Virgin Voyages Alaska 2028: What We Loved, What We’d Skip and the Glacier We Never Saw
Quick answer: Virgin Voyages’ Alaska 2028 season sails on Brilliant Lady from May to September 2028, mostly 7-night round trips from Seattle, with some longer sailings from Seattle and Vancouver. Bookings open November 12, 2026. After sailing it ourselves, our favorite thing was a small-boat Shore Thing in Sitka, and our biggest lesson was that glacier days depend on the ice.
Virgin Voyages is going back to Alaska in 2028, and I’ll be honest, this one makes me happy. At the end of our Alaska review on Talk Virgin to Me, I said I was hoping Virgin would go back in 2028, because that’s probably when I’d go back. Well, here we are!
Kelly and I sailed Brilliant Lady’s Alaska itinerary and talked through the whole trip on the podcast: what we loved, what we’d skip and the glacier we never actually saw. If you’re thinking about a Virgin Voyages Alaska cruise in 2028, this is everything we’d want you to know before bookings open.
Virgin Voyages Alaska 2028: The Basics
- Ship: Brilliant Lady
- When: May through September 2028
- Length: mostly 7-night round trips from Seattle, plus a few longer sailings of 9 to 12 nights and one-way sailings to or from Vancouver
- Ports: Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point, plus Victoria on most sailings
- Scenic cruising: Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier on the 7-night sailings, and Hubbard Glacier on a few of the longer ones
- Bookings open: November 12, 2026
Itineraries and dates can change, so we’ll confirm the current details for your sailing before you book.
Our Favorite Alaska Shore Thing: Sitka by Small Boat
Sitka Shore Things take you off the big ship and onto the water. Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages.
If you only book one Shore Thing in Alaska, this is the one we’d point you to. In Sitka, we did Virgin’s Coastal Expedition to Finn Island Lodge, and Kelly and I both called it hands down the best excursion of the trip. We’d do it again.
Here’s what to expect. They hand you a full rain suit and a life jacket to put on over your clothes, so you will feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The boat is a raft-style boat with benches facing in, which means a lot of twisting to see anything. That was honestly the hardest part, and we laughed about it the whole time.
Then it got amazing. We crossed a big bay (calm for us, though they told us it’s usually rough) and ended up in a quiet little inlet with three gray whales just hanging out. Being on the water at their level is completely different from seeing whales from a big ship. We also saw a sea otter, learned that we were standing in a rainforest, and had lunch in a cabin on a deserted island: crab, salmon, prime rib and clam chowder, followed by fireside s’mores. Our captain and naturalist were young, really knowledgeable and so sweet.
Our tips: bring that extra pair of socks they ask for, wear waterproof shoes, and keep your phone tucked away on the boat unless you’re ready to lose it. If you want to go into Sitka town without an excursion, you need to reserve a time on the shuttle there (coming back to the port doesn’t need a reservation).
The Glacier We Never Saw
Glacier days depend on ice and weather. Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages.
This is the part we have to be honest about. Our ship sailed into Endicott Arm toward Dawes Glacier, turned around in what we started calling “the elbow,” and headed back. We only found out why because we asked two Happenings Cast members: there was too much ice to continue. We passed tons of beautiful icebergs, but we never saw the glacier, and we didn’t hear an announcement about it.
What that means for you: scenic glacier days depend on ice and weather, and no cruise line can promise how close a ship will get. The 7-night Alaska sailings for 2028 cruise Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, the same stretch we sailed, and a few longer sailings visit Hubbard Glacier instead. If seeing a glacier up close is the reason you’re going, tell us. We’ll talk through which itinerary fits and whether a glacier Shore Thing on a smaller boat makes sense for you.
What We’d Skip (and What We Wouldn’t Miss)
We’d skip: Headphones and Horizons. It was $50 a person at The Perch for a guided listening experience with nature sounds, plus blankets, binoculars, mulled wine and hot chocolate. We were expecting the naturalist to tell us what we were seeing, and that’s not what it is. For us, it wasn’t worth $100 a couple when we could watch the scenery from the balcony. If you love a quiet, meditative moment, you might feel differently.
The Northern Night Market, one of Virgin’s Alaska-only events. Image courtesy of Virgin Voyages.
Don’t miss:
- The naturalist talks at The Scene on Deck 15. Coffee, little snacks and great stories. The Scene is easy to miss if you’ve never been, so look for the signs near the pool.
- The Northern Night Market. A mystery-box auction with paddles that was so much fun. We won’t spoil what’s in the boxes.
- Up with a Twist. It’s $50, and we think it’s well worth it every time.
And Prince Rupert? It’s a small, cute town and a tender port without a lot to do. We had a lovely lunch at the Crest Hotel. Our advice is to enjoy a slow morning on the ship and head out later.
What to Pack for Virgin Voyages in Alaska
- Layers. We got lucky with sunny port days that weren’t too cold or too hot, and most of our rain came on sea days. Layers are your friend.
- Waterproof shoes and good walking shoes.
- Binoculars. Bring your own.
- Skip the blanket. Virgin swaps beach towels for blankets on Alaska sailings, and there are blankets everywhere.
One more tip: build in a night in Seattle. We stayed an extra night after the cruise because of our flights, and we loved it.
Watch Our Virgin Voyages Alaska Review
Want the full story, including how many layers of rain gear it takes to turn around on a boat? Watch Part 2 of our Alaska review on Talk Virgin to Me.
Ready to Book Virgin Voyages Alaska 2028?
Alaska is a trip where the details matter: which itinerary, which side of the ship, which Shore Things book up first and how to get to Seattle without stress. That’s exactly what we help with. Tell us about your trip and we’ll help you pick the right 2028 sailing. You can also read more about booking Virgin Voyages with us or check out our Virgin Voyages Bar Tab calculator before you sail.
