Virgin Voyages had one key priority when designing the Brilliant Lady: the ship had to fit through the Panama Canal in order to get to Alaska, the next region Virgin wanted to offer.
When the Brilliant Lady arrives in Alaska next year, it will have healthy competition from other newcomers. Virgin is one of three cruise lines debuting in Alaska next year, while other lines are returning from a hiatus.
While CLIA expects Alaska passenger volume to remain steady, the total number of ships will increase from 54 to 60 between 2025 and 2026 after no increase the year prior. And the new brands entering Alaska in 2026 will account for about 5.5% of passengers overall.
Each line will introduce new travelers to the region and join the already tight competition for optimal port access.
"Alaska is one of the world's most breathtaking destinations, and the arrival of new cruise lines brings more choice for travelers, new audiences discovering Alaska and expanded opportunities for travel advisors to sell the region," said a CLIA spokesperson.
MSC Cruises with the MSC Poesia and Virgin will join the ranks of the large-ship lines sailing Alaska, with MSC hoping its price point is a draw and Virgin selling its child-free flair.
On the luxury end, newcomer Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will sail the Luminara in Alaska in summer 2026, and Azamara Cruises and Crystal are both returning to the destination for the first time in seven years. Explora Journeys will makes its debut in Alaska in 2027 with the Explora III.
Some cruise lines have worked to specialize their Alaska offerings amid the growing competition.
Virgin, for example, is sailing from Seattle on Thursdays rather than weekends, which is intended to minimize crowding on port days.
Explora is offering land tours to tack to the beginning or end of its sailings to "deliver a richer, slower and more meaningful way to experience Alaska than a traditional cruise alone," said president of North America Chris Austin.
Azamara said it will offer its signature longer stays in port to give guests more time to explore, and an AzAmazing Evening in Ketchikan will showcase Alaska's lumberjack traditions.
Legacy Alaska cruise lines are adapting to the competition. Princess will send its newest hardware, the Star Princess, to Alaska next summer -- it's also its largest ship ever to sail there.
"With respect to new entrants, it's great because it requires us to continue to raise the bar to maintain our leadership position," said chief commercial officer Jim Berra.
Cruise lines making their Alaska debut said there is strong demand.
Virgin is seeing three times the revenue in Alaska than its next closest North America itineraries in 2026 and 2027.
"They've been some of our best-selling itineraries to date," a spokesperson said.
Azamara is seeing "exceptionally strong interest" there, and bookings are "pacing ahead of recent deployment launches," said CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler.
Spreading the wealth of visitors
Alaska cruise expansion remains limited by capacity at the most popular ports in the southeastern part of the state as well as by some community opposition to growth: Juneau last year approved restrictions, taking effect next year, that cap cruise capacity at 12,000 lower berths on Saturdays and 16,000 on other days.
Windstar Cruises is returning to Alaska after a three-year hiatus. Jess Peterson, the line's director of destination experience and itinerary planning, said he adjusts individual itineraries if he thinks an overcrowded port will dampen the guest experience.
"We have to be more intentional than ever to make sure that we're not in certain ports when they're really, really crowded," he said.
Some of the new lines are opting to visit up-and-coming ports that have less congestion, including the Indigenous-owned Klawock Island. The port opened in 2024 and has seen a significant annual increase in cruise calls: six in 2024; 23 in 2025; and 57 expected in 2026.
For the Huna Totem Corp., one of the port's owners, new lines coming to Alaska is a win.
"Our cruise destinations have capacity for more cruise ships and visitors, so we are optimistic about this increase in activity," said a Huna Totem spokesperson. "We see our role as key to the development of more infrastructure and new cruise ship routes that can help disperse travelers to all areas of Alaska's vast coastline."
The Alaska Travel Industry Association said that as new entrants come to the state, it is important to have open communication between the cruise lines and port communities.
"We have so many communities that would love to add cruise tourism," said president Jillian Simpson. "These new or off-the-beaten path cruise ports are where a lot of excitement lies as we develop our cruise industry and new infrastructure."