Seabourn to sail ultra-luxury Encore cruise ship in Alaska for first time in 2026

Seabourn, Carnival's 'ultra-luxury' brand, has announced that the Seabourn Encore cruise ship will voyage to Alaska and British Columbia for the first time next year.

With sailings between May and September 2026, Seabourn will operate 17 seven-day voyages plus one eight-day sailing. Guests can combine two of these itineraries to make a 14 or 15-day voyage.

This 2026 Alaska program is a new deployment in the region for Seabourn Encore, which is an all-suite ship.

Encore is a small ship, with just 300 luxury cabins onboard, and it boasts a high calibre of service (with a high ratio of staff to guests).

Seabourn highlighted that the Alaska itineraries will blend stops such as Juneau and Ketchikan with smaller, hard-to-reach waterways - like Alert Bay, the Inian Islands and narrow stretches of the Inside Passage, plus every voyage includes a glacier viewing.

The cruise brand says it will offer more sailings into Glacier Bay National Park than any other luxury cruise line.

As an extra perk, all guests on the Alaska sailings receive Helly Hansen all-weather jacket.

"Alaska continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations for our guests," said Seabourn president Mark Tamis.

"From exploring remote waterways to authentic coastal towns rich with culture and history, our 2026 season offers experiences beyond the expected, bringing guests closer to Alaska's wildlife and communities with the comfort of an ultra-luxury, all-suite ship."

The ultra-luxury cruise line operates 'Ventures by Seabourn' which is a signature program of optional, expert-led excursions on every voyage.

In Alaska, these experiences include kayak and Zodiac excursions that allow guests to get much closer to the glaciers, and wildlife.

A highlight of the 2026 Alaska program will be a 19 June Solstice sailing from Juneau, and a 7 August sailing that's due capture an unique viewpoint for the Perseid meteor shower.