All Princess Cruises to Alaska Will Show the Northern Lights

Cruise guests sailing to Alaska generally stand a good chance of seeing the famous Aurora Borealis, aka Northern Lights, but those onboard a Princess Cruises’ ship in summer 2024 are guaranteed to experience the striking, night sky phenomenon. As part of its North to Alaska enrichment program, the cruise line announced it will present a new planetarium show featuring the spectacle inside each ship’s Princess Theater.

The presentation, called “Northern Lights,” is part of a broad series of special events, performances, culinary highlights, and cultural tours and excursions that makes Princess Cruises one of the top lines in the Alaska market. In fact, the cruise line in 2024 marks its 55th year sailing in the Great Land.

“Each season in Alaska we strive to deliver enriching experiences for our guests to feel immersed in the beauty and local culture of this spectacular destination,” said Terry Thornton, chief commercial officer of Princess Cruises.

“After receiving our highest guest satisfaction ranking ever last season, we knew we wanted to design elevated programming to further connect our guests to all of the wonders of the 49th state for our 55th anniversary season,” Thornton added.

In planning its 2024 Alaska itineraries, Princess Cruises predicted early in the year that the upcoming season will break records, with seven ships deployed to the destination. The ships will sail 14 itineraries to 17 ports or scenic cruising grounds, offering a total 158 departures.

Itineraries include five glacier-viewing options and 91 calls to the pristine Glacier Bay National Park. 

Three ships will operate 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Anchorage, including the 3,560-guest Royal Princess; the 2,670-guest Sapphire Princess, and the 2,600-guest Grand Princess.

Seven-day Inside Passage voyages will operate roundtrip from Seattle aboard the 3,660-guest Discovery Princess, and the 3,560-guest Majestic Princess.

From San Francisco, Princess will offer 11-day Inside Passage cruises aboard the 3,080-guest Crown Princess, while the 3,080-guest Ruby Princess operates 7-day Inside Passage voyages from Vancouver.

Summer 2024 Season Introduces New Tours, Activities

Princess Cruises has several new experiences waiting for cruisers who book a sailing aboard one of its seven ships exploring Alaska in summer 2024.

New shore excursions include Juneau Highlights: Glacier Gardens & Whale Park; Crab Feast at George Inlet Lodge, in Ketchikan; Port Chilkoot Distillery Tour & Tastings, in Haines; and Marine Expedition & Wildlife Quest, in Sitka, for example.

Cruisers who book a cruisetour that features accommodations at one of Princess Cruises’ five Princess Wilderness Lodges across Alaska can try the line’s new Alaska Adventure Quest: Geocaching Expedition. This exciting experience involves guests using their cellphones as GPS devices — or they can use a paper map —to find hidden goodies on the lodge properties.

In all, 20 cruisetours are offered in 2024, including two new ones. A 15-night cruisetour features visits to five parks, Glacier Bay, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords National Parks, and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. The trip combines a 7-day cruise with 8 nights on land, with accommodations at four Princess lodges.

Read Also: Your Guide to the Best Alaska Cruise Ports

A shorter option added to the 2024 cruisetour list is a 9-day exploration that features a 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise and two days in Anchorage, where the main event is a visit to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, famous for its bear-watching experience. The land component is offered pre- or post-cruise.

Cuisine is a major focus onboard Princess Cruises ships sailing in Alaska, with several local culinary events on tap. Among them are Crabshack, a four-course seafood extravaganza offered as a pop-up dining venue in the ships’ World Fresh Marketplace, and a salmon cooking demonstration on the final sea day of each itinerary.