If Alaska is on your cruise bucket list, you already know the “wow” moments come fast – glaciers calving in the distance, bald eagles overhead, and that first “wait… is that a whale?” sighting from the railing.
MSC is leaning into that reality for its inaugural Alaska season by partnering with ORCA (a marine conservation charity focused on whales, dolphins, and porpoises). And this is not just a logo swap or a feel-good press release. It’s an onboard monitoring and education program designed for the exact place you’re sailing.
What’s Changing?
For part of MSC Poesia’s Alaska season, guests will be joined by an ORCA-trained Marine Mammal Observer onboard. The current plan is a one-month deployment during peak whale season, running from late July through late August 2026.
That matters because it sets expectations:
- This is not necessarily “every sailing, all season long.”
- It is timed for the stretch when whale activity is typically at its strongest.
If you’re sailing during that window, you could have an actual trained observer onboard whose job is to watch, log sightings, and help MSC operate responsibly in a region where marine life is part of the main event.
Who is ORCA, and why do cruise lines work with them?
ORCA is a conservation organization that uses science and the power of volunteers to help protect whales and dolphins. One of the key things ORCA is known for is monitoring marine mammals from platforms like ferries and cruise ships, then using that data to support safer practices and conservation efforts.
In plain English: they turn ships into observation platforms, and they use what they learn to reduce risk for marine mammals, especially in areas where vessel traffic is heavy.
Why Alaska is the right place for this
Alaska cruising is spectacular, but it comes with real-world operational challenges:
- Peak Alaska cruise season overlaps with peak whale season.
- Visibility and weather can change quickly.
- Marine traffic stacks up in popular corridors near ports and scenic cruising areas.
MSC’s Alaska program is positioned as “science-led” and focused on operating responsibly in a sensitive region, which is exactly the kind of language you want to hear when you’re cruising in a place like this.
What you’ll actually notice onboard MSC Poesia
This partnership is designed to be visible to guests, not hidden behind-the-scenes.
Based on the program details shared so far, the ORCA observer onboard is expected to:
- Monitor and record whale activity during the voyage
- Share educational content with guests (think talks, tips on spotting, what you’re seeing, and why responsible practices matter)
- Help reinforce best practices around whale awareness and safety
If you’re the kind of cruiser who ends up on the open decks during scenic cruising anyway (most of us are), this adds a cool layer to the experience. Instead of “I think that was a whale,” you might have someone nearby who can help you identify what you saw and explain what ORCA tracks and why.
The overlooked part: excursions and “doing whale watching right”
Here’s the part I think is quietly a big deal: ORCA is also expected to review Alaska whale-watching excursions and share guidance on best-practice operators.
That’s important because whale watching can range from respectful to… let’s just say “a little too eager.” If MSC and ORCA help steer guests toward responsible operators, it can influence how tourism behaves in the region over time.
What “best practice” usually looks like in real life:
- Operators keep respectful distance rather than crowding wildlife
- There’s no chasing or cutting off an animal’s path
- Natural behavior is prioritized over getting the perfect photo
In Alaska, the goal should be the same as everywhere else: incredible sightings, minimal stress on the animals.
Want to participate? OceanWatchers makes it easy
If you want to turn “standing on deck staring at the ocean” into something that actually contributes to marine science, ORCA’s OceanWatchers program is built for that.
OceanWatchers includes an online training course plus a mobile app that helps people collect effort-based sightings data. ORCA explicitly calls out that the program can be used from cruise ships, ferries, beaches, and more.
This is very on-brand for Alaska cruising: low effort, high reward.
- You learn what to look for.
- You log what you see.
- The data helps build a clearer picture of where and when marine mammals are present.
This partnership is not brand new for MSC
MSC and ORCA have already worked together on ship strike mitigation training for deck officers, aimed at reducing the likelihood of collisions with whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
MSC has also stated that by the end of 2023, 226 of its officers had been trained, and that new officers go through the course during familiarization.
So the Alaska onboard observer program is not coming out of nowhere – it’s an extension of an existing relationship, applied to a region where guests are actively looking for wildlife every single day.
Where this fits into MSC’s Alaska itineraries
MSC’s first Alaska season sails from Seattle on 7-night itineraries onboard MSC Poesia, visiting:
- Ketchikan
- Icy Strait Point
- Juneau
- Victoria, British Columbia
Plus scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord, which is one of those “get outside early and don’t go back in” kind of mornings.
Also worth noting: MSC has highlighted upgrades to MSC Poesia for Alaska, including the debut of MSC Yacht Club on the ship in 2026.
Looking Ahead
If this program goes well, it’s easy to see what “success” could look like:
- Better data on whale activity around cruising corridors
- More consistent bridge-level awareness and operating practices
- Stronger guest education that nudges wildlife tourism in a better direction
- A model MSC can expand beyond Alaska, especially in other wildlife-heavy regions
And from a cruiser’s perspective, it’s simply a more meaningful Alaska experience. You’re not just seeing the destination – you’re learning how to protect what makes it special.
Bottom line
MSC partnering with ORCA for Alaska is the kind of move that actually fits the destination. Alaska is not a place you want cruising to “handle casually,” and the idea of bringing an onboard observer during peak whale season is both practical and pretty cool for guests.
If you’re sailing late July through late August 2026, keep an eye out for ORCA programming onboard MSC Poesia – and plan to spend a little extra time on deck. In Alaska, the railing is basically the best venue on the ship.
