Photo Courtesy: Vancouver Cruise Boat
Pacific Coastal Cruises
Find a vacation at sea that is short, sweet and packed with savings
Every spring, cruise ships leave Mexico and the Caribbean for the Alaska summer season. Along the way, these vessels pick up passengers for a shorter jaunt along the Pacific Coast—and typically a trip into Canada—an experience that affords first-timers and experienced cruisers alike an opportunity to sail with less commitment than a traditional cruise.
These one-way journeys are a little-known bargain for a family gathering or a short romantic getaway. Generally speaking—there are exceptions—the ships are pushing north up the coast in spring and heading south in the fall. There are also a handful of short round-trips in the Pacific Northwest on the shoulders of the summer Alaska season.
Known as repositioning cruises, these three- or four-day Pacific Coastal trips often serve as the perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with cruise vacations, according to Gage Griffin, cruise and travel director aboard Holland America Line’s Koningsdam. “It’s a nice foray into sailing, [a way to] figure out if you even like being on a cruise ship,” he said. “For people on the West Coast, it’s also really convenient because you can start or end your journey near where you live.”
Photo Courtesy: Princess Cruises
Not everyone is ready to tackle the standard cruise length of a week or longer. To appeal to those interested in a shorter trip, a select number of one-night cruises are offered by Holland America between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. This year, there were four such sailings: two in late summer and two in early fall, starting at $154 per person, including fees and taxes.
That’s not far from the cost of a hotel alone—and the experience of a formal dinner, entertainment and breakfast is all included. Plus when travelers leave Seattle, they wake up in vibrant Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadian city is a wonderland of steel and glass towers, bike and walking paths and lovely green spaces such as VanDusen Botanical Garden and Stanley Park, and cruisers can opt to end their journey here or stay in town to explore all there is to offer. Because Pacific Coastal cruises are usually one way, travelers gets to decide where they go next.
Big value in a short time frame
Pacific Coastal cruise vacations also have trips that are just a little longer, and are perfect for multigenerational groups. These cruises allow for shared family time at meals and on excursions—while also providing individuals the freedom to break away for a bit—and offer budget-friendly getaways.
Princess Cruises provides a variety of four- and five-night cruises between the Southern California ports of Los Angeles and San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia, as do Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America and Disney cruises. They start from a little more than $300 per person and go up to nearly $1,000 per person per sailing, depending on the line and itinerary. In most cases that works out to about $150 per night per person.
The shorter cruises offer practically everything available on longer ones, said Griffin, such as elegant dining across multiple venues, spa treatments, game shows, trivia contests, exercise classes, and gambling on the ships that have a casino. However, some shows or behind-the-scenes tours may not be offered, he said, due to compressed schedules.
Accommodations for all budgets
The experience of a cruise may be enhanced by the selection of the room, and Pacific Coastal cruises offer something for every budget. There’s nothing like the feeling of waking up, sliding open the glass doors and greeting a new day with the ocean racing by below the railing. A veranda room, or balcony stateroom, offers private space in addition to sleeping quarters. This is an upgrade worth considering when booking any cruise.
Cruisers can also go one step further by securing a suite, particularly if multiple cabins are needed for a family vacation. One suite can serve as a convenient gathering place for everyone since standard ship cabins are notoriously tiny.
Suites can also be remarkably affordable on the shorter sailings. A three-night, round-trip Vancouver cruise aboard the Discovery Princess (one of the newest ships on the West Coast, debuting in 2022) starts at about $650 per person for a mini suite on May 2026 sailings.
The least expensive accommodations are interior cabins with no windows. Consider the trade off between saving money and having more space or views.
Both Princess and Holland offer round-trip Vancouver sailings with some attractive stops in between (Holland America: Astoria, Oregon, and Victoria, B.C.; Princess: Seattle and Victoria).
Griffin especially enjoys stopping in less-visited ports like Astoria. “They are a really nice break from more commercialized places,” he said. “We’re trying to create travelers, not tourists, and in these smaller towns it feels like you’re dipping your toes into more everyday living.”
After all, taking a dip in unfamiliar waters is what shorter Pacific Coastal cruises are all about.
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