Seven days through
the Inside Passage

The first morning, the ship slipped out of Vancouver before sunrise. By the time we found coffee on the upper deck, the city had become a thin gold line behind us and the water ahead had turned the color of old pewter. Somewhere out there: a week of Alaska. Glaciers we'd only seen in IMAX. Bears that, in our heads, were still cartoonish. A coastline so big it would take seven days just to glance at it.

Spoiler: it lived up to every bit of it. This was actually our second Alaska sailing — we did our first on NCL Jewel in September 2022, fell in love, and came back two years later on the Bliss. Here's the journal from this trip, plus everything we'd tell anyone planning a first Inside Passage cruise.

Day 2 — The first sea day, and a lesson in slowing down

Cruising sounds slow until you do it, and then it sounds revolutionary. We didn't pack a single thing into Day 2. We read. We stared at the water. We watched a humpback breach in the distance and didn't bother getting out a phone. By dinner we'd remembered what it feels like to be bored, which on a busy life calendar is basically a spa treatment.

On Day 2 we did absolutely nothing, and it felt like the most expensive thing we'd ever bought. — Seanna, on the balcony

Day 3 — Juneau, and a helicopter onto a glacier

Juneau is the kind of town that exists because of the mountains behind it, not in spite of them — there are no roads in or out, just water and sky. We splurged on the helicopter glacier landing, which is exactly as cinematic as it sounds. The pilot tilted us over a ridge and suddenly we were inside a postcard: blue ice as far as we could see, crevasses opening like cracked porcelain, our own shadow racing across the snow.

If $500/person isn't your speed, the Mount Roberts Tramway is right at the dock and gives you a forest hike, mountain views, and a great lunch — all for under $50. We did both and didn't regret either.

Day 4 — Skagway, the gold rush town that kept its receipts

Skagway is one block deep and ten blocks long, and it has been doing tourism since 1898. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is the headline experience and yes, it earns the headline: open-air cars climbing through narrow canyons, waterfalls falling past your window, the engineer leaning out to wave at hikers below. Bring layers. It got cold.

Back in town, the saloons are loud, the fudge is excellent, and there's a tiny museum about the Klondike that's worth half an hour. Skip the heavily-marketed jewelry shops. Walk past them, around the back, and find the actual locals' coffee place.

Day 5 — Glacier Bay — the day everything stops

Glacier Bay is the day people sign up for. The ship doesn't dock; the National Park Service rangers come aboard, the engines drop to a hum, and you spend the day cruising through ice. Margerie Glacier rose two hundred feet straight out of the water, lit lavender and electric blue. We watched a chunk the size of a small apartment building break off and crash into the bay, then heard the sound seconds later — a thunderclap rolling across the silence.

If you take nothing else from this post: pick a sailing that includes Glacier Bay. Some itineraries swap in Hubbard or Tracy Arm — both are lovely, but Glacier Bay is the one.

Day 6 — Ketchikan, salmon, and a crab feast worth a journey

Ketchikan smells like the ocean and the rain forest at the same time. We took a small-boat tour of the Misty Fjords (do this; it is almost no one's first pick and the people who do it never shut up about it) and ended the day at a long table on a wooden pier, eating freshly caught Dungeness crab with a mallet and a bib and zero shame.

See all 44 photos from this trip →

What we'd do differently —

Three things, in order of importance.

1. Book a balcony. We almost didn't, and we are so glad we did. In Alaska you'll spend half the cruise on your balcony with a blanket and a coffee, watching the coast slide by. It's not a luxury; it's the room.

2. Pre-book your big port excursion. The helicopter day in Juneau and the small-boat tour in Ketchikan both sold out before sailing. Don't wait until you're aboard.

3. Pack like you're going hiking, not cruising. Waterproof shoes, a real rain shell, layers. You'll wear them all. Save the glamorous outfit for the dining room.

Want to go? —

We can plan this exact trip — or a longer cruise-tour version that adds Denali by train — for you, your family, or your group. We have personal supplier relationships with the major Alaska cruise lines, which usually means perks (specialty dining, onboard credit, sometimes free upgrades) at no extra cost to you.

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