Alaska Cruisetour

[Kitcito]

DW and I are 46-47, Celebrity is our favorite cruise line but have also taken a princess cruise as well. We want to take a cruisetour and I'm having a hard time planning the following so any help and advice along with why you like your choice is what were looking for. I'm having an awful time deciding and information is what I'm sorley missing. I have heard really good things about Princess and HAL regarding there Alaska cruises. I will be Elite with Celebrity after December 2010 so this might help in loyalty gifts, discounts, and such. DW and I live in Georgia USA but I've been on a work assignement and living in Gemrany for the past two years. I will be coming home for the holiday's and will be on a cruise in December with Celebrity. I would like to have our decision made before we get on the ship so if the decision is Celebrity or RCCL I can make all the arrangements while there. I really would like your thoughts so feel free to comment on your experiences. Feel free to contact me via Email at.

ksfalconberry@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

1. Celebrity, Princess, HAL, or RCCL - Which line does the best cruise and Cruisetour? What makes one better than the other? What about the tour aspect did you like most?

 

2. Train or Motorcoach - DW wants to ride the train so this would tip the scale as to where we go. What is it like on the Train? How much time is spent in transit on the Train? Are there any excursions that involve the train that we should not miss?

 

3. Denali - This is what I am most excited about. Which line has the best trips in Denali? What about the Lodges that you stay in? What are some of the must see's in and around Denali? What about wildlife opportunities?

 

4. Cost During Tour - What extra cost's do you have while on the tour portion, food, lodging, excursions etc.?

 

5. Celebrity CruiseTour - Which tour number and why?

 

6. What time of year? May / June or August? When is the best time for animal viewing?

 

I'm leaning toward doing the tour first then the cruise out of Alaska south to the States or Canada.

 

Keith Falconberry:D

[jlijny]

My family and I are loyal Celebrity cruisers. After much research on this board, we booked Celebrity Millenium for next year (July 2011). We chose cruisetour #21, which included 2 nights in Denali ( which is a must!!), 2 nights in Fairbanks, 1 Seward, 1 Anchorage, and 1 Talkeetna. We are also elite members, and enjoy the extra perks, as well as the perks we get from booking Concierge.

[goinmobile68]

DW and I are 46-47, Celebrity is our favorite cruise line but have also taken a princess cruise as well. We want to take a cruisetour and I'm having a hard time planning the following so any help and advice along with why you like your choice is what were looking for. I'm having an awful time deciding and information is what I'm sorley missing. I have heard really good things about Princess and HAL regarding there Alaska cruises. I will be Elite with Celebrity after December 2010 so this might help in loyalty gifts, discounts, and such. DW and I live in Georgia USA but I've been on a work assignement and living in Gemrany for the past two years. I will be coming home for the holiday's and will be on a cruise in December with Celebrity. I would like to have our decision made before we get on the ship so if the decision is Celebrity or RCCL I can make all the arrangements while there. I really would like your thoughts so feel free to comment on your experiences. Feel free to contact me via Email at.

ksfalconberry@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

1. Celebrity, Princess, HAL, or RCCL - Which line does the best cruise and Cruisetour? What makes one better than the other? What about the tour aspect did you like most?

 

2. Train or Motorcoach - DW wants to ride the train so this would tip the scale as to where we go. What is it like on the Train? How much time is spent in transit on the Train? Are there any excursions that involve the train that we should not miss?

 

3. Denali - This is what I am most excited about. Which line has the best trips in Denali? What about the Lodges that you stay in? What are some of the must see's in and around Denali? What about wildlife opportunities?

 

4. Cost During Tour - What extra cost's do you have while on the tour portion, food, lodging, excursions etc.?

 

5. Celebrity CruiseTour - Which tour number and why?

 

6. What time of year? May / June or August? When is the best time for animal viewing?

 

I'm leaning toward doing the tour first then the cruise out of Alaska south to the States or Canada.

 

Keith Falconberry:D

 

I did cruisetour 11 with RCCL in late June-it was my first trip to Alaska & first cruise, so I'm not an expert, but I'll share my own experience! Loved the tour-I'm not really a large group person, but I really feel that we saw much, much more than we would have if on our own. Part of the reason we did the cruisetour was the overload of choices in Alaska-this was our way of focusing! We did the tour portion first on advice from a friend who had done a similar tour & I liked it. You'll find a lot of folks here that say to do the land portion first too. It's a bit time intensive, but you cover a lot of ground & we were well taken care of. I was pleased with the accomodations, our guide & driver were great-very helpful & well informed.

 

The train was great-one reason we chose this particular tour was the train portions of the trip. Each cruise line has its own cars, so I can only review RCCL. The breakfast was one of the best I've had, the lunch, just OK, but not bad. It's great to sit back & just watch this scenery go by! I was very restful-in fact, on one journey I returned to the car after shooting pictures from the platform out back & I noticed that about half of the passengers were sound asleep!

 

Denali-Oh Wow! I'll echo what has often been said here & cast my vote for the tundra wilderness tour. Much of the wildlife that we saw was well into the park & from my understanding, the shorter tour doesn't go there. We were extremely lucky-saw moose, a pack of wolves, caribou, dall sheep, lynx, a momma bear & her cub,oh I know I'm forgetting something! Binoculors are helpful, don't skimp on the long lens for the camera, and consider bringing food-they have some, but it wasn't the culinery highlight of the trip!

 

Costs on land- your hotels & some excursions are included, but the rest is up to you. Only you know how you travel, so you set your own level of spending. Our guide had excellent suggestions for dining at various price points & we enjoyed some really good "chow"

 

This being my first experience, I don't really have anything for the last 2 questions!

 

Hope this has been at least a little helpful. If you have any other questions I'll be glad to try to answer. Whatever you decide, you'll love Alaska-we did & I haven't talked to anyone else who has been there & doesn't feel the same! Have a great time!

[NorbertsNiece]

I had an awesome time on RCCL Cruisetour 15. Link to blog in sig below. Loved the train, the coaches, the TWT EVERYTHING! We had to pay extra for most of our food : a snack lunch was provided on the TWT. The itinerary was very clear as to what excursions were included then I researched like crazy to add in our own independently or purchased once we were there.

 

I would go back in a heartbeat and do it all again. If I were to I would go for longer...as it was we were away from home 17 days!

[Budget Queen]

AS only some general comments to add to your choices. Go for as LONG as you can afford. :) And avoid short cruisetours. With Celebrity, I strongly suggest you have a full day in Seward. IF you are in Anchorage, the next/previous, as an alternative, I always suggest is to ditch the cruisetour, and take the Alaska RR independently, so to have the time in Seward. However, best is to have an overnight in Seward. :)

 

Celebrity is the "winner" for Talkeetna. Beautiful lodge, and in town. Princess is 50 miles away, another beautiful lodge, but no place I would be without a car.

 

Do NOT consider any less than two nights at Denali park and the Tundra Wilderness tour. However, if the Natural History tour is included, get a refund with Princess, eat the loss with Celebrity, and consider the farther and cheaper Eielson shuttle bus.

 

Fairbanks is always better with an added day and a car rental, cruisetours see very little outside the included gold tour and boat tour. Plenty more to see and do.

 

With the trains, by far the most scenic portion is Anchorage/Seward- 4 1/4 hours.

 

Denali/Anchorage is 8 hours, and just about parallels the Parks highway. Same with Denali /Fairbanks 4 hours. Bus is 6 hours Anchorage/Denali 2.5 hours Denali/Fairbanks. Princess is assigned table seating of 4 with 2 riding backwards. Celebrity is all forward seating.

 

All meals are extra, budget 50% more than you would at home.

[LaurieCM]

We did the Princess cruisetour that included Anchorage, Double Denali, Fairbanks, Coldfoot, and Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay), back to Anchorage and then to Whittier and the ship. Going north of Fairbanks was the highlight of the trip for me- the Brooks Range was amazing and seeing wild herds of muskox was my husband's favorite thing.

[negc]

We have done two cruisetours in Alaska-the first, with Princess eleven years ago. We thought it was great and were pleased at how well Princess organized and ran the entire landtour.

This year we did a similar land tour (#11)with Royal Caribbean(I believe that Celebrity offers the same tour on alternate weeks)and were amazed at how much more we enjoyed the RCI tour. Having a dedicated tour director and driver added immensely to the entire experience and in Denali, the tour included the Tundra Wilderness Tour in place of the Natural History Tour which we took with Princess. Now having been on both, I can only echo what virtually everyone has said about the TWT being vastly superior to the NHT. Facilities used by Royal Caribbean were superior to what we experienced on Princess (although the Princess properties were quite acceptable). Only at the Grande Denali Lodge did we feel that the food and service were not up to RCI's usual standards and reports from others who stayed there after we did seem to indicate considerable improvement. Wedgewood Resort in Fairbanks was excellent as was the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, where food and service totally blew away what Grande Denali provided.

We had two legs of the land tour onboard the Royal/Celebrity rail cars and really enjoyed them. On the upper level of those cars, all seats face forward and the panoramic windows offered great views of the Alaska landscape.

We were pleasantly surprised when our tour director told us that for $25 per person we could upgrade our transfer from Anchorage to Seward, from the motorcoach transfer noted in our documents, to the Alaska Railroad's 1pm train. (Prior to leaving for the cruise we had inquired of RCI as to the possibility of doing just that,but had been told that we could not) Had we simply abandoned the tour in Anchorage and booked the train directly with the Alaska RR, we were looking at a cost of, at a minimum of $75per person. Since the weather forecast for Seward was less than optimal, we jumped at the opportunity to take the train and forego extra time in rainy and cool Seward. We also knew from experience that if we got to the pier earlier, we would most likely just get onboard the ship and not venture off again to explore Seward. Those who will tell you that the rail route between Anchorage and Seward is the most scenic and interesting section of the entire route are not exaggerating. It was definitely a highlight of our trip.

I think all of the cruiselines do a very creditable job of offering good and enjoyable land tours. Check and compare what each line offers to find one that most closely matches what is most important to you, and then determine which ship or line is best suited to you. If you do those two things you should have a wonderful experience in Alaska.:)

[Kitcito]

Everyone you have given me more to think about so now I'm really confused. So there are a few comments I don't understand so here they go.

What about HAL and there setup, lodges and excursions? The tundra Wilderness Tour, I hear that there are two I'm assuming the better one is the long one? What is done on the tundra Wilderness Tour, as well as the Natural History Tour?

 

Keep the info coming I'm getting an Idea what we will do so be patient with me.

 

 

Kitcito:D

[NorbertsNiece]

Check out my blog for the day we had in Denali on the Tundra Wilderness Tour. It's not to be missed imo.

[Veevo324]

I am planning to book HAL Cruisetour #6 on the Volendam with an August 3, 2011 departure. The tour includes 10 days on land and 4 at sea. The 10 land days seem ideal but...Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

 

Vic

[Budget Queen]

The tundra Wilderness Tour, I hear that there are two I'm assuming the better one is the long one? What is done on the tundra Wilderness Tour, as well as the Natural History Tour?

 

 

 

 

Kitcito:D

 

I suggest you look over the NPS web site, and take a look at a map. http://www.nps.gov/dena

 

Denali Park is a highlight of Alaska interior visits.

 

It's all about DISTANCE into the park, more, will yield= more scenery, more wildlife.

 

The NHT is the public road going 17 miles, on average, this has low wildlife sightings, and so so scenery. The Tundra Wilderness tour, goes at least 53 miles in. Includes wonderful Polychrome Pass, and more expansive viewing of McKinley, in the rare even it's viewable.

 

The Park Road is 90 miles+. There are also shuttle buses, which run 1/3 the price of the "tour" buses. The tour buses do have a video camera magnification that spots wildlife, and offers guided commentary. A box lunch and drinks are included.

 

With shuttle buses, they go farther, same comment as above, farther, yields more :) My min. distance in is Eielson, mile 66, with Wonder Lake only for me, past mid August., mile 85. You do have to bring in/out all your own food and drink. I have NEVER not had a very informed driver who offered much to the ride. Full of details, added information etc. The benefit of shuttle buses you can get off at ANY point, and when ready , just get back to the road and board any shuttle bus with open seats. You may have to wait for buses, but no one is left in the park. :)

 

SO, you have to make the decision, IF getting into Denali Park, and taking advantage of being there is your priority, or not. Then your planning needs to allow for it. Some cruisetours, with a single night can not be upgraded to the longer TWT, so be VERY knowledgable of time and distances involved.

[arizgirl]

We did the Princess land/tour and loved it! We spent two nights in Fairbanks, train to Denali (very comfy seats), two nights in Denali upgrading to the Tundra Wilderness Tour - well worth it, train to Whittier (very long, and swaying but nothing to really complain about - tolerable), caught cruise at Whittier southbound ending in Vancouver. Then we extended our trip with 1 night in Vancouver, bus/ferry to Victoria for 3 nights, 2 nights in Seattle where we flew home. LOVED it all. It was a trip of a lifetime. Our adventures on the cruise included, helicopter to top of glacier where we went dog sledding, floatplane to Anan to see bears (unbelievable), whale watching, etc. We did the trip in July which put us in Anan mid July where we were able to see bear catching salmon in the stream. We saw lots of animals on our trip Enjoy - Alaska is a trip of a lifetime!

[vbmom87]

What is done on the tundra Wilderness Tour, as well as the Natural History Tour?

Kitcito:D

 

Here is a past thread that should give you some insight into the two tours.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1235673

[sassycat21]

Just returned from Cruise/Tour with Coral Princess. We started in Fairbanks, stayed at Pikes Riverfront and did the Riverboat Tour the next day. Most people loved it, we found it ok. Boat was packed (800+) and we couldn't get a seat inside and got chilled. Would skip it next time for more time in Denali. Bus to Denali was nice, great driver and narration. Denali Princess has great views out the back, out the front is very commercialized. Food was good, but you can get good food across the street at the Salmon Bake for less.

 

Denali was fabulous, we had a sunny day, great tour guide (Scott Johnson), and saw just about everything (grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall Sheep, 2 wolves, etc.), many of them close up. The mountain was out that day and we got some great pics.

 

Took the train the next day (8 hours), we were told the bus takes only 3. We would shorten the trips if we did it again, too much time in planes, trains and buses. Maximize your Denali time if possible, it's a great place. We spent overnight in Anchorage at the Capt. Cook, great hotel but again, no time to enjoy it or Anchorage. Then next morning, bus to Whittier along the Turnagain Arm, great scenery including Beluga whales swimming near shore.

 

Boarded the Coral Princess in Whittier in the rain (it always rains in Whittier). Coral was great, good food and service, esp. in accommodating my gluten free needs. I was treated like royalty in that regard. Meals in the Bordeaux dining room were very gourment-like, excellent presentation and very good. However, there are some downsides. Orange juice is only available at breakfast without cost. Hot chocolate is NOT free. Coffee is made from syrup for those of you who love it. Also, the ship is one big sales promotion, do your homework before you leave to save money. We booked our two excursions (ziplining and fishing in Ketchikan) on line before we left; through the ship they would have been significantly more. We hiked to Lower Dewey Lake (4 miles round trip) in Skagway on a nice day, it's switchbacks straight up the first half mile, then flattens out, not for anyone with a handicap, too steep. The backside of the lake is poorly maintained and the trail goes over rocks and is steep in spots. We are used to the Adirondacks so it was ok for us.

 

Ziplined in Juneau with resident friends, at the Douglas Island ski area, fabulous time, very safe and lots of fun. Also went for a hike in the rainforest with our friends and saw several bald eagles feeding.

 

Fished with Ken of Northern Lights in Ketchikan on a miserable, rainy day. Ken was as advertised, he worked hard and we caught 3 silvers and 3 pinks in the pouring rain. He fished outside when everyone else was close to shore, and it looked like we did better than everyone. We were wet but successful.

 

Coral Princess is highly recommended, great room and dining service, good shows, lots to do. The trips into Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay were fabulous, dress warm (hat and gloves, the temp was in the low 40's) and get out onto a lower deck outside for the best views, pics and sounds. There were many seals and calves on ice flows near Hubbard and we got some fabulous shots because we were outside.

 

All in all, a fabulous trip. Try to minimize travel time to enjoy more of what Alaska has to offer, it's a vast and wonderful place.

[Budget Queen]

 

Took the train the next day (8 hours), we were told the bus takes only 3. We would shorten the trips if we did it again, too much time in planes, trains and buses. Maximize your Denali time if possible, it's a great place. We spent overnight in Anchorage at the Capt. Cook, great hotel but again, no time to enjoy it or Anchorage.

 

QUOTE]

 

A bus, Denali/Anchorage is 6 hours with stops. There is NO way to "shorten" anything, you need to add days. I always mention- to factor in all times in transit, with cruisetours, which many do not understand, and avoid short cruisetours. Denali Park is definately superior with at least 2 nights there. There is plenty to do outside of the cruisetour, and wonderful ranger activites to take advantage of.

 

Those going independent with a car, have the most options for all the potential stops along the way. Again, plenty to see and do, which breaks up the transits.