Princess Cruises has built a reputation for pairing coastal voyages with extended overland segments that reach well beyond the typical cruise port stops. These cruisetours combine a seven-night sailing along Southeast Alaska with multi-night stays at company-owned lodges near several major national parks. The approach allows travelers to experience remote interior landscapes that most cruise passengers never reach. ([1])
Why Extended Itineraries Stand Out
Standard Alaska cruises focus on coastal scenery and a handful of ports. Princess instead owns lodges, rail cars, and motorcoaches that support longer journeys into the state’s rugged interior. The company currently markets 28 Alaska cruisetour options, several of which last up to 17 nights and visit multiple national parks in one package. This infrastructure gives guests more time at each destination than shorter tours typically allow. Travelers on these longer programs spend several nights near park entrances rather than rushing through on day trips. The result is greater flexibility for wildlife viewing, hiking, and glacier exploration on foot or by boat. Because the same operator handles both the cruise and land portions, transfers and lodging remain coordinated throughout.
Kenai Fjords and Denali in One Package
One 15-day itinerary includes three nights at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge on the Kenai Peninsula. From that base, guests can reach Kenai Fjords National Park, home to the Harding Icefield and numerous glacier-carved fjords. Activities range from boat tours that approach tidewater glaciers to kayak excursions and flightseeing over the ice field. The same tour adds three nights near Denali National Park and two nights in Fairbanks before or after the cruise segment. On the water portion, the ship enters Glacier Bay National Park, providing a third major park visit. The combination gives travelers access to both the dramatic coastal fjords and the interior mountain wilderness in a single trip.
Wrangell-St. Elias Adds Scale and Solitude
A 13-day option highlights Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the United States. The park covers more than 20,000 square miles, yet it receives fewer than 100,000 visitors annually because of its remote location. Guests stay one night at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, which sits near the park visitor center and offers views of the Wrangell Mountains and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. From the lodge, day activities include rafting, jet-boat tours, hiking, and visits to the historic mining site of Kennicott. The land portion also includes four nights near Denali and an overnight in Fairbanks. The cruise segment again includes Glacier Bay, rounding out three major parks on a shorter overall timeline than the 15-day version.
The Longest Journey Covers Four Parks
The most extensive Princess offering lasts 17 days and visits both Kenai Fjords and Wrangell-St. Elias in addition to Denali and Glacier Bay. Guests spend two nights at each of five Princess lodges, allowing unhurried exploration at every stop. The cruise portion visits Glacier Bay and may include College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier depending on the sailing direction. This itinerary also stops at Skagway, where a portion of the town lies within Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. The full program therefore touches five distinct park sites. Travelers can choose to complete the overland segment first or sail first, with only minor differences in the glacier viewing on the cruise leg. These extended cruisetours demonstrate how one operator’s ownership of lodges and transport assets can open remote sections of Alaska that remain difficult to reach on independent itineraries. For travelers seeking depth over breadth, the longer packages provide structured access to landscapes that define the state’s wilderness character.
