Inside Passage Cruise: Ports of Call, Departure Cities and Glaciers

Somewhere around the second hour of a ship’s passage through Southeast Alaska, the shoreline closes in on both sides, and forested islands slide past one after another. Passengers lean on the rail with coffee in hand, wondering where exactly they are. An Inside Passage cruise is a voyage through the sheltered channels of Southeast Alaska, stopping in small port towns and often visiting a glacier, and it leaves from Seattle, Vancouver and a few other cities.

What is an Inside Passage cruise?

An Inside Passage cruise is a ship voyage along a natural sheltered sea route that runs for more than 1,000 miles from Seattle, Washington northwest to Skagway, Alaska. Instead of crossing open ocean, the ship threads between islands, coves and bays, so the scenery is close on both sides for much of the trip. Haines and Skagway, at the head of the Lynn Canal, are the northernmost points of the route.

The Alaska portion alone stretches 500 miles from north to south and 100 miles from east to west, and it holds 1,000 islands plus thousands of coves and bays. That is the landscape you sail through: a maze of forested islands and narrow waterways rather than one long coastline. Cruise ships share the route with roughly 36,000 recreational cruising boats that use parts of it.

What a week on the water looks like

Most itineraries mix days at sea or in the channels with days in port. In the channels, the draw is the view from the deck, and some ships build it into their design. Norwegian’s Alaska ships carry the Waterfront, an outdoor promenade one-quarter mile long, and the line names Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy as the ships sailing its Alaska cruises.

Glaciers are the other centerpiece. A 7-day round-trip cruise from Seattle with Norwegian visits Endicott Arm fjord and Dawes Glacier, then Juneau and Sitka. Royal Caribbean’s 7-night Alaska Adventure, sailing round-trip from Seattle from June through August, also visits Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Holland America promises that if your Alaska cruise does not include a glacier visit, you receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 15% of your fare.

Glacier Bay and the national park rangers

Glacier Bay National Park is part of Southeast Alaska, and Holland America’s Alaska cruises offer privileged access to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Onboard, National Park Service Rangers and Wildlife Experts are part of that service, which gives the day in the bay some commentary on what you are looking at.

Not every ship or itinerary goes into the bay, so the route you pick decides whether it is on your list. Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay are different places, and each cruise line builds its week around its own choice among them.

Cruise only, or cruisetour

A cruisetour adds a land journey to the ship. Royal Caribbean’s Alaska Cruisetours pair a 7-night cruise with a 2 to 6 night land journey into Denali National Park. Holland America’s cruisetours run from 9 to 17 days, and every one includes a stay of one to three nights at the privately owned Holland America Denali Lodge plus a complimentary tour of Denali National Park.

Princess builds on the same idea with its Wilderness Lodges. Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is one mile from the entrance to Denali National Park, while Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is two hours south of that entrance. Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge sits on the edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the United States, and Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge was named one of the Top 12 Resorts in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest by Condé Nast Traveler readers.

Which ports does it call at?

The ports are the small towns of Southeast Alaska, with Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan the largest cities of the region and Skagway at the northern end. Norwegian’s Alaska cruises call at Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert, Victoria and Astoria. Which of them your ship visits depends on the itinerary you choose.

Juneau

Juneau is the biggest of the ports and offers the widest range of things to do. Mendenhall Glacier lies 13 miles from downtown Juneau, near the airport, and visitors can drive directly to it. In town, the historic district is small and walkable, with several sights, and the city keeps a calendar of annual events that can coincide with a port day.

Wildlife is a real chance here, from April through November, when visitors are likely to see bears, bald eagles or humpback whales. Wildlife viewing tours can get you close to black bears, Dall’s porpoises, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goats and Sitka blacktail deer. Juneau also has many rotating museum galleries, which suit a rainy hour ashore.

Near Juneau, Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island is a designated bear viewing site. Anan Creek, near Wrangell, is the other designated spot in the region.

Ketchikan

Ketchikan sits in the Inside Passage, and it is home to the cultures of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people. Downtown is easy to walk, with historic buildings, galleries, shops and locally made goods, which makes a stroll along the waterfront a natural way to spend a port day.

Beyond town, you can explore the Tongass National Forest from Ketchikan, or take a floatplane to Misty Fjords. Wildlife and sightseeing tours also leave from the town, so the day can be built around the water, the forest or the shops.

Sitka, Skagway and the smaller calls

Sitka is among the three largest cities of the region and is home to Sitka National Historical Park, one of the protected areas of Southeast Alaska. Skagway, with Haines, marks the top of the Lynn Canal and is where the long sheltered route ends.

Icy Strait Point is on Norwegian’s list of calls, and so are Prince Rupert, Victoria and Astoria, which sit outside Alaska’s Inside Passage towns but appear on some of the line’s itineraries. Reading the port list of a specific sailing before you book tells you which of these you will see.

Where do these cruises start?

They start mainly in Seattle and Vancouver, with other departures from Whittier near Anchorage, Seward, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, depending on the line. Each line has its own list, and the choice shapes whether you sail round-trip or one-way.

Seattle and Vancouver

Seattle is the southern end of the Inside Passage as the route is defined, and several 7-day itineraries leave from it and return there. Norwegian’s round-trip 7-day cruise visits Dawes Glacier, Juneau and Sitka. Royal Caribbean’s Alaska Experience sails round-trip from Seattle in May and September only, while its Alaska Adventure sails from June through August.

Vancouver is the other main gateway. Royal Caribbean’s 7-night Alaska Inside Passage cruise sails round-trip from Vancouver from May through September. Princess, Holland America and Norwegian all list Vancouver among their departure ports as well.

Whittier, Seward and one-way sailings

Not every voyage is a loop. Princess offers one-way cruises from the Whittier (Anchorage) cruise port, and Holland America also departs from Whittier. Norwegian sails from Seward, and from Seward Royal Caribbean’s Alaska Cruisetours visit Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America.

A one-way cruise pairs naturally with a cruisetour, since the land portion can carry you toward Denali and Anchorage or Fairbanks. Holland America’s cruisetours depart from Seattle, Vancouver, Anchorage or Fairbanks, so the same trip can run in either direction.

California departures

Princess offers round-trip Alaska cruises from San Francisco and Los Angeles, which suits travelers who would rather start closer to home. Holland America departs from San Diego as well, and it adds an 11-day California-to-Alaska itinerary from San Diego that is new for 2028.

Length varies by line. Holland America’s Alaska cruises range from 7 to 28 days, so a sailing from a far-off port can be a long voyage.

Good to know before you go

Princess has been voted Best Cruise Line in Alaska 22 times by the readers of Travel Weekly, a detail some travelers use when comparing lines. Weather and daylight vary from port to port, and each town on the route has its own climate.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Inside Passage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage), checked October 11, 2026
• Princess Cruises, Alaska cruises (https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises), checked October 11, 2026
• Holland America Line, Alaska cruises (https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises), checked October 11, 2026
• Norwegian Cruise Line, Alaska cruises (https://www.ncl.com/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises), checked October 11, 2026
• Royal Caribbean, Alaska cruises (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises), checked October 11, 2026
• Wikipedia, Southeast Alaska (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Alaska), checked October 11, 2026
• Travel Juneau, things to do (https://www.traveljuneau.com/things-to-do/), checked October 11, 2026
• Visit Ketchikan, things to do (https://www.visit-ketchikan.com/things-to-do/), checked October 11, 2026

To plan your stay

• Alaska Cruise in May: Port Weather, Whales and Glaciers, and the Cruise Lines
• Alaska Cruise Ports: Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Where Cruises Start
• How Much Does an Alaska Cruise Cost?: Cruise Lengths, What's Included and Extras
• Alaska Cruise in June: Weather, Ports, Wildlife and Glaciers

Nearby places

• Anchorage Travel Guide: Museums, Wildlife, Chugach Trails and When to Go
• Denali National Park Travel Guide: the Park Road, Bus Rides, Sled Dogs and When to Go
• Juneau Travel Guide: Mendenhall Glacier, Mount Roberts Tram, Wildlife and When to Go