Planning an Alaska cruise in 2026? After 7 Alaska cruises, we're breaking down the best Alaska cruises of 2026 — the top ships, the best itineraries, and the one ship you should absolutely avoid. 💲Save BIG with MEI-Travel cruise deals: https://bookmeicruise.com/?apid=escy 🌎Save Up to 40% On Shore Excursions: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1603014 We cover the best Alaska cruise ships across every major cruise line — from @RoyalCaribbean , @princesscruises , @HollandAmericaLine , @celebritycruises and even @msccruisesusa and @VirginVoyages Whether you're sailing round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver, or looking for a one-way Voyage of the Glaciers adventure, this guide has everything you need to make the right call before you book Subscribe to the Eat Sleep Cruise YouTube Channel if you love to travel and cruise the world! https://www.youtube.com/@Eatsleepcruise1 🛳️ FREE CRUISE PLANNING GUIDE: https://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-planning-guide Not all Alaska cruises are created equal, and choosing the right ship and itinerary can make or break your trip. We break down the differences between roundtrip Alaska cruises from Seattle vs. Vancouver, and one-way itineraries like the iconic Voyage of the Glaciers. We also explain your glacier viewing options — Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Endicott Arm — so you know exactly what you're booking before you commit. Cruise line matchups are covered too. Princess Cruises leads the region with eight ships including the brand-new Star Princess, while Holland America Line brings decades of Alaska expertise with six ships and shore excursion packages tied to their own Denali lodges. Norwegian Cruise Line offers three Breakaway Plus ships with go-karts, Glacier Bay access, and Free at Sea dining perks. Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships bring the North Star observation capsule and SeaPlex for family-friendly fun. Celebrity Cruises delivers a more upscale atmosphere with fresh-from-dry-dock ships like Celebrity Solstice. And for Disney fans — yes, Disney in Alaska is absolutely worth it, with Disney Magic making its Alaska debut alongside returning favorite Disney Wonder. We also dig into what makes the best Alaska cruise itinerary: the right ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point), the best glacier experiences, and how cruisetours to Denali can elevate your trip beyond the ship. If you're comparing an Alaska cruise vs. a cruisetour, we've got you covered. Whether you're a first-time Alaska cruiser or a seasoned traveler looking for the newest and best options in 2026, this video gives you the insider knowledge to book with confidence and stay one step ahead of everyone else onboard. The Best Alaska Cruises in 2026 0:00 Our Expert Picks for Best Alaska Cruises 2026 0:25 The Best Alaska Cruises from Seattle 0:35 Star Princess 2:25 Norwegian Encore 4:20 Celebrity Edge 5:55 Anthem of the Seas 7:30 MSC Poesia 9:00 Carnival Spirit & Carnival Miracle 11:00 Best Alaska Cruise Ships Sailing Roundtrip from Vancouver 11:05 Holland America Koningsdam 12:40 Celebrity Solstice 14:15 Disney Wonder & Disney Magic 16:00 Best One Way Alaska Cruises 2026 16:10 Ovation of the Seas 17:45 Discovery Princess 19:15 Holland America New Amsterdam 20:40 Windstar Cruises' Star Seeker 22:10 Brilliant Lady Debuts in Alaska AlaskaCruise #BestAlaskaCruises #AlaskaCruise2026 #CruiseAlaska #AlaskaTravel #CruiseTips #RoyalCaribbean #PrincessCruises #HollandAmerica #NorwegianCruiseLine #CelebrityCruises #DisneyCruise #AlaskaItinerary #VoyageOfTheGlaciers #GlacierBay #CruiseReview #EatSleepCruise #CruisePlanning #AlaskaVacation #BestCruise2026 ----TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE------ Alaska Cruise Tips & Tricks: https://youtu.be/hbU3iTxW5Jw Why Cruising Doesn't Feel The Same: https://youtu.be/dv59PuNlsGA We Took an Alaska Cruise Tour: https://youtu.be/bebhh2ZdE4E What It’s Really Like on Princess Alaska Cruise: https://youtu.be/rG7tsivcZjU Join us on Social Media as we “Sea the World, One Port at a Time.” Instagram: https://instagram.com/EatSleepCruise Facebook: https://facebook.com/EatSleepCruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSleepCruise TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatsleepcruise Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/EatSleepCruise Question – Which Alaska Cruise are you choosing in 2026? Affiliate link: Some links above may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. Some links may be affiliate links. After seven Alaska cruises, we've gathered the ultimate "cruise tips" to ensure your "alaskan cruise" is nothing short of amazing. This video helps you pick the "best cruise lines" and ships for your journey, including insights on "princess cruises" and even "alaska cruise royal caribbean" options. Get ready for an unforgettable "cruise travel" experience and a smooth "cruise vacation"!
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You seem to think that what is going on inside the ship makes it the best/worst for an Alaskan cruise. You do realize folks are taking Alaskan cruises to visit Alaska, and THAT should be most important. Where you go in Alaska, what you see, how much time is wasted sailing from Seattle, etc.
I have been on 11 alaka cruises in 3 years. Have three more scheduled this year. Just a heads up if food is important to you skip Norwegian Cruise Line. Their ships are beautiful but their food is practically inedible unless you pay for specialty restaurants. Maybe it's by Design to get you to spend more money. Their Buffet is the worst in the business. Think if Motel 6 had a buffet and it would still probably be better than NCL
We’ve done four Alaska cruises - Koningsdam was our best - fantastic food, great crew, and excellent ship design for Alaska. Nieuw Amsterdam and Discovery Princess were close to tied. Royal Princess was our worst, both in Alaska and ever. Don’t know why the food was so bad and the service obscenely slow. Anyways, love Alaska sailing. We’ve run into multiple couples in the airport coming from Norwegian Alaska cruises - the response was always the same - “never again”
Love HAL❤ Cannot wait to sail Koningsdam in 2027 to Alaska
How can Star Princess be the Best Cruise to Alaska if the shipped hasn't even sailed there yet?
Holland America Koningsdam does go to Glacier Bay National Park
So you’re just reading from each line’s marketing material and then recommending every single cruise ship sailing to Alaska. Lame. To offer any value, you may want to actually offer an opinion.
We're on the Star Princess right now and the Encore is on our heels to get back to our respective ports. We are on the Koningsdam in May to Alaska. After a lot of research we chose that shipbecause of the indoor pool, preferred slips at ports, and the ability to tour Glacier bay National park. HAL have been doing Alaska the longest. We're stoked for this trip.
We booked our very FIRST CRUISE on HAL Eurodam to Alaska this June 2026, can’t wait
We are sailing on the Koningsdam in July 2026 and our itinerary includes Glacier Bay. You listed that only the Zaandam visits.
We are going on our first Alaska cruise in June on the MSC Poesia. We booked before the refurbishment of the ship. We were upgraded to the Yacht Club. Super excited
You may want to learn how to pronounce Koningsdam too. SMH.
Will be on Brilliant Lady mid August!! Sidenote - at 23:20 that isn't a comedian, he's the CEO of VV :)
We will be sailing Viking this summer. I was hoping they would be on your list since they have sailed Alaska for a long time. Somehow I missed what was the one ship you should avoid.
Cunard Queen Elizabeth?
Have absolutely no desire to be on a ship as large as Princess. I like the smaller ships such as Viking where touring the ports are the most important. Who gives a hoot about onboard entertainment. I'll go to Vegas if I want that. With this number of people, there is no chance of even enjoying the excursions or the ports because it's so mobbed, cruisers are far from welcome. NO THANK YOU, NO THANK YOU, NO THANK YOU.
Did you say the Encore is 196K gross tons? 🤦🏻♀️ Maybe I “misunderheard“ you. 😝 I sailed on my first cruise to Alaska in ‘97 and last in ‘22. Love to do another. Need to do Icy Strait. Thank you for this informative video.
We sailed the NCL Bliss to Alaska in 2019 the ship was New back then that is why we picked it had the observation lounge we loved that and had great sunny weather we went in June and was warm enough to use the pool and water slides we would love to go back been looking into princess we have sailed with them before and I considered trying something new with Holland America
We are headed to Alaska in early June 2026 for a cruise/land tour on HAL!
I see B-roll from Virgin Voyages, are you going to try an Alaska cruise with them? We booked our second cruise with VV for Alaska. We sailed our first ever cruise last month . I can’t sait to see reviews .