National park fans have a new cruise option in Alaska this year that will include an unusual park perk.
Beginning in May, American Cruise Lines will offer cruisers the rare opportunity to spend the night in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
American Cruise Lines’ 170-passenger American Constitution will join sister ship American Constellation in Alaska this year, doubling the line’s capacity in the region. The ship will offer five Alaska cruise and cruisetour itineraries across 25 sail dates. All itineraries will feature a Glacier Bay overnight, which means visitors will have more time to soak in the area’s tidewater and terrestrial glaciers, search for wildlife in the park’s backwater bays, and learn about the culture of the Huna Tlingit people.
The two national park cruisetours combine a land-based trip with one of the ship’s Alaska cruises to explore three national parks in one multiweek vacation.
American Constitution will bookend its summer Alaska itineraries with Puget Sound and San Juan Islands sailings departing in the spring and fall.
Alaska sailings on American Constitution are scheduled to depart beginning in May 2025, and all include an overnight in Glacier Bay. The ship’s itineraries include:
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
- Eight-night Southeast Alaska cruise, round-trip from Juneau. The ship will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier and travel through the Wrangell Narrows channel.
- 11-night Alaskan Explorer cruise, round-trip from Juneau. The ship will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka and Petersburg and sail the Inside Passage, Tracy Arm and Frederick Sound.
- 15-night Alaska Inside Passage cruise from Seattle to Juneau (or vice versa). Highlights include cruising along the Inside Passage, Frederick Sound, the Queen Charlotte Strait and the Strait of Georgia.
American Constitution’s two national park-focused itineraries combine a cruise with a land tour to visit three national parks in Alaska, including an overnight in Glacier Bay. The itineraries are:
- 15-night Alaska National Parks cruise and land tour. The itinerary begins in Fairbanks with a seven-night overland trip to Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park, with time in Seward and Anchorage. From Anchorage, you’ll fly to Juneau to board your ship for an eight-night cruise that visits Glacier Bay National Park, as well as a handful of less-touristed cruise ports, such as Haines, Petersburg and Wrangell.
- 18-night Grand Alaska National Parks cruise and land tour. This itinerary starts with the same weeklong land tour as the shorter itinerary, but it adds an 11-night cruise round-trip from Juneau. Highlights include cruising Glacier Bay National Park, the Inside Passage and Frederick Sound.
Fares for the Southeast Alaska voyages start at $6,125 for a deluxe water-view cabin (single balcony and single water-view cabins on most itineraries are currently sold out). Fares for Alaskan Explorer sailings start at $8,525, while prices for Alaska Inside Passage sailings start at $9,200.
Prices for the Alaska National Parks voyages start at $14,425 for a deluxe water-view cabin (a July sailing is already sold out). Fares for the Grand Alaska National Parks cruise start at $16,975.
All fares are per person, based on double occupancy (including taxes and fees) and subject to availability.
American Cruise Lines operates the country’s largest fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships, each carrying between 90 and 180 passengers. They sail only to U.S. ports across 35 states.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
