The cruise industry includes approximately 2,175 Alaska businesses that provide tours, activities and services to the cruise lines and their passengers. These businesses include:

  • Retail
  • Restaurants
  • Car-rental companies
  • Air transportation companies
  • Hotels/lodges
  • Day cruises/sled dog rides/sightseeing tours

Shore excursion participation in Alaska is extremely high compared to other cruise destinations, with an estimated 80 percent to 90 percent of passengers purchasing at least one excursion. Wildlife viewing, sightseeing tours and riding the railroad are the most popular.

Some 22 percent of passengers who cross the Gulf of Alaska participate in an extended land tour, generally consisting of a rail segment and overnight stays in Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage.

One of the most popular tours for cruise visitors is a ride on Alaska’s historic railroads. The White Pass and Yukon Route is a narrow-gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon.
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