Cruisin25thanniversary

Being you are taking a bus to Talkeetna, I would NOT suggest you book the Eielson shuttle. Your bus is going to be leaving from the lodge and maybe the Wilderness Access Center, right after the last TWT returns. (You HAVE verified this is offered on your particular cruise tour???) The Eielson shuttle is not fixed on time. and if you have to return to the lodge, the bus going to Talkeetna is probably going to be gone. My point with the "call" mention, they aren't a cab service or on demand at the lodge. What it has been in the past. I suggest you call them direct and get the current information.

 

Unfortunately you only booked one night at Denali. IF the TWT is offered as an upgrade, I think that is your only option. It's a whole different story of the availability to to use the shuttle buses when you have 2 nights. And even then it is beyond the acceptance of the inconvenience for a lot people.

 

Allow 3 1/2 hours for the transfer to Talkeetna. Sometimes I have seen buses make some of 2 specific stops. Being the TWT don't get back until about 2p, I wouldn't book any 6:30p flight out of Talkeetna, doubtful you would make it without your own transportation. Your bus will be going to the Talkeetna Lodge not the airfield. See how the time goes, have your phone numbers of vendors and call when you are in transit and see what is available.

 

Just a general comment- make sure you are ok with missing Seward. It is a gem in my opinion, especially Kenai Fjords. You do have an option to include it, if you wish.

Thank you so very much for the helpful info! Yes I have verified that the TWT is offered with this cruisetour - it is in writing in their brochure and on their website and my TA verified it as well...I will definitely have the phone numbers of the vendors handy...maybe (hope its not just wishful thinking) if the evening flight doesn't work out we can work in a morning one before heading to Alyeska - but I am kind of under the impression the departures are pretty early...oh well, worst case scenario, maybe we can do a whitewater rafting in the evening if the flightseeing doesn't pan out! My goodness, we will be in ALASKA! It's gonna be a learning curve, but its also gonna be awesome!

This is from my 2013 Blog Post, prices may have changed by now. Hopefully it will give you a little info on how to get out on your own. We arrived at 12:15 ended up on the 1:00 trip by luck (schedule for 2pm) then took a shuttle back to the hotel after 9pm. The next morning we did another tour on our own (white water rafting) then had the shuttle drop us at the train station where we met our group to board the train for Talkeetna. We pre-purchased reserved tickets online thru the National Park Service - Denali website about 6 weeks before our trip.

 

Thank you so much! I think we're in a little different scenario- our Denali Park visit is all in one day - we spend one night in Denali and up the next day for our tour - and then on to Talkeetna that afternoon. I am just trying to understand how the trip is coordinated for those fellow "cruisetourists" who choose NOT to upgrade to the TWT...how we all make it back together and on the same motorcoach to Talkeetna after taking separate tours? Hoping the TWT departure is early AM with the possibility of making it to Talkeetna for a 6:30 flightseeing tour!

You have 2 nights at Denali ? WHAT is your actual itinerary, (not just a place list, I need, to know each transit, and where you are each night. ) I can tell you options with this information.

 

I would call the lodge directly for their current shuttle times. I would not expect for them to come out with a phone call off hours.

We spend the first night in Anchorage and the next day arrive in Denali by Wilderness Express. Spend the night at Denali Park Village (UGH :p) Only ONE night in Denali - The next morning is Denali Park - we have been told thru Celebrity that we can upgrade to the TWT at that time, and that it shouldn't be an issue of selling out because they "own the space"?

After the tour we take a motorcoach to Talkeetna - I am wondering how this works with fellow "cruisetourists" who choose NOT to upgrade? How is it coordinated for us to get back together and leave for Talkeetna at the same time on the same motorcoach if doing separate tours? I am dearly hoping that the TWT is a very early AM departure - we would love to get to Talkeetna in time to take a 6:30 flightseeing tour! - I just can't seem to find anything that gives me a time frame of when we might actually be arriving in Talkeetna...

After 1 night in Talkeetna, we head to Alyeska! Very excited about this overnight!

From Alyeska we head to Anchorage for lunch then on to Seward where we board our ship!

I apologize for my ignorance, but I don't quite get what you mean by " I would not expect for them to come out with a phone call off hours."

Our tour was the 6 night and included all of these land tour cities.

 

Anchorage had no preplanned tours. We booked a Segway Tour on our own prior to arrival.

 

In Denali we arrived by train around noon. Included in the package was the NHT. You could upgrade to the TWT for additional charge. We wanted to go to Eielsen so we booked that on our own ahead of time as well.

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We would like to either upgrade to the TWT or go to Eielsen as well - how does that work in getting back with your group to go on to Talkeetna that afternoon? Or we are looking at possibly doing a fly-in drive-out tour of the park thru Kantishna Air...but again, wondering how that would work in getting back with the group?

Also, can you tell me what the time frame was getting into Talkeetna that afternoon after doing the Eielson tour? Would there be time for an evening flightseeing tour in Talkeetna?

Has anyone used Sound Aviation out of Anchorage for flightseeing???

There will be plenty of flying available if you are giving this wonderful gift the end of April. I just booked a trip for first week of June, and got my Misty flight lined up yesterday.

 

IF you happen to want "Island 'Wiings", She certainly is excellent and very popular, that is a tour, that may not be available, even now. If a priority for you, you may want to think about booking now, then take the cancellation policy into account. I will say, I fly every time I'm in Ketchikan, and there are a boatload of superb, long standing pilots that I have flown with and I'm very picky. :) I don't find Michelle any better or worse than most of them, which sometimes gets inflated with reviews. . She knows me and I do give her high praises, along with several others.

BQ, I have read a TON of your comments on here...you are more like the CC Queen! LOL! ;p I have a question about the heli/glacier tours...I know you recommend the longest trek possible...but due to time constraints because of a fishing charter, the only one we have time for is the Icefield Tour thru Coastal...in your opinion is it still worth it since we will have such a small amount of time on the ice??

Hoping for experience booking same day heli flights in Juneau. We are traveling this summer & would like to do the Icefield Heli Tour through Coastal (just the flight - no glacier landing or dog sledding). As of now, they have openings for our family of 3 for each of their hourly time slots. The tour is something we'd love to do, but I am hesitating spending $1,000, knowing it could be foggy or rainy and our visibility would be low. Is it realistic to book same day? We are in port 9am - 9pm. Thanks for any experience you can provide.

 

 

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I am looking into this tour as well...but my understanding is that the Icefield Tour does have about a 20-30 min landing!

Thanks all. The guys aren't too worried since they are excited to go fishing in Juneau. It's a once in a lifetime adventure. I feel in my gut I made the right choice since I researched charter companies and I feel comfortable with my choice.

I know it was a while ago...but how did your guys do in Juneau on their fishing trip? We have a halibut excursion planned for this August in Juneau! Do you mind telling what fishing charter they used?

The sauna has the big round window on the Millie/

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

Looking for pics of the balcony on Aqua Class cabin 9040 on Celebrity Millennium? I am also looking for pics of the bathroom after renovation in 2016. I am not finding pics of the Persian Garden with an ocean view as I was told it had...looks like a nice steam room but no ocean view...can anyone confirm this?? Thanks!