Alaska cruise tips: choosing the right Alaskan cruise for your family

This summer our family got to go on a bucket list vacation when my parents took us all on an Alaskan cruise. And before you ask—yes, my kids were just as excited about it as the adults! Even though we have traveled extensively as a family and even went on our first cruise as a family of nine last summer (I’ll link to that article in a bit) the planning felt really overwhelming to me. I have a lot of cruise content I want to share with you over the coming months, but today I want to start with some tips on choosing the right Alaskan cruise for your family. From cruise lines to itineraries—there’s a lot to consider!

things to consider when choosing the right Alaskan cruise

An Alaskan cruise is different from other family cruises you might go on. And I’m not just talking about the weather—although that plays into a lot of this decision making also! Although many families will choose their favorite cruise first, or take into consideration what amenities the ship offers, when choosing the right Alaskan cruise for your family you might want to reconsider. I (and many others) recommend choosing your itinerary first based on what’s important to you. Consider some of the following questions:

• Do you want lots of onboard entertainment?
• Do you want to spend more time in ports?
• Are you traveling with young kids?
• What time of year will you be there?
• How important is your departure port?

choosing the right departure port and itinerary for you

When cruising Alaska you can opt for a one-way cruise, with a different port for embarkation and debarkation, or a roundtrip cruise. There are pros and cons to each one, but you should fully consider your own family’s needs. For example, our family of nine knew we needed a roundtrip cruise from Seattle because we could drive there an back. Flights for our entire family was not in the trip budget.

roundtrip cruise from Seattle

Pros:

• Easy flights, or drivable from the west coast
• No passport required for U.S. citizens on most closed-loop cruises (though carrying one is still recommended, check your cruise line for the most updated information)

Cons:

• Itineraries can be wonky, with more sea days and less time in port
• You have to cruise across rough open ocean before getting to the calmer waters of the Inside Passage (it was the most we’ve ever felt a cruise ship move around)

Pro cruiser tip: If planning a cruise from Seattle pick a longer duration, such as 9 days or more. Longer cruises give you more ports and more time to explore while in the ports.

roundtrip cruise from Vancouver

Pros:

• You immediately sail into the Inside Passage so waters are calmer and itineraries can be better

Cons:

• International travel means that a passport is required
• Flights to Vancouver can cost more

roundtrip cruise from San Francisco

You can also find other cruise lines that offer roundtrip cruises from other West Coast destinations, such as San Francisco. Typically Princess offers this, and occasionally other lines like Holland America. Keep in mind this will be a longer cruise, and they’re often more expensive cruises sailing on older and smaller ships. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing!

one-way cruises

One-way cruises can be great if you can afford to add a flight to your Alaskan cruise family vacation. These cruises typically sail between Vancouver and either Whittier or Seward Alaska.

When choosing if this is the right Alaskan cruise option for your family, keep in mind that you’ll be able to explore further north with this one-way cruise option. This makes it easy to add on a land tour (if budget allows) and maybe check a couple of Alaskan national parks off your bucket list!

choosing the right Alaskan cruise: glacier viewing

Glacier viewing was the main reason our extended family choose the cruise itinerary that we did. Although many cruise ships offer a Glacier Viewing day on their Alaskan itineraries, only a handful of cruise lines are allowed access into Glacier Bay National Park. For our family this was a must on our Alaskan cruise!

This is a good example of why you shouldn’t necessarily pick your Alaskan cruise based off of your favorite cruise line, but rather where you want to go. As of fall 2026, the major cruise lines that are allowed into the waters of Glacier Bay National Park are:

• Norwegian Cruise Line (this is who we sailed with and loved!)
• Holland America Line
• Princess Cruises

The National Park Service also limits how many ships can enter Glacier Bay National Park each day, so just because your cruise line can enter, doesn’t mean your particular itinerary will. Always confirm before booking!

Again, even if you don’t actually get to go into the national park, there are several other impressive glaciers your ship might sail to. The most common ones are: Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm, and Tracy Arm.

Pro cruiser tip: Keep in mind that a Glacier Viewing Day is never guaranteed. Bad weather, rough seas, or excessive ice blockages can prevent ships from navigating through the glacial fjords. Remember that Mother Nature is always in charge and don’t take it out on your ship’s crew!

| Related- Cruising with Babies: What You Need to Know |

choosing the right Alaskan cruise line

Once you’ve decided which Alaskan cruise itinerary is preferred for your family, you can check out the different cruise lines. Again, most major cruise lines sail to Alaska, but different ones will offer different itineraries, different seasons, and different on-board amenities and activities.

Some important things to consider when booking a family Alaskan cruise:

• How many indoor spaces are there and how large are they? Many ships cruising Alaska were built with warmer weather in mind. Large outdoor gathering areas and small spaces inside means there’s less room indoors for shipboard activities like trivia or game shows. We sailed on the Norwegian Joy and there was a really nice Observation Lounge where you could see outside but stay warm.
• How many hot tubs are there (that aren’t adult-only)? Our ship only had two hot tubs that kids could go in, which was less than our ship last summer had when we went to Mexico. It’s not always cold on an Alaskan cruise (we had some nice weather too!) but it’s not really warm enough most of the time for even kids to want to go in the regular pool, down the water slides, or in the splash zone.
• Are there family-friendly entertainment options? I feel like I have been disappointed by the entertainment on the last few cruises I’ve been on. But the shows on the Norwegian Joy were top quality and completely family-friendly (other than the late-night comedy shows that were labeled for adults). We had 90s hits, top 80s musicals, a Beatles tribute group, and more.

choosing the right time to cruise Alaska

The typical season for cruising Alaska is May through September. Some cruise lines do offer early and late season cruising in April and October. Keep in mind that there are pros and cons to any time of year you go! Things to keep in mind for cruising the shoulder season in Alaska is that some stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions might be closed. Weather will also be colder in April and October, but crowds will be lower. So there are definitely trade-offs.

Our family loved our 10 day Alaskan cruise. We traveled over the 4th of July and it was such a fun way to spend our Independence Day. I’ll definitely be sharing more about ports and our experiences in the future.

Did everything go perfectly right and according to plan? Of course not—even with the best planning things can go awry. But proper planning and realistic expectations when traveling with kiddos (especially when Mother Nature is in charge!) makes a big difference in your Alaska cruise experience.

Before our cruise my husband thought an Alaskan cruise would be wasted on our children I’m happy to report that they loved it. Even though it was colder than their last cruise and they didn’t have as many cousins to hang out with, they had a great experience. They thought it was beautiful and an incredible experience. I know it’s a family trip I will always remember.

Follow along with our family’s adventures on Instagram!

Have you thought about going on a family Alaskan cruise? What are some questions you have?