The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

Can I get every guide instead?

Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.

Alaska Inside Passage: Glacier Bay to Ketchikan

Alaska Inside Passage: Glacier Bay to Ketchikan: free sample chapter

Read the first chapter free. No email or account required.

Start here

Disclosure: Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. We checked the facts in this guide on 2026-10-10. Itineraries, port calls, fares, fees, tram and train schedules, and entry rules can all change. Confirm them on Holland America's official Alaska page, in your booking, and in the line's app before you sail. Where a fact has a stamp like , we opened that page on that date. Where it says "typically" or "last we checked," we could not open the official page and you should.

Cover block

Promise: a day-by-day plan for a one-week Alaska cruise from Vancouver that covers every port, the cheap way and the easy way, and how to pay for the flights and hotels with points.
Typical sailing length: 7 nights, round trip from Vancouver.
Best months and regions: Alaska cruise season typically runs from about May to September; the route covers British Columbia's coast and the Alaska Panhandle. Confirm sailing dates on hollandamerica.com.
Budget band: built from the fees you can verify plus your blanks. Taxi from the pier to YVR is a flat CA$42.00 (checked Oct 10, 2026). The White Pass Summit Excursion is US$155 per adult (checked Oct 10, 2026). Everything else is a blank in chapter 8.
Best for: first-time Alaska cruisers, scenery-first travelers, families, anyone who wants one hotel (the ship) for a week.

At a glance

Vancouver pier is a walk from Waterfront station; Canada Line runs to YVR.
Ride hailing cannot pick up at the terminal; use the street-level zone.
Taxis are flat rate to YVR (CA$42.00) and from CA$16.00 to downtown hotels.
Glacier Bay is a park day with ranger commentary; no excursion needed.
Skagway has the signature excursion (White Pass rail). Book early.
Goldbelt Tram in Juneau was listed as temporarily closed on 2026-10-10; check before you plan around it.
US citizens typically do not need an eTA for Canada (confirm on canada.ca before you fly); carry a passport.
Points: use transfer partners for flights and hotels; use portals only if the price is right.