Alaska cruise tours

[time4me2fly]

Looking to go to Alaska in 2011. I know I want to do a southbound cruise.

 

When do new bookings open for Alaska?

 

Deciding between cruise tours #6, #18 and #22 and it's not easy.

 

#6 Anchorage, Denali(2), Fairbanks, Tok, Dawson City(2), Whitehorse(2), Skagway, 4 day southbound cruise

 

#18 Fairbanks(2), Denali(2), Anchorge, Seward, 7 day southbound cruise

 

#22 Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Arctic Circle & Coldfoot, Coldfoot & Prudhoe Bay, Anchorage, Seward, 7 day southbound cruise

 

If you did any of the above cruise tours, what's your opinion?

Pros and Cons

[alpal1993]

If you go to the Port of Call Board Alaska you will get so much information

[alpal1993]

Sorry I thought I was on HAL Board

[rjm1cc]

If you are going once then 22 because it has Denali and the Arctic Circle.

Next I would do 6. I have been to all those places.

I think I would skip 18.

[IRL_Joanie]

Sorry I thought I was on HAL Board

 

alpal1993, you are on a HAL board, but there is one specifically for Port Calls here is the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

Joanie

[time4me2fly]

I posted on the HAL board, because I want to go on their cruise tour. I'll check out the Alaska boards, also.

 

rjm1cc - Thanks for posting your opinion. Tour 22 is on the top of my list. I'm concerned about changing hotels every night. What excursions did you do on tour 22 that makes it your #1 choice?

[RuthC]

Don't deprive yourself of a full 7-day cruise; you'll need it to recover from the intense land tour.

I agree that tour #22 is best. It gives you a broad spectrum of Alaska, with the 7-days at sea. My second choice would be #18.

Whichever one you choose, you can't go wrong when you're going to Alaska. It truly is The Great Land.

[jtl513]

I would rule out #22 because IMO one night in Denali is not enough, and I would rule out #6 because 4 days on the ship is not enough. That leaves just #18, IMO.

 

We did #14, which was 2 nights at Fairbanks, 2 at Denali, then 7 on the ship, and thought it was the right land/sea mix. #18 would give you one additional night on land.

[time4me2fly]

Great points...love to hear more opinions

[Texas Tillie]

Also, don't forget that you're looking at the tours offered for 2010. There's always a poosibility that the tours will not be exactly the same for 2011. It's good to study what's being offered, but until the 2011 schedule is released, you won't know for sure what's available!;)

[lazey1]

Our 1st cruise was the same as cruise/tour #6. It was wonderful but 4 days cruising after all the land based sight-seeing is not enough to feel rested. You are smart to make sure the cruise portion is south bound.

[time4me2fly]

Also, don't forget that you're looking at the tours offered for 2010. There's always a poosibility that the tours will not be exactly the same for 2011. It's good to study what's being offered, but until the 2011 schedule is released, you won't know for sure what's available!;)

 

Yes, I realize that. I want to spend time researching choices now, so when 2011 bookings open, I have a good idea of what I'd like to book.

 

I'd like to book as soon as the books open, so I get my cabin and dining choice. I also, want to give some family members a cruise tour idea and see who would like to join me.

 

Hopefully the cruise lines win the Alaska tax battle and the price goes down.

[time4me2fly]

Our 1st cruise was the same as cruise/tour #6. It was wonderful but 4 days cruising after all the land based sight-seeing is not enough to feel rested. You are smart to make sure the cruise portion is south bound.

 

Thanks! I will take your advice and make sure I choose a 7-day southbound cruise, along with a great land package.

[time4me2fly]

Another question...Did you find yourself spending more time on your private verandah or more time up on deck? I'm considering an inside cabin, because I didn't really use my private verandah too often on other cruises and this would save lots of money for shore excursions.

 

Would like to hear opinions on cabin choice for an Alaska cruise.

[RuthC]

Would like to hear opinions on cabin choice for an Alaska cruise.

I've done four Alaska cruises (so far). The first was in an outside cabin, before the days of balconies, and the rest were in insides.

In all cases I spent hours out on deck taking in the fresh air and scenery. The views are grander than the limits of a balcony will allow. There's plenty of deck space, and there are sheltered areas a-plenty.

I can't imagine limiting myself to the balcony view when there's the wide-open spaces on the aft of the ship.

[packercruising]

We went Fairbanks-Denali-Anchorage. Instead of extra days at Anchorage wwe had 2 days at Alyeska Resort andif you can find a tour that allows you to do that TAKE IT! I was absolutely awesome! If you click on the Cruise Memories link below and go to the Alaska tab you can scroll down for pictures of our 2005 cruise/tour. We just did one with Princess and didn't like it nearly as well.

 

As far as Inside or Veranda that is up to you. We always have had Inside, except for Alaska. When we went in 2005 we thought it would be a once in a lifetime trip so we paid the extra money.

[Bodger]

We did Cruisetour 16 which looks like #18 but also overnights in Anchorage. I suspect that ended up giving us more time in Seward but that is just a guess.

 

Knowing what I do now, and if price is not an issue (yea right!) I would do the reverse of your #6 tour going northbound and then after the finish in Anchorage, get my self down to Seward and catch a seven day southbound cruise back to Vancouver.

 

That would be a wonderful trip. Do not cut short the Denali experience.

 

Bodger

[serendipity1499]

I've done four Alaska cruises (so far). The first was in an outside cabin, before the days of balconies, and the rest were in insides.

In all cases I spent hours out on deck taking in the fresh air and scenery. The views are grander than the limits of a balcony will allow. There's plenty of deck space, and there are sheltered areas a-plenty.

I can't imagine limiting myself to the balcony view when there's the wide-open spaces on the aft of the ship.

 

I feel the same as Ruth does..You need at least 7 days to recover from a land tour..My choice would be No. 22, only because we have not been to the Artic circle..Last Aug we were on the "Mighty Glacier's & Denali Natl Park Tour " Booked through a Tour Operator.. Sorry, can't give you the HAL tour Number, as this was set up by the operator.. We were part of a overflow group of only 22 Psgrs. on our own HAL coach... We all were able to have a window seat.. Richard our fantastic HAL driver/guide was so much fun & extremely knowlegable..We've heard he is a very popular driver..Maybe our itinerary will help you decide which HAL tour to book.

Day 1 Left home for two 11 hr flights to Anchorage.. Overnighted at the Westmark Anchorage..Hotel is a bit run down but it was OK for the one night..

Day 2 Richard picked us up at 9 a.m for a Morning Tour of Anchorage & then on to Talkeetna.. The Talkeetna Lodge is lovely & it overlooks Mt. McKinley.. Would have enjoyed another night there..

Day 3..Coach to Fairbanks with 2 nights at the Westmark Fairbanks (much nicer that the Anchorage Westmark)..We stopped in a small town on the way, can't remember it's name..

Day 4..The tour of Fairbanks included the museum, then the Stern wheeler Discovery cruising down the Chena & Tanana Rivers & an Alaska Salmon bake for dinner..A full, lovely, but tiring day.. Overnight in Fairbanks

Day 5 Coach to Denali...Stayed in the Denali Chalet..Had an late afternoon 6 hr bus tour with box lunch of Denali Natl Park..The bus was an old school bus with tiny seats, & an very basic & dry box lunch, but the tour & the sites were unbelievable!..A Large Black female bear & cub stood up within 100 yards of our bus & a beautiful red fox came within 6 feet of it to stare at us.. Lots of animals & beautiful sights..For the first time in weeks (Aug 12, 2008) Mt. McKinley aka Denali showed us it's full beauty..All the clouds lifted that day, which is very unusual..Another tiring day, but well worth it..

Day 6..At noon Richard took us to the McKinley Explorer RR, (in a HAL car) for our return trip to Anchorage...Lunch & Dinner were served aboard..We opted to have snacks for lunch, as we had a large breakfast at the hotel..But we had dinner aboard in the Dining Car..Service was wonderful & dinner was delicious..Can't remember the cost for dinner..Richard, met us in Anchorage about 8:P.M. & drove us back to the Westmark..

Day 7 Free day in Anchorage..shopped, & went to see the Northern Lights show in the theater..Turned in early..

Day 8 Richard picked us up for our trip to Seward.where we boarded the Veendam for a 7 day southbound trip to Vancouver..Would have enjoyed an extra day to see Seward..

We booked an outside cabin, but spent our sea days out on deck..It was the best place to be..We booked our own tours in most of the ports..The Alaska Board, will give you lots of info..

Had an afternoon tour of Vancouver with an overnight before returning home..

All in all our land was tiring, but wonderful..My DH who never wanted to fly to Alaska, would love to go again.. Whatever tour you take, you probably will be hooked..No dress clothes are needed for the land tour..Everything is very casual in Alaska..Only dress clothes are needed for the ship..Next time I'll take less..Agree it was tiring but well worth it..

Betty.

[time4me2fly]

Betty - Thank you for sharing your Alaska vacation with us. I plan on doing the 7-day southbound cruise. Now, I have to decide on a land package.

[agabbymama]

My first trip to Alaska was a Southbound 7 day cruise from Seward to Sitka, to Juneau and Ketchikan. For our second trip, I wanted to see more interior Alaska. When I started viewing cruisetours, I found the perfect one for me. We cruised Northbound for only 3 days on the ship, then 8 days on land. We debarked in Skagway, up the Yukon Whitepass RR, coach to Whitehorse and Dawson City YUKON, river cat to Eagle Alaska, back on the coach to Chicken, Tok, and Fairbanks. Dome railcar to Denali (only 1 overnight) but we arrived in time to do the Tundra Wilderness Tour, the next morning off to Jeff King's Husky Homestead, back in time for the train to Anchorage.

 

While you are at a different hotel every night, they schlepp the luggage, all you do is place it outside the door by a certain time. And the days aren't that hectic on the cruisetour. You spend most of your time sitting on the coach, not running a marathon. We actually did more walking around in Juneau & Skagway than we did at anytime on the land portion of the trip.

 

Check out the various cities on the web, the various excursions you are interested in. I like to do a graph chart, with the various cruiselines (or in this case cruisetours). Down the side put the things you definitely want to do, tour, city, time there, etc. Mark an "X" in the conjoining box, and toward the end of your research, one should emerge with more Xs.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your cruise.

[callmedeb]

All I can say for sure (my Dad and I did #25 northbound) is...

 

1. You need at LEAST 2 days in Denali, I would have liked more...

 

2. Fly and train as much as possible. We had an 8 hour bus ride from Seward to Denali and, while our driver was fantastic and we did lots of stops, I would never ever sign up for that again.

 

3. The train from Denali to Anchorage is delightful. I spend 10 hours a week commuteing on trains and I still love them. The HAL cars on the trains are fan-freaking-tastic!

 

You will love whatever you choose! Maybe I'll see you in 2011...

 

Cheers,

 

Deb

[serendipity1499]

My first trip to Alaska was a Southbound 7 day cruise from Seward to Sitka, to Juneau and Ketchikan. For our second trip, I wanted to see more interior Alaska. When I started viewing cruisetours, I found the perfect one for me. We cruised Northbound for only 3 days on the ship, then 8 days on land. We debarked in Skagway, up the Yukon Whitepass RR, coach to Whitehorse and Dawson City YUKON, river cat to Eagle Alaska, back on the coach to Chicken, Tok, and Fairbanks. Dome railcar to Denali (only 1 overnight) but we arrived in time to do the Tundra Wilderness Tour, the next morning off to Jeff King's Husky Homestead, back in time for the train to Anchorage.

 

While you are at a different hotel every night, they schlepp the luggage, all you do is place it outside the door by a certain time. And the days aren't that hectic on the cruisetour. You spend most of your time sitting on the coach, not running a marathon. We actually did more walking around in Juneau & Skagway than we did at anytime on the land portion of the trip.

 

Check out the various cities on the web, the various excursions you are interested in. I like to do a graph chart, with the various cruiselines (or in this case cruisetours). Down the side put the things you definitely want to do, tour, city, time there, etc. Mark an "X" in the conjoining box, and toward the end of your research, one should emerge with more Xs.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your cruise.

 

Wow Your tour sounds so very exciting..:):)Will you share with us the name of the cruise line & did they plan your land tour for you or did you go through a tour operator in Alaska...

Betty

[time4me2fly]

agabbymama - I'm also interested in what cruise line/cruisetour you booked for your 2nd visit to Alaska and what year did you go?

 

What were some of the exciting excursions that you did at your stops?

I'm sure the husky homestead was very exciting. Can you share some more details?

[agabbymama]

My cruisetour was in August 2007, and iat that time it was called Yukon Wilderness Cruisetour #1 on HAL.

 

As I stated, I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, so perused all the cruisetours that HAL offered.

 

I didn't do a lot of side excursions as I was pretty content with what HAL had planned. We did do a dinner in Fairbanks to the Ester Gold Camp that was additional. We did the Diamond Gertie show in Whitehorse, so didn't repeat that at Denali's Camp Night show. We did do the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali and the Husky Homestead tour also at Denali. We did a small horse drawn wagon ride in Dawson City to see the main sights there. But mostly we were happy to just walk around and enjoy the sights on our own.

 

The ride on the Yukon cat from Dawson City to Eagle Alaska was awesome (with lunch served), crossing the border from Canada back into the US, the Captain makes a big announcement. And the town of Eagle itself, most of the folks that live there try to be self-sustaining. Chicken is about 3 buildings (I think) and Tok isn't much more. And you are on a very lonesome highway. Our tour director made a game of who could guess how many vehicles we would pass, and whoever came closest got a candy bar. We saw 17 vehicles all day.

 

I am an advocate for coach tours, I love them. Others on this board tout going independent. So you have to decide what is best for you. But if you find one that goes where you want to go, and you are happy with the itinerary, go for it. I don't think there is any better way to go. Have fun planning, then taking your trip.

[serendipity1499]

My cruisetour was in August 2007, and iat that time it was called Yukon Wilderness Cruisetour #1 on HAL.

 

As I stated, I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, so perused all the cruisetours that HAL offered.

 

I didn't do a lot of side excursions as I was pretty content with what HAL had planned. We did do a dinner in Fairbanks to the Ester Gold Camp that was additional. We did the Diamond Gertie show in Whitehorse, so didn't repeat that at Denali's Camp Night show. We did do the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali and the Husky Homestead tour also at Denali. We did a small horse drawn wagon ride in Dawson City to see the main sights there. But mostly we were happy to just walk around and enjoy the sights on our own.

 

The ride on the Yukon cat from Dawson City to Eagle Alaska was awesome (with lunch served), crossing the border from Canada back into the US, the Captain makes a big announcement. And the town of Eagle itself, most of the folks that live there try to be self-sustaining. Chicken is about 3 buildings (I think) and Tok isn't much more. And you are on a very lonesome highway. Our tour director made a game of who could guess how many vehicles we would pass, and whoever came closest got a candy bar. We saw 17 vehicles all day.

 

I am an advocate for coach tours, I love them. Others on this board tout going independent. So you have to decide what is best for you. But if you find one that goes where you want to go, and you are happy with the itinerary, go for it. I don't think there is any better way to go. Have fun planning, then taking your trip.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us..We've done many Independent tours & I usually end up driving..In my younger years, have driven in Europe & twice through Morocco, (in the 70's )..In the last 20 years I've driven mostly in the States... I'm older now & getting tired of Driving..Really enjoyed having an an experienced guide/driver & the comfortable HAL coaches...

Our Hal Driver was one of the best, well versed on Alaska & an excellent Driver....We saw so much more than we would have if we had done it on our own..

Thanks again..Betty