Princess Cruises is making Alaska a major focus for summer 2028, with eight ships assigned to the region across a season lasting roughly five months.
From late April through late September, the cruise line will operate 185 departures covering 14 itineraries. Cruises will range from four to 16 days, with departures available from Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The schedule includes both roundtrip and one-way options, along with scenic cruising in areas such as Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, and Endicott Arm. Passengers who want to spend more time in Alaska will also be able to add land-based cruisetours that include national parks, wilderness lodges, rail travel, and optional excursions.
A Mix of Roundtrip and One-Way Cruises
Princess is spreading its 2028 Alaska program across several departure points rather than concentrating everything in Seattle or Vancouver.
From Seattle, Royal Princess will operate seven-day roundtrip sailings, plus one seven-day cruise from Seattle to Vancouver. Star Princess will also sail from Seattle as part of its seven- and nine-day Alaska program.
Vancouver will have some of the widest choice. Star Princess will offer seven- and nine-day itineraries from Seattle and Vancouver, while Emerald Princess will operate seven-day roundtrip cruises from Vancouver and one shorter four-day sailing.
Island Princess will also sail seven-day roundtrip cruises from Vancouver, alongside one-way routes linking Vancouver and Whittier.
Several ships will focus heavily on the Vancouver-to-Whittier corridor. Discovery Princess will operate seven-day one-way sailings between the two ports, with passengers able to combine consecutive voyages into a 14-day trip.
Coral Princess will follow a similar pattern, with seven-day one-way cruises between Vancouver and Whittier that can also be paired into 14-day roundtrip journeys. Crown Princess will offer seven-day one-way sailings on the same route, along with a nine-day roundtrip cruise from Vancouver.
Royal Princess will also have one four-day sailing from Vancouver to Seattle.
California Will Get Longer Alaska Sailings
Princess is also offering Alaska cruises from California for passengers who prefer to start farther south.
Ruby Princess will operate 10-day roundtrip cruises from San Francisco, while Emerald Princess will handle the longest itinerary in the 2028 Alaska program with one 16-day Inside Passage roundtrip cruise from Los Angeles.
Those longer California departures include additional sea time as the ships travel north toward Alaska and then return south. For passengers based on the West Coast, they provide an alternative to flying to Seattle or Vancouver before the cruise.
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Sixteen Destinations Are Included Across the Program
The 2028 season will include calls at 16 destinations across Alaska and British Columbia, including the major Alaska ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Icy Strait Point.
Juneau gives passengers access to attractions including Mendenhall Glacier and nearby hiking trails, while Ketchikan is known for its collection of totem poles and opportunities for salmon fishing.
Skagway is closely tied to the Klondike Gold Rush and is home to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, one of the best-known attractions in the area.
Icy Strait Point offers a different experience, with Tlingit cultural connections, whale-watching opportunities, wildlife excursions, and the ZipRider attraction. The destination is privately owned by Huna Totem Corporation.
Selected itineraries will also include Canadian ports. Prince Rupert offers access to northern British Columbia and First Nations cultural experiences, while Victoria is known for its historic architecture and Butchart Gardens.
The exact ports included will vary by ship, itinerary, and sailing date.
Scenic Cruising Will Be a Major Part of the Season
Some of the biggest moments on an Alaska cruise happen without the ship docking anywhere. Princess is planning scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Endicott Arm, and other areas during its 2028 season.
Glacier Bay is particularly significant because access is limited. Cruise ships require permission to enter, and only a restricted number of vessels can visit each day.
The national park covers around 3.3 million acres and includes several tidewater glaciers where passengers may see sections of ice break away and fall into the water.
College Fjord, in Prince William Sound, offers another concentrated glacier-viewing experience. The fjord contains 16 glaciers named after American colleges and universities, while Harvard Glacier sits at the head of the fjord and stretches roughly five kilometers across.
Scenic cruising plans can change, however. Weather, ice, geological conditions, and other safety issues can all affect whether a ship can enter a particular area.
That became especially clear during the 2026 season, when different cruise lines removed Tracy Arm Fjord from itineraries because of concerns over rockslides and geological instability. Princess’ 2028 scenic cruising schedule will also remain subject to conditions at the time of sailing.
Cruisetours Extend Trips Into Alaska’s Interior
For passengers who don’t want their Alaska experience to end at the cruise terminal, Princess will continue offering pre- and post-cruise land packages. These cruisetours combine the sailing with inland travel and can include stays at Princess-owned wilderness lodges.
Depending on the package selected, passengers may visit Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, or Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, with each offering something different.
Denali is known for wildlife such as grizzly bears, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep, as well as North America’s highest peak. Kenai Fjords provides access to the Harding Icefield and further glacier viewing, while Wrangell-St. Elias covers the largest protected wilderness area in the United States.
The land portion gives passengers a chance to see parts of Alaska that cannot be reached during a coastal cruise alone.
Rail Travel Is Part of the Land Experience
Princess uses custom glass-domed railway cars on many of its cruisetours. The cars are designed to give passengers wide views as they travel through Alaska, with large windows opening up the surrounding scenery from inside.
Open-air viewing platforms are also available for passengers who want an unobstructed view or a better opportunity for photography.
The railway helps connect cruise terminals with inland destinations, wilderness lodges, and national park areas. Instead of treating transportation as simply a way to get from one place to another, the journey itself becomes part of the Alaska experience.
Passengers can watch the landscape change as they move between coastal areas, forests, mountain regions, and Alaska’s interior.
Optional Activities Go Beyond Sightseeing
Princess’ cruisetours also include a range of optional excursions for passengers who want a more active trip, including salmon fishing, rafting, historical tours, and wildlife-viewing day cruises.
Fishing trips give passengers a chance to try catching Alaska’s well-known salmon species with guides and equipment provided, while rafting excursions offer a more active way to experience glacier-fed rivers.
Historical tours focus on subjects including Gold Rush history, Indigenous cultures, and pioneer settlements. Wildlife cruises take passengers into areas where they may see animals such as whales, bears, and seals in their natural surroundings.
The exact experiences available will depend on the cruisetour and location.
Princess Has Nearly 60 Years of Alaska Experience
Princess Cruises has been operating in Alaska since the late 1960s, giving the company a long history in the region. Its Alaska operation now goes well beyond ship deployments.
Jim Berra, Princess Cruises’ Chief Commercial Officer, said the 2028 season brings those different parts of the Alaska program together.
“Alaska is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations, and Princess has spent nearly 60 years helping guests experience it in a way few others can,” said Jim Berra, Princess Cruises Chief Commercial Officer.
“Our 2028 season brings together glacier-filled voyages, unforgettable wildlife and cultural experiences, Princess Wilderness Lodges and Rail, along with seamless cruisetours that take guests deeper into the Great Land – creating a complete Alaska vacation.”
Alaska Programming Continues Onboard
Princess also carries the Alaska theme into its onboard programming. During the season, passengers can take part in Native cultural presentations, while younger guests can join the Glacier Bay National Park Junior Ranger program on relevant sailings.
The cruise line also offers Puppies in the Piazza, an onboard event featuring young sled dogs. These programs give passengers additional ways to learn about Alaska while they are on the ship, rather than limiting the destination experience to time spent ashore.
Bookings for the 2028 Season Are Open
If Alaska has been sitting on your cruise wish list, Princess’ 2028 schedule gives you plenty of ways to make the trip work around your plans.
Some travelers may prefer the simplicity of a seven-day roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, while others can make a much bigger vacation of it with a one-way sailing and a few days exploring Alaska’s interior. For anyone based in California, the longer departures from San Francisco and Los Angeles could also be particularly convenient.
Bookings are already open, so there’s plenty of time to compare the ships, routes, and cruisetour options before deciding which version of Alaska feels right for you. With glaciers, wildlife, historic ports, and some seriously impressive scenery on the agenda, choosing the itinerary may end up being the hardest part.
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