Summer vacation planning is surging and Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ destination lists. For those wishing to take an Alaska cruise from the United States this year, recent developments have brought great news. Since the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act was signed into U.S. law last month, major cruise lines with non-U.S. flagged ships can start sailing from Seattle to Alaska this summer.

The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act eliminates the need for non-U.S. flagged ships to stop at a port in Canada during 2021, allowing cruise lines to offer seven-night round trip cruises from Seattle without calling on Victoria or Vancouver, British Columbia this year. Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and others will begin sailing Alaska cruises from Seattle in July. Certain health and safety practices and procedures are required.

In order to comply with the current protocols mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Conditional Sailing Order, cruise lines are requiring all applicable guests to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination in order to participate in Alaska voyages. In the United States, vaccinations are only currently available for children ages 12 and older. As a result, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises are currently strictly limiting their Alaska cruise guests to fully vaccinated passengers ages 12 and older.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises require guest ages 16 and older to be fully vaccinated before July 31, and children 12 and older must be fully vaccinated as of August 1. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises will currently allow younger unvaccinated children to sail to Alaska if they provide a negative test result before boarding and they must adhere to certain protocols as well.

This Alaska cruise season will be unique in a number of ways. This is the first time non-U.S. flagged cruise ships have been able to sail round-trip from Seattle to Alaska without stopping at a Canadian port. One-way northbound or southbound cruise itineraries starting or ending in Alaska are generally not offered this year. Some cruise lines will also be sailing into late September or early October, providing a different experience than is usually available. In addition, there will be significantly fewer children onboard most Alaska cruises this summer due to current vaccination requirements.

Alaska is a magnificent cruise destination filled with rugged beauty, amazing wildlife and exciting adventures. Here's a round-up of cruise lines and ships that are sailing to Alaska this year:

Royal Caribbean - Serenade of the Seas
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Mondays from July 19 through September 20, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point and scenic cruising to Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier

Celebrity Cruises - Celebrity Millennium
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Fridays from July 23 through September 17, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and scenic cruising to Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier and through Alaska’s Inside Passage

Holland America Line - Nieuw Amsterdam
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Saturdays from July 24 through October 2, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point and scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park and Stephens Passage

Princess Cruises - Majestic Princess
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Sundays from July 25 through September 26, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park

Carnival Cruise Line - Carnival Miracle
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Tuesdays from July 27 through September 14, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord. Carnival Miracle also sails an 8-night itinerary on September 14 that includes a visit to Icy Strait Point.

Silversea - Silver Muse
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Thursdays and Sundays from July 29 through September 9, 2021
Itineraries: 10-night cruises including Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord. Silver Muse also sails an 11-night itinerary on August 8 and August 29 that includes a visit to Icy Strait Point.

Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Encore
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Saturdays from August 7 through October 9, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point and scenic cruising to Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier. A second itinerary includes Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway with scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park.

Royal Caribbean - Ovation of the Seas
Alaska Sailing Season: Departs Seattle on Fridays from August 13 through September 10, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night cruises including Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and scenic cruising to Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier as well as Alaska’s Inside Passage

In addition, several small ship cruise lines have already been sailing from Seattle and ports in Alaska this year. Some of these cruises focus on active exploration and offer a wealth of included activities including hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and more. There has been strong demand for these immersive small ship Alaska cruises. Small ship cruise lines currently sailing in Alaska include:

UnCruise Adventures - Multiple Ships
Alaska Sailing Season: Currently departing from Alaska’s ports through September 24, 2021
Itineraries: Uncruise sails a variety of 7-night, 12-night and 14-night cruises in Alaska from Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Itineraries explore a number of Alaska’s most beautiful wilderness areas including Icy Strait, Glacier Bay National Park, Chatham Strait, Kuiu Island, Frederick Sound, Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier, Tracy Arm, Stephens Passage, Wrangell Narrows. Behm Canal and others.

Alaskan Dream Cruises - Multiple Ships
Alaska Sailing Season: Currently departing from Alaska’s ports through September 12, 2021
Itineraries: Alaskan Dream Cruises offers 5-night, 7-night and 8-night cruises in Alaska from Sitka . Itineraries visit a number of Alaskan ports and destinations including Wilderness Bay, Kake, Wrangell, Petersburg, Thomas Bay, Tracy Arm Fjord, Glacier Bay National Park, Pelican, Baranof Island, William Henry Bay, Endicott Arm, Fords Terror and others.

Lindblad Expeditions - Multiple Ships
Alaska Sailing Season: Currently departing from Alaska’s ports through September 4, 2021
Itineraries: 5-night and 7-night cruises visiting Juneau, LeConte Bay/Thomas Bay, Sumner Strait, Betton Island Marine Park, Misty Fjords National Monument and Ketchikan.

American Cruise Line - American Constellation
Alaska Sailing Season: Currently departing from Juneau and Ketchikan through September 1, 2021
Itinerary: 7-night, 10-night and 14-night cruises including Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Petersburg, Ketchikan, Wrangell, and scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska’s Inside Passage, Frederick Sound and Tracy Arm.

Those interested in sailing to Alaska this year would be wise to work with a professional travel advisor who can provide knowledgeable insights and assistance. Talk with your favorite cruise travel agent and check out CruiseCompete.com, an excellent resource network of over 750 travel agencies and advisors who can help vacationers find the best deal for their Alaska cruise.