First time land and sea cruise to Alaska with 20 ppl, please help

Got it, will look into open jaw or multi-city, I forgot about that option. Thanks

. . . or is this a really long train or bus ride? It just didn't seem they'd have time to get you from one to the other on land in 7 days? Here are the cruises I'm talking about, i'll post on the Holland cruise board also:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/A9S07BY2L/W946.html

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/A9N07AR1C/W943.html

The logistics are explained here.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=54511975&highlight=hal+cruise+tour#post54511975

Awesome, that's exactly what I was wondering. That itinerary doesn't sound too bad, i was hoping they flew you from Seattle or Vancouver up toward Denali. I know we will basically still be doing a 12 hour flight on one of the legs, but we can break it up by staying overnight in Seattle which would be easier on the kids i think.

I've been researching flights for our Alaskan cruise next summer (Tampa to Vancouver, Anchorage to Tampa), so I did a quick look at your options from New York, and they're not bad. United, American and Delta all have one-stop options to Anchorage taking from 10 1/2 to 12 1/2 hours. Long day, give yourself the next day to adjust. Returning from Vancouver is easier (I'd avoid redeyes with kids) - from 7 1/2 hours to less than 9 hours, all with one stop.

I still think your first idea was good, starting in Alaska, giving yourself a few days to adjust, allowing family members to choose what to do for those days (Denali is not for everyone). With my husband's family, we planned a summer vacation every other year for over 15 years (19 of us), taking turns planning it. My favorite was a cruise, though not to Alaska. Everyone together, but having their own space, and meal planning was a breeze.

My favorite was a cruise, though not to Alaska. Everyone together, but having their own space, and meal planning was a breeze.

This! Limits the cat herding.

Roz

Awesome, that's exactly what I was wondering. That itinerary doesn't sound too bad, i was hoping they flew you from Seattle or Vancouver up toward Denali. I know we will basically still be doing a 12 hour flight on one of the legs, but we can break it up by staying overnight in Seattle which would be easier on the kids i think.

There's typically only one daily flight between Vancouver and Anchorage, on Air Canada. It's quite expensive as a rule, compared to the many flights (almost hourly) between Seattle and Anchorage.

One thing to mention is that if you can tolerate another credit card, Alaska Airlines' Visa card (Bank of America) gets you 30,000 frequent flyer miles on approval (quite useful - Alaska's frequent flyer plan is excellent and has lots of partners) but also gets you an annual "companion" ticket - $99 ($121 or $122 with taxes) for any itinerary - one way, round trip, open-jaw - on Alaska Airlines. One person pays the going price, the other pays $121. If you route through Seattle you're allowed a free stopover in Seattle en route to/from Alaska (either direction.) Alaska flies to Seattle from both JFK and EWR, and also has numerous daily flights between Seattle and Vancouver if you don't want to drive or take the train.

This review includes information about travel times that you may find useful.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=541844

The logistics are explained here.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=54511975&highlight=hal+cruise+tour#post54511975

Just a reminder about distances .... the last day of that cruisetour is a bus trip from Denali to Seward, ( 375 miles) about a 9hr drive, probably broken up by an hour lunch break in Anchorage.

You mentioned Denali, but do the in-laws want to include Fairbanks? If not, it would make the flight and land tour options much easier. There are RT land pkgs available out of Anchorage for 5 days .... they go to Denali or Denali plus Talkeetna (to break up the journey).

And this would allow those who don't want to do the land pkg to meet up with everyone in Anchorage prior to boarding the cruise.

Such as this one offered by the Alaska Railroad. It can be customized to add an nite in Denali, or can start in Fairbanks: https://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel-planning/packages/denali-getaways

Or you can customize a pkg with company using train and/or bus, plus choose your starting point and destinations:

https://my.alaskatravel.com/Search.aspx

I think you need to have an indepth meeting with the inlaws to find out what they want to see and do, and which locations they want to visit, and the starting point. Otherwise you're kind of researching blindly. You need to narrow the scope.

I know you're overwhelmed (I feel for you), but here is more information that may help your group decide. It's a short review by a first-time cruiser of the 14-day HAL round-trip out of Seattle. The itinerary includes eight days on land (nine including Seattle) for the land lovers, three days at sea, and two days of cruising glaciers and fjords.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2512509&highlight=14-day+alaska+cruise

We have been to Alaska several times and have done 3 different land tours and I have to emphasize like the other that: 1. LONG LONG LONG days and distances for adults, must less antsy kids. 2. A lot of riding to just hope that you get a good clear day with wildlife sighting at Denali, it is beautiful but not beautiful enough for me to try to plan a group like that to go. 3. Passports are needed for everyone and by the time you get air, land tour, cruise, pass ports you are looking at big bucks to be taking that many kids who will probably not enjoy the land trip as much as you think......and if they are unhappy you will all be unhappy. I love my family, including young grand babies, but i would never plan a trip for toddlers and babies on a trip like this. Too long, too expensive

On 9/9/2018 at 8:01 PM, Essiesmom said:

Just my opinion, but with very young children and long flights...You should forget the land portion, and forget sailing from Vancouver or Seattle. Take Grand Princess from San Francisco R/T for 10 days. Leave the longer, more complicated trip for when the little ones are older and can tolerate the long flights. EM

Disagree.  If you cruise to and from San Francisco, you spend more boring sea day time getting to and from AK than being in AK.  

DON

My sister just took an Alaska trip as a 50th anniversary family-get-together for her inlaws. The family is slightly larger than your group of 20.

Even though her inlaws were paying the cost of the cruise package she spent over $3000 additional for her family (beverage packages, grats, tours, etc). Alaska prices are much higher; restaurant, tours, rental cars, sundries.

The land portion did not go well!

Each day the families had to have the kids dressed and fed by 7am. Luggage had to be outside the hotel room even earlier.  She felt most of the land portion was spent on a tour bus or train.  It rained almost everyday in August and the kids felt bottled up and cranky. There was very little free time to let the kids loose to play and run. One family caught a stomach bug and had to stay behind in the hotel room and get a very expensive rental car to try to catch up with the rest of the tour later. 

They arrived in Denali at 1 pm and left the next day before noon, not enough time to take the Tundra Wilderness tour (which is basically 8 hrs in a school bus).

The other travelers on the land portion lost patience with the small children who had no interest in listening to the guides.  Although they tried to encourage good behavior, no 2 year old is going to sit quietly for 4 hrs on a dome-topped train while the guide tries to point out wildlife and scenery.

The kids did enjoy the active tours such as panning for gold and lumberjack show. It all seemed to go much better when they got on the ship.

I agree with previous posters about the families with small children meeting the others at the ship.  The inlaws are being selfish if they insist that the entire family do the land portion. It is not conducive to small children!

I would also get agreement with everyone before going that you all don't have to do the same thing at the same time.

It takes time in the morning to get ready. Then you nearly always have a couple who will stroll up 30 min after everyones agreed meeting times, etc. I think you will spend more time arguing with people on what to do than actually doing it.

Some tours won't be suitable for young children. While also the amount of money people have to spend will vary amongst the group.

I have seen it where one family has plenty of money pressure others to do $1000 tours not taking in account others financial situation.

I have done massive family vacation which have been plenty of fun. But where the group activities are agreed up front and may be only twice during the vacation. Then smaller groups the rest of the time.

It sórt of sounds like your in-laws want to spend every second together with the family. It sounds like it could turn in to a nightmare unless you have firm boundaries before you even book.