Alaska Cruise Ships 2019 - BIG or small - What's Best?

Picking the best cruise ship for your Alaska voyage depends upon a number of factors - personal choice being perhaps the most important - but ship size is a major consideration.

• A larger ship offers more things to do (believe it or not it can be easier to find a quiet spot alone on a big ship) and lower fares, but they aren't for everyone.
• Small ships are more intimate, can get into smaller ports and tend to be more inclusive (so more costly), but not everyone will enjoy the quiet evenings.

In 2019, quite a few cruise ships will be sailing Alaska for the very first time, so I thought a list of ships sailing from Vancouver and Seattle, organized by size, might be a helpful tool.

Alaska Cruise Ships - by cabin count

For Alaska, common industry categories aren't all that informative, because so many ships fall into the middle category. So, to make shopping for the best ship for you easier, I have broken down the cruise ships sailing Alaska in 2019 by their cabin count. The nicknames are entirely mine.

HUGE

Ovation of the Seas - 2095 cabins

Norwegian Bliss - 2043 cabins
Norwegian Joy - 2043 cabins

Royal Princess - 1780 cabins

VERY LARGE

Ruby Princess - 1530 cabins

Celebrity Eclipse - 1425 cabins

Celebrity Solstice - 1425 cabins

Golden Princess - 1316 cabins

LARGE

Star Princess - 1298 cabins

Norwegian Jewel - 1194 cabins

Island Princess - 1107 cabins

MEDIUM

Celebrity Millennium - 1079 cabins

Carnival Legend - 1062 cabins

Radiance of the Seas - 1061 cabins

ms Nieuw Amsterdam - 1053 cabins

ms Eurodam - 1052 cabins

Queen Elizabeth - 1043 cabins

ms Oosterdam - 1012 cabins

Coral Princess - 1000 cabins

SMALLISH

ms Noordam - 986 cabins

ms Westerdam - 984 cabins

Disney Wonder - 877 cabins

ms Volendam - 716 cabins

ms Amsterdam - 690 cabins

SMALL

Viking Orion - 464 cabins

Crystal Symphony - 452 cabins

Azamara Quest - 355 cabins

Regent Seven Seas Mariner - 354 cabins

Oceania Regatta - 349 cabins

Silversea Muse - 288 cabins

Seabourn Sojourn - 225 cabins

VERY SMALL

Windstar Star Legend - 106 cabins

Silversea Explorer - 72 cabins

Tip: multiply the number of cabins by 225% to get approximate passenger capacity

Updated on July 25 to reflect announcement thayt the Norwegian Joy (new ship) will replace the Norwegian Pearl for the 2019 Alaska cruise season.


Please contact me if you would like to learn more about a particular ship, or would like a quote.

Related resources
What's the Best Cruise Ship Size for You? - Cruise Critic
Planning a Travel Surprise
Death by Selfie: Is Social Media Worth It?
7 Comebacks to "I Hate Cruising!"
Vancouver Cruise Opportunities