As Southeast Alaska towns become saturated with cruise ship passengers, it may feel impossible to get an authentic Alaska travel experience. But as more and more big ships vie for limited time in Alaska’s ports, small ships provide unique experiences by going where the big ships can’t.
Southeast Alaska is an ideal cruise destination. The majority of the towns, including the capital, Juneau, sit on islands that are only accessible by boat. Add snow-dusted mountains, deeply cut fjords with icy blue tidewater glaciers, combined with wildlife galore, and the popularity of Alaska cruises becomes self-evident.
Alaska cruising by the numbers
Since the end of the pandemic, cruise ship passenger numbers in Alaska have reached new heights. Cruise Lines International Association reports an estimated 1.6 million passengers boarded Alaska cruise ships in 2025. In Seattle, the Port of Seattle prepares for 2.1 million guests as the 2026 season brings two new cruise giants into the region: MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages.
However, not all the new ships coming to Alaska in 2026 are big. Windstar Cruises, a leader in the luxury, boutique, small-ship market, is also back in Alaska in 2026. After a three-year hiatus, Windstar’s newest ship, the Star Seeker, recently started its first Alaska season.
The Star Seeker cruising experience
Launched in December 2025, the Star Seeker, “still has that new ship smell,” according to Tom Schofield, captain on the ship’s inaugural Alaska cruise. The ship may be new, but the seasoned crew continues Windstar’s trademark friendly service, which has earned the company accolades from happy customers and numerous repeat guests.
Billed as a mega yacht rather than a cruise ship, Star Seeker’s 112 cabins have a maximum passenger capacity of only 224 guests. With a crew of 135, personalized and attentive service is guaranteed.
Designed without any interior cabins, the Star Seeker is perfect for scenic cruising along Alaska’s ruggedly beautiful coastline. Most of the all-suite cabins have balconies or floor-to-ceiling infinity windows, making it easy to enjoy the views in warm, peaceful comfort.
Robes and slippers, reusable water bottles refilled daily and an umbrella for guests’ use are just a few of the little touches that elevate the experience in each cabin. In the en-suite bathroom, marble tiles, a large glass shower with rain showerheads and body sprays, along with L’Occitane bath products, create a spa-like feel.
Southeast Alaska is a rainforest, and liquid sunshine is the norm. But, with plenty of indoor and outdoor viewing spaces, the Star Seeker makes it easy to take in Alaska’s grand views in any weather without feeling crowded. All public rooms have broad windows, with the top-deck viewing lounge offering wraparound floor-to-ceiling glass along with a bar and a library.
Exploring out-of-the-way destinations
It may seem like Southeast Alaska has no surprises left, but small towns that can’t accommodate large ships and big crowds still exist. As a luxury small ship expert, Windstar has included two such locales in its itineraries: Wrangel and Haines.
By allowing only one ship in port per day, Wrangel keeps to its authentic Alaska roots for the 2,000 residents who live here year-round. With activities for adventure lovers, wildlife seekers and history buffs, this cruise stop has options for all interests.
The nearby Le Conte tidewater glacier is known for its frequent calving and its ice-filled bay. In the straits around Wrange, wildlife cruises take guests in search of whales, otters, bald eagles and other native species. On land, Tlingit guides share their cultural stories with a visit inside the Chief Shakes Longhouse or a stop at Petroglyph Beach State Park, which has the highest concentration of ancient native rock carvings in Southeast Alaska.
A few hundred miles north, Haines is one of only two coastal towns that can be reached by road from mainland Alaska via Canada. The mountain ranges that surround Haines create a dramatic backdrop for another authentic and historic Alaskan locale. A short walk from the cruise dock, historic Fort William H. Seward offers interesting perspectives into the region’s gold rush days, while the nearby Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve has opportunities for bald eagle watching and scenic float trips.
The highlight here, though, is the Haines Highway, a designated National Scenic Byway with classic Alaska views of unending snow-covered peaks. Another sightseeing option is to rent a car for the day and drive along the Haines Highway for a few hours to the summit overlook in Canada that offers unforgettable scenery. Just don’t forget your passport for the border crossings.
Soft adventure made easy
It’s the scenic cruising days in locations like Misty Fjords National Monument and Endicott Arm, along with the opportunity for Zodiac excursions, that shine on a Star Seeker Alaskan cruise. An expert excursion team leads the zodiac tours and also provides informative lectures about Alaska throughout the cruise.
In general, tourists have to take long day trips from Ketchikan to visit Misty Fjords, but the Star Seeker easily sails deep into the glacier-carved waterway. Along the way, guests are treated to ever-changing scenery as the mist plays peek-a-boo with peaks and pine-covered ridges.
On another day, cruising the 30-mile-long Endicot Arm provides even more spectacular views of steep granite cliffs sculpted by ice thousands of years ago. Deeply cut valleys with hanging glaciers in the distance give a clue of what is to come. The reward at the end of this fjord is the tidewater Dawes Glacier, one of the many fingers that come down from the vast Stikine Icefield that straddles the United States and Canada.
In both locations, the expedition crew takes interested guests even closer to the scenery on easy zodiac tours. With a maximum of six people in each zodiac, the experience is intimate and personalized. Guests are taken so close to a waterfall that they can feel the spray, or pass through floating ice that they can almost touch. The immersion lets them feel like they are part of the scenery, not just passing through it.
Combining traditional cruising with expedition-style experiences, it is still possible to see Alaska up close and personal without being surrounded by a boatload of other tourists. This is the Windstar difference in Alaska.
Rose Palmer is a retired Ph.D. chemist and a multiple award-winning travel writer, photographer and podcaster who has been recognized with two Lowell Thomas journalism awards. She has traveled to more than 60 countries and shares her personal travel stories at Quiltripping because she believes that “Life is a patchwork of experiences.” Her content is routinely syndicated to the Associated Press and has been featured in numerous U.S. news outlets, including the Seattle Times, the Miami Herald, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, MSN and other newspapers and TV stations throughout the U.S.