Wild Alaska: 12 Nights with Virgin Voyages
12-24 August 2027
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Roundtrip Seattle
12 Nights. 6 Alaska Ports. One Hell of an Itinerary.
So here’s what happened.
A few of our Travel Fam booked this Alaska sailing for next summer. Then a few more booked it. And now there are enough Trevino Adventures people onboard that we figured we might as well make it official and invite the rest of you.
Ben and I likely won’t be sailing on this one, which is honestly very rude of our calendar. (We haven't COMPLETELY given up hope on being able to go). But, regardless, we already have quite a few Trevino Adventures travelers booked, so there will be plenty of familiar faces onboard if you want them, but absolutely no expectation that anyone needs to travel as a group. Do your own thing, join up when it sounds fun, and enjoy the bonus of knowing some great people are sailing too. Ben and I may not be onboard for this one, but you’ll still have all the usual Trevino Adventures support leading up to the trip. I’ll help get you booked, keep you updated along the way, share tips and important information, and make sure you feel completely prepared before you ever step onboard.
WHY THIS ONE?
It’s 12 nights. It’s adults only. It sails roundtrip from Seattle. It includes six Alaska ports, Hubbard Glacier, the Inside Passage AND Victoria.
And now it has a whole bunch of Trevino Adventures people on it too.
So while this won’t be one of our traditional hosted trips with Ben and me leading the circus, it has absolutely become a Travel Fam sailing.
If you’ve been waiting for the right Alaska cruise, I’d seriously look at this one.
Itinerary
INSIDE PASSAGE
Start by sailing through the Inside Passage, which is basically Alaska showing off immediately. Forest-covered mountains, narrow waterways, waterfalls, bald eagles, seals and a very real possibility that somebody spots a whale and the entire ship loses its mind.
KETCHIKAN
Ketchikan is classic Southeast Alaska: colorful waterfront buildings, Creek Street, towering totem poles and some seriously beautiful surrounding wilderness. This is also a great place to get out on the water, look for wildlife or head into the rainforest rather than simply wander around town.
SITKA
Sitka is one of my favorite kinds of Alaska ports because it feels a little different. Russian history meets Tlingit culture, with mountains and water surrounding everything. There’s also the Alaska Raptor Center, coastal hiking and excellent opportunities to get out looking for marine wildlife.
HUBBARD GLACIER
This is one of the BIG reasons I love this itinerary. Hubbard Glacier is enormous, brilliantly blue and still actively advancing. We’ll spend the day scenic cruising in front of it, watching for seals on the ice and hopefully seeing giant pieces of glacier calve into the water.
SKAGWAY
Skagway gives you a very long day to play. The town itself looks straight out of the Gold Rush, but the real fun is heading into the mountains. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is legendary, and there are tons of ways to turn this into a full-on Alaska adventure day.
HAINES
Haines is smaller, less commercial and surrounded by spectacular scenery. It’s known for wildlife, bald eagles and the Chilkat River Valley, and it gives us another chance to get out into Alaska instead of spending the day surrounded by cruise ship gift shops.
JUNEAU
Juneau gives you glaciers, mountains, whales and a full 12-hour port day to work with. Mendenhall Glacier is nearby, whale-watching here is excellent, and there are plenty of ways to get farther out into the wilderness. This is absolutely a day you can do something memorable.
ICY STRAIT POINT
Another full 12-hour Alaska day, and another excellent wildlife stop. Icy Strait Point sits near Hoonah and is especially well known for whale watching, wilderness experiences and its gigantic zip line if you’d rather launch yourself down the side of a mountain.
TWO SEA DAYS
After a week of Alaska adventures, you get two full days to actually enjoy Brilliant Lady. And because this is Virgin Voyages, that means adults only, fantastic food, cocktails, entertainment and zero children cannonballing into the pool next to you.
VICTORIA
Finish with a full day in Victoria, British Columbia. You can head to Butchart Gardens, explore the Inner Harbour, wander one of the prettiest cities in Canada or simply eat and drink your way through town before our final night onboard.
And did I mention this sailing hits Alaska during prime summer whale season? Humpbacks spend these months feeding throughout Southeast Alaska, and this itinerary passes through some fantastic whale country, including Juneau and Icy Strait Point. Orcas are possible too, so yes, you should probably plan to get a balccony cabin and to spend an unreasonable amount of time staring at the water. On our last Alaska cruise we saw plenty of whales...right from the ship!
Pricing
Pricing for a double-occupancy balcony cabin is running around $6,000–$7,000 for the full 12-night sailing, depending on the fare tier you choose. And just to be very clear: that price is for TWO people, not per person.
Deposit is 20% down
PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE A PASSPORT VALID 6 MONTHS PAST YOUR TRIP END DATE.
Inclusions
Virgin Voyages includes quite a bit in the cost of your cruise. Dining throughout the ship’s 20+ eateries, basic WiFi, group fitness classes, entertainment and shows, soda, still and sparkling water, tea, drip coffee and select juices are all included in your cruise fare.
Gratuities are additional and can be prepaid before sailing or added to your onboard account.
Alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, upgraded WiFi, spa services and shore excursions are available at an additional cost.
With so much already included, it’s easy to settle in, enjoy the ship and spend your time deciding what sounds fun instead of constantly thinking about what comes with an extra charge.
TRAVEL FAM INFO HUB
In the coming months, I’ll launch a dedicated Travel Fam Info Hub web page just for this trip. As we get closer to sailing, I’ll keep it updated with helpful guidance on flights, packing, travel insurance, excursions, pre-cruise planning and all the little details that help you get the absolute most out of the adventure.
It’ll be your go-to place for trip updates, planning resources and everything you’ll want to know before we set sail.
