Princess Adds Alaska Experiences Across 2026 Fleet

Princess Cruises is building a bigger onboard Alaska product for 2026, adding four new North to Alaska experiences, Alaska-focused specialty dining and a slate of returning destination programs across all eight Princess ships scheduled to sail in the region this season.

What Princess is adding for Alaska in 2026

In a March 19 announcement, Princess Cruises said the new programming will be offered on Star Princess, Coral Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Grand Princess, Emerald Princess, Discovery Princess and Island Princess during the 2026 Alaska season.

The line described the season as its largest Alaska deployment to date, with eight ships, 180 departures and visits to 19 destinations. The update also brings the newest Princess ship, Star Princess, into the Alaska story after its October 2025 launch.

The four new North to Alaska additions are:

• The Glacier Experience: A Signature Princess Day
• Welcome to Alaska
• Après Sea
• Candlelight Concert Series: Fire & Ice

Together, they expand the onboard side of Alaska cruising beyond port calls and scenic sailing. The program is designed to connect guests with the region’s landscapes, culture, food and storytelling while they are still aboard the ship.

Why it matters for Alaska cruisers

Alaska is often sold around what happens off the ship: glaciers, wildlife, national parks, rail travel and port excursions. Princess is using North to Alaska to make the ship itself feel more tied to the destination.

That matters for guests because the 2026 additions give Alaska sailings more structured programming throughout the voyage. Instead of relying only on shore excursions or scenic cruising windows, cruisers will find destination-led events in theaters, lounges, open decks, dining rooms, youth spaces and outdoor venues.

It also gives travel advisors and repeat Princess guests more specific product details to compare across the line’s Alaska fleet. Because Princess says the new programming is planned for all eight ships sailing Alaska in 2026, the additions are not limited to a single flagship or one itinerary type.

The program also reinforces a long-running Princess position in the market. North to Alaska was first introduced in 2015 and focuses on local personalities, culture, food, educational events and destination-themed entertainment both onboard and ashore.

John-Paul Lamb, Princess Cruises’ vice president of entertainment, said in the announcement that the program is intended to bring guests closer to Alaska’s spirit, culture and natural beauty through local experts, Native storytellers, immersive entertainment and scenic glacier viewing.

The 2026 Alaska ship lineup

Princess named eight ships for the season: Star Princess, Coral Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Grand Princess, Emerald Princess, Discovery Princess and Island Princess.

The breadth of that lineup is important because the new North to Alaska experiences are being positioned as fleetwide Alaska programming, not a one-ship test. Guests booking different ships within the season should see the same core 2026 additions, while individual event timing and itinerary-specific elements may vary.

Star Princess receives a specific role in the announcement. Princess said the ship will host Après Sea in The Dome, the glass-enclosed venue located at the top of the ship and described by the line as offering broad views of the surrounding landscapes.

For Princess, that gives its newest ship a high-profile Alaska use case. For guests, it connects a newer ship venue to the Alaska itinerary experience rather than treating the ship’s design and the destination as separate selling points.

A new Glacier Experience anchors the program

The Glacier Experience: A Signature Princess Day is the most destination-specific of the new additions. Princess describes it as a scenic cruising program built around close-up glacier views, expert narration and, on select Glacier Bay sailings, Park Ranger commentary from the bridge and on deck.

The experience includes access to VIP viewing areas and Glacier Bay activations such as ranger information desks, presentations in the Princess Theater or Princess Arena, and Junior and Teen Ranger programs. Princess also lists hot chocolate and consommé stations on the open decks as part of the day.

For cruisers, the key guest-facing benefit is structure. Glacier viewing can be one of the defining moments of an Alaska cruise, but weather, crowding and timing can affect how guests experience it. Princess is packaging that day with narration, designated viewing access and educational components designed to help guests understand what they are seeing.

Princess identified several Glacier Bay North to Alaska activations tied to the experience:

• What to Expect: Ice & Awe
• Park Voices: Glacier Bay, with ranger and partner presentations onboard
• Live Glacier Commentary, with real-time narration during scenic viewing
• The Icefront Opens, giving guests access to bowfront viewing areas for glacier perspectives

The National Park Service partnership element appears most clearly in the youth programming. Glacier Bay Junior Rangers invites younger guests to complete activity books, attend presentations and earn a badge and certificate.

Welcome to Alaska sets up the voyage

The second new experience, Welcome to Alaska, is a once-per-voyage presentation hosted by the Cruise Director. Princess says guests can meet a naturalist, meet enrichment presenters and learn about the North to Alaska program.

That makes it more of an orientation than a single entertainment moment. For first-time Alaska cruisers, the session can help frame the rest of the sailing by introducing the onboard experts and highlighting how guests can take part in the ship’s Alaska programming.

It also helps solve a practical cruise problem: destination programming can be missed if guests do not know when or why to attend. A single early-voyage presentation gives Princess a place to explain the full North to Alaska calendar, especially on ships with multiple guest segments such as families, couples, multigenerational groups and cruisetour travelers.

Après Sea brings the day back onboard

Après Sea is positioned as an elevated post-adventure experience. Princess describes it as an après-ski inspired lounge where guests can unwind after a day exploring, with an elevated happy hour, warm drinks and panoramic views.

On Star Princess, the setting will be The Dome. That detail matters because it gives the new ship’s venue a destination-led identity during Alaska sailings. Rather than using The Dome only as a general lounge or entertainment space, Princess is connecting it directly to the rhythm of an Alaska day: go ashore, return to the ship, warm up and continue watching the scenery.

The concept also reflects a broader Alaska cruise reality. Long port days and cool-weather excursions often push guests to seek a comfortable transition back onboard. Après Sea gives that transition a name, a setting and a drink-forward social format.

Princess has not provided ship-by-ship venue details for every vessel in the announcement, so the confirmed venue callout is limited to Star Princess and The Dome.

Fire & Ice expands the Candlelight Concert Series

Candlelight Concert Series: Fire & Ice is the fourth new signature addition. Princess describes it as an extension of its current Candlelight Concert Series with an Alaskan flare.

The series will feature performances by Alaska singer-songwriters in an intimate setting illuminated by live music and glowing candles. Princess says Fire & Ice will be offered only twice per voyage.

For guests, the limited scheduling is worth noting. Unlike a recurring daily activity, this appears to be a lower-frequency entertainment event that cruisers may want to plan around once onboard.

The concept also fits the wider North to Alaska strategy. Rather than adding a generic concert format, Princess is tying the music program to Alaska-based performers and a mood that matches the destination’s contrast of cold landscapes and warm indoor gathering spaces.

Alaska-focused dining comes to specialty restaurants

Princess is also adding new Alaska-themed à la carte dining items at specialty restaurants. The line says the dishes will feature sustainably sourced, wild-caught Alaskan seafood curated by its culinary team in collaboration with regional suppliers.

At Crown Grill, the new offerings include Wild King Salmon, Alaskan Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, and Jumbo Lump Crab paired with Butter-Broiled Lobster Tail. At Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, Princess is adding Halibut alla Mediterranea, described as flaky halibut with Mediterranean accents.

The dining additions are important because food is one of the easiest ways to make an itinerary feel local onboard. Guests who do not book every shore excursion, or who prefer shipboard evenings, can still find Alaska-specific choices at dinner.

The à la carte format also signals that these are specialty-restaurant items rather than a general fleetwide main dining room menu change. Guests interested in the dishes should check venue availability and dining details once onboard or during pre-cruise planning.

Returning North to Alaska favorites

Princess is not replacing the established North to Alaska program. The 2026 update adds new elements alongside returning guest favorites.

One returning feature is the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, presented onboard through select axe-throwing recruits, trivia and a presentation on Timbersports and the port of Ketchikan.

Puppies in the Piazza is also returning on ships visiting Skagway. Princess says the program allows guests to learn about the history, story and culture of Alaskan huskies and features Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington and puppies that are sled dogs in training.

Select sailings will also feature Deadliest Catch presentations, with captains and crew members from the television show sharing stories about working in the Bering Sea as crab fishermen.

The speaker series remains part of the cultural and educational mix. Princess listed several speakers in its announcement, including Rachel Moreno, a member of the Tlingit tribe; Patricia Adkisson, an Alaska Native of Tlingit and Alutiiq heritage who has worked in public education; Nick Jans, an Alaska author; and Daryl Pederson, an Anchorage-based photographer known for northern lights imagery.

Family and outdoor programming remain part of the mix

The 2026 program also keeps several family and outdoor elements in place.

Campfire Movies Under the Stars brings families together outside with blankets and popcorn for family classics and Alaska-themed films. Stargazing Nights are offered on select vessels when skies are dark, with deck lights dimmed and an Activity Staff member guiding guests through visible constellations.

The Great Big Adventure: Alaska Edition challenges nine survivalists to navigate an Alaska wilderness theme in pursuit of food, shelter and water. Officers vs Guests: Alaska Edition adds shipboard competitions such as Tongass Bullseye, Tumbling Timbers or Tundra Tower, Kodiak Catch, Lumberjack Tug of War, sailor knot tying games and the Fly Like an Eagle Challenge.

Youth and teen programming includes Glacier Bay Junior Rangers, Gold Rush Adventures and Great Alaskan Expedition. The latter is described as a three-hour, team-based immersive experience for youth and teens built around land, sea and air.

For families, these programs help make Alaska less passive for younger cruisers. Glacier viewing and scenic sailing can be memorable, but structured activities give children and teens a clearer role in the destination experience.

Guest and business implications

For guests, the biggest takeaway is that Princess is making the Alaska itinerary more continuous. The destination will not be confined to port days, shore excursions or scenic cruising hours. It will show up in music, food, youth programs, lectures, deck experiences and post-excursion social spaces.

For repeat Alaska cruisers, the four new experiences may provide a reason to look again at a Princess sailing even if the ports feel familiar. For first-time cruisers, the program offers a more guided way into Alaska’s glaciers, cultures and onboard rhythms.

For the trade, the announcement gives sellers concrete talking points across the full 2026 Alaska fleet: eight ships, 180 departures, 19 destinations, Star Princess in the lineup, and new named programming that can be explained before booking.

The most marketable items are likely to be The Glacier Experience for scenery-focused guests, Après Sea for guests interested in lounges and views, Fire & Ice for music and atmosphere, and the Alaska seafood dishes for dining-led travelers.

What to watch next

The next practical details for guests will be shipboard schedules, venue assignments beyond Star Princess, specialty dining availability and which sailings include select programs such as Glacier Bay ranger commentary, Deadliest Catch presentations and stargazing.

Princess said additional information about its 2026 and 2027 Alaska seasons is available through a professional travel advisor or by calling 1-800-Princess. The full announcement is available from Princess Cruises’ News Center.