Alaska cruise news on seasonal sailings, ships, ports, and itinerary announcements. Follow the changes shaping upcoming Alaska seasons.
MSC Cruises
Cruise lines must report shore-power connection duration after every Seattle call and submit written explanations for nonconnections, with limited exceptions for outages or maintenance.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Lindblad Expeditions’ 100-guest National Geographic Venture, the season’s smallest visitor, made Victoria’s final call Oct. 18 before sailing to Alert Bay.
News
Global Ports Holding’s 20-year lease options offer either $2.6 million upfront plus $100,000 in annual rent, or $425,000 annually, with inflation adjustments.
Princess Cruises
In April 2027, the 4,300-lower-berth Star Princess is scheduled for a Panama Canal voyage before returning to Seattle for a second Alaska summer.
News
Canada Place processed its one millionth passenger through United States Customs and Border Protection using facial biometrics; travelers may request a manual inspection instead.
News
National Geographic-Lindblad endorsed both Global Ports and Port Chilkoot Development Corporation, while Royal Caribbean’s support also appeared across the competing bids.
Norwegian Cruise Line
About 80 percent of Vancouver’s annual cruise calls involve shore-power-equipped ships, but Canada Place can connect only two vessels at once when three or four are alongside.
Virgin Voyages
The expansion is expected to enable about 90 additional ship connections a year and cut an estimated 3,300 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions each cruise season.
News
On September 27, Princess Cruises’ Star Princess became the largest vessel by gross tonnage to call at Canada Place, with its overnight passage timed around low tide.
News
The 2024 agreement caps arrivals at 16,000 passengers Sunday through Friday and 12,000 on Saturdays; the season generally runs from May through September.
Holland America Line
Juneau’s 2026 cruise season ran 163 days, opening with Holland America Line’s Eurodam on April 27 and ending Oct. 6 as Norwegian Encore departed at 10 p.m.
Holland America Line
Noordam's 28-day Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice voyage departs Seattle June 6, crosses into the Arctic Circle and reaches the Bering Sea for a third year.