1
In a typical year, more than half of Alaska’s visitors arrive by cruise ship 1.4 million in 2019. But not this year, and you can blame the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control-ordered shutdown of the cruise industry, coupled with Canada’s port closures, means Alaska’s summer cruise season looks to be canceled for a second year.
But you don’t need a ship to cruise the 49th state. A cruise visits only a tiny portion of the state’s 6,640
miles of coastline and none of its vast interior. And cruise ships don’t sail near Denali, Alaska’s most magnificent sight; at 20,310 feet, it’s the tallest peak in North America.