Alaska Cruise from Seattle or Vancouver? Ports, Routes & Ships Compared
Seattle has 89 active Alaska itineraries and 2,237 upcoming open sailings. Vancouver has 471 itineraries and 8,841 sailings. Choose the pier for the route, the border, and the ships that actually leave there.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
Choose Seattle or Vancouver from the sailings that leave each pier, not from the city name alone. Seattle has 89 active itineraries, 75 of them round trip, and Vancouver has 471, with 401 returning to Vancouver.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Seattle itineraries / open sailings | 89 / 2,237 |
| Seattle round trip / one way | 75 / 14 |
| Seattle lines / ships | 9 lines, 18 ships |
| Vancouver itineraries / open sailings | 471 / 8,841 |
| Vancouver round trip / one way | 401 / 70 |
| Vancouver lines / ships | 10 lines, 30 ships |
| Whittier one-way itineraries / sailings | 42 / 975 |
| Seward one-way itineraries / sailings | 3 / 149 |
Embarkation ports
| Port | Itineraries | Open sailings | Round trip | One way | Lines | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 89 | 2,237 | 75 | 14 | 9 | 18 |
| Vancouver | 471 | 8,841 | 401 | 70 | 10 | 30 |
| Whittier | 42 | 975 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 11 |
| Seward | 3 | 149 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Seattle lines: Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages. Vancouver lines: Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Viking, Virgin Voyages. Whittier is one way only, on Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Seward is one way only, on Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean.
Alaska calls on those itineraries
| Call | Seattle itineraries | Vancouver itineraries | Arrival recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | 67 | 450 | Dock or tender |
| Ketchikan | 84 | 442 | Dock |
| Skagway | 43 | 442 | Dock |
| Sitka | 47 | 21 | Dock or tender |
| Icy Strait Point | 42 | 56 | Dock |
| Victoria | 75 | 13 | Not listed |
Juneau and Sitka can be dock or tender. Ketchikan is dock, downtown or Ward Cove. Skagway is dock. Icy Strait Point is dock, at Ocean or Wilderness Landing. A Victoria arrival note is Not listed.
Lowest starting fare at each pier
| Route | Ship | Nights | Leaves | First departure | Starting fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Night Alaska Inside Passage & Glacier | Carnival Legend | 7 | Seattle | April 20, 2027 | $674 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| Alaska Sampler | Crown Princess | 4 | Vancouver | April 27, 2027 | $419 starting cruise fare, as of October 24, 2026 |
| Voyage of the Glaciers with Glacier Bay (Southbound) | Crown Princess | 7 | Whittier | May 15, 2027 | $574 starting cruise fare, as of October 25, 2026 |
| 7-Night Alaska Southbound Glacier | Celebrity Solstice | 7 | Seward | May 14, 2027 | $772 starting cruise fare, as of October 14, 2026 |
Ships with recorded specs
| Ship | Built | Gross tonnage | Guests (double) | Space ratio | Crew ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival Legend | 2002 | 88,500 | 2,124 | 41.7 | 2.28 |
| Norwegian Bliss | 2018 | 168,028 | 4,010 | 41.9 | 2.34 |
| Celebrity Edge | 2018 | 130,818 | 2,902 | 45.1 | 2.20 |
| Quantum of the Seas | Not listed | 168,666 | 4,180 | 40.4 | 2.79 |
| MSC Poesia | 2008 | 92,627 | 2,446 | 37.9 | 2.35 |
Crown Princess and Celebrity Solstice have Alaska sailings here. Built year, tonnage, guest count, space ratio and crew ratio are Not listed for both.
What changes the trip
- Seattle calls Victoria on 75 of 89 itineraries. Vancouver calls Victoria on 13 of 471. Victoria is the usual stop when a ship from Seattle sails the ocean side of Vancouver Island. A Vancouver ship can stay east of the island on the Inside Passage. A measured sea-state comparison is Not listed.
- Seattle uses two docks. Confirm Pier 66 or Pier 91. The port estimates a Westlake to Pier 66 walk at about 20 minutes, and a 15-minute car ride to Pier 91. Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
- Vancouver uses Canada Place. Use Canada Place joining instructions. Money ashore is Canadian dollars. Airport: YVR Canada Line to downtown: under 30 minutes.
- One-way weeks end in Alaska. Whittier has 42 itineraries and 975 open sailings, all one way. Seward has 3 itineraries and 149 sailings, all one way. Flight prices for the open end are Not listed.
- Round-trip language, glacier days and tender ports are also covered in Alaska cruise routes.
- Open the pier pages: cruises from Seattle and cruises from Vancouver.
Fares are marketing prices, confirmed when you book. Counts are active itineraries and upcoming open sailings.
Frequently asked questions
Does Vancouver always mean calmer water?
A sea-state measurement is Not listed. What is recorded is the call pattern: 13 of 471 Vancouver itineraries call Victoria, against 75 of 89 from Seattle.
Can I sail round trip from Whittier or Seward?
No. Whittier has 0 round-trip itineraries. Seward has 0. Both ports are one way.
Which Alaska ports can be a tender?
Juneau and Sitka are recorded as dock or tender. Ketchikan, Skagway and Icy Strait Point are recorded as dock. Confirm the berth on your sailing.
What is the lowest recorded Seattle fare?
Carnival Legend on 7-Night Alaska Inside Passage & Glacier: $674 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026. First departure April 20, 2027.
Filed under alaska, embarkation, ocean