Like many dads, mine is a man of few words over text; he’s famous in my family for responding to almost anything with a single thumbs-up emoji. But when I texted him last March asking if he wanted to go on an Alaska cruise, my phone immediately lit up with an enthusiastic “Hell yeah.”

Nine weeks later, we found ourselves in a helicopter hovering over the Port of Skagway, the massive, 145,000-ton Discovery Princess cruise ship we had just disembarked shrinking in the distance. Skagway is the northernmost ice-free port in North America, and its surrounding mountains were mostly green in June, with modest caps of snow — but our scenery was about to drastically change in a matter of minutes. 

On our final turn, pine forests gave way to an almost blinding blanket of white. We were landing on a glacier, where a remote camp with a few hundred huskies and a hearty team of mushers were waiting to take us on a sled ride. As we made our way from the improvised helipad in knee-deep snow, the dogs barked and howled to greet us.

Related: All 16 Princess Cruises Ships, From Newest to Oldest

Five summers ago, my dad and I started an annual trip tradition. We live in beach towns on opposite coasts, and we tend to go for the types of experiences neither of us gets at home. This was our second trip to Alaska, but our first cruise together. Watching my dad pump his fist in excitement as the dogs took off and our sled glided swiftly over the ice, it clicked: this is why cruises are so popular for multi-generational travel. 

We were four days into our seven-day Inside Passage sailing from Seattle, and while I had been most looking forward to our excursions, our home base aboard the Discovery Princess, paired with on-shore thrills, created the perfect balance. Off the ship, we were testing ourselves and trying new things. On the ship, there were familiar comforts for both of us. To wind down after ziplining through treetops in Juneau, my New York-Italian dad could park himself at Crooners (or, as he called it, “The Frank Sinatra Bar”), a Rat Pack-inspired spot with classic drinks and a pianist cranking out oldies. I could start my day with a pilates class and a cappuccino before heading into Ketchikan for an off-road UTV safari (at home, I’m partial to Uber).

Discovery Princess took its maiden voyage in 2022 and holds up to 3,660 passengers in its 1,830 staterooms. It has kids’ clubs spanning toddlers to teens; a spa, gym, casino, and multiple bars and lounges for adults; and plenty of spaces all ages can enjoy, including casual restaurants, a live theater, four pools, an outdoor movie deck, and a miniature golf course.

The expansive ship’s MedallionClass experience allows travel buddies to track each other via wearable tech — a feature that comes in handy when you, ahem, don’t always get a very detailed text back.

Here’s what it was like to experience Discovery Princess on a seven-day Alaska Inside Passage sailing and why it makes for an ideal father-daughter adventure.

The Staterooms 

Of the 1,830 staterooms on board, 42 are suites, and two are Sky Suites, the top-tier offering. Each Sky Suite sleeps up to five guests and includes two bathrooms connected by a living room, four TVs, and the largest private balconies of any Princess ship. The Sky Suite balconies are the best seats in the house for “movie under the stars” nights, while everyone else watches from the pool deck. We stayed in a balcony stateroom, which came with two beds, a desk, patio furniture, and a closet. The neutral, sand-colored room design with water-blue accents worked as well for coastal Alaska as it would for a cruise to sunny Mexico. At about 222 square feet, it felt like close quarters, and although we made it work, I would recommend a suite or two balcony staterooms for a family trip if you can swing it. There are 100 connecting staterooms and 40 accessible staterooms on board. 

Bars and Restaurants

Our Princess Premiere package ($90 per person per day) included unlimited top-shelf cocktails and specialty dining, and in seven nights, we never ran out of restaurant or bar options, though we quickly found our go-to bar (Crooners) and revisited often. Discovery Princess is one of only two Princess ships that features “360: An Extraordinary Experience,” our favorite dinner of the trip. It’s an immersive meal that could be kitschy but is instead quite impressive, taking a small group of guests around the Mediterranean in seven courses through food, drink, storytelling, special effects, and impeccable service. The $149 cover charge is worth it; we sipped ElixSea wine, aged beneath the Mediterranean Sea. 

Discovery Princess also offers the special Caymus Winemaker Dinner, a five-course meal paired with wines from California’s Caymus Vineyards, selected by owner and winemaker Chuck Wagner. Of the specialty restaurants in our package, contemporary steakhouse Crown Grill and fresh seafood restaurant The Catch by Rudi stood out. There is also Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, Gigi’s Pizzeria, two traditional cruise dining rooms, and International Cafe, a 24-hour coffee shop and bakery that was buzzing with patrons bright and early every morning.

Other than Crooner’s, bars included Bellini’s, where you can mingle with a glass of Champagne overlooking the happenings in the ship’s Piazza (most often used as a dance floor); Good Spirits at Sea, where cocktail fans will find the ship’s most knowledgeable mixologists; and O’Malley’s Irish Pub, with classic libations and live performances. 

Where Discovery Princess Sails

In 2025-2026, Discovery Princess will once again sail multiple routes through Alaska (we started and ended in Seattle and stopped in Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Victoria, Canada, plus a scenic sail through Glacier Bay National Park). It will also sail to Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta); from Vancouver to Los Angeles with stops in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and San Diego; from Honolulu, Hawaii to Vancouver; and from Seattle to Singapore.

Shore Excursions

For those who enjoy outdoor adventure, shore excursions are, without a doubt, the highlight of any cruise to Alaska. Princess’s excursion options were plentiful and flexible — after deciding we’d spent enough time on the water, I was able to exchange a whale-watching day trip for a UTV off-roading experience, and I also added a White Pass Railroad trip to our day in Skagway at the last minute, a live Gold Rush history lesson that took us over the Canadian border and had us spotting black bears. Still, it’s best to book early to guarantee you don’t miss out on your own must-do activities. The aforementioned helicopter to a glacier for dogsledding was the best cruise excursion I’ve experienced, though watching my dad fly through his first zipline was a close second. On a quick stopover in Victoria, we tasted craft beer at a local brewery, and we also had the chance to taste fresh local crab on land at Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau and George Inlet Lodge in Ketchikan. 

Amenities and Entertainment 

Princess Theater is where the ship’s splashiest productions take place, but for more low-key entertainment, you’ll find comedy shows, interactive game shows, and dance classes. We stayed away from the Las Vegas-style casino, though it was very popular. I most enjoyed stumbling upon live musical acts, from jazz musicians to piano-playing crooners to folk bands, at lounges across the ship. 

As for amenities, Discovery Princess has four pools (Alaskan weather didn’t tempt me in, even in summer, though the kids on board were not deterred), 10 hot tubs, a very small miniature golf course, and a track. The gym and spa offerings feel luxurious — fitness classes included Pure Barre and Club Pilates, among other recognizable names — and the full-service Lotus Spa includes a salon and the Enclave, a serene hydrotherapy space.

Those traveling without kids will want to know about The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat on the top deck with lounge chairs, spa food, steward service, and open-air massage options. My dad and I sat for hours under blankets here, watching Glacier Bay National Park pass by and spotting endangered humpback whales. (Reservations are required.)

Family-friendly Offerings

A colleague on the ship with her teenage daughter had plenty of time to read and relax thanks to The Beach House, a hangout for 13-to17-year-olds, where her adorable daughter had a blast and made more friends than any of us adults. There’s also a forest-themed play space for 3-to-7-year-olds (think: pajama movie nights and arts and crafts) and a club for 8-to-12-year-olds with science programs and sports-themed competitions. During a day at sea through Glacier National Park, both kids and adults loved learning about their natural surroundings when park rangers came on board.

Accessibility

Discovery Princess has 40 accessible staterooms. An online guide maps out the accessible public restrooms, routes, elevators, and amenities on its 19 decks.