If you’re considering a cruise to Alaska, here’s the answer to every question you have and some you didn’t think to ask. I’m a veteran cruiser with 20+ cruises under my belt and an Alaska cruise was hanging out on my bucket list for a long time. It finally happened this summer and I’m here to tell you everything. Spoiler alert: Alaska lived up to the hype and I’m ready to go back.
The writer was hosted by Princess Cruises.
My cruise basics
- I sailed on a seven-night cruise on the Discovery Princess out of Seattle.
- We stopped in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria, British Columbia. We had two full days at sea, and the day we stopped in Victoria equals an extra sea day since we didn’t come into port until evening.
- Although I’m an experienced cruiser, this was the first time I’d been on an Alaska cruise and my first time with Princess Cruises.
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What is included in a Princess Cruise in Alaska?
- Food and some non-alcoholic beverages. This includes meals in any of the dining rooms, the buffet, and the casual options up on the deck, such as burgers and pizza.
- Entertainment – theater shows, game and quiz shows, comedians, dancing, and more.
- Pools, hot tubs, fitness centers, and sports activities.
- Kids programming.
- Epic views of wildlife, glaciers and stunning scenery.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Make sure you go to the naturalist sessions on board your Alaska cruise. We had Michael Modzelewski on our cruise, and he did several different sessions on Alaska wildlife and culture. Our experience with the naturalist seriously made our Alaska cruise with Princess phenomenal.
Not included:
- Alcohol and specialty drinks, such as mocktails, smoothies, and Starbucks-style coffees.
- Excursions and activities on shore.
- Spa/salon services
- Gambling and casino games.
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Excursions
- Our sailing stopped at four ports and we booked excursions for three, in Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
- We did not book an excursion or leave the ship in Victoria British Columbia.
- We booked all of our excursions through the Princess.
- I’d do this exact same sailing in a heartbeat and mix it up with different excursions.
Ketchikan
- We did Totem Bight State Park & Ketchikan Highlights.
- This 2.5-hour tour was listed as an “easy activity” and gave us plenty of time to explore the port city.
- We took a bus to the park and received a guided tour of the 14 totem poles and an immersion in Tlingit and Haida cultures. We had free time to explore the park and gift shop.
- Excursions we didn’t choose ranged from a lumberjack show, which seemed very popular, to fishing expeditions, ziplining and canoe/paddle tours.
SheBuysTravel Tip: We saw most of the same merchandise across the different ports. The gift shops all had essentially the same stuff.
Juneau
- Our Juneau day was also the day we explored Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier. We sailed through Endicott Arm early in the morning and arrived in Juneau at 9:00.
- If I had a do-over, I would have booked an Endicott Arm excursion.
- It is possible to do excursions in both Endicott Arm and Juneau. Check the start/end times if you’re interested in this.
- We were supposed to do the Mendenhall Glacier Helicopter Tour & Guided walk but this got cancelled due to fog.
Plan B
- We rebooked onto Evening Whale Quest Featuring Alaska Cuisine.
- We were bused to a whale watching boat where there was a nice buffet set up for us.
- We saw lots of whales plus a few sleepy seals.
SheBuysTravel Tip: A port worker in Juneau told us the helicopter tours frequently get cancelled due to weather, so keep that in mind when booking one. Princess worked quickly to get us on a substitute excursion. I was bummed about missing my helicopter ride but happy with how Princess worked to save our day in port.
Skagway
- We did the Yukon Expedition & Whitepass Scenic Railway, which involved a scenic train ride into Canada and a bus tour into the Yukon.
- I loved the train ride but our tour stop inside the Yukon was a little cheesy and touristy.
- The ship had an onboard opportunity to meet puppies from local mushing teams. We caught the tail end (pun intended!) of this and the puppies were really cute, although you had to make a donation to a charity to play with them.
Drink packages
- Princess has two drink packages, Princess Premier and Princess Plus.
- Both packages offer some additional perks besides drinks, such as gratuities and specialty dining.
- Princess Premier is the clear winner and you’ll want it if you enjoy alcoholic beverages and specialty dining.
Dining on Discovery Princess
- On a seven-night cruise I got to sample a fair amount of what is available to eat on board, although I’m sure I left a few stones unturned!
- Having the Princess Premier package took our dining experience up several notches.
- The food in the main dining rooms was very good but the specialty dining experiences were elevated in terms of cuisine and ambiance.
Main dining
- Discovery Princess has three main dining rooms, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- The daily menu is the same across all dining rooms. There are adjustments in dining style, i.e. reservations, flexible dining, walk-in.
- The Princess app will tell you everything you need to know and allow you to make reservations, if necessary.
Buffet and other food included in the cost of the cruise
- The buffet on Discovery Princess is called ‘World Fresh Marketplace.’
- I’m usually not a buffet person but I really liked this one and it was so massive that I actually got lost.
- The International Cafe has a variety of pastries and sandwiches. The coffee drinks aren’t included in the cost of the cruise but the food is.
- Slice and Salty Dog on the pool deck are the spots to find pizza, burgers, chicken fingers, etc.
Specialty restaurants
- Specialty dining is included in the Princess Premier package; otherwise there’s a flat fee upcharge.
- The Catch by Rudi – mostly seafood with an emphasis on clever, aesthetically pleasing presentation.
- Crown Grill – chop house with lots of steaks. This was my favorite meal on the cruise.
- Sabatini’s – Authentic Italian food, complete with homemade pasta, pizzas and other treats.
Casual dining
- The line between casual and specialty was confusing for me but the main points are that both have an upcharge but casual doesn’t require a reservation.
- Casual dining is included in the Princess Premier package.
- Gelato – Choose from fancy sundaes and cake slices or a plain scoop.
- O’Malley’s Irish Pub
- Gigi’s Pizza – More of an authentic, hand-tossed style than Slice.
- Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar
Other specialty dining
- Check the app for other specialty dining experiences like winemaker’s dinners, chef’s tastings or the 360 Experience.
- The 360 Experience is an immersive dinner that combines food and digital storytelling. It’s a creative and fun event and I 1000 percent recommend it. It somewhat compares to Le Petit Chef but honestly, 360 blows it out of the water – no pun intended because that would be bad!
SheBuysTravel Tip: Reserve your specialty dining in advance of your cruise on the Princess app to ensure the widest availability. We were able to make reservations on board, too, but you may find things already booked.
Here’s what you need to know about staterooms when you book an Alaska cruise with Princess
- Like all cruise ships, staterooms range from luxurious suites to simple interior (no windows) cabins.
- The in-between options include balcony staterooms and ocean view (window, no balcony) staterooms.
- I’m ordinarily a fan of inside cabins for the value pricing since you’re hardly in your room. Alaska cruises are different. Get the balcony.
- My husband and I spent a ton of time on our balcony watching the scenery and wildlife. Yes, you can go up on deck to see the sights but if you can afford the balcony, it’s really the way to go.
Stateroom B111 on Discovery Princess
- We had a Standard Balcony stateroom, great for two people.
- We loved the tech-forward aspect of getting into our stateroom. Our cruise medallions automatically unlocked our door as we approached.
- Bed can be configured as two twins or a queen.
- Our balcony had two chairs and a small table.
- The cabin was away from the elevator and, therefore, very quiet.
What we loved
- The TV! That seems like a weird thing to enjoy on a cruise ship when you could be doing so many other things, but if you like to unwind with a show at the end of the day, this TV is a nice size – 42 inches – and offers a variety of programming, including Love Boat.
- Plenty of storage. Our cabin had one of the more spacious closets I’ve seen on a cruise ship.
- The decor was restful and minimal without being stark. The bedding felt very upscale and overall, we were comfortable.
Room drawbacks
- Tiny bathrooms are inherently part of cruise ship life but but this was one of the smaller bathrooms I’ve seen on a balcony stateroom, especially the shower.
- There’s a motion-activated light outside the bathroom. Good idea in theory, but it’s not ideal if the light wakes you up when your cabin mate needs to pee in the middle of the night.
- No towel animals. This seems to be going by the wayside on cruise ships, which is a bummer.
SheBuysTravel Tip: You can request robes and slippers through the Princess app.
Who is this cruise for?
- An Alaskan cruise on Princess is great for families or multigenerational groups. There are structured kid’s activities on board plus in port excursions for kids of all ages, especially active kids.
- I took this cruise with my husband and found it perfectly balanced activity with downtime. We like to stay busy but not so much so that we’re exhausted when we roll back into port.
- Anyone on the fence about cruising. Yes, really! An Alaskan cruise doesn’t have that “floating buffet” vibe and the adventure and scenery-driven itinerary is appealing in ways that Caribbean cruises just aren’t, although I love a good Caribbean cruise.
So why Princess in Alaska?
- Many cruise lines sail to Alaska – Disney, Carnival, Holland America, and more.
- Princess is the #1 cruise line in Alaska with the largest presence. They’ve been doing Alaska sailings for 60+ years.
- Long port stops = plenty of time for excursions and independent exploration.
- Up close and personal glacier viewing.
- More of everything: more choices in ships sailing to Alaska, more choices in ports, more stops at Glacier Bay National Park. In 2027, Princess has eight ships in Alaska going to 17 ports.
What should I pack for an Alaska cruise?
- Scope out the weather in the ports you’ll be sailing to. You can see up to three seasons in one day in Alaska during the summer.
- Think casual layers and a mix of short and long sleeves. I wore hiking pants and t-shirts every day with a hoodie or lightweight sweater.
- Outerwear: I packed a water-resistant windbreaker and an insulated vest. I left the parka at home.
- I took a beanie, which I wore a lot. I also took knit gloves, which I didn’t wear.
- Nicer dinner outfits plus formalwear. A seven-night cruise will have at least one formal night.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Let your excursions guide what you pack to wear in port. Hiking/kayaking requires different clothes than casual sightseeing.
Should I pack a swimsuit?
- While you won’t be swimming on Alaska’s beaches (brrr!) I was happy I packed a swimsuit.
- I took advantage of the thermal suite on the Discovery Princess, the Enclave.
- There are pools and hot tubs on board, which I saw people using during the cruise.
Non-clothing items to pack for an Alaska cruise
- Binoculars
- Raingear – A good waterproof jacket is a must plus these packable ponchos are always a good idea.
- Conditioner – the dispenser in the bathroom includes a shampoo/conditioner combo.
- Adaptor – I like this one because it has additional USB charging ports.
- Drybag
- Fanny pack/day pack
- Water bottle/insulated cup
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you miss packing something, you can probably buy it on board or in port, although you’ll pay a premium price. The onboard stores are very well stocked and the shops in Alaska’s ports have common items cruisers seek.
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