Cruise line to double capacity in Alaska, add overnight sailings to Glacier Bay

National park lovers have a new cruise option in Alaska this year that includes unusual park perks.
Starting in May, American Cruise Lines will offer cruise ships the rare opportunity to stay overnight in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
American Cruise Lines’ 170-passenger American Charter will join its Alaska-based sister ship American Constellation this year, doubling the company’s capacity in the region. The ship will offer five Alaska cruises and cruise itineraries over 25 sailing dates. All tours will feature an overnight stay in Glacier Bay, meaning visitors will have more time to soak in the area’s tidewater and land glaciers, search for wildlife in the park’s backwater bays, and learn about the Hunat Lingit people culture.
These two national park cruises combine overland travel with an Alaskan cruise to explore three national parks in just over a week’s vacation.
American Constitution will depart in the spring and fall, concluding its summer Alaska itineraries with sailings in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.
The USS Constitution’s Alaska cruises are scheduled to begin in May 2025, and all cruises include an overnight stay in Glacier Bay. The ship’s routes include:
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- Eight-night Southeast Alaska cruise, Juneau round trip. The ship will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Tracy Bay and Sawyer Glacier, and travel through Wrangell Sound.
- 11-night Alaska Explorer cruise, Juneau round trip. The ship will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka and Petersburg, and sail the Inner Passage, Tracy Bay and Frederick Sound.
- 15-night Alaska Inside Passage cruise from Seattle to Juneau (or vice versa). Highlights include cruising along the Inner Passage, Frederick Sound, Queen Charlotte Sound and the Strait of Georgia.
Two of the USS Constitution’s national park-focused itineraries combine cruises with land tours to visit three of Alaska’s national parks, including an overnight stay in Glacier Bay. The itinerary is as follows:
- 15-Night Alaska National Park Cruise and Land Tour. The itinerary begins in Fairbanks with a seven-night overland trip to Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park, with stops in Seward and Anchorage. From Anchorage, you’ll fly to Juneau and board the ship for an eight-night cruise that visits Glacier Bay National Park as well as some of the less visited cruise ports such as Haines, Petersburg, and Wrangell .
- 18-night Great Alaska National Park Cruise and Land Tour. The itinerary begins with the same weeklong land trip as the shorter itinerary, but adds an 11-night round-trip cruise from Juneau. Highlights include cruising Glacier Bay National Park, Inside Passage and Frederick Sound.
Deluxe water cabin fares start at $6,125 on Southeast Alaska routes (single balcony and single water cabins are currently sold out on most routes). Fares start at $8,525 for the Alaska Explorer cruise and $9,200 for the Alaska Passage cruise.
Prices start at $14,425 for deluxe water cabins on Alaska National Park cruises (July cruises are sold out). Great Alaska National Park cruise tickets start at $16,975.
All fares are single occupancy, based on double occupancy (taxes included) and subject to availability.
American Cruise Lines operates the largest fleet of river ships and small cruise ships in the United States, each carrying 90 to 180 passengers. They only sail to ports in 35 US states.
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