The Best Alaska Cruises of 2026: Our Top Picks After 7 Trips
Key Moments
Editorial Summary
The creator provides a comprehensive guide to the best Alaska cruise options for the 2026 season based on their extensive travel experience. The video evaluates various cruise lines, including Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Carnival, Holland America, Disney, and Windstar. For Princess Cruises, the creator highlights the Star Princess as a major new addition with unique glass structures and diverse dining. Norwegian Encore is recommended for its amenities and suitability for multigenerational groups, though the creator notes a lack of onboard enrichment compared to competitors. Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Solstice are discussed for their modern reinvention and recent upgrades, while Royal Caribbean ships like Anthem of the Seas are noted for innovative entertainment despite not visiting Glacier Bay. The guide also covers MSC Cruises' debut in the region, Disney's family oriented magic, and Holland America's robust enrichment programs. For those seeking intimacy, Windstar Cruises is presented as a small ship option. Finally, the creator reveals their excitement for testing the Virgin Voyages ship, Brilliant Lady, which features optimized interior spaces and new culinary options. The video concludes by recommending professional cruise planners to assist with itinerary selection.
Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.
How This Review Compares
This review is more positive than the all-time creator consensus.
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
After seven Alaska cruises, we know exactly what separates an unforgettable trip from a disastrous one.
Star Princess shines bright in 2026.
We actually got to sail on Norwegian Encore in 2023, and it was one of our favorite Alaska cruises.
However, one place Norwegian Cruise Line falls short for us is the onboard enrichment when compared to some other cruise lines and cruise ships on this list.
Creator's Tips & Advice
🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:
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Topics Covered
Port Highlights
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyVideo content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube