HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) does Alaska the way I wish everyone could see it — on a small expedition ship that slips into fjords and wildlife channels the big lines sail right past. Fares are genuinely all-inclusive: every Zodiac cruise, guided landing, and expedition-team excursion is already in the price, so there's no à-la-carte sticker shock onboard. HX's 130th-anniversary sale takes up to 25% off select expeditions, and I can add an extra 5% off on select 2026 Alaska departures. This covers late-2026 Alaska sailings and the 2027 season — but the anniversary window closes August 31, and the best late-season whale-watching departures are the first to fill.

I steer my Alaska-curious clients to HX when they want glaciers and wildlife without the mega-ship crowds — you're close enough to hear a calving glacier, not fighting for a rail spot with 4,000 people. Book the late-season departures for the strongest whale activity; I keep a few cabins held on the September sailings and they move fast, so tell me your dates before this window closes.