An Alaska cruisetour is one booking in two parts: the 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise between Vancouver and Whittier, the port for Anchorage, and a land tour of three or more nights by Princess rail, motorcoach and Princess Wilderness Lodge. You can sail first and go inland after, or go inland first and sail after. Princess moves your bags during the land part.
This guide covers how the two parts fit together: the order, the rail and coach legs, where you sleep, the Denali park tours, the luggage system, meals and the money rules. For which ships and sailings reach Glacier Bay, and whether Princess suits your trip at all, start with our Princess Alaska guide. Everything below comes from Princess's own cruisetour pages and its Alaska cruisetour FAQ, read on October 14, 2026.
Sail First or Land First
Princess's cruisetour finder lists both directions. In a cruise-first itinerary you board in Vancouver, sail to Whittier and then head inland. In a land-first itinerary you start in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Seattle, work through the land stops and finish by sailing from Whittier to Vancouver.
The direction sets your flight times. Princess's FAQ gives these suggestions:
Cruise first. Arrive in Vancouver no later than 2:30 p.m. on embarkation day for domestic flights, or 2:00 p.m. for international. If you're sailing from Vancouver but flying into Seattle, arrive by 10 a.m. and allow for a four-hour transfer. Your return airport depends on the tour, so check the last day of your itinerary.
Land first. Fly into Anchorage no later than 11 p.m. on the first night. Fairbanks and Seattle arrivals can land at any time that night. Hotel check-in is 4 p.m. in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and 3 p.m. in Seattle. At the end, book Vancouver departures no earlier than 11 a.m. for domestic flights or 12 p.m. for international, and Seattle departures no earlier than 4 p.m., because that transfer takes five hours.
Princess warns that many Fairbanks flights run in the middle of the night, and that the hotel can't always offer early check-in or late check-out, so you may need an extra night. If a flight is delayed and you booked through Princess, it says it may be able to help coordinate new plans. If you booked independently, you're responsible for adjusting your arrangements and covering the costs.
The Rail and Coach Legs
Princess's Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service takes you from the ship to a Denali-area lodge the same day. The finder marks the itineraries that use Princess Rail instead. Princess lists these segments, with travel times it calls estimates:
- Whittier to Denali (Direct-to-the-Wilderness): about 10 hours in double-decker glass-domed cars, with a lower-level dining room that serves made-to-order meals, beverage service in the upper dome, a gift shop and an open-air viewing platform.
- Whittier to Talkeetna (Direct-to-the-Wilderness, for the Mt. McKinley lodge): about 5.5 hours in single-level glass-domed cars with tableside beverage and meal service and a club car.
- Anchorage to Talkeetna, and Talkeetna to Denali (Princess Rail): about 3 hours and 5 hours.
- Denali to Fairbanks (Alaska Railroad service): about 4 hours, in double-decker glass-domed cars.
Rail seating is assigned, and Princess requires government-issued photo ID and your boarding information. Meals on the railcars cost extra unless your itinerary says they're included. Princess doesn't accept cash on the train, and it asks you not to bring food on board.
Motorcoaches cover the rest. Princess lists about 1.5 hours between Anchorage and Whittier, 5.25 hours from Anchorage to Denali, 3.25 hours from Denali to Fairbanks, 2.25 hours from Denali to the Mt. McKinley lodge and 7 hours from Anchorage to the Copper River lodge. Coaches have restrooms and seats aren't assigned, though Princess says guests may be asked to rotate through the day so everyone gets a turn near the front.
Where You Sleep
Princess owns five lodges: Denali, Mt. McKinley, Fairbanks Princess Riverside, Kenai and Copper River. It also uses other hotels on some nights, so your cruisetour may include either. Your hotel assignments show up in your Manage Booking 21 days before departure. The Denali lodge is one mile from the park entrance, and Princess puts the Mt. McKinley lodge about an hour from Talkeetna.
Check-out is no later than 11 a.m. Princess says air conditioning isn't available at most cruisetour hotels, and some Alaska hotels have no elevators. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available at all the lodges, though coverage varies, and cell reception on the route may be limited or missing.
The Denali Park Tours
The style you book sets your park tour and meals, and our Princess guide lists what Explorer, Escorted and Essentials each include. Princess says guests without an included park tour can book one through Land Excursions in Manage Booking.
The Natural History Tour runs four and a half hours and goes to Primrose Ridge at mile 17, with an hour of off-bus time. Princess says most cruisetours include it. The Tundra Wilderness Tour typically takes 7 to 8 hours and goes about 64 miles into the park along the Denali Park Road, which Princess calls one of the best chances to see wildlife.
The buses inside the park are school buses run by the National Park Service concessionaire, and Princess says no tour operator is authorized to use its own motorcoach inside the park boundary. To change your park tour on an existing booking, your travel agent calls Princess, or you call it if you booked direct. Changes must be made 14 days before departure, space is limited, and the price difference is applied to your booking. Children under 5 or under 40 pounds need a child safety seat, which you bring yourself.
Luggage: What Moves and What Doesn't
Princess says every cruisetour includes luggage handling during the land portion. The system uses these bags, and which tag you use for your cruise luggage depends on whether you cruise before or after the land tour:
- Join Me Tonight: one bag per person with what you need at the next hotel. Handlers move it, and you can't reach it in transit.
- Join Me Onboard: if you cruise after the land tour, a separate bag for dressy clothes and cruise items. Princess holds it until it reaches your stateroom.
- Join Me in Fairbanks or Anchorage: if you cruise first, a bag with your cruise items that you won't need on land. After you leave the ship, you can't reach it until it's delivered at your final stop.
- Hand-carry tote: keep documents, medication and valuables with you. Princess recommends a soft-sided bag no larger than 17 by 14 by 4 inches, since wheeled carry-on cases are too big for coaches and trains.
Land luggage tags are handed out by Princess representatives in Alaska, while the cruise tags should be printed before you leave home.
Meals, Excursions and Tips
Meals on the railcars, at the lodges and at other hotels are at your own expense unless the daily itinerary says otherwise. Princess sells prepaid Alaska meal plans for the land portion, with a deadline of 14 days before departure. The gratuity is included in the plans. For budgeting, it lists approximate Alaska prices of $18 to $24 for a breakfast entree, $30 to $50 for a salmon dinner and $37 to $52 for a steak dinner.
You can prepay land excursions in Manage Booking and cancel up to three days before travel with no fee. Inside three days the cost is 100% non-refundable, and tours you book while on the land tour are final. Princess says space is limited and flightseeing may not be available right up to departure.
Gratuities aren't included on land. Princess suggests $1 per bag for transfers, $2 per room per night for housekeeping, up to $10 per guest for a full day with a driver guide, $10 per person per day for a tour director and up to $10 per person for a full day with the rail team. Expenses in Alaska are in U.S. dollars and in Vancouver are in Canadian dollars. Princess also says Alaska time is one hour earlier than Seattle and British Columbia.
What to Decide, in Order
Pick sail first or land first, since it sets your flights. Then choose the park tour, and buy a meal plan before the 14-day deadline if you want one. If anyone in your party uses a wheelchair, Princess says lift-equipped coaches, accessible rooms and railcar seating are limited and need advance arrangements, with at least 30 days' notice for a lift-equipped railcar. For when to go and what the trip costs, see our guide to cruising Alaska by month and what an Alaska cruise costs.
