Meal plan on Alaskan landtour

After much investigation, our TA has been able to find the fees for a meal plan for a 12 day landtour. $451.61US, which only includes breakfast and dinner on specific dates. The morning we leave Seward for the trainride to Anchorage, we are responsible for breakfast and lunch. We are to depart at 6:00AM, and would like to know if we can expect to have room service delivered by 5? We are leaning towards taking a chance on restaurants in the various cities we will be visiting, rather than the limited meal plan that HAL offers. Any opinions??

Thanks,

Marilyn

After much investigation, our TA has been able to find the fees for a meal plan for a 12 day landtour. $451.61US, which only includes breakfast and dinner on specific dates. The morning we leave Seward for the trainride to Anchorage, we are responsible for breakfast and lunch. We are to depart at 6:00AM, and would like to know if we can expect to have room service delivered by 5? We are leaning towards taking a chance on restaurants in the various cities we will be visiting, rather than the limited meal plan that HAL offers. Any opinions??

Thanks,

Marilyn

When we did Alaska several years ago we were on a very tight budget. For lunches and dinners we did local restaurants or the hotel restaurant. Sometimes a snack instead of lunch. for breakfasts we took instant oatmeal and had coffee from the in room coffee maker. Except for Anchorage where we did go find a lovely place for breakfast. I would definetly forgo the meal plan and explore.

Enjoy Alaska - it's an awesome place :-)

Our meal plan was $350 pp and we opted not to purchase it, thinking we could do better on our own. Didn't turn out to be the case. You really don't have much time anywhere for lunch (except the 3 lunches provided by HAL). Snacks on the coach have to do, so by the time we arrived into the towns in the evening (5:30-6:30) we were ready to eat, not walk around trying to find someplace to eat, so we ended up eating in the hotel restaurants (usually around $28 for dinner). We had two buses that rode in tandem across the Yukon and interior Alaska, and of the 80 folks on-board those buses, I think the 4 of us were the only ones that didn't buy the meal plan. The servers were always surprised when we said we didn't have the vouchers, that we would be paying cash for our meals. We ended up saving only about $25.00 and I'm sure we spent that much in the snacks we purchased at the store in Skagway.

Not sure which tour you are going on, but we went into the Yukon, and one night in Whitehorse, ended up spending $23 pp for a sandwich, soup and beverage at Subway. Then in Dawson City, a local cafe "Klondike Kates" we ended up spending $16 for a burger & beverage.

Breakfast was usually $15 at the hotel restaurant. No way would a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal suffice for my husband and crew. Now if you aren't big eaters, then you might fare better, this was just our experience.

If I were to go again, I would pick a tour that does 2 nights at each stop (because you arrive around 6:00 pm and leave the next morning at 7:00 am) so you really don't get to see much of the town. And I would purchase the meal plan, and worry about filling in the times it doesn't cover. The meals on the dome train aren't covered on the meal plan, so you have to know you are going to pay extra that day.

Have a great trip, HAL really does take good care of you. If you have the slightest problem, don't hesitate to let your tour director know it, they can fix it pronto. After 1800 miles in the coach together, they almost seem like family. Enjoy Alaska, we sure did!

Our meal plan was $350 pp and we opted not to purchase it, thinking we could do better on our own. Didn't turn out to be the case. You really don't have much time anywhere for lunch (except the 3 lunches provided by HAL). Snacks on the coach have to do, so by the time we arrived into the towns in the evening (5:30-6:30) we were ready to eat, not walk around trying to find someplace to eat, so we ended up eating in the hotel restaurants (usually around $28 for dinner). We had two buses that rode in tandem across the Yukon and interior Alaska, and of the 80 folks on-board those buses, I think the 4 of us were the only ones that didn't buy the meal plan. The servers were always surprised when we said we didn't have the vouchers, that we would be paying cash for our meals. We ended up saving only about $25.00 and I'm sure we spent that much in the snacks we purchased at the store in Skagway.

 

Not sure which tour you are going on, but we went into the Yukon, and one night in Whitehorse, ended up spending $23 pp for a sandwich, soup and beverage at Subway. Then in Dawson City, a local cafe "Klondike Kates" we ended up spending $16 for a burger & beverage.

 

Breakfast was usually $15 at the hotel restaurant. No way would a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal suffice for my husband and crew. Now if you aren't big eaters, then you might fare better, this was just our experience.

 

If I were to go again, I would pick a tour that does 2 nights at each stop (because you arrive around 6:00 pm and leave the next morning at 7:00 am) so you really don't get to see much of the town. And I would purchase the meal plan, and worry about filling in the times it doesn't cover. The meals on the dome train aren't covered on the meal plan, so you have to know you are going to pay extra that day.

 

Have a great trip, HAL really does take good care of you. If you have the slightest problem, don't hesitate to let your tour director know it, they can fix it pronto. After 1800 miles in the coach together, they almost seem like family. Enjoy Alaska, we sure did!

Now I am conflicted. We are on a 12 day landtour with two days in each city, and three in Denali. Normally, if we enjoy a large breakfast, our needs at lunch at quite simple. Can you share any details on the menus that we might see in the hotel restaurants ,

Many thanks

Another camp here that didn't purchase the meal plan.

Here's what we did:

Between the meals that were included (a few) and the fact that many of the excursions we booked included lunch (full day tours), we felt we had enough included meals to cover. We went to the grocery store at our first stop (Whitehorse) and bought, fruit, juice, sodas, trail mix, cheese, crackers, peanut butter, breakfast rolls. We resupplied as needed during the land tour.

We've not very big eaters, so with the included meals (between what's on the cruisetour and the excursions), we just filled in the missing meal with our cache. We saved our big eating for the cruise (which we did last).

We did buy two dinners at our hotels (Whitehorse and Anchorage) separate. So we didn't spend a whole lot on the food budget for the land portion.

Now I am conflicted. We are on a 12 day landtour with two days in each city, and three in Denali. Normally, if we enjoy a large breakfast, our needs at lunch at quite simple. Can you share any details on the menus that we might see in the hotel restaurants ,

Many thanks

Not really, they are full scale restaurants, but we usually partook of the buffet. For breakfast that was $15.00 and dinner was $28.00 pp. Food is almost triple what we pay here in Southern California. Sometimes even more, as I said we paid $16 for a burger & coke, here at home I get that for $5. One morning for breakfast I was only going to get coffee, toast and 1 egg and the server whispered to me to just go ahead and order the buffet, the price would be the $15 so might as well enjoy the bounty.

As I said earlier, we ate a full breakfast (snacks for lunch) but then wanted a full dinner. You will probably end up spending as much either way. Have a great trip!

Another camp here that didn't purchase the meal plan.

 

Here's what we did:

 

Between the meals that were included (a few) and the fact that many of the excursions we booked included lunch (full day tours), we felt we had enough included meals to cover. We went to the grocery store at our first stop (Whitehorse) and bought, fruit, juice, sodas, trail mix, cheese, crackers, peanut butter, breakfast rolls. We resupplied as needed during the land tour.

 

We've not very big eaters, so with the included meals (between what's on the cruisetour and the excursions), we just filled in the missing meal with our cache. We saved our big eating for the cruise (which we did last).

 

We did buy two dinners at our hotels (Whitehorse and Anchorage) separate. So we didn't spend a whole lot on the food budget for the land portion.

WHO IN THE WORLD CARRIED ALL THAT STUFF YOU PURCHASED???

I had a few crackers, chips, peanuts but no where near what you had. Seriously what did you do with it on the bus? I used the small HAL canvas tote, but the things you purchased wouldn't fit in that.

You say you ate two dinners at the hotel, did you not eat dinner every night? Guess you are a lot lighter eaters than my husband and I.

We did the cruise portion first, so had plenty to eat the first 3 days.

We purchased the meal plan on our Alaska Cruise Tour. Not sure if we saved any money or not but it was convenient. In Fairbanks we had a dinner included in our meal plan. However we had booked an excursion that included dinner. We asked if we could use the meal plan for lunch since that wasn't included and we were told that we could not so we lost that meal. If I recall correctly, I don't believe any meals were included at Denali with the meal plan.

Someone on Princess did a wonderful breakdown with pictures of what the land tour food costs were like. Seems to match what others have said here.

One thing that surprised me was the long Denali Tundra tour where you are gone all day. They showed the "snack pack" that was offered which was like the tiny snack packs the airlines used to offer for free - 1 oz cheese, 2 cracker packets and small salami - think it was either 3 or 4 oz. That's not a lunch to me. So we are planning on buying in advance a Hickory Farms gift pack during after Christmas (when they are discounted) and making sure it has an expiration date after our cruise date. It will be half the price of what we could buy in Alaska for that day.

WHO IN THE WORLD CARRIED ALL THAT STUFF YOU PURCHASED???

 

I had a few crackers, chips, peanuts but no where near what you had. Seriously what did you do with it on the bus? I used the small HAL canvas tote, but the things you purchased wouldn't fit in that.

 

You say you ate two dinners at the hotel, did you not eat dinner every night? Guess you are a lot lighter eaters than my husband and I.

 

We did the cruise portion first, so had plenty to eat the first 3 days.

It wasn't that much. Everything was the small size. We both had our backpacks on the bus. Everything fit in them. Along with whatever we were carrying that day. And as we ate it up there was less to carry.

As I said, with the included meals and the fact that many of our full day excursions included lunch, we had plenty to eat.

In checking our scrapbook, I find that we actually purchased 1 lunch (on the train between Denali and Anchorage and 4 dinners (Whitehorse, Dawson City, Denali, and Anchorage) for a total of $178.00 (for both of us). Added to our grocery bills we spent about $250 for meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two of us for 12 days. About $20 a day for both of us.

After much investigation, our TA has been able to find the fees for a meal plan for a 12 day landtour. $451.61US, which only includes breakfast and dinner on specific dates. The morning we leave Seward for the trainride to Anchorage, we are responsible for breakfast and lunch. We are to depart at 6:00AM, and would like to know if we can expect to have room service delivered by 5? We are leaning towards taking a chance on restaurants in the various cities we will be visiting, rather than the limited meal plan that HAL offers. Any opinions??

Thanks,

Marilyn

Marilyn, did your TA indicate that the meal plan included the tips? :confused:

Marilyn, did your TA indicate that the meal plan included the tips? :confused:

No, she didn't . She had an awful time finding any details re: the meal plans ! What is the normal tipping expectations on these land tours??

No, she didn't . She had an awful time finding any details re: the meal plans ! What is the normal tipping expectations on these land tours??

HAL has a document that is available called "2013 Alaska Tour Tips". You will discover it once you do the Check-in Process. There are a number of useful documents listed at the bottom right of the check-in page.

They have recommended tipping guidelines as follows:

• Tour Concierge: US$4.00 per guest, per day

• Driver-Guides: US$4.00 per guest, per day

• Expedition Tours: The all-inclusive lodges used in these tours suggest gratuities between
US$50.00 -$100.00 per person per night. However, guests are free to tip what they would like. Gratuities can be given to the lodge manager at check-out.

• Hotel Bell Staff: All luggage-handling gratuities are included in your tour for all hotels shown on your itinerary

• Klondike Spirit Cabin Crew: US$1.00 per guest, per day

• McKinley Explorer® Rail Guides: US$1.50 per guest, per day

• Optional Excursion Guides: US$2.00 per guest , per 1⁄2 day tour and US$5.00 full day tour

I used this as a guide when giving extra tips.

As far as meals went, we used the standard 15% guideline. We didn't purchase the Meal Plan either.

One thing that surprised me was the long Denali Tundra tour where you are gone all day. They showed the "snack pack" that was offered which was like the tiny snack packs the airlines used to offer for free - 1 oz cheese, 2 cracker packets and small salami - think it was either 3 or 4 oz. That's not a lunch to me.

The snack on the Tundra Wilderness Tour when we did it a couple of years ago consisted of a piece of reindeer sausage, cheese, chips, cookie, orange, and a bottle of water. We ate sandwiches before our tour from the coffee shop across the street. (Our train got in around noon and our tour left at 2:30.) I also brought along some extra snacks (dried fruit and nuts) and more bottles of water.

That's what we did that day too. And arriving back at the hotel at 11:30 pm I was not interested at all in eating that late at night, so only breakfast, lunch & snack that day.

It wasn't that much. Everything was the small size. We both had our backpacks on the bus. Everything fit in them. Along with whatever we were carrying that day. And as we ate it up there was less to carry.

 

As I said, with the included meals and the fact that many of our full day excursions included lunch, we had plenty to eat.

 

In checking our scrapbook, I find that we actually purchased 1 lunch (on the train between Denali and Anchorage and 4 dinners (Whitehorse, Dawson City, Denali, and Anchorage) for a total of $178.00 (for both of us). Added to our grocery bills we spent about $250 for meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two of us for 12 days. About $20 a day for both of us.

WOW, is all I can say. We spent $100 at the grocery store (that did include a case of water for the trip), then approximately $340 pp for food, for an average of $100 per day for the two of us. You certainly saved a lot over our costs. But as I said, we are both big eaters wanting full hearty meals. I think dinner at Denali was the only meal we skipped.

It wasn't that much. Everything was the small size. We both had our backpacks on the bus. Everything fit in them. Along with whatever we were carrying that day. And as we ate it up there was less to carry.

 

As I said, with the included meals and the fact that many of our full day excursions included lunch, we had plenty to eat.

 

In checking our scrapbook, I find that we actually purchased 1 lunch (on the train between Denali and Anchorage and 4 dinners (Whitehorse, Dawson City, Denali, and Anchorage) for a total of $178.00 (for both of us). Added to our grocery bills we spent about $250 for meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two of us for 12 days. About $20 a day for both of us.

No, she didn't . She had an awful time finding any details re: the meal plans ! What is the normal tipping expectations on these land tours??

As far as I am concerned, the purchase of any meal plan with HAL for Alaskan Land Tours INCLUDES the tips! ;)

Really conflicted, but we are going to wing it re: the meal plan , since we have a minimum of two days in each city ( 3 in Denali ), and will look for a variety of dining options, rather than being locked into one. Is it advisable to carry a small cloth bag to carry daily snacks in ? I have an abundance of these bags, and if lined with plastic grocery bags, should insure no spillage.

I will weigh in here, over the past several years I have known quite a few people that took Alaska Cruise Tours I would say about 50% went with the meal plan and 50% did not, of those that did take the meal plan they were all quite happy they did and no complaints. Last year I know of two couples that decided against the meal plan and came back rather upset that they had not taken the meal plan. They said they hated trying to buy the snacks. So I think it is really up to each person in what they will want.Sometimes it is easier to just pay and know where your next meal is coming from ;)