Alaska Cruise Advisor

Many people planning on taking an Alaskan cruise while visiting North America are unaware that Candian transit visas are often required on Alaskan cruises for foreign nationals.  As a rule of thumb, if you are required to have a tourist visa to visit Canada, then you will need to get a Canadian visa for an Alaska cruise - even if you are traveling round trip out of Seattle.

In fact, due to U.S. regulations, every cruise ship sailing from Seattle is required to stop at one foreign port on its itinerary.  Therefore, in addition to stops at the Alaskan cruise ports, most ships stop at either Victoria or Prince Rupert, B.C.  Even if you do not plan on getting off the ship in Canada, you will be required to obtain a Canadian visa prior to sailing.

Of course this is not applicable to U.S. and Canadian citizens, only to certain foreign nationals.  If you are unsure whether or not you need a visa, call the nearest Canadian consulate for assistance.