Princess Cruises is gearing up for its biggest ever Alaska season, with the cruise line announcing they will be sending eight ships to the region in 2026. The sailings will encompass 180 departures and 19 destinations across the eight ships.
Star Princess will become the first Sphere Class ship to sail in Alaska, with the design of the ship perfectly designed for wildlife and landscape watching. The ship is designed to have ocean vistas even from a range of eateries and restaurants.
But the move won’t please everyone. America’s last frontier is now a hotbed of tension over the growing number of tourists.
In the state capital Juneau, residents are fighting for “Ship-free Saturdays” with a proposal to ban cruise ships carrying 250 or more passengers from docking every week. The city’s Assembly has until August 15 to adopt the measure or face a referendum of residents in October.
The Princes fleet numbers adds an extra ship, but the line in total can carry 24,000 passengers. Princess is, of course, not alone – but one of the region’s biggest and most popular players.
Bookings for its new season will be open from August 2. Furthermore due to Princess’s new price guarantee, passengers can book as soon as possible and know that if Prices drop, you will receive 120% of the fare difference in on-board credit.
Sailings will range between seven-day and 20-day journeys, with plenty of itineraries to Alaska’s premier glaciers, as well as the inside passage.
A particularly noteworthy feature of Princess’s Alaska sailings is their ‘North to Alaska with Princess’ program. This program includes a range of naturalist talks, a planetarium Northern Lights experience, a local seafood menu and more, to offer a more immersive cultural look into Alaskan lifestyles and environments.
There are also over 20 cruisetour options available, these offer the chance to combine your cruise with an overland holiday.
John Padgett, Princess Cruises President said: ““2026 will reinforce Princess’ leadership in Alaska cruise holidays. The deployment of the magnificent Star Princess to Alaska for the first time will offer guests unprecedented views, luxurious accommodations, and the finest food, beverages and entertainment ever seen in the Great Land. Our guests will experience Alaska like never before aboard our innovative Sphere Class ship.
“Whether you’re a first-time cruiser or a seasoned traveller, Princess is the ultimate choice for luxury and adventure, with awe-inspiring glaciers, unforgettable wildlife encounters, and the freshest seafood imaginable.”
Alaskan cruise caps
The key Alaskan port Juneau has been setting more and more caps on cruise ships, deciding they will only take 16,000 cruise ships per day, and just 12,000 on Saturday’s, to provide more respite to locals.
These limits are set to begin from 2026, as such it appears the news caps have not deterred Princess from investing and growing in the region.
Disturbance to local communities is a hotly debated issue at the moment. Santorini, a port also reconsidering its cruise laws, recently saw 11,000 cruise passengers in just one day, around 70% of its total population.
The ‘invasion’ of tourists was so severe that the president of the Thira municipa community Panagiotis Kavallaris asks citizens to limit their movements and try to stay inside.
Santorini is set to issue new cruise caps from 2025, but is also discussing constructing a new cruise port and improving its energy infrastructure.
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