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Alaska - Planning Help - Looking for suggestions/advice


Noreen411
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Hi

 

I am looking for some guidance/suggestions from those of you that have cruised Alaska before.

 

Most of my cruises have been to the Caribbean/Bermuda and planning is pretty easy with lots of choices of ships and islands that are easy to plan for.

 

Most of my cruises have been on Royal Caribbean. We did one Celebrity Cruise in April 2018 on Reflection to celebrate my 50th birthday. I really wanted to cruise to Europe or Alaska but my birthday in April is the wrong month for those cruises so we went to the Caribbean. I was being a bit childish but it’s a big birthday and I wanted to be away on my actual birthday

 

My husband Scott turns 50 next June (2019). His birthday is the correct month to cruise to Alaska or Europe. He’s not interested in Europe but after telling him about a woman who mentioned sitting in her balcony Jacuzzi sailing through the glaciers and a guy that took an excursion on one of the boats from the Deadliest Catch TV show(which he watches sometimes) he’s become a bit more interested in going to Alaska for his birthday.

I have been looking at both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity because those are the two lines I have been on. I’m open to other suggestions.

 

My original thought was a cruise tour with a southbound cruise. However, we are not fans of organized excursions so I don’t think the tour portion would be good for us. We could do some research and put together a DIY land tour and then cruise southbound.

Another idea was a back to back cruise going north then south (or south then north). I was hoping to do Royal Caribbean one way and Celebrity the other way, but it doesn’t work. When one ship gets to Alaska to go south, the other one is in Vancouver about to go North. So a Back to Back would need to be on the same ship.

Part of the idea of back to back is travelling all that way,I want to go for more than a week. Also,what if we’re in port and it’s foggy and/or rainy or what we want to do gets cancelled because of weather. With the B2B we have the chance to try again the next week. And since I don’t know if we’ll get back to Alaska anytime soon (unlike the Caribbean that we do more frequently) this gives us a chance to spend two days at each port doing different things. I’ve never done a back to back cruise before.

 

Celebrity has the Millenium doing Northbound and Southbound cruises. These include Ketchikan, Icy Straight Point, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, and Inside passage.

 

Royal Caribbean has Radiance of the Seas doing Northbound and Southbound cruises. These include Ketchikan, Icy Straight Point, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, and Inside passage.

 

Both Royal and Celebrity have pretty much the same itinerary on their north/south cruises and similar port times.

 

I also looked at the ships doing round trip out of either Seattle or Vancouver.

 

Royal Caribbean has Ovation going round trip out of Seattle,but it doesn’t stop at Ketchikan and that’s where the Deadliest catch tour is. Also we have cruised on Quantum and Anthem (sister ships to Ovation) several times so want something different. Those reasons knock this off the list.

 

Celebrity has Eclipse doing round trip out of Vancouver and Solstice going round trip out of Seattle.

 

Eclipse goes to Ketchikan, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier but then has one week a stop at Icy Straight Point and one week a stop in Sitka.

 

Solstice goes to Ketchikan, Tracy Fjord, Juneau, Skagway,Victoria BC, and Inside passage.

To include both Celebrity and Royal, we could cruise southbound on Radiance which ends in Vancouver, then either get to Seattle to get on Solstice that day (Friday) or hang out in Vancouver for 2 days and get on Eclipse Sunday.

What would you recommend?

Back to Back?

One of the Side to Side ideas?

DIY Land Tour and Southbound Cruise

Would you recommend Royal Caribbean or Celebrity? Or something else?

Any other options I didn't think of?

I know that nobody can make the final decision for us, but I am hoping for some suggestions and opinions. I also realize that we need to decide soon or the sailings we want in the cabin we want as well as things we want to do in the ports could be sold out

 

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide

Noreen

Edited by Noreen411
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OK - break out the popcorn and get ready for lots of advice!

 

Fortunately you are a seasoned cruiser - so you don't need advice on that part. Everyone will tell you to look carefully at port times - which is great advice!

 

I am going to limit my advice to just the DIY land portion (which is funny because we didn't really do it). BUT - there is so much to read on here about it, and it leaves me with the feeling that you are better off doing it yourself - especially since you are not a big fan of organized tours. We did one day south of Anchorage on our own, and wish we had more time on land before our cruise. Denali has such MIXED reviews on which tours you actually see wildlife - quality of accommodations - long bus rides. For many it is the one MUST see, others were disappointed .

 

Researching and planning is half the fun! My short answer would be do the land potion yourself and a 7 day one way cruise.

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I encourage you to read past and current trip reports which are posted near the top of this forum page. You'll see that the major cruise lines are more alike than different when it comes to Alaska. You DO realize that neither RCI or Celebrity go to Glacier Bay National Park ?? a priority for many people. Not to say that people aren't happy with Hubbard, but it's something to look into.

 

Pay close attention to port times to ensure that you have enough time for planned activities. ie lots of whining on this forum about the 7am - 1pm time slot! Too early and not long enough.

 

Land travel requires some research but is certainly easy enough for DIY. You just need to figure out where you want to go ! BTW if Denali is a priority, be aware of the opening dates for the park road. ie Eielson Visitor Center by shuttle bus (transit bus) isn't available until around June 10. Look at the park's reservation site for details on timing and cost. https://www.reservedenali.com/

 

If you are planning to reserve a car, start watching prices later this summer in order to catch a sale. They often start late July or August. Same with lodging if you want to ensure a specific lodge/ cabin/ B&B. The tourist season is short so popular locations can book up quickly.

 

As you look thru trip reports you'll find many that include DIY land travel (and cruisetours as well). The first line usually indicates the itinerary, dates, cruiseline. These will give you some good ideas about itineraries and travel times.

 

There are lots of on-line resources to help you with your Alaska research. Every town has a web site and Visitor Guide to help promote local tourism and vendors. Borrow some Alaska travel books from your library; there are even books specific to cruises provide info on cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, activities, etc.

 

The more you know the better your trip will be. Have fun with your research and planning !

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We just did the Southbound on Radiance with a three day land tour (booked with RCI). Amazing trip. I am too lazy to plan DIY, so this was perfect option for us. I would definitely recommend the land tour (DIY or via cruise line) followed by cruise. You get to see more of interior of Alaska.

 

I submitted a detailed review with lots of pics for our cruise - see 2018 review at top of this board and search on the RCI board.

 

 

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I've cruised Alaska on Holland America and Princess (and we'll be on Seabourn at the end of August) and I've done land vacations on my own. My husband and I saw more wildlife in our rental car driving from visiting my brother in Delta Junction down to Anchorage than others on our cruise saw on their Princess land tour. On the other hand - we saw more wildlife than people on our cruise because we were outside on our balcony all the time looking for wildlife. We'd look down the side of the ship and not see anyone else out. So, luck AND perseverance ;-)

 

I agree that reading reviews from previous trips will give you a good idea about what things there are to do in the different ports (Which can help you prioritize itineraries).

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Having recently done a10-day DIY (with much assistance from an outside company) on land followed by 7-nights SB on Radiance, my vote is strongly in favor of as much time on land as you can handle/afford followed by whichever SB cruise you choose.

 

You’re missing out on a lot if you only visit the cruise port cities in southeast Alaska IMO so the last thing I’d want to do is visit them all twice instread of spending that other week on land.

 

I was on the same cruise as RSLeesburg (from post #5) and if you read his review you’ll see I agreed with most of his takeaways. My own (ridiculously long) trip review should be done & posted tomorrow if you want to check it out.

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1. BRAVO on doing amazing research! sincerely, i'm impressed. so many people post 'hi i want to go to alaska any ideas?' you did not do that so i say--BRAVO! you are off to a GREAT start for a fabulous trip!

 

2. i can't comment on the land portion, because i've never done that. but i can tell you what i have done...

 

we've done a typical inside passage sailing. it was beautiful and wonderful and so we wanted more. that was...many years ago. we leave on monday for a HAL sailing for 14 days. no land portion, round trip from seattle. we chose this itinerary because like you, we wanted a longer sailing. we will be renting a car in juneau (as we've been there before so we want to explore more) and also in anchorage. someone on these boards (hi someone!) recommended a day trip drive out of anchorage, and i've since fallen in love with the idea. i will report back in two weeks when we return, but it seems like a great independent alternative to a cruise tour.

 

oh, and the 14 day HAL sailing? it was REALLY reasonable. we booked it 42 days in advance and are happy with the cost. though we will have an inside cabin as that was all that was available at the time.

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OK - break out the popcorn and get ready for lots of advice!

 

Fortunately you are a seasoned cruiser - so you don't need advice on that part. Everyone will tell you to look carefully at port times - which is great advice!

 

I am going to limit my advice to just the DIY land portion (which is funny because we didn't really do it). BUT - there is so much to read on here about it, and it leaves me with the feeling that you are better off doing it yourself - especially since you are not a big fan of organized tours. We did one day south of Anchorage on our own, and wish we had more time on land before our cruise. Denali has such MIXED reviews on which tours you actually see wildlife - quality of accommodations - long bus rides. For many it is the one MUST see, others were disappointed .

 

Researching and planning is half the fun! My short answer would be do the land potion yourself and a 7 day one way cruise.

 

 

 

Hi

 

I am hoping for lots of advice.

 

I am just starting to read about Alaska starting here on Cruise Critic. The amount of information is a bit overwhelming.

 

Thank you for the recommendation.

 

Noreen

 

 

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Check Princess and Holland America.

 

 

 

Hi

 

Why do you recommend Princess or Holland America over Royal Caribbean and Celebrity? I assumed most lines are more similar than different. Is there something I would miss not looking at Princess or Holland America?

 

I’m open to all suggestions but wondering what would draw me to one of those?

 

With all the options out there I started with the ones I am familiar with.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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I encourage you to read past and current trip reports which are posted near the top of this forum page. You'll see that the major cruise lines are more alike than different when it comes to Alaska. You DO realize that neither RCI or Celebrity go to Glacier Bay National Park ?? a priority for many people. Not to say that people aren't happy with Hubbard, but it's something to look into.

 

Pay close attention to port times to ensure that you have enough time for planned activities. ie lots of whining on this forum about the 7am - 1pm time slot! Too early and not long enough.

 

Land travel requires some research but is certainly easy enough for DIY. You just need to figure out where you want to go ! BTW if Denali is a priority, be aware of the opening dates for the park road. ie Eielson Visitor Center by shuttle bus (transit bus) isn't available until around June 10. Look at the park's reservation site for details on timing and cost. https://www.reservedenali.com/

 

If you are planning to reserve a car, start watching prices later this summer in order to catch a sale. They often start late July or August. Same with lodging if you want to ensure a specific lodge/ cabin/ B&B. The tourist season is short so popular locations can book up quickly.

 

As you look thru trip reports you'll find many that include DIY land travel (and cruisetours as well). The first line usually indicates the itinerary, dates, cruiseline. These will give you some good ideas about itineraries and travel times.

 

There are lots of on-line resources to help you with your Alaska research. Every town has a web site and Visitor Guide to help promote local tourism and vendors. Borrow some Alaska travel books from your library; there are even books specific to cruises provide info on cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, activities, etc.

 

The more you know the better your trip will be. Have fun with your research and planning !

 

 

 

Hi

 

I am just starting to do the research and feel I’m already behind since I am looking to go next summer and don’t know what I want to do yet. I am starting to read the various reviews.

 

Since I’m new to Alaska I didn’t know to look for Glacier Bay as opposed to Hubbard Glacier.

 

Port times I am definitely looking at.

 

It’s definitely overwhelming at this point trying to figure out all what to choose among all the different options.

 

Thank you for your help

 

Noreen

 

 

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We just did the Southbound on Radiance with a three day land tour (booked with RCI). Amazing trip. I am too lazy to plan DIY, so this was perfect option for us. I would definitely recommend the land tour (DIY or via cruise line) followed by cruise. You get to see more of interior of Alaska.

 

I submitted a detailed review with lots of pics for our cruise - see 2018 review at top of this board and search on the RCI board.

 

 

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Hi

 

I just read your review. It looks fantastic.

 

Reading about the land tour with RCI portion; that is definitely too structured for us. I know it will require more work but I think I would do land DIY if we go that route.

 

Did you stay in 3 different hotels pre cruise? I kept seeing luggage pull on the pictures.

 

We are both terrible overpackers so I would prefer not having a different hotel each night. Ideally one hotel for a few nights and do things within driving distance those days, then maybe another hotel for a few days and do things within driving distance those days. I like the idea of land first then cruise south.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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Edited by Noreen411
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I've cruised Alaska on Holland America and Princess (and we'll be on Seabourn at the end of August) and I've done land vacations on my own. My husband and I saw more wildlife in our rental car driving from visiting my brother in Delta Junction down to Anchorage than others on our cruise saw on their Princess land tour. On the other hand - we saw more wildlife than people on our cruise because we were outside on our balcony all the time looking for wildlife. We'd look down the side of the ship and not see anyone else out. So, luck AND perseverance ;-)

 

I agree that reading reviews from previous trips will give you a good idea about what things there are to do in the different ports (Which can help you prioritize itineraries).

 

 

 

Hi.

 

It’s definitely hard to decide which way to go with all this.

 

The only thing I know my husband really wants to do is the trip on the Deadliest Catch boat in Ketchikan so I know I need to make sure we stop at Ketchikan.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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Just returned from an Alaskan cruise. The highlight was Glacier Bay. I highly recommend a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay. We took Holland America’s Eurodam and loved it.

 

Best of luck in picking your cruise.

 

 

 

Hi

 

Have you (or are you in the process of) writing a review? I need all the help I can get.

 

Thank you for the feedback on Glacier Bay

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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Having recently done a10-day DIY (with much assistance from an outside company) on land followed by 7-nights SB on Radiance, my vote is strongly in favor of as much time on land as you can handle/afford followed by whichever SB cruise you choose.

 

You’re missing out on a lot if you only visit the cruise port cities in southeast Alaska IMO so the last thing I’d want to do is visit them all twice instread of spending that other week on land.

 

I was on the same cruise as RSLeesburg (from post #5) and if you read his review you’ll see I agreed with most of his takeaways. My own (ridiculously long) trip review should be done & posted tomorrow if you want to check it out.

 

 

 

Hi

 

I am looking forward to reading your review. Especially since you did the land portion DIY.

 

That was my concern too - that I would miss out if we just cruise. But on the other hand, we enjoy the convenience of cruising. A lot less planning is needed for the cruise portion.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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1. BRAVO on doing amazing research! sincerely, i'm impressed. so many people post 'hi i want to go to alaska any ideas?' you did not do that so i say--BRAVO! you are off to a GREAT start for a fabulous trip!

 

2. i can't comment on the land portion, because i've never done that. but i can tell you what i have done...

 

we've done a typical inside passage sailing. it was beautiful and wonderful and so we wanted more. that was...many years ago. we leave on monday for a HAL sailing for 14 days. no land portion, round trip from seattle. we chose this itinerary because like you, we wanted a longer sailing. we will be renting a car in juneau (as we've been there before so we want to explore more) and also in anchorage. someone on these boards (hi someone!) recommended a day trip drive out of anchorage, and i've since fallen in love with the idea. i will report back in two weeks when we return, but it seems like a great independent alternative to a cruise tour.

 

oh, and the 14 day HAL sailing? it was REALLY reasonable. we booked it 42 days in advance and are happy with the cost. though we will have an inside cabin as that was all that was available at the time.

 

 

 

Hi

 

Thank you for the vote of confidence. I know it requires a lot of planning so I would never expect people to do all that for me. I have to do some research as a starting point.

 

I just looked at Holland America and see the 14 day cruise for June 2019. It’s on Amsterdam which looks like a much smaller ship than I am used to sailing on. I like that it goes round trip out of Seattle as Jet Blue has direct flights to Seattle so getting there would be relatively easy. Prices are very reasonable too which I was surprised by.

 

If I am reading the Holland America site correctly, this is the only longer than 7 night cruise that isn’t part of a combined land tour.

 

And since it’s one 14 day cruise rather than back to back, you don’t have to muster twice, you won’t repeat all the menus and shows. We have done a decent amount of 11 or 12 night cruises and like those.

 

I am looking forward to reading your review.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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There are limited passes to Glacier Bay, HAL & Princess are the oldest operators in AK cruising so their itineraries almost always include that option, and they're considered historical operators who will always have preference. https://www.nps.gov/glba/learn/news/glacier-bay-issues-prospectus-for-cruise-ship-services.htm

 

I'm only willing to do Seabourn now without Glacier Bay because I've seen it on HAL and Princess. Well, ok, and it's a luxury line I'm super excited to try ;-)

 

But personally, we prefer smaller ships. A Panama Canal cruise on Westerdam (1900 pax) was a little larger than we like ;-) The R class ships (Pacific Princess was the ship we did Alaska on in 2007) are our favorite size. The older/smaller HAL ships are ok for us too. So this preference clearly shapes our options and choices. But on Pacific, for instance, we were able to get into smaller inlets....

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I'm not going to comment on the various ships and itineraries, rather (as a former Alaska resident and one fairly familiar with the state) I'm going to offer some general thoughts for you to consider (or discard.)

 

First, timing. Summer arrives late in Alaska, and if you visit southcentral and interior Alaska (Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks etc.) too early, your access to some areas, in particular the interior of Denali National Park, can be limited. In addition - and this might or might not be important to you - May and June, and usually the first half of July, is mosquito season, and in some places, like Wonder Lake in Denali, or near tundra or wetland area anywhere - the bugs can drive you nuts. This is less an issue near salt water or on the cruise, but it's a factor once you're on land. Given your timing, if it was me I'd cruise north and then tour, rather than the opposite. Give the weather time to improve while you're on the water; a week can make quite a difference. Or if your timing is flexible, think about visiting closer to the end of the summer. Fall arrives early in the interior, the bugs are gone (we hope) and sometimes the color can be amazing. If you were to come in, say, late August or early September, I'd say start north and cruise south, the opposite of a June trip.

 

Denali in the fall (not my picture)

 

21031260-2.jpg

 

Mirror Lake, near Anchorage

 

akmirrorlake.jpg

 

Alaska State Fair (week before Labor Day) in Palmer (40 miles north of Anchorage)

 

alaskarodeo2.jpg

 

Second, cost. Land arrangements pre- or post-cruise in southcentral/interior Alaska can be quite expensive. It's important to reserve a vehicle as soon as possible; even if you later change your plans or need to cancel, you can save quite a lot of money by booking early. There are car rental stations in both Seward and Whittier (one agency each, Hertz and Avis respectively) but the one-way charges can be astronomical. Hotels, too, particularly those around key destinations like Denali and Seward. The cruise lines book large numbers of rooms for their cruise tour people, so while independent travel is usually better value, the pickings can be slim, especially if you wait too long to book space. Food costs are higher than in the Lower 48, but there's no sales tax in most places, so the bottom line isn't too bad.

 

Third, distances. The cruise ships dock and depart from one of two deep water ports, Seward and Whittier. Both are connected by road and rail to Anchorage; the final 40 miles or so of road is the same highway, and it's the only road south of town. By car, Whittier is around 90 minutes from Anchorage, depending on the timing of a one-way tunnel through the mountains separating Prince William Sound from Turnagain Arm, a branch of Cook Inlet. Seward is around 2 1/2 hours from town.

 

Leaving Anchorage to the north, again, there's one main road that forks around an hour north of the city, with one branch (the Glenn Highway) heading east, eventually linking with the Alaska Highway from which you can drive to the rest of North America; the other fork becomes the Parks Highway, heading north to Denali National Park and eventually Fairbanks. In drive time, the entrance to Denali Park is around five hours or a bit more; Fairbanks is another couple of hours past that.

 

So for most tourists, the "road system" consists of a couple of routes, both of which require you to retrace your steps, since the only possible "loop" (via Valdez) involves a very lengthy drive plus an expensive ferry ride across Prince William Sound. It also means that visiting Denali, for example, which doesn't allow private cars into its interior, is a minimum of a three-day excursion from Anchorage - one to get there, one to tour the park (you'll need at least 8 hours, morning to night, to get into the park interior on the shuttle buses) and a third to get back (or up to Fairbanks.) Bottom line, get a map of Alaska's roads and study it.

 

Fourth, the land beyond the roads. If I had one thing to recommend for first-time visitors, it would be to get up in the air, in fact as often as possible. Yes, flightseeing is pricey, but - and I'm not exaggerating here - a couple of hours in a light plane flying around the Alaska bush, or flying over glaciers around Prince William Sound, or up to and around Denali, or flying across Cook Inlet to bear and volcano country... well, it can be life changing for many people. One simply cannot comprehend the scale of Alaska from a car windshield or from the deck of a boat.

 

Fifth, it's more than moose and mountains. Alaska's people are its real treasure, and a visit to the state without understanding the incredible variety and richness of the many Native cultures, the history of the state - from Russian rule to gold rushes to World War II's "forgotten war" in the Aleutians, to the oil boom, the military history, Native rights.... well, just sayin'. Visit the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage or Totem Bight or Saxman Village near Ketchikan. Drive over the mountains from Skagway to Carcross and on to the Robinson Roadhouse ghost town in the Yukon. Buy Native crafts (the best there are) at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, and walk the halls to see the (downright incredible) artwork on display. Hell, if time and budget permit, fly up to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village above the arctic circle ($300 round trip from Anchorage) and see how life is lived; stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean and watch the sun NOT set the whole time you're there.

 

So do your research and make a list of things you'd like to see or experiences you'd like to have, and move on from a position of knowledge. In addition to Cruise Critic I'd especially suggest you prowl the Alaska board at TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html - where the talk isn't all about cruising but also includes lots of other topics. Happy planning!

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I'm not going to comment on the various ships and itineraries, rather (as a former Alaska resident and one fairly familiar with the state) I'm going to offer some general thoughts for you to consider (or discard.)

 

First, timing. Summer arrives late in Alaska, and if you visit southcentral and interior Alaska (Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks etc.) too early, your access to some areas, in particular the interior of Denali National Park, can be limited. In addition - and this might or might not be important to you - May and June, and usually the first half of July, is mosquito season, and in some places, like Wonder Lake in Denali, or near tundra or wetland area anywhere - the bugs can drive you nuts. This is less an issue near salt water or on the cruise, but it's a factor once you're on land. Given your timing, if it was me I'd cruise north and then tour, rather than the opposite. Give the weather time to improve while you're on the water; a week can make quite a difference. Or if your timing is flexible, think about visiting closer to the end of the summer. Fall arrives early in the interior, the bugs are gone (we hope) and sometimes the color can be amazing. If you were to come in, say, late August or early September, I'd say start north and cruise south, the opposite of a June trip.

 

Denali in the fall (not my picture)

 

21031260-2.jpg

 

Mirror Lake, near Anchorage

 

akmirrorlake.jpg

 

Alaska State Fair (week before Labor Day) in Palmer (40 miles north of Anchorage)

 

alaskarodeo2.jpg

 

Second, cost. Land arrangements pre- or post-cruise in southcentral/interior Alaska can be quite expensive. It's important to reserve a vehicle as soon as possible; even if you later change your plans or need to cancel, you can save quite a lot of money by booking early. There are car rental stations in both Seward and Whittier (one agency each, Hertz and Avis respectively) but the one-way charges can be astronomical. Hotels, too, particularly those around key destinations like Denali and Seward. The cruise lines book large numbers of rooms for their cruise tour people, so while independent travel is usually better value, the pickings can be slim, especially if you wait too long to book space. Food costs are higher than in the Lower 48, but there's no sales tax in most places, so the bottom line isn't too bad.

 

Third, distances. The cruise ships dock and depart from one of two deep water ports, Seward and Whittier. Both are connected by road and rail to Anchorage; the final 40 miles or so of road is the same highway, and it's the only road south of town. By car, Whittier is around 90 minutes from Anchorage, depending on the timing of a one-way tunnel through the mountains separating Prince William Sound from Turnagain Arm, a branch of Cook Inlet. Seward is around 2 1/2 hours from town.

 

Leaving Anchorage to the north, again, there's one main road that forks around an hour north of the city, with one branch (the Glenn Highway) heading east, eventually linking with the Alaska Highway from which you can drive to the rest of North America; the other fork becomes the Parks Highway, heading north to Denali National Park and eventually Fairbanks. In drive time, the entrance to Denali Park is around five hours or a bit more; Fairbanks is another couple of hours past that.

 

So for most tourists, the "road system" consists of a couple of routes, both of which require you to retrace your steps, since the only possible "loop" (via Valdez) involves a very lengthy drive plus an expensive ferry ride across Prince William Sound. It also means that visiting Denali, for example, which doesn't allow private cars into its interior, is a minimum of a three-day excursion from Anchorage - one to get there, one to tour the park (you'll need at least 8 hours, morning to night, to get into the park interior on the shuttle buses) and a third to get back (or up to Fairbanks.) Bottom line, get a map of Alaska's roads and study it.

 

Fourth, the land beyond the roads. If I had one thing to recommend for first-time visitors, it would be to get up in the air, in fact as often as possible. Yes, flightseeing is pricey, but - and I'm not exaggerating here - a couple of hours in a light plane flying around the Alaska bush, or flying over glaciers around Prince William Sound, or up to and around Denali, or flying across Cook Inlet to bear and volcano country... well, it can be life changing for many people. One simply cannot comprehend the scale of Alaska from a car windshield or from the deck of a boat.

 

Fifth, it's more than moose and mountains. Alaska's people are its real treasure, and a visit to the state without understanding the incredible variety and richness of the many Native cultures, the history of the state - from Russian rule to gold rushes to World War II's "forgotten war" in the Aleutians, to the oil boom, the military history, Native rights.... well, just sayin'. Visit the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage or Totem Bight or Saxman Village near Ketchikan. Drive over the mountains from Skagway to Carcross and on to the Robinson Roadhouse ghost town in the Yukon. Buy Native crafts (the best there are) at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, and walk the halls to see the (downright incredible) artwork on display. Hell, if time and budget permit, fly up to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village above the arctic circle ($300 round trip from Anchorage) and see how life is lived; stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean and watch the sun NOT set the whole time you're there.

 

So do your research and make a list of things you'd like to see or experiences you'd like to have, and move on from a position of knowledge. In addition to Cruise Critic I'd especially suggest you prowl the Alaska board at TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html - where the talk isn't all about cruising but also includes lots of other topics. Happy planning!

 

Heartwarming and beautifully written!

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Hi

 

I just read your review. It looks fantastic.

 

Reading about the land tour with RCI portion; that is definitely too structured for us. I know it will require more work but I think I would do land DIY if we go that route.

 

Did you stay in 3 different hotels pre cruise? I kept seeing luggage pull on the pictures.

 

We are both terrible overpackers so I would prefer not having a different hotel each night. Ideally one hotel for a few nights and do things within driving distance those days, then maybe another hotel for a few days and do things within driving distance those days. I like the idea of land first then cruise south.

 

Thank you

Noreen

 

 

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Sorry just getting back to you - yes, the land tour through the cruise line was very structured, and we did stay in three different hotels, so you kind of live out of your suitcase for three days. But it is hard to fit in that much as the distances between places is vast. Lots of travel time getting to and from places. But, many do DIY - OCSC Mike is going to post a review soon, and he and his wife spent 10 days touring Alaska on their own.

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OCSC Mike is going to post a review soon, and he and his wife spent 10 days touring Alaska on their own.

 

I actually finished it yesterday. I composed it in a Word document with the photo URL's ready to go but it's going to take a while to paste into CC as I'll have to break it up into many posts (I'm going to try one per trip day) and insert the photos. The pasting also had some issues when I was testing it that I have to fix after pasting it. Anyway, it's coming sooner rather than later, it's just going be a bit of a pain.

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I haven't read all the comments yet so perhaps someone has already covered this:

 

You've said your husband's birthday is June and possibly doing a Southbound land & cruise trip. If you are starting the trip in late May or early June, it may be better to do a North bound cruise followed by land. June 7 is when the shuttles started going all the way in to Denali (Wonder Lake). In May they aren't even getting to Eielson Visitor Center. Plus the shuttles get more frequent starting June 7 - handy if you want to take advantage of getting off for a hike & boarding a later one.

 

 

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There are limited passes to Glacier Bay, HAL & Princess are the oldest operators in AK cruising so their itineraries almost always include that option, and they're considered historical operators who will always have preference. https://www.nps.gov/glba/learn/news/glacier-bay-issues-prospectus-for-cruise-ship-services.htm

 

I'm only willing to do Seabourn now without Glacier Bay because I've seen it on HAL and Princess. Well, ok, and it's a luxury line I'm super excited to try ;-)

 

But personally, we prefer smaller ships. A Panama Canal cruise on Westerdam (1900 pax) was a little larger than we like ;-) The R class ships (Pacific Princess was the ship we did Alaska on in 2007) are our favorite size. The older/smaller HAL ships are ok for us too. So this preference clearly shapes our options and choices. But on Pacific, for instance, we were able to get into smaller inlets....

 

 

 

Hi

 

Thank you for the information.

 

We are still looking at the various options, but I will mention Glacier Bay as something only available on certain lines.

 

Scott has mentioned wanting to try a smaller ship so I’m keeping that in mind also.

 

Thank you

 

 

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I'm not going to comment on the various ships and itineraries, rather (as a former Alaska resident and one fairly familiar with the state) I'm going to offer some general thoughts for you to consider (or discard.)

 

First, timing. Summer arrives late in Alaska, and if you visit southcentral and interior Alaska (Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks etc.) too early, your access to some areas, in particular the interior of Denali National Park, can be limited. In addition - and this might or might not be important to you - May and June, and usually the first half of July, is mosquito season, and in some places, like Wonder Lake in Denali, or near tundra or wetland area anywhere - the bugs can drive you nuts. This is less an issue near salt water or on the cruise, but it's a factor once you're on land. Given your timing, if it was me I'd cruise north and then tour, rather than the opposite. Give the weather time to improve while you're on the water; a week can make quite a difference. Or if your timing is flexible, think about visiting closer to the end of the summer. Fall arrives early in the interior, the bugs are gone (we hope) and sometimes the color can be amazing. If you were to come in, say, late August or early September, I'd say start north and cruise south, the opposite of a June trip.

 

Denali in the fall (not my picture)

 

21031260-2.jpg

 

Mirror Lake, near Anchorage

 

akmirrorlake.jpg

 

Alaska State Fair (week before Labor Day) in Palmer (40 miles north of Anchorage)

 

alaskarodeo2.jpg

 

Second, cost. Land arrangements pre- or post-cruise in southcentral/interior Alaska can be quite expensive. It's important to reserve a vehicle as soon as possible; even if you later change your plans or need to cancel, you can save quite a lot of money by booking early. There are car rental stations in both Seward and Whittier (one agency each, Hertz and Avis respectively) but the one-way charges can be astronomical. Hotels, too, particularly those around key destinations like Denali and Seward. The cruise lines book large numbers of rooms for their cruise tour people, so while independent travel is usually better value, the pickings can be slim, especially if you wait too long to book space. Food costs are higher than in the Lower 48, but there's no sales tax in most places, so the bottom line isn't too bad.

 

Third, distances. The cruise ships dock and depart from one of two deep water ports, Seward and Whittier. Both are connected by road and rail to Anchorage; the final 40 miles or so of road is the same highway, and it's the only road south of town. By car, Whittier is around 90 minutes from Anchorage, depending on the timing of a one-way tunnel through the mountains separating Prince William Sound from Turnagain Arm, a branch of Cook Inlet. Seward is around 2 1/2 hours from town.

 

Leaving Anchorage to the north, again, there's one main road that forks around an hour north of the city, with one branch (the Glenn Highway) heading east, eventually linking with the Alaska Highway from which you can drive to the rest of North America; the other fork becomes the Parks Highway, heading north to Denali National Park and eventually Fairbanks. In drive time, the entrance to Denali Park is around five hours or a bit more; Fairbanks is another couple of hours past that.

 

So for most tourists, the "road system" consists of a couple of routes, both of which require you to retrace your steps, since the only possible "loop" (via Valdez) involves a very lengthy drive plus an expensive ferry ride across Prince William Sound. It also means that visiting Denali, for example, which doesn't allow private cars into its interior, is a minimum of a three-day excursion from Anchorage - one to get there, one to tour the park (you'll need at least 8 hours, morning to night, to get into the park interior on the shuttle buses) and a third to get back (or up to Fairbanks.) Bottom line, get a map of Alaska's roads and study it.

 

Fourth, the land beyond the roads. If I had one thing to recommend for first-time visitors, it would be to get up in the air, in fact as often as possible. Yes, flightseeing is pricey, but - and I'm not exaggerating here - a couple of hours in a light plane flying around the Alaska bush, or flying over glaciers around Prince William Sound, or up to and around Denali, or flying across Cook Inlet to bear and volcano country... well, it can be life changing for many people. One simply cannot comprehend the scale of Alaska from a car windshield or from the deck of a boat.

 

Fifth, it's more than moose and mountains. Alaska's people are its real treasure, and a visit to the state without understanding the incredible variety and richness of the many Native cultures, the history of the state - from Russian rule to gold rushes to World War II's "forgotten war" in the Aleutians, to the oil boom, the military history, Native rights.... well, just sayin'. Visit the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage or Totem Bight or Saxman Village near Ketchikan. Drive over the mountains from Skagway to Carcross and on to the Robinson Roadhouse ghost town in the Yukon. Buy Native crafts (the best there are) at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, and walk the halls to see the (downright incredible) artwork on display. Hell, if time and budget permit, fly up to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village above the arctic circle ($300 round trip from Anchorage) and see how life is lived; stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean and watch the sun NOT set the whole time you're there.

 

So do your research and make a list of things you'd like to see or experiences you'd like to have, and move on from a position of knowledge. In addition to Cruise Critic I'd especially suggest you prowl the Alaska board at TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html - where the talk isn't all about cruising but also includes lots of other topics. Happy planning!

 

 

 

Hi

 

I don’t even know where to start to thank you. This is great information.

 

Timing wise - we’re looking at end of June/beginning of July (assuming we’ll travel for approximately two weeks). We are looking to be away on Scott’s birthday (end of June).

 

I’m hoping to get the plans sort of ironed out in the next few weeks (hopefully). And then I can start booking things like hotels and rental cars and attractions.

 

I would like to try to limit the number of hotels we have to stay at during the land portion but am not sure if it’s possible given the size of Alaska and if we’re trying to see different things.

 

We would definitely be interested in seeing some of the “real” Alaska rather than just the touristy things.

 

I will be doing a lot more research to help get this trip moving. I think one of the other reasons I also thought of the B2B Cruise was the ease of a lot less planning required.

 

Thank you again for your wonderful input. I hope you will check in on this thread occasionally and share your wealth of knowledge. Especially as I start adding plans and if you notice a problem with something, please chime in and let me know.

 

Noreen

 

 

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