Tag Archives: Icy Strait Point

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Disney Wonder Returns to Alaska for Summer Season

The Disney Wonder recently arrived back in Vancouver, Canada, to kick off its 2025 summer season in Alaska.

After completing a spring deployment on the West Coast, the 1999-built ship returned to its homeport in British Columbia on May 12, 2025.

Sailing round-trip cruises from Canada Place, the Disney Wonder is now offering five- to nine-night cruises that visit Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Some of the sailings also feature visits to additional ports, such as Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Victoria.

Upon completing its summer season in Alaska, the Disney Wonder is scheduled to return to the South Pacific for cruises in Australia.

Before arriving in Sydney in late October, the 1,750-guest ship offers repositioning cruises that sail to Hawaii, American Samoa, Fiji and New Caledonia.

Disney Cruise Line’s summer deployment for 2025 also includes itineraries in Europe, North America and the Caribbean.

While the Disney Fantasy debuted in Europe earlier this month, four other ships are sailing from U.S. ports.

After entering service in late 2024, the Disney Treasure continues to offer a series of seven-night cruises to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

The Disney Wish and the Disney Magic also operate out of Disney’s homeport near Orlando, while the Disney Dream offers short cruises from Fort Lauderdale.

Itineraries are highlighted by visits to the company’s private island destinations in the Bahamas: Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

Disney is now getting ready to welcome two new ships to its fleet later this year, the Disney Destiny and the Disney Adventure.

Both new vessels are currently in the final stages of construction at shipyards in Germany.

While the Destiny is set to join the company’s fleet in the Caribbean, the Adventure marks the brand’s debut in Southeast Asia with cruises from Singapore.

Three New Cruise Lines to Alaska in 2026

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Three cruise lines are adding cruises to Alaska to their schedule in the summer of 2026: Azamara, MSC, and Virgin.

Returning to the destination after a seven-year hiatus, Azamara will offer a series of ten- to 13-night cruises in Alaska and Canada starting in May 2026.

Sailing in the region for the first time, the Azamara Pursuit will operate open-jaw itineraries that sail between Whittier and Vancouver.

According to Azamara, the voyages were created to prioritize unspoiled destinations, visiting locations such as Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and Icy Strait Point.

The deployment will also include excursions aimed at bringing guests closer to natural beauty, unparalleled wildlife and authentic culture, Azamara said.

MSC Cruises will debut for the first time in Alaska in 2026, with the MSC Poesia offering a series of seven-night cruises from Seattle.

The season runs from early May to late September and includes a regular itinerary that visits Ketchikan, Icy Strait Hoonah, Tracy Arm, Juneau and Victoria.

In a press release, MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said that the new operation in Alaska and Canada further expands the company’s global offerings by sailing to a must-see region.

Virgin Voyages is also debuting in Alaska in 2026 with the new Brilliant Lady. After entering service in late 2025, the ship is scheduled to spend its first summer season in the region.

From May to September, the Brilliant Lady offers 17 voyages to 12 destinations in Alaska, including Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Ranging from seven to 12 nights, Virgin’s itineraries sail from Seattle and Vancouver and also include destinations in Canada, such as Prince Rupert and Victoria.

According to the company, the cruises will give guests opportunities to experience Alaska’s wildlife and landscapes while taking part in activities that include salmon fishing, glacier trekking, lumberjack shows and dog sledding.

As one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, Alaska accounted for nearly five per cent of the industry’s market share this year, according to data from the 2024 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

Carnival Luminosa to Spend 10 Days at Sea

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Carnival Cruise Line is changing the itinerary of Luminosa’s 30-day repositioning cruise to Australia.

After sailing from Seattle on Sep. 14, the cruise will no longer visit any port in Alaska.

Instead, it will head straight to Japan, spending a total of ten days at sea before arriving in the port of Otaru.

“In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center, we are monitoring a low-pressure system in the greater Alaska region which is forecasted to create unusually high swells and strong winds that will impact the first part of our itinerary,” the company said in a statement given to guests onboard.

“To maintain a safe distance from the storm, we must sail south of the low-pressure system. Therefore, it will not be possible to visit Alaska,” Carnival added.

The original itinerary of the repositioning cruise included visits to Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, in addition to scenic cruising at the Hubbard Glacier.

“Everyone’s safety is our priority, and we really have no choice other than to change our itinerary. We know you were looking forward to visiting Alaska as part of this unique adventure and we share your disappointment,” the statement remarked.

“To make it up to you, we will be posting a $200, per stateroom, onboard credit to your Sail & Sign account to enjoy a little something on us,” Carnival added.

The company will also reimburse any pre-purchased shore excursions for the destinations that are no longer being visited.

Now sailing directly to Asia, the Carnival Luminosa is scheduled to arrive in Japan earlier than planned and visit an additional port in the country. To accommodate the extra port of call, however, Carnival also cancelled a visit to Kushiro.

Following the revised itinerary, the 2009-built ship is scheduled to arrive in Otaru on Sep. 25, before heading to Hakodate on Sep. 26.

The remainder of the cruise, which also includes visits to three other ports in Japan and additional visits to Indonesia and the Philippines, hasn’t changed.

Spending the 2023-2024 winter in Australia, the Carnival Luminosa is scheduled to arrive in Brisbane on Oct. 15.