Prince Rupert Cruise Port, a small but growing port featured on many Alaska cruises, wrapped up its 2024 season after welcoming 43 cruise ship calls and is looking ahead to a busy 2025.
The port, located about midway between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Juneau, Alaska, received just under 60,000 cruise guests during the April-to-October season. The total reflects a healthy jump from the 41,000 guests who visited the port in 2022.
Prince Rupert is frequently included as a port call on Alaska cruises sailing from Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, along the Inside Passage and to points north.
Officials at the port, which is managed by Global Port Holdings, attribute the facility’s popularity to the immersive shore excursions available to cruise guests, particularly those that feature the Great Bear Rainforest, a top attraction.
Among those offerings are the Kitsumkalum Glacial Heritage and Gastronomy Trail, and the Great Bear Rainforest by Rail & Road tour, which regularly sold out during the 2024 season. Another popular shore tour brings guests to the Tsimshian Longhouse for a drumming ceremony, where dancers in traditional native dress perform.
Cruise guests also embraced the Explore Prince Rupert by Vintage Trolley excursion, which provides an overview of the region for first-time visitors. In all, the port introduced 12 new excursions and two new immersive experiences, for a total of 14 shore tour options.
“These experiences of Prince Rupert beautifully combine scenic beauty, cultural depth, and the natural wonders, creating memories that our guests will forever treasure,” said Kevin D’Costa, general manager of Prince Rupert Cruise Port.
He said the port will continue to expand its shore excursion roster and support the local vendors and tour operators who organize and run them.
“We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the cruise lines that visited us in 2024. We look forward to welcoming them back in 2025, including the much-anticipated arrival of Royal Caribbean next year, and Virgin Voyages in 2026, as we continue to build strong and exciting partnerships,” added D’Costa.
Royal Caribbean in 2025 will offer cruises with port call visits to Prince Rupert aboard the 2,476-guest Serenade of the Seas. The ship will sail 7-night Alaska Inside Passage cruises roundtrip from Vancouver. Besides Prince Rupert, other featured ports will be Sitka, Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, Juneau, and Ketchikan.
Brilliant Lady to Visit Prince Rupert in 2026
In 2026, Virgin Voyages will make its debut in the Alaska market with the deployment of its newest ship Brilliant Lady. The line’s fourth ship is under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, and is due to enter service in September 2025.
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Brilliant Lady will be introduced to Alaska with her 7-night “MerMaiden” voyage, roundtrip from Seattle, on May 21, 2026. Port calls are scheduled at Ketchikan and Sitka, Alaska, and Prince Rupert. The voyage will also feature scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord.
Following her inaugural sailing in the Great Land, the 2,762-guest ship will offer departures from Seattle and Vancouver through September 2026, offering 7- and 12-night Alaska Inside Passage and Canadian Coasts cruises that include Prince Rupert.
A sample 12-night voyage roundtrip from Seattle will visit Ketchikan, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Haines, Prince Rupert, and Victoria, British Columbia.
The Port of Prince Rupert in 2022 signed a management agreement with Global Port Holdings (GPH), becoming the company’s first and only North American port.
When the pact was announced, GPH officials suggested that Prince Rupert has the potential to eventually welcome up to 250,000 cruise passengers a year.
