TWT---AM or PM?

[sparetire]

Like this hasn't ever been discussed here. Got everything nailed down except this last detail: 5:00 AM or 1:00 PM?

Are the chances of seeing more active wildlife in the morning that much greater? If so, we're willing. Or are the late afternoon and early evening hours just as promising, or nearly so? A leisurely start to the day would be nice, but not nearly as important as having the best shot at seeing wildlife, and this is our only shot at the TWT. It's Sunday Aug. 29th, if that matters.

[Yukon]

AM is the only choice - Denali (a.k.a Mt McKinley) often clouds over by about 11am so PM TWTs don't see her anywhere near as often.

[PennyAgain]

That late in the season you will be finished the PM TWT in the dark and will get back to your hotel totally worn out.

 

Do the morning if you can still get it.

[nimrod1940]

That late in the season you will be finished the PM TWT in the dark and will get back to your hotel totally worn out.

 

Do the morning if you can still get it.

 

It won't be totally dark yet, unless they are going in the winter. Sun doesn't set until after 10:00 in August. Just saying. Anytime is a good time. You are right about viewing Denali. But, morning and evening are great for the animals.

[PennyAgain]

The PM tour often gets people back to their hotel in the dark that late in the season.

[LaurieCM]

It doesn't matter which tour you choose, they will book you on whichever one they want. We had confirmed reservations, all the paperwork, etc. and when we got to the Princess resort on the 2nd night of our cruisetour we were given tickets for the PM TWT. We went to the desk immediately, showed our paperwork and were told "too bad", this is the tour you are getting, no recourse and no explanation. Our tour was fine, we saw lots of animals and the weather and light was fine, but ask for what you want and then be prepared to get what you get.

[frugaltravel]

It won't be totally dark yet, unless they are going in the winter. Sun doesn't set until after 10:00 in August. Just saying. Anytime is a good time. You are right about viewing Denali. But, morning and evening are great for the animals.

 

The PM tour often gets people back to their hotel in the dark that late in the season.

 

Well, you are both wrong :D.

 

August 29th the sun sets at 9.24pm and twilight is until 10.18pm. So the later TWT will not return in the dark at that time but the sun sets just before 9.30pm.

[Budget Queen]

My question for this poster, are they independent?? IF so, no way would I settle for the TWT and I would take advantage of getting INTO Denali, in one of the most wonderful times- to at least Eielson, and ideally Wonder Lake. They are going to have some fall colors to look at and some very active wildlife with the power eating, herding up of the caribou, moose rutting etc etc etc.

 

For me, including just last week, I'm on the first bus into the park. :)

[cruisingmimi]

We don't have many choices about the time of day we visit the park. We don't arrive Denali until 12:15 pm from Fairbanks so only have the afternoon to tour. We are doing an overnight at Mt. McKinley Chalets and leaving at noontime the next day. We are doing a cruisetour through HAL.

 

HAL offers us a Natural History Tour as part of the pkg. but we are looking to upgrade to the TWT which would leave around 2 pm. Hopefully, we will see some wildlife. Something is better than nothing is my motto. Are we better off just sticking w/ the NHT or should we do the upgrade to the TWT? I am not sure if we could do the Eielslon shuttle. I understand that the shuttle drops us off at the visitors center and we would not have pickup by the hotel shuttle at 10 or 11 pm. If we do the TWT we would get picked up and dropped off at the hotel so this would be the better option for us. We are not interested in hiking, etc. but just transportation into the park to see the beauty of Denali. I would prefer to do the Eielson shuttle.

 

Mary

[wolfie11]

Definately upgrade to the TWT. The DNHT goes only a little further into the park than I can drive to in my car. Not likely you will see much wildlife in that section.

[puckster55pics]

When I was in Denali way back in August 17th 1981 we had TWT booked but unfortunately for us two days prior (Saturday August 15th) Denali got hit by a early snowstorm & we had to turn around @ Polychrome Pass as the road was un -managagable. We got out of the bus @ Polychrome pass & I was hip deep in snow! We did see a lot of wildlife from our bus from Dall sheep & moose,red fox & a sow grizzly with a pair of year & a half old cubs just 25yds away. Unfortunately it was getting dark & my pics of the bears did not come out too well. If you can do the morning tour-Get it!

[Budget Queen]

 

Are we better off just sticking w/ the NHT or should we do the upgrade to the TWT?

 

Mary

 

You are absolutely way better off upgrading.

 

I was just in Talkeetna this week and talked with a few princess cruisetour people (some seemed very "lost"??) All had been on the NHT, and those who knew about the TWT were very regretful, one family actually angry- wrongly blaming their TA. (in my opinion).

 

Without your own transportation and unless you can now, verify Princess Lodge pick up at the Access Center, after 10pm, you are best to just pay the upgrade for the TWT at this point.

[cruisingmimi]

Thank you, Budget Queen, and everyone else for their input. We have decided to go for the TWT and I will contact our TA very shortly to see about the upgrade.

 

Honestly, I wish I had known what I know now when we booked this cruisetour! LOL You must be your own advocate as far as trying to determine what your tour will include. The description as listed on the cruise agency websites are very vague about the time frame, what you can see, etc. I have spent so much time trying to sort everything out and think that I have finally done so. I don't want to get home after our cruise and say, "gee, why didn't we do the TWT instead of the NHT". The answer would have to be that no one told us the difference or that we could do an upgrade.

 

This is our first trip to Alaska and there are 6 of us going together so I want it to be special for everyone. I'll let you know what happens w/ the upgrade.

 

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for cabin assignments from HAL for our 7/1 departure to Fairbanks. Surprised, not after what I have been reading on these boards from everyone who has booked a guarantee. It will all work out.

 

Mary

[Budget Queen]

 

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for cabin assignments from HAL for our 7/1 departure to Fairbanks. Surprised, not after what I have been reading on these boards from everyone who has booked a guarantee. It will all work out.

 

Mary

 

I didn't find out my cabin, until I was at the dock. :) 5/23 Ryndam.

[cruisingmimi]

That's what I expect will happen to us! Guess that's HAL for you.

 

I am waiting to hear back from our TA about the TWT upgrade.

 

Mary

[cruisingmimi]

Budget Queen, can you answer a ? for me about the totems at Bight in Ketchikan?

 

We are docking 11 am - 8 pm and are scheduled to do the floatplane at 12:30 pm. I know that's 1 1/2 hrs. but wondered if we'd have time to take the bus out to Bight to view the totems? Someone posted the bus schedule so I have to check that out also.

 

If we took the bus around 3 pm (or whatever time it leaves to go to Bight), will we have enough time to go there and get back to the ship on time? We will need to get something to eat after the plane ride as my husband is a diabetic.

 

I'm trying to find one more thing to do in Ketchikan w/ our group of 6.

 

Thanks,

 

Mary

[Budget Queen]

Budget Queen, can you answer a ? for me about the totems at Bight in Ketchikan?

 

We are docking 11 am - 8 pm and are scheduled to do the floatplane at 12:30 pm. I know that's 1 1/2 hrs. but wondered if we'd have time to take the bus out to Bight to view the totems? Someone posted the bus schedule so I have to check that out also.

 

If we took the bus around 3 pm (or whatever time it leaves to go to Bight), will we have enough time to go there and get back to the ship on time? We will need to get something to eat after the plane ride as my husband is a diabetic.

 

I'm trying to find one more thing to do in Ketchikan w/ our group of 6.

 

Thanks,

 

Mary

 

If the bus schedule runs late, yes you have time. You can see the area in an hour, and then get that next bus back. ALL depends on the schedule?

[sparetire]

Thanks for your input, folks. AM it is.

[cruisingmimi]

I guess we won't know if we can upgrade to the TWT until we get to Denali. Seems as if Holland America says we can't do any such thing as upgrade. The DHT is what we get, like it or not! Imagine that...... It's not like we are looking for something for nothing, we are perfectly willing to pay for an upgrade tour.

 

Anyone else had this experience w/ Holland America? I have been told that other cruise lines let you upgrade w/ no problem. I am not a happy camper w/ HAL right now. It may be our first and last cruise with them.

 

Mary

[PennyAgain]

Mary, last year Princess was easy to upgrade but then too many people wanted to do it. HAL must let you pay on your own for TWT. They can't stop you. If you can't get credit for the History tour, then just let the thought of that cost go and pay for the real tour. Do not wait until you get to Denali.

[NHsnowpup]

I guess we won't know if we can upgrade to the TWT until we get to Denali. Seems as if Holland America says we can't do any such thing as upgrade. The DHT is what we get, like it or not!

 

Anyone else had this experience w/ Holland America? I have been told that other cruise lines let you upgrade w/ no problem. I am not a happy camper w/ HAL right now. It may be our first and last cruise with them.

 

Mary

 

 

We originally tried to book a cruisetour with HAL, but asked FIRST about some changes in the tour that would have been upgrades, which would work timewise and were offered on their other tours. They said, "Nope" and also would not guarantee a verandah room unless we had a tour with them. We would be listed as a request not to find out until a week or so before sailing. So, as you see we are booked with Princess, cruise only. Land planned on our own.

[windemere1]

We did TWT on 5/28 8:30AM's trip. We just booked it on 5/27 directly with Aramark. Seems like AM trips starts around 5:30AM and every 30 minutes (until?) PM trip probably departs no later than 2PM. Our driver-guide, Clay, was really enjoying his job in presenting Denali to visitors. Other than planned stops, he take every opportunity to make animal-sighting stops. It was such a pleasant trip, although we only went in 53 miles to Toklat River ranger station which was end of road on 5/28. We didn't return to Princess Lodge until 4PM. I would imagine the 93-mile day trip to Kantishna could easily take 10~12 hours with shorter stops. It is just a lot of miles to cover on the unpaved road. Scenery in the park is nothing but GRAND! If you happen to sit on the right side of the bus on the return trip, try not to focus too much on the steep embankment. It is steep!

[windemere1]

We did TWT on 5/28 8:30AM's trip. We just booked it on 5/27 directly with Aramark (800.276.7234 $149/person). Seems like AM trips starts around 5:30AM and every 30 minutes (until?). PM trip probably departs no later than 2PM. Our driver-guide, Clay, was really enjoying his job in presenting Denali to visitors. Other than planned stops, he take every opportunity to make animal-sighting stops. It was such a pleasant trip, although we only went in 53 miles to Toklat River ranger station which was end-of-road on 5/28. We didn't return to Princess Lodge until 4PM. I would imagine the 93-mile day trip to Kantishna could easily take 10~12 hours with shorter stops. It is just a lot of miles to cover on the unpaved road. Scenery in the park is nothing but GRAND! If you happen to sit on the right side of the bus on the return trip, try not to focus too much on the steep embankment. It is steep!

[Budget Queen]

I guess we won't know if we can upgrade to the TWT until we get to Denali. Seems as if Holland America says we can't do any such thing as upgrade. The DHT is what we get, like it or not! Imagine that...... It's not like we are looking for something for nothing, we are perfectly willing to pay for an upgrade tour.

 

Anyone else had this experience w/ Holland America? I have been told that other cruise lines let you upgrade w/ no problem. I am not a happy camper w/ HAL right now. It may be our first and last cruise with them.

 

Mary

 

The problem probably is, you booked too short of a cruisetour and only the very "basic"? Overall HAL, offers the TWT far more than Princess does. Why did you book with them, if you weren't happy with the NHT???

 

It is also a BIG mistake to wait this out, your time is already short, and all the buses can be booked. IF you want to get into the park, make your OWN arrangements NOW. You have the option for the TWT at over $100pp or one of the shuttle buses- of which you also have to get yourself back and forth to the Access Center from your lodge. Lodge shuttles are available.

 

Final- what is your itinerary- some of the short cruisetours- can not be "fixed" unfortunately. Especially a problem are the bus transits, since those times don't always mesh with the hours needed.

[cruisingmimi]

Yes, you are correct, Budget Queen. I booked too short a cruisetour not knowing what I know now. I didn't do my homework and find out how much time we'd have to spend on the land portion. However, what's done is done and I have moved forward trying to make the best w/ what we have. It will work out fine.

 

At the time we booked, I didn't know anything about the NHT, the TWT or the shuttle busses. We have never been to Alaska or Denali so wouldn't necessarily know the difference. It's only from scanning these travel boards that I have learned the differences.

 

I will find a resolution shortly. I know that lodge shuttles are available but the problem would be on the outbound end. They stop pickups at around 6:30 pm and we wouldn't be exiting the park until 10 or so. I know we can walk back from the visitors' center but that would be the last resort for the 6 of us.

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

Mary