Escorted Tours

[teddycruzr]

We are trying to pick an Alaska cruise tour for 14/15 days....I think I'd like to take the tour first and then cruise....considering the escorted tour....can anyone who's been on it comment on if it's worth the xtra $? It's our first and possibly only trip to Alaska and I want to go in early June to celebrate a BIG birthday. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated!

[sunsetbeachgal]

Hi Teddy,

 

Try posting this on the Alaska Board if you don;t get any responses. I went on a shorter tour, so not much help other than we enjoyed touring first and cruising second as you are looking at.

[agabbymama]

I did a HAL 7 day cruise in 1999. Then decided for our next trip to Alaska we wanted to see more of the interior. We again chose HAL and it was called Cruisetour #1 Yuikon Wilderness. As I wanted to see the Yukon.

 

We left from Vancouver, sailing Northbound to Tracy Arm, Juneau and Skagway. We debarked in Skagway and headed up the Whitepass Yukon RR to Whitehorse, Dawson City, Eagle Alaska, Chicken, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and ended in Anchorage. We were on land 8 days for an 11 day cruisetour.

 

Absolutely loved it. There are only two things I would change if I were to go again. I would purchase the meal vouchers, and stay 2 nights at Denali instead of just 1. But all in all, it was awesome and we totally enjoyed having a tour director with us the whole time. He did games on the bus ride, was there if there was any problems, and was a very personable young man. They schlepped our luggage, and made sure we saw what there was to see in the area and got us to where we were supposed to be. Between the bus driver and the tour director, you feel safe and secure knowing you will be well taken care of.

 

Bus tours are not very everyone, as you are on someone else's schedule. They tell you where to be and what time to be there. And you sometimes have to wait for others on the bus. But I love them. I knew I had 10 days to be gone from work, so I selected a tour that did what I wanted to do.

Do your homework, don't be surprised by the itinerary or what is offered.

And be prepared to go with the flow. Things can still go wrong. Our itinerary said we would leave Tok at 8:00 am, but the night we arrived, the bus driver said they were working on the road and it would take a little longer for the trip, so we would leave Tok at 7:00 am. Everyone got to the bus, and the bus wouldn't start. It took the two bus drivers an hour to finally get the bus started. So we left at our original time.

 

Have a great trip, Alaska is awesome!

[Pia1913]

We are trying to pick an Alaska cruise tour for 14/15 days....I think I'd like to take the tour first and then cruise....considering the escorted tour....can anyone who's been on it comment on if it's worth the xtra $? It's our first and possibly only trip to Alaska and I want to go in early June to celebrate a BIG birthday. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated!

 

We did the 8 day escorted from Fairbanks in September and if you go, ask that you be in Guy's group. Was it worth it? Definitely. Not ever having to think about where to go, what to do, where/when to eat...........a big big plus. I note that you're thinking about touring first and then cruising. Good choice. You'll appreciate the cruise more after you finish shlepping around. Princess has this down to a science.

 

Below is the link for the LIVE I did starting in Fairbanks.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1054906&highlight=

[teddycruzr]

Thank you Pia....I read your posts and they were a great help.....may I ask if there is one side of the ship that is better to have your cabin on when sailing south? Do I want to look out to sea or toward the land? I appreciate your help!

[Oi]

We did the alaska cruise tour in 2005 on the coral. We did the land portion first and then the cruise and were so happy we did. I have a review of the entire experience up:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=197725&highlight=

 

I hope the above link gets you there, if it does not, search for "Alaska -Cruisetour and Coral Princess Review"

 

It was a wonderful experience and we would not have missed it!

 

hope you do it and enjoy!

[clueless2]

Here are a few snapshots from a Cruisetour/Diamond Princess cruise from a couple of years ago. We've been on 5 cruises and this is our favorite so far.

 

Did the tour first and then the cruise. As another poster said make sure you stay 2 nights in Denali.

 

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/tco0085/Alaska#

[Pia1913]

Thank you Pia....I read your posts and they were a great help.....may I ask if there is one side of the ship that is better to have your cabin on when sailing south? Do I want to look out to sea or toward the land? I appreciate your help!

 

Honestly? We usually choose a port side cabin because I tend to go left. We have never really thought about which side is "better." :D

[caribill]

Thank you Pia....I read your posts and they were a great help.....may I ask if there is one side of the ship that is better to have your cabin on when sailing south? Do I want to look out to sea or toward the land? I appreciate your help!

 

Most of the time between ports you are far enough from shore that you see ocean from both sides of the ship.