Megaship fans will find new reason to try an Alaska cruise.
Royal Caribbean on Wednesday posted its new 2027 cruises to Alaska, which officially kickstarts its new deployments for the 2027-2028 year.
Four ships will offer cruises to Alaska, including two Quantum Class vessels. These are the line's third-largest class of ships and they're barely 10 years old.
Here's the breakdown of which ships are sailing to Alaska and where.
Alaska cruises in 2027
Quantum of the Seas will sail from Seattle, Washington and offer 7-night voyages via the Inside Passage.
Ports include Sitka; Skagway; Victoria, British Columbia; and Juneau.
There is one difference, in that only select Quantum cruises will sail to Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.
Anthem of the Seas is positioned to be offer visits deeper into Alaska, as it's sailing one-way sailings from either Vancouver, British Columbia or Seward, Alaska.
The advantage of these "open jaw" routes is the ship can go to places a traditional roundtrip voyage cannot.
Anthem has sailings that visit Hubbard Glacier, as well as offering the option of a cruisetour.
Cruisetours are pre- and post-land trips you can add-on to a cruise that are operated through Royal Caribbean and can take you to inland places, such as Denali National Park and Preserve and Banff National Park.
New CruiseTours available in summer 2027 include a 9-night Destination Denali CruiseTour and a 12-night Mountain Panorama & Alyeska CruiseTour.
Not only do you get to see more of inland Alaska with a CruiseTour, but you can earn Crown and Anchor points too.
Voyager of the Seas will also homeport in Seattle, offering 7-night sailings to popular Alaskan ports.
Similar to Quantum, not all Voyager sailings go to Dawes Glacier. Instead, they offer visits to Ketchikan or Sitka.
Rounding out the deployment is Serenade of the Seas, based in Vancouver.
Serenade will cruise 7-night roundtrip sailings, and select sailings include visits to Tracy Arm Fjord, Icy Strait Point, or Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
You can also book a Pacific Coastal Cruise that goes from San Diego to Vancouver at the very start of the cruise season.
It's a rare 7-night cruise that goes up the West Coast of the United States, with stops in Astoria, Oregon & Seattle, Washington.
The 2027 Alaska cruises are available to book between May and September 2027.
Should you pick a cruise that visits a glacier?
Not all of the sailings include a glacier visit on the itinerary, and I would recommend prioritizing a voyage that includes a glacier visit.
While you certainly can see glaciers in one of your port stops, there's simply nothing like seeing one from the ocean.
The risk with a glacier visit by sea is it's dependent on the weather to be safe enough to transit. It's common for a glacier visit to be cancelled or has to stop far from the glacier because of sea ice or poor visibility.
Nonetheless, I think it's worth trying to book because when the weather cooperates, glaciers are amazing to see from the ship.
If all else fails, be sure to book a shore excursion that takes you to Mendenhall Glacier while in Juneau.
Hawaii cruises also available to book
Royal Caribbean typically doesn't offer cruises to Hawaii, except when a ship needs to reposition from Australia to Alaska (and back).
Anthem of the Seas has a 8-night voyage between Oahu and Vancouver on April 29, 2027.
It has an overnight stop in Kailua Kona before heading to Vancouver.
Before that, there's a 16-night Transpacific cruise between Sydney, Australia and Oahu, Hawaii.
This sailing doesn't visit Hawaiian islands, but does offer visits to islands in French Polynesia.
If you want a really long cruise that includes a visit to Hawaii, Quantum of the Seas has a 23-night Transpacific cruise with stops in:
- Papeete, Tahiti
- Moorea, French Polynesia
- Raiatea, French Polynesia
- Oahu (Honolulu), Hawaii
- Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Now is the best time to book an Alaska cruise
The new 2027 Alaska cruises are available to book beginning today, and getting in on a cruise early is one of the best ways to get the best price.
It's been my experience that some of the best prices, especially for suites, are found when new itineraries are released.
This is especially true if you want to book a summer Alaska cruise in July or August, when it's the peak season.
Plus, specific cabins can sell out quickly on popular sailings. For example, if you want to book a suite or aft balcony cabin on Serenade of the Seas, you'll need to book as early as possible to ensure your preferred category.
As a rule, placing your initial deposit as soon as you can gets you the best price.
