Alaska Cruises from Vancouver to Seward

At a glance

• Route (typical): one-way, 7 nights, Vancouver (Canada Place) to Seward, with the Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway or Icy Strait Point, and a glacier-viewing day at Hubbard Glacier. Typical only; the exact sailing is on royalcaribbean.com's itinerary page.
• Ships: Royal Caribbean has typically used mid-size ships such as Radiance-class and Quantum-class on Alaska. Ship names and the 2027 season are unconfirmed; check the line's Alaska page.
• Fly: into Vancouver (YVR), home from Anchorage (ANC).
• Best months: the line's Alaska page suggests around June 21 for nearly 20 hours of daylight, or late summer for darker skies and a better chance at the Northern Lights .
• The one-way catch: your flights are two separate cities, and Seward is a long way from Anchorage airport. Plan the transfer before you book flights.

The route in one paragraph

You board at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, sail out under the Lions Gate and spend a day working up the Inside Passage. Then come the three Alaska towns that define the classic route: Ketchikan, Juneau, and either Skagway or Icy Strait Point. A day of glacier viewing (typically Hubbard Glacier) comes next, then a final sea day before you dock at Seward. From Seward you continue to Anchorage by ground transfer, train or road. The line's page says Vancouver to Seward cruises can be paired with post-cruise land tours, and cruisetours combine a 7-night cruise with a 2 to 6 night land tour that can include Denali . Port calls are typical, not promised; confirm on royalcaribbean.com for your sailing.

When to go

Alaska cruise season is summer. Mid-June gives the longest days. Late summer gives darker nights (better for aurora odds) and often a different feel in the towns. Your sailing's actual dates are on royalcaribbean.com; pick by what you care about, not by a single "best" month. Rain is normal in Southeast Alaska in any month, so pack for it.

The embarkation port in brief

Canada Place is at 999 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC. The port says the terminal sits next to the TransLink system at Waterfront station, and SkyTrain Canada Line runs directly to Vancouver International Airport . The port lists a flat taxi rate of $42.00 from the terminal to YVR (as of 2026-10-11; confirm on that page). Short-term pick-up and drop-off is limited to 15 minutes or less. We could not open the TransLink or YVR fare pages, so check translink.ca for the current Canada Line fare.

Entry rules matter on this itinerary because it starts in Canada. The US State Department rates Canada Level 1, "Exercise normal precautions" (issued June 5, 2026), and says US citizens can enter with a US passport, passport card, or NEXUS card . Non-US travelers should check the Canada eTA page: the eTA fee is CAN$7 for visa-exempt air travelers, and the page does not mention cruise passengers, so check what you need for your passport . Always confirm with Royal Caribbean's documents page for your nationality.

Who this route suits

The one-way format suits travelers who want to see Alaska beyond the ship: Seward is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, and Anchorage is a real city with its own flights home. The Alaska Railroad describes the Seward stop as sitting on Resurrection Bay with easy connections to Kenai Fjords National Park . It suits couples, first-timers and multigenerational groups. It is less simple for anyone who needs a single-airport round trip: you will pay attention to two airports, a border crossing at the start, and a ground leg at the end. If that sounds like a hassle, a round-trip sailing from another port may be easier; compare on royalcaribbean.com.

Rough cost, three ways

Fill in the blanks from the official pages; we do not quote prices for a specific sailing.

• Plan your budget

  Your trip budget worksheet

  Prices change daily, so we don’t quote them. Fill this in from the official fare pages.

  Your trip budget worksheet

  Item	Your amount
  Cash: cruise fare
  (royalcaribbean.com, pick your sailing, choose stateroom type and guests) + taxes and fees
  (shown in the booking) + daily gratuities
  (royalcaribbean.com gratuities page; we could not open it) + flights YVR in / ANC home
  Seward to Anchorage transfer

• Points-assisted: same cruise cash, but flights on points. Verified transfers only: Aeroplan (from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt, all 1:1), United (Chase, Bilt 1:1), Alaska Atmos (Bilt 1:1), Flying Blue (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, all 1:1). Search award space on each program's own site; we do not quote award prices.
• Land-add: the cruise plus a pre- or post-cruise tour. The line sells cruisetours; price them on royalcaribbean.com.

For the Seward to Anchorage leg, the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic one-way (listed as Anchorage to Seward) in the 2027 season (May 14 to September 12, 2027) is $133 adult in Adventure Class and $289 adult in GoldStar Service . Whether the train schedule fits your ship's disembark time is something to check on the railroad's schedule page.

A note on packing and weather

Southeast Alaska is wet and cool even in summer, and glacier day is colder on deck than on shore. Pack a waterproof jacket, warm layers, a hat and gloves, and comfortable shoes, and keep a small day bag ready for each port.

Three free things

1. Canada Place waterfront walk (Vancouver). The terminal sits on the downtown waterfront, with the harbor and North Shore mountains in view. Walk the promenade before boarding if your timing allows. Photo: Canada Place exterior.
2. Ketchikan's Creek Street and waterfront (typical call). A walk along the boardwalk-style street and the harbor costs nothing. Photo: Creek Street, Ketchikan.
3. Hubbard Glacier from the ship deck. The glacier day is a scenic cruise with no extra ticket. Bring layers and binoculars; the best views are from open decks. Photo: Hubbard Glacier.

This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.