Alaska Cruising Gets Complicated

Alaska takes center stage this season. Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas launches its first Alaska summer from Seattle — running seven-night Inside Passage itineraries to Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and the Dawes Glacier — though its June 19 departure was overbooked, with the line offering incentives to rebook. Aboard Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady, onboard retailer Starboard rolls out an Alaska-exclusive collection blending Virgin-branded goods with local makers, now driving more than half of its Alaska retail sales. And in Seward, Exit Glacier Greenhouses wins Royal Caribbean Group's first Port Partners Small Business Accelerator Award — $20,000 plus mentorship — as the port opens a new $137 million Alaska Railroad terminal.