Cruise West

For over 60 years, the Cruise West family-owned and family-committed company has believed that the focus of the small ship experience is outside where Nature provides the entertainment, rather than inside where time is spent on artificial amusements during those long hours of open water.

Discover our Alaska cruises

Over 1.5 million people will visit Alaska this year, the vast majority arriving by 3,000+ passenger cruise ships that crowd into a handful of Alaska’s largest ports. While these huge vessels have their onboard attractions, small-ship guests know there’s a better, more intimate way to experience the “real” Alaska: the up-close, casual and personal way.

Cruise West small ships carry 78 to 138 guests and show you an Alaska the big ships can’t — up narrow channels and into secluded waterways, positioning in the ideal spots and pausing to catch every spectacular display of scenery and wildlife.

Sail in the company of naturalist guides and a small number of people who share a passion for exploration and discovery. Experience Alaska at its best with Cruise West. With over 60 years of experience exploring Alaska’s rugged coastlines, ice-carved fjords, towering glaciers and wild interior, not only do we have an intimate knowledge of its land and waters, but we are also allowed more permits than any other cruise line in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Our Alaska itineraries range from 4- night getaways in Glacier Bay or Prince William Sound to classic Inside Passage trips with true wilderness exploration. All of our cruises can be combined seamlessly with Cruise West land tours in Denali National Park and Preserve, Fairbanks and Anchorage. So no matter what you’re after, you’re bound to find an Alaska vacation that fits your interests, your timeframe and your budget.

A Better Way to Experience Alaska

The Cruise West guest knows there is a better way to experience the nooks and crannies of Alaska, up-close, personal and casual.  No tuxes are required when kayaking past the azure blue glacier to get closer to the breeching Orca. Small-ship Alaska cruises offer the flexibility to stop the ship at a moment’s notice to observe a passing pod of whales, or bears feeding on shore.  All Cruise West vessels are equipped with inflatable landing craft for up-close exploration of remote areas and shore landings to the most spectacular places to visit in Alaska.

Alaska's Inside Passage

New Enhanced Itinerary

Glaciers, whales, native cultures … this itinerary offers them all. Travel Alaska’s fabled Inside Passage, pausing to admire dramatic fjord waterfalls, humpback whales at play and spectacular Glacier Bay National Park. Keep your eyes peeled for sea lions, puffins, eagles, otters and bears as you explore secluded inlets only accessible by Zodiac and narrow passages where large ships can’t go. Add a 3-night Denali visit to your cruise for the ultimate Alaska experience. The focus with our new Alaska’s Inside Passage itinerary is on wilderness exploration and whale watching, plus a full day in Glacier Bay National Park. This rare itinerary features the flexibility to linger wherever nature is putting on a show, as well as frequent Zodiac excursions in remote coves and inlets, and small town exploration.

Whales Guaranteed!
Whales are guaranteed to be sighted on any Alaska's Inside Passage cruise. Our knowledgeable crew knows where the action is and whales are guaranteed! We’ll give you a future cruise credit of $250 if we don’t see whales. As opportunities present themselves, we may vary the order of cruise destinations to offer you the best possible experience.

Glacier Bay Highlights

Cruise Glacier Bay National Park’s remote and protected waterways, teeming with wildlife. Get up-close with whales, sea lions, bears and sea birds. Maneuver through ice-studded waters, listening for the thunderous clap of calving glaciers. And learn from National Park Service Rangers and Native Cultural Interpreters about the park’s thriving flora, fauna and its rich history. Add a visit to Denali National Park and Preserve to your cruise for the ultimate Alaska experience.

Glaciers of Prince William Sound

This getaway cruise offers the best of Prince William Sound. With breathtaking scenery and wildlife, Prince William Sound boasts the largest concentration of tidewater glaciers in the world and offers easy access to Anchorage. Dubbed the “enchanted circle of emerald isles,” the spectacular scenery of Prince William Sound is best explored aboard the Spirit of Columbia. Cruise cliff-walled fjords and narrow passages. Listen for the “white thunder” of massive glaciers calving into nutrient-rich water. And watch for elusive orcas, as brown bears hunt for shellfish and as sea otters and harbor seals play near the shore. Add a 3-night Denali visit to your cruise for the ultimate Alaska experience.

Gold Rush Inside Passage

Enjoy a 10-night cruise for the price of 7! Follow the Seattle to Juneau route of the original stampeders from the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. From dense, forested shores to stunning fjords, immense glaciers and unspoiled waterways, the Inside Passage is a world of spectacular beauty. Cruise the pristine waters of the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Georgia, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Frederick Sound and Tracy Arm, and visit the towns of Sitka, Petersburg and Skagway, the jumping off points for thousands of early gold seekers. Add a 3-night Denali visit to your cruise for the ultimate Alaska experience.

With Cruise West, you’re not just a visitor, you’re a participant.