Now on Sale

2026 season also features eight Panama Canal voyages, ranging in length from 20 to 42 days

VALENCIA, Calif., Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Luxury cruise line Cunard has unveiled its highly anticipated Alaska 2026 program, offering travelers the chance to embark on an unforgettable adventure through one of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations.

Between May and September 2026, Queen Elizabeth will sail 15 roundtrip voyages from Seattle, ranging from seven to 12 nights. Guests looking for a longer vacation that combines contrasting destinations can enjoy extended voyages of up to 42 nights, taking in the majestic landscapes of Alaska, the tropical beauty of the Caribbean, and the iconic Panama Canal.

An additional highlight to Cunard’s 2026 season is eight voyages through the famed Panama Canal, unlocking enticing destinations and experiences. A coveted voyage experience, these sailings bring guests close tropical jungles as the ship glides through 50 miles of locks and waterways between the mighty Atlantic and Pacific oceans. With so much to enjoy onboard and ashore, guests can admire the famed engineering marvel, unwind in the spa, or experience a variety of onshore adventures.

Cunard’s 2026 program on Queen Elizabeth features visits to 31 unique destinations across 16 countries, including highlights such as Colón, Panama, and Bridgetown, Barbados. Voyages are available to book from 5 a.m. PT on January 8, 2025, and guests can claim up to $800 onboard credit per stateroom* for bookings made between January 8 and March 26, 2025.

This Onboard Credit allows guests to indulge in Cunard’s signature luxury, whether that means unwinding with a spa treatment, savoring fine dining, or enjoying exceptional shore experiences. Highlights include the opportunity to witness humpback whales in their natural habitat as Queen Elizabeth sails through Alaska’s glacier-filled fjords.

Alaska highlights

Queen Elizabeth’s voyages invite travelers to immerse themselves in a world of tidewater glaciers and mirror-like waters, where each day in port offers guests the freedom to step ashore and explore somewhere new.

Whether it be Ketchikan, with its vibrant totem poles, Juneau, where famous gold mines put this historic city on the map, or Haines, a prime destination for kayaking, Alaska is an adventurer’s paradise.

And not forgetting the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier, two gems in the Alaskan crown.

Prices for a 10-night Seattle roundtrip to Alaska (Q620) in July 2026 currently start from $2069 per person based on two sharing a Britannia Balcony stateroom.

Katie McAlister, President of Cunard, said: “Alaska is a truly unique destination, and we’re delighted to return with our 2026 program. Sailing through its spectacular fjords and seeing the immense glaciers is an experience like no other. On board, guests can sip regionally inspired cocktails, enjoy cuisine influenced by local flavors, and hear fascinating stories from renowned explorers. These voyages promise to create unforgettable memories, and we can’t wait to welcome our guests on board Queen Elizabeth.”

For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.

For Travel Advisors interested in further information, please contact your Business Development Manager, visit OneSourceCruises.com, or call Cunard at 1-800-528-6273.

Notes to Editors
*Up to $800 Onboard Credit per stateroom ($400 per person) is based on reserving a Queens Grill Suite on voyages for 10 to 20 nights. Guests reserving a Britannia stateroom receive up to $400 per stateroom Onboard Credit. Onboard credit amounts vary by voyage length and category booked. Visit Cunard.com for full terms and conditions.

About Cunard
Cunard is a luxury British cruise line, renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world. Cunard has been a leading operator of passenger ships since 1840, and this year celebrates an incredible 185 years of operation. 2025 is a momentous year in Cunard’s history, which will be marked with several iconic land-based events and special Event Voyages. The Cunard experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment, and outstanding White Star service. From a partnership with a two-Michelin starred chef, to inspiring guest speakers, to world class theatre productions, every detail has been meticulously crafted to make the experience unforgettable. A pioneer in transatlantic journeys and round world voyages, destinations sailed to also include Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Far East and Australia.

There are currently four Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and new ship, Queen Anne, which entered service in May 2024. This investment is part of the company’s ambitious plans for the future of Cunard globally, with the brand now boasting four ships in simultaneous service for the first time since 1999. Cunard is based at Carnival House in Southampton and has been owned since 1998 by Carnival Corporation & plc. www.cunard.com (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cunard
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cunardline
YouTube: www.youtube.com/wearecunard
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cunardline

For additional information about Cunard, contact:
Jackie Chase, Cunard, [email protected]
Cindy Adams, [email protected]

SOURCE Cunard

Attorneys for the state of Alaska filed a lawsuit Monday to try to invalidate a federal lease sale for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The lawsuit says the Biden administration is offering so little land for lease and has put so many restrictions on it that the lease sale doesn’t comply with the law.

So the state, a stalwart supporter of drilling in the refuge, is asking a judge not to let the federal government issue leases to oil companies. The role reversal is the latest wrinkle in a long saga over what to do with the coastal plain of the refuge, in the northeast corner of Alaska.

After decades of hot debate in Congress, Sen. Lisa Murkowski championed a provision in a 2017 tax law mandating two lease sales, of at least 400,000 acres each, on the coastal plain of the refuge.

The first was held in 2021, in the final days of the Trump administration. As a measure of industry interest, it was a dud. None of the big oil companies offered a bid. Two private firms won leases but then relinquished them. The main bidder was the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.

In 2023, the Biden administration cancelled the leases, saying the process was flawed.

The state, citing an earlier congressional estimate, said it was in line to get more than $1 billion in lease revenues, plus royalty payments and the indirect economic benefits that come with more industrial activity.

Bids for the second sale were due Monday, and they’re scheduled to be unsealed Friday. The state lawsuit notes that this time, the government made only a third of the coastal plain available for bidding.

“Worse,” the legal complaint says, “it makes the lands available for lease impossible or impracticable to develop by significantly restricting surface use and occupancy. In essence, the [lease sale conditions] are designed to inhibit and deter, rather than promote, development of the Coastal Plain’s mineral resources.”

The Biden administration says its restrictions are the best way to balance all of the laws it has to follow. Before the 2017 law ordering lease sales, Congress set other goals for the Arctic Refuge, including conserving birds and wildlife, and protecting subsistence hunting and fishing opportunities.

If the lawsuit succeeds the Trump administration could get a do-over to offer more land for lease and under terms that would facilitate drilling.