Alaska Cruise Routes: Round-Trip Inside Passage or One-Way?
Round-trip, one-way and a glacier day are different Alaska trips. Seattle has 89 active itineraries and Vancouver has 471. The pier-by-pier counts, Victoria calls and one-way ports are in the Seattle or Vancouver guide.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
Round-trip, one-way and a glacier day are different trips, even when the brochure says Inside Passage. Seattle has 89 active Alaska itineraries and Vancouver has 471, with the pier counts in Alaska from Seattle or Vancouver. One soonest-recorded sample is still Seabourn Encore's 8-night glaciers sailing from Juneau.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Recorded soonest Alaska sailing | Alaska Glaciers, Canadian Inside Passage & Glacier Bay, 8 nights, Seabourn Encore |
| Starting fare | $8,398 starting cruise fare, as of October 10, 2026 |
| Embarkation | Juneau |
| Ports on that sailing | Juneau, Alaska, US, Skagway, Alaska, US, Wrangell, Alaska, US, Rudyerd Bay (Misty Fjords) Ventures by Seabourn Only, Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver, B.C., CA |
| Sea-day flags | 11 of 18 calls flagged sea day |
| Seabourn ship specs | Not listed |
How the port guides say you arrive
| Port | Arrival recorded | What changes the day | Guide checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | Arrival: Check the dock name | Downtown cruise berths; Franklin Dock / AJ Dock; Tender landing, if assigned | October 6, 2026 |
| Ketchikan | Arrival: Downtown or Ward Cove | Downtown cruise docks; The Mill at Ward Cove | October 6, 2026 |
| Skagway | Walk into town?: Yes, with dock access checked | Cruise dock assigned by your ship; SMART dock-to-downtown service | October 6, 2026 |
| Sitka | Getting downtown: Dock shuttle or ship tender | Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal; Ship at anchor | October 6, 2026 |
| Icy Strait Point | Arrival docks: Ocean or Wilderness Landing | Ocean Landing; Wilderness Landing | October 6, 2026 |
| Seward | Cruise arrival: Confirm the current Seward cruise entrance | Confirm the current Seward cruise entrance | October 6, 2026 |
| Seattle | Cruise arrival: Confirm Pier 66 or Pier 91 | Bell Street Pier 66; Smith Cove Pier 91 | October 6, 2026 |
| Vancouver | Cruise arrival: Use Canada Place joining instructions | Canada Place | October 5, 2026 |
Match the route to the day you want
- Juneau's guide lists downtown berths, Franklin Dock or AJ Dock, and a tender landing if the ship assigns one. The dock name is the first check.
- Ketchikan splits downtown docks from The Mill at Ward Cove, with a complimentary downtown shuttle from Ward Cove.
- Skagway's guide says you can walk into town if dock access is confirmed, and the SMART shuttle is US$3 each way or US$5 for a day pass.
- Sitka is either the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, outside downtown, or a tender if the ship is at anchor. The downtown shuttle needs a reserved queue time.
- Seattle is Pier 66 or Pier 91. Vancouver's cruise arrival is Canada Place. Seward's guide says to confirm the current entrance. One-way trips often use these as the end that is not the ship.
- Seabourn Encore's specs are Not listed, so do not borrow another ship's tonnage. The fare and the port list are the recorded facts.
Alaska port details are the port guides, checked on the dates in the table. The sailing fare was checked October 10, 2026. Fares are marketing prices, confirmed when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the only Alaska cruise?
No. Seattle has 89 active itineraries and Vancouver has 471. This page keeps the Juneau port notes and one Seabourn sample. The pier comparison is the Seattle or Vancouver guide.
Does Inside Passage mean the ship docks every day?
No. Juneau and Sitka both record a tender possibility. Check the berth on your sailing.
Is a round trip better than one way?
That is a flights question as much as a scenery question. One-way needs a plan at both ends. Those airfares are Not listed.
Can I use Skagway's shuttle fare as a tour price?
No. US$3 each way and US$5 for a day pass are the recorded SMART shuttle prices. A White Pass train is a separate outing, with a published duration of about 2.5 to 2.75 hours, and its fare is Not listed.
Filed under ocean, alaska, write first