing you to extend your vacation and explore the city before or after your voyage.

Cunard's Alaska cruises depart from Vancouver and either return to the same port or travel south to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The cruises typically range from 10 to 15 days, giving you a blend of scenic sea days and time ashore. The cruise season runs from May to September, with Cunard cruises usually sailing in June and July to take advantage of the mildest weather and longest daylight hours.

Onboard the Queen Elizabeth, you can explore the famous Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park. The ship also offers time ashore to explore the gold-rush history of Juneau and Skagway, and the native culture of Ketchikan and Sitka.

Cunard's Alaska cruises provide a mix of natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Some of the fascinating coastal cities and cruise ports you can visit include:

• Glacier Bay National Park, home to tidewater glaciers, snow-capped peaks and towering fjords.
• Juneau, Alaska's capital city, where you can spot humpback whales and visit the Mendenhall Glacier.
• Ketchikan, a breathtaking 3-mile-long village known as Alaska's First City.
• Skagway, a former Wild West outpost and gold rush town, now a national historic park.
• Sitka, a seaside town with a rich history of Tlingit traditions and Russian influence.
• Vancouver, a blend of urban sophistication and pristine nature, with highlights like Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Frequently asked questions