1 In a typical year, more than half of Alaska’s visitors arrive by cruise ship — 1.4 million in 2019. But not this year, and you can blame the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control-ordered shutdown of the cruise industry, coupled with Canada’s port closures, means Alaska’s summer cruise season looks to be canceled for a second year. But you don’t need a ship to cruise the 49th state. A cruise visits only a tiny portion of the state’s 6,640 miles of coastline and none of its vast interior. And cruise ships don’t sail near Denali, Alaska’s most magnificent sight; at 20,310 feet, it’s the tallest peak in North America.