Record Season in Alaska: Princess Cruises Takes Off with a Mega-Fleet in 2026

Bild: Princess Cruises
Responding to the booming "coolcation" trend—travelers escaping the summer heat—Princess Cruises is launching the largest Alaska season in its company history in 2026. With a fleet of eight ships and over 24,000 beds per week, the cruise line is massively expanding its market leadership in the North Pacific. The absolute highlight is the brand-new Star Princess: This state-of-the-art, LNG-powered mega-ship breaks with traditional vessel design, bringing Alaska's spectacular nature directly to passengers through massive glass facades ("The Sphere") and a giant panoramic dome ("The Dome").

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To stand out against growing competition from luxury providers, Princess is introducing the "Sanctuary Collection," a new ship-within-a-ship concept for premium guests. But the onboard experience is being intensified beyond the suites, too. The expanded "North to Alaska" program brings real Park Rangers onto the open decks for exciting live commentary, offers cozy "Après Sea" events after strenuous shore excursions, and focuses on intimate concerts by local musicians instead of loud Broadway shows for evening entertainment.

The region also takes center stage culinary-wise. Menus increasingly feature sustainable specialties like wild salmon and king crab. A special highlight is the "Cook My Catch" program: Guests can go fishing themselves during shore excursions, and their catch is prepared and served exactly to their liking by the ship's chef that same evening.

However, the cruise line's real trump card lies on land. Princess Cruises is the only operator to own five private "Wilderness Lodges" deep in the backcountry, which are seamlessly connected to the ports via exclusive panoramic trains. Combined with the strictly limited and highly competitive entry permits for the famous Glacier Bay National Park, Princess offers a perfectly orchestrated complete package that is currently unrivaled in Alaska.