After more than a year without passengers, Alaska recently welcomed its first large cruise ships for a shortened season.

Through October, seven different mainstream cruise brands will operate in the region, with eight vessels and the potential to carry over 200,000 guests at 100 percent occupancy in the Last Frontier.

Royal Caribbean International will lead in market capacity, with two ships and over 6,200 berths at full occupancy.

Norwegian Cruise Line will be second, with one ship and 4,200 berths, followed by Princess Cruises, with one ship and 3,600 berths with the Majestic Princess, which just returned from its first week-long cruise roundtrip from Seattle.  

Before the pandemic, the Alaska market was set to have record high capacity in 2021.

According to data from the 2021 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, the region could have seen just under 1.4 million cruise guests, with Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line having the lion’s share of the market.

2021 Capacity in Alaska according to Cruise Industry News:

Royal Caribbean International
Ships: Two – Ovation of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 6,200
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 57,900  

Norwegian Cruise Line
Ships: One – Norwegian Encore
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 4,200
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 46,200

Princess Cruises
Ships: One – Majestic Princess 
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 3,600
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy):  36,000

Carnival Cruise Line
Ships: One – Carnival Miracle 
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 2,100
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 16,800

Celebrity Cruises
Ships: One – Celebrity Millennium  
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 2,038
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 22,418

Holland America Line
Ships: One – Nieuw Amsterdam 
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 2,100
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 21,000

Silversea Cruises
Ships: One – Silver Muse  
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 596
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 2,980

Numbers by Corporation

Royal Caribbean Group
Ships: 4
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 8,834
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 83,298

Carnival Corporation
Ships: 3
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 7,800
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 73,800

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Ships: 1
Total Berths (at 100% occupancy): 4,200
Total Potential Capacity (at 100% occupancy): 46,200