For years, though, that's as far as it got — a daydream I'd occasionally indulge by watching an Instagram reel or reading a few pages of a guidebook before convincing myself that this time, I'd finally book it.
Then I'd start planning.
Before long, I'd be 50 tabs deep trying to make sense of flights into Alaska's remote airports, transportation between coastal communities often reached by ferry or seaplane, and the sheer distances involved in getting almost anywhere. It is, after all, the largest U.S. state.
Bear-viewing trips to places like Katmai National Park sounded incredible, right up until I discovered they could involve a floatplane from King Salmon or Anchorage, a serious budget and considerably more advance planning than I ever seemed to manage.
Every time, I'd close the tabs and quietly file Alaska away as a trip for another lifetime.
I'll be honest, I'd never considered myself a cruiser. But a wonderful first sailing aboard the Disney Destiny in the Caribbean last November challenged almost everything I'd assumed about this kind of travel.
I loved the ease of unpacking once, waking up somewhere new each morning and having so much of the journey taken care of along the way. It also left me wondering whether cruising might be the answer to some of the destinations I'd always found more daunting to plan — Alaska chief among them.
So, when the opportunity to sail Alaska's coastal waters aboard Holland America Line's Koningsdam came up, I couldn't have said yes fast enough.
I had no idea that the trip I'd eventually take would end up ruining every future vacation I try to plan afterward.
If you've ever dreamed of experiencing the Last Frontier from the water, here's what it was really like — and everything you need to know before doing it yourself.
Our home for the week: Holland America Line's Koningsdam, cutting through Alaska's coastal waters.Helena Hanson | Narcity
Sailing on the Koningsdam
Before we get into glaciers and grizzlies, let's talk about my home base for the week: Holland America Line's Koningsdam.
I'll admit I boarded with a few preconceptions. My only previous cruise had been sprinkled with Disney magic — Mickey Mouse, superheroes and all — so the Koningsdam would be my first taste of something altogether more traditional.
I'd pictured a slightly older crowd, a slower pace and the sort of ship where admiring the scenery was the main event.
As it turns out, I wasn't entirely wrong. I just hadn't expected to enjoy it quite so much.
Launched in 2016 and freshly refitted in March 2026, the Koningsdam is the first of Holland America Line's Pinnacle class, and it carries itself accordingly — with fluid lines, light-filled spaces, and a sense of nautical tradition that feels classic rather than kitschy.
At just under 100,000 gross tons and carrying around 2,650 guests, it's what the line calls a mid-size ship. In practice, that means it's substantial enough to have plenty of breathing room and enough going on that you're unlikely to get bored, without being so enormous that getting from your cabin to dinner requires a map and a small hike.
There's plenty happening after dark, too, from live Memphis-style R&B at B.B. King's Blues Club and hits through the decades at Billboard Onboard to bigger productions on the World Stage.
Water views come standard at nearly every meal onboard.Helena Hanson | Narcity
One of the things I liked most about the Koningsdam is that it never demanded too much of me. Evenings could mean live music, cocktails and a flutter in the casino, or a quiet drink on the Sun Deck watching Alaska drift by.
There's plenty to eat your way through, too. Beyond the main Dining Room, specialty restaurants include French seafood at Sel de Mer, pan-Asian dishes at Tamarind, Italian at Canaletto and sushi from renowned chef Masaharu Morimoto.
Add in a New York-style deli and pizza spot, a casual Lido Market for grab-and-go, and 24-hour room service, and it's fair to say I never once thought about what I'd eat next — only when.
There's plenty of room to slow down, too. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon and Fitness Centre cover the wellness essentials and, in a very 2026 touch, there's even a pickleball court on the top deck.
It's a vessel built for people who want to feel spoiled without the formality, and by the end of the week, it felt less like a ship and more like a very good hotel moving through some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen.
The retractable-roof Lido Pool, a heated retreat for chillier days on deck.Helena Hanson | Narcity
The route
Holland America Line's seven-day Alaska Inside Passage sails roundtrip from Vancouver, tracing a path through Endicott Arm and Glacier Bay's scenic inlets with stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan along the way.
I sailed it in mid-July, when the weather sat at a crisp 22 C with sun most days — beautiful, but with enough of a chill coming off the glaciers that sunbathing wasn't really on the table (though the heated pool and sun deck still got plenty of use from me).
I arrived in Vancouver the day before, giving me time to wander around Granville Island and soak up some of the city's lingering 2026 World Cup atmosphere. I've visited before, but first-timers could easily add another day or two to explore properly.
Embarkation the following morning was remarkably painless and, although we weren't due to sail until 3 p.m., I boarded early enough to spend a few hours exploring the ship before raising a glass of (free!) Taittinger at Holland America Line's sail-away party.
Face to face with a glacier — this is about as close as you'll get without a kayak.Helena Hanson | Narcity
Sea days in Alaska
The seven-day itinerary includes three full days at sea, plus a little more if you count that first sail-away afternoon. I'll be honest, as someone who gets bored easily and likes to stay busy, that number worried me a little.
However, the Koningsdam doesn't need a floating theme park, rollercoasters bolted to the top deck, or pools packed shoulder-to-shoulder to keep you entertained. It trusts Alaska to do the heavy lifting instead — and it does.
With floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic viewing spots throughout the Koningsdam, some of my favourite hours were spent doing remarkably ordinary things against a fairly extraordinary backdrop.
My partner and I played cards while humpback whales surfaced in the water alongside us, sipped coffee on the top deck bundled against icy glacial winds, and watched miles of Alaskan wilderness — towering peaks, sparkling glaciers and dense rainforest — slide past.
Sea otters floated by, paws linked together, and bald eagles swooped overhead like they were managing the ship's entertainment schedule themselves.
The moon lingers over Alaska's snow-capped peaks as morning breaks.Helena Hanson | Narcity
One of the most spectacular stretches came as we sailed through Endicott Arm, a narrow fjord surrounded by steep mountains, waterfalls and increasingly enormous chunks of blue ice drifting past the ship. At the end sits Dawes Glacier, where the scale of the landscape really hit home. Even aboard a ship the size of the Koningsdam, Alaska had a way of making us feel very small.
The Crow's Nest quickly became our favourite spot: a panoramic lounge at the top of the ship where we could settle in with coffee or cocktails, raid a shelf of board games ranging from chess to Guess Who and, some days, listen to an acoustic guitarist while the wilderness rolled by outside.
There's also a cozy library onboard, stocked with modern titles and run on an honour system — borrow what you like, return it before you disembark.
One evening, we made our way to the open-air hot tubs on the top deck and had them entirely to ourselves, braving the cold for a soak surrounded by Alaska's icy peaks. It was a genuine pinch-me moment, and for everything the excursions delivered later in the trip, it still ranks among my favourite memories. I remember thinking that surely no future vacation would ever be able to come close to this.
I'd boarded the ship wondering how I'd fill three days at sea. By the end, I'd realized that filling them was rather missing the point.
Bundled up for a selfie in front of the ice — jacket weather, even on the sunniest days.Helena Hanson | Narcity
Exploring Alaska's ports
As spectacular as Alaska looked from the ship, our days on land offered a chance to get a little closer.
The itinerary stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, with excursions available at each covering everything from wildlife watching and glacier tours to hiking, dog sledding, gold panning and helicopter rides. Many aren't cheap — prices can stretch well into the hundreds of U.S. dollars — so it's worth factoring them into your budget before you book.
In Juneau, we opted for a tour combining glacier viewing and whale watching and, thankfully, Alaska delivered on both. We still had time afterwards to wander around the compact downtown, pick up a few souvenirs and stop for local beers and bites at the Crystal Saloon, complete with live music and an enormous moose head watching over proceedings.
Skagway brought one of the experiences I'd been most excited about: a journey aboard the historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. The train winds its way out of the tiny Gold Rush town and high into the mountains, retracing a route once travelled by prospectors while period-dressed guides bring its history to life along the way. Back in Skagway, colourful storefronts and Gold Rush-era buildings were well worth exploring.
Our final port, Ketchikan, ended up being my favourite. We headed out on a small-boat wildlife tour hoping for bears or orcas and saw precisely neither — proof that Alaska's wildlife doesn't particularly care about your itinerary. But with bald eagles, distant humpbacks and a fascinating introduction to the area's wildlife along the way, it hardly felt like a disappointment. Afterwards, we wandered the colourful waterfront before stopping for a beer at Baleen Brewing Co., and I was completely charmed.
My biggest takeaway is that you don't need to book an excursion at every port. If you're happy wandering somewhere new, trying local food and drinks, and poking around a few tourist shops, there's plenty to enjoy without planning every hour.
Creek Street's stilted boardwalk houses turned our favourite port into an easy afternoon of wandering.Helena Hanson | Narcity
My verdict
There are a few things I'd keep in mind before booking.
First, at 30, I was definitely among the younger guests onboard. I saw very few children and only a handful of teenagers, with most passengers seemingly in their 50s and older. That wasn't a negative for me at all — I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere — but if your idea of a cruise involves buzzing nightlife, late-night parties and meeting lots of younger people, the Koningsdam might not be the ship for you.
It's also worth tempering any expectations of lounging around in swimwear. We had fantastic weather by Alaska standards, with plenty of sunshine and blue skies, but this is still a region of temperate rainforest and conditions can change quickly. Even in mid-July, I spent far more time in a jacket than a swimsuit, with spells of wind, cloud and rain.
And while cruising is perhaps one of the easiest ways to experience this part of Alaska, that convenience comes with a trade-off. Port days can feel touristy, particularly when several cruise ships are in town. If your Alaska dream involves total wilderness immersion and getting properly off-grid, this particular version of the trip won't scratch that itch on its own.
Bundled up on deck as we glide through Alaska's endless blue.Helena Hanson | Narcity
For me, though, it delivered something else: an incredibly easy introduction to a place I'd spent years convincing myself was too complicated to visit.
I unpacked once and spent a week watching glaciers, whales and mountains drift past my window, stepping ashore in tiny coastal towns and seeing the kind of landscapes I'd previously only experienced through Instagram reels and guidebooks.
And rather than satisfying my curiosity about Alaska, the trip has had quite the opposite effect. I'm already thinking about how I can get back — perhaps combining another cruise with a land tour, or finally opening those 50 browser tabs again and committing to the more complicated adventure I'd always imagined.
The difference is that this time, I know for sure that Alaska is worth the hard work. And I have a feeling every vacation after this one is going to have some pretty big shoes to fill.
Scenery from our small-boat tour, scanning the shoreline for otters, orcas and everything in between.Helena Hanson | Narcity
7-Day Alaska Inside Passage
Price: From $1,282 per person for an inside stateroom
Depart: Vancouver, BC
When: Select dates May through September
Why You Need To Go: If Alaska has been sitting on your bucket list, this is one of the easiest ways to get a taste of the Last Frontier. You'll sail past glaciers, mountains and wildlife, visit charming coastal towns like Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, and only have to unpack once. For a destination that can otherwise take some serious planning, it's a pretty spectacular way to see a lot in just one week.
Holland America Line offered Helena Hanson the opportunity to sail on the Koningsdam in July 2026 with no expectation of coverage, positive or otherwise.
Narcity Media does not accept payment, gifts or favours in exchange for editorial coverage. We may accept a free product, service or experience if we believe our honest review could be of value to our readers. You can find our full Editorial Standards here.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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