Six cruise lines are authorized to take ships into Glacier Bay National Park: Princess, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Seabourn, Cunard and Viking. That's the park's own list, and it's the first thing to check, because many Alaska cruises don't visit the park.
If you're wondering which cruise ships can visit Glacier Bay, the answer comes down to two things: whether the line holds permission to enter, and whether your itinerary includes the park on your dates. This guide covers how the park limits and allocates entries, what the day looks like on board, and how to confirm your sailing is one that goes in. The facts below come from the National Park Service's Glacier Bay pages and the Glacier Bay pages of Princess and Holland America Line, read on October 24, 2026.
How Many Ships Can Enter
The park allows no more than two cruise ships a day, year-round. It also sets seasonal limits on use days, one for May and September and one for June, July and August. The park's concession page lists 92 use days for May and September and 153 for June through August, and says those figures were set for 2017 and stand until changed.
The Superintendent reviews the seasonal limits every year and can reduce or increase them as needed to protect the park, up to two ships every day. In summer, the park's fact sheet also caps tour vessels at three a day, charter vessels at six and private vessels at 25. On a typical day, two cruise ships travel up the West Arm and spend four or more hours in the glacier areas.
How Entry Is Allocated
Cruise lines operate in the park under concession contracts with the National Park Service. A May 2018 park release said those contracts would include an allocation of vessel use days, with an anticipated term of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2029. It said 153 use days, with no more than two a day, were available each summer, and that the park anticipated awarding 71 of them to Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. It said both were considered historical operators with the right under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to continue the same level of service they were engaged in prior to 1979.
That release is archived, so the concession page above is the place to check which lines are authorized today. Smaller ships that visit as tour vessels are counted separately from cruise ships. The park's operator listing names Lindblad Expeditions, Un-Cruise Adventures, American Cruise Lines and Alaska Dream Cruises in that group, and the park says tour vessels carry 50 to 150 passengers. Private boaters apply for their own free permit, required from June 1 through August 31.
Which Sailings Go In
Holland America Line says it's an authorized concessionaire and that only a limited number of ships can enter Glacier Bay each day. Its Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver say Glacier Bay is on all of them, aboard Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam and Zuiderdam. Its 7-day Alaska Explorer round trips from Seattle, on Westerdam and Eurodam, give you a choice between Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, and its page marks Glacier Bay as on select cruises.
Princess says it's among the few lines permitted to sail in Glacier Bay. Its Glacier Bay page gives Seattle, Vancouver and Whittier as common departure ports. Our Princess Alaska guide shows which 2027 itineraries include the park and which go to other glaciers.
For Norwegian, Seabourn, Cunard and Viking, the park lists them as authorized, so confirm the itinerary names Glacier Bay National Park before you book. The park itself tells cruisers to note where each cruise goes, because many Alaska cruises don't visit Glacier Bay.
What a Glacier Bay Day Looks Like
The park describes a full day in the bay with no port stop. Here's what it says to expect:
- No docking: ships don't dock anywhere in the park.
- Time: ships typically spend a full day, 9 to 10 hours, in the bay, and stop in front of a tidewater glacier for about an hour.
- Rangers: park rangers board to narrate, give talks and run Junior Ranger activities, and they staff an information desk in a main viewing lounge with the park's cancellation stamp and an Alaska Geographic bookstore. Boarding is often early morning, and times vary by day, line and weather.
- Paperwork: a park map and the daily program arrive in your stateroom the evening before.
- Weather: summer highs run 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the park says to bring rain gear, warm layers and binoculars.
- Johns Hopkins Inlet: ships are allowed inside only in late summer, after the harbor seal protections end.
Princess lists late May through early September as the best time to visit, with June and July offering the best weather and peak wildlife. Our month-by-month guide to cruising Alaska covers the 2027 schedules, and our Alaska cruise packing list covers what to bring for the rain and the cold.
Conclusion
Before you book, look for Glacier Bay National Park by name in the itinerary and confirm the sailing date. Holland America's Alaska Explorer, for example, offers Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier as a choice, so the wording matters.
If you're leaning toward Princess, the guide linked above sorts its 2027 sailings by whether they enter the park. To compare lines on price, see what an Alaska cruise costs, and if you're weighing a land tour, our cruisetour or cruise only guide covers that choice.
