Princess Cruises has created a new national park cruise tour that allows travelers to have up-close encounters with the natural wonders and unique wildlife of Alaska.
Available for the 2024 season, the new Katmai National Park Cruisetour allows guests to combine a traditional 7-day Alaskan cruise with a two-night stay in Anchorage and flights to and from Katmai National Park.
Katmai is a massive preserve – roughly 6,000 square miles – located about 300 miles southwest of Anchorage. Named after the Mount Katmai volcano, it’s home to six active volcanoes as well as abundant wildlife, including the world’s largest protected brown bear population.
Katmai National Park Offers Up-Close Look at Alaskaโs Wildlife
The visit to Katmai National Park comes either before or after guests sail the 7-day journey from Vancouver to Anchorage, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Two glacier-viewing experiences are included each week – Glacier Bay National Park and either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.
Once in Anchorage, guests can travel to Brooks Falls in Katmai, where the salmon spawning season attracts scores of brown bears looking for an easy meal.
Back in Anchorage, visits are available to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where curious travelers can meet the orphaned and injured creatures that make their home there, including moose, reindeer, wolves and more.
“This extraordinary cruisetour will provide guests with a deeper connection to the natural wonders of Alaska, and the opportunity to explore the pristine wilderness and majestic landscapes of the region,” said Terry Thornton, chief commercial officer for Princess Cruises.
This exclusive experience reflects our commitment to delivering unique and enriching journeys that allow our guests to explore more of Alaska while creating lasting memories,” Thornton added.
Princess Cruises Celebrates 55 Years in Alaska
In addition to the Katmai National Park Cruisetour in 2024, Princess Cruises previously announced a new 15-night National Parks Cruisetour. That adventure visits five of Alaska’s parks – Glacier Bay, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords National Parks, and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
This cruisetour combines a 7-day cruise with eight nights on land, including accommodations at Princess Cruisesโ renowned wilderness lodges.
For the 2024 season, Princess Cruises will operate seven ships from five home ports – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., and Anchorage (Whittier). The season, which runs from June through August, offers 32 cruisetours. Princess Cruises celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2024, serving Alaska.
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In addition to the seven ships, Princess Cruises offers travelers stays at five lodges – Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge near Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge in Denali National Park, Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge on Fairbanks’ Chena River, Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge near the Kenai River in Cooper Landing, and Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge in Denali State Park just south of the national park.
Longer Voyages Await Princess Cruises Guests in 2025
For guests planning further head, Princess Cruises previously announced its plans for the 2025 Alaska season. Those itineraries, which went on sale Aug. 3, offer three longer journeys, including the โUltimate Alaska Solstice With Glacier Bay National Park,โ a 22-day sailing on Ruby Princess, departing San Francisco on June 6, 2025.
Another 2025 adventure is a 17-day โUltimate Alaska with Glacier Bay National Parkโ on Grand Princess and a 16-day โInside Passage with Glacier Bay National Parkโ voyage from Los Angeles on Aug. 30, 2025.
In addition to the traditional 7-day itineraries, shorter 4- and 5-night โAlaska Samplerโ cruises are offered in 2025 on Discovery Princess, Royal Princess, and Grand Princess on select dates.
Princess Cruisesโ recently completed 2023 season was the busiest one to date, with the line operating seven ships – including the new Discovery Princess – with 14 itineraries.