The Sapphire Princess is kicking off Princess Cruises’ 2023 season in Alaska today. Sailing roundtrip from Vancouver, the vessel is offering a 11-night cruise to the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park.

The complete itinerary includes visits to Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan, in addition to three full days at sea and scenic cruising at the Hubbard Glacier and the Glacier Bay National Park.

After an additional roundtrip cruise from Vancouver, the Sapphire Princess switches to open-jaw cruises in mid-May.

Sailing between Vancouver and Whittier, the seven-night itineraries are set to be repeated through mid-September and feature visits to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and more.

Joining the Sapphire Princess, five more Princess Cruises ships are set to sail in the Alaska during the upcoming summer season.

The fleet includes the fleet’s newest ship, the Discovery Princess, and also the Majestic Princess, the Ruby Princess, the Crown Princess and the Grand Princess.

Sailing from Seattle, San Francisco, Whittier and Vancouver, the six vessels are set to offer a total of 14 different itineraries.

Extending through early October, the program includes over 145 departures, in addition to five glacier viewing experiences.

A sister to the Diamond Princess, the Sapphire Princess was built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the 113,000-ton vessel underwent a major modernization in 2018 and also spent the last few weeks at a shipyard on the West Coast.

Part of the ship’s regular maintenance schedule, the routine drydock included technical overhauls, in addition to hotel upkeep and class wok.

With a capacity of 2,650 guests, the Sapphire Princess offers an array of facilities and public areas that includes four pool decks, a casino, a selection of specialty restaurants, a two-deck theater, a complete spa and more.