Seward and Homer vs. Denali?

[Hibiscus118]

I'm just starting to plan a June 2013 cruise to AK. We're taking anywhere from 12-14 days and still deciding what the budget will be, which will determine the cruise. Ideally I would love to do a SB cruise and spend 3-4 days precruise in AK, and then 2 days or so in Seattle. Another option is doing a RT cruise from Vancouver and spending 5-6 days in the Vancouver/Seattle areas. My husband really wants to spend some time in Seattle either way.

 

Now my question. If we decide to spend 3-4 days in AK and do a SB cruise, could we find enough to do in the Homer/Seward/Anchorage areas instead of going to Denali? I really want to do Denali, but then I've heard such great things about some of the little towns in AK such as Homer and Seward. Plus, the 6 hour one way trip to Denali, plus the shuttles in the park are kind of making me think we'd be rushed and wouldn't enjoy it as much. I definitely do not want to do a cruise tour, so one of us would also be driving to/from Denali. Any ideas or input?

 

I'm thinking that either cruise we decide to do we would almost end up spending the same amount of money, except for the one way air aspect to anchorage.

[AKman2495]

Apparently this is your first trip to Alaska? If so, I would go to Denali and Anchorage. I think the SB trip is a good idea. You will most likely leave from Seward or Whittier. If so, you can start in Fairbanks, Head to Denali then drive or train from Denali to Seward/ whittier. That way you will be able to see some of the Kenai Peninsula.

 

As beautiful as Homer and Seward are, nothing really compares to Denali. Believe me, they shuttle busses and tours they have are specifically designed for tourists and are most interesting.

 

As for spending time in Homer and Seward--that's a good excuse to come back in 2014 ;)

[poolwife]

Hopefully, if you do Denali, you do come back later and do Seward and Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. They are quaint and just beautiful. Nothing can compare to the scenery looking at the mountains of Kachemak Bay in Homer. Interesting to see all of the halibut that the fishermen catch coming off the boats in Homer. And then there are all the scenic spots around Turnagain Arm on your way to Seward, Wildlife Conservation Center, Mt. Alyeska tram, 26 Glaciers cruise with all the otters out of Whittier. I love also stopping and having lunch or dinner at Summit Lake Lodge and soaking in the view at Summit Lake.

 

Obviously, I love touring the Kenai Peninsula. Look up pictures on both places and see what interests you the most and do it first.

[mapleleaves]

You're comparing apples and oranges. Denali is more of the interior view of Alaska; wide open spaces and lots of wildlife.

The Kenai Peninsula is more about small fishing towns and sealife.

Homer is about a 4-5 hr drive from Anchorage so it would be feasible to spend your time visiting a few places on the Kenai Peninsula and not feel rushed. Plenty to see and do. Use the interactive map in the attached web site to drill down on any town and find more info. They will also send a free vsitor guide:

http://www.kenaipeninsula.org/

 

This chart is pretty accurate about drive times and distances. Lots of good info if you poke around the site:

http://alaska.org/gettingaround/alaska-transportation-guide.htm

[Hibiscus118]

Thanks everyone for the replies. This will most likely be our only AK trip for some time. We want to start a family after that and this is kind of a "last hurrah" type vacation.

 

I was looking at the PDF that princess has out now and the Coral and Island Princess are our top choices so far. The Island goes out on Wednesday. Do you think it would be doable to:

 

~Fly into Fairbanks on Friday and stay the night on Friday

~Hang around fairbanks in the morning and drive to Denali in the afternoon/evening on Saturday.

~Take the shuttle into Denali on Sunday. (I'll have to even look if they do this on Sundays?)

~Start heading south sometime to Anchorage on Monday.

~Head down to Whittier Monday possibly.

 

We really enjoy quaint little towns like these so would like to do something like that as well. It's obviously a long time away. I also need to research Whittier to see if anything looks interesting to us. Are there any tours that go to the Kenai Fjords from there?

[Budget Queen]

IF you can add 4 extra days in Alaska, then you could at least have a day in Seward, IF you sail out of there.

 

I wouln't necessarily suggest Fairbanks either. A one way car rental could be extremely costly, so verify that first. Using the train is limited with lodging, meals and sightseeing Alaska.

[poolwife]

Hibiscus118: Kenai Fjords tours go out of Seward not Whittier. There is a great tour of glaciers out of Whittier that is 4 1/2 hours long called the 26 Glacier cruise which you can find at: www.26glaciers.com

We really enjoyed seeing all of the glaciers and saw lots and lots of otters on the trip.

 

There isn't anything else to see in Whittier itself. It is just a place to catch one of the day cruises of Prince William Sound such as I noted above and the Princess and Carnival cruises go in and out of there. There are not hotels there, etc.

 

Budget Queen knows more about Alaska travels than all of us so if she says to miss Fairbanks then that is a good idea. Use that time you would have used going there and spend some time on the Kenai Peninsula. You could fly into Anchorage instead, rent a car there and return it there. The price will be better also. Renting cars in Alaska isn't cheap because of the demand in the summer. If your cruise does go out of Whittier or Seward, then after returning the car you could take the train to either port.

[PennyAgain]

Family starting/family making is a very popular thing to do in Alaska. Something about the Northern Latitudes! Good luck with that and Bon Voyage for your trip.

[Hibiscus118]

I didn't think of the one way car rental from fairbanks to anchorage. I just thought it might be easier to fly into there. Thanks for suggesting that as we would most likely fly into Anchorage because of that.

 

I also figured that the Kenai Fjords tour was out of Seward only. I would love to cruise out of Seward but I want to compare Holland America's pricing with Princess when it comes out. Holland America seems kind of pricey to me. The only must have I have as far as the cruise goes is Glacier Bay, another scenic tour would be a bonus as well. That's why I thought Princess would be perfect as it goes to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard.

 

There are so many options it's hard to pick and choose what to do! Hawaii wasn't even this difficult.

[mapleleaves]

unless you have a specific reason to fly into Fairbanks it's much cheaper to fly into Anc, and get a RT car rental. Start watching the Enterprise site weekly in July to catch their special; for the past several years they've offered low rates, ie $99 week for economy. The offer is only up for 7-10 days so you have to be vigilant.

If you do a one way cruise with 1 week land trip you could easily visit Denali AND Seward. It would be a stretch to include Homer; as in drive there, overnight, leave in the morning, but it depends on your travel style. At least you have time to plan ... have fun with that!

[donaldsc]

I didn't think of the one way car rental from fairbanks to anchorage. I just thought it might be easier to fly into there. Thanks for suggesting that as we would most likely fly into Anchorage because of that.

 

 

 

There are so many options it's hard to pick and choose what to do! Hawaii wasn't even this difficult.

 

If you rent from Avis, you can do a one way rental and drop the car off in Whittier instead of returning to Anchorage and wasting time on the bus or train to Whittier.

 

With regard to picking and choosing, that is the nature of traveling. We spent 2 1/2 months in Alaska last summer and even with that trip length, there were a few places that I did not get to. Not many but a few.

 

DON

[poolwife]

Wow! 2 1/2 months in Alaska. Sounds Amazing! What were some highlights that stood out for you?

 

Did you do it in a motorhome or how?

[rayliang]

I didn't think of the one way car rental from fairbanks to anchorage. I just thought it might be easier to fly into there. Thanks for suggesting that as we would most likely fly into Anchorage because of that.

 

I also figured that the Kenai Fjords tour was out of Seward only. I would love to cruise out of Seward but I want to compare Holland America's pricing with Princess when it comes out. Holland America seems kind of pricey to me. The only must have I have as far as the cruise goes is Glacier Bay, another scenic tour would be a bonus as well. That's why I thought Princess would be perfect as it goes to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard.

 

There are so many options it's hard to pick and choose what to do! Hawaii wasn't even this difficult.

Don't just compare pricing between HAL out of Seward vs. Princess out of Whittier. If I remember right, HAL out of Seward southbound go to Glacier Bay, while Princess southbound goes to BOTH Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay. If Princess & HAL are within 1-200 of each other, I will choose Princess without hesitation.

 

You can always go to Whittier the day before your cruise starts and take the 26 Glacier tour, then board Princess Southbound the next day.

[frugaltravel]

Budget Queen knows more about Alaska travels than all of us so if she says to miss Fairbanks then that is a good idea.

 

With all due respect, this is TERRIBLE advice. First of all, how do you know BQ "knows more about Alaska travels than all of us." Who is "us"? Sure she knows a lot and more than most. I am not saying any specific person may know more than her, but your blanket statement is probably inaccurate. Also, BQ has her own opinions, which may or may not be those of other posters. Options, ideas and itineraries are very personal for people. Though one person might skip Fairbanks due to the high price of a one-way car rental, another person may think the extra money is well spent and maximizes time, which BQ also recommends. Maybe someone is specifically interested in something that is available only in Fairbanks.

 

Moral of the story: take all advice with a grain of salt and evaluate it to see if it is best for each person.

[poolwife]

Whoa! You really let me have it. I have not been to Fairbanks and certainly of most people I have read on these boards "Budget Queen" certainly does have a lot of helpful knowledge. Thus, it seemed, in my opinion only, since she has widely travelled in Alaska that if she is making a recommendation to cut out Fairbanks to make it more economical by renting an Anchorage round trip car, it seemed like a good idea. I have been all over the Kenai Peninsula and definitely think that it is worth seeing. So much gorgeous scenery.

 

I certainly didn't mean to ruffle any feathers and you are right - where someone chooses to go is their own personal preference. We all just enjoy writing our own personal experiences on these boards in hope that someone might find them helpful.

 

I definitely like your "moral of the story".

 

Happy "Alaska Cruising".

[NancyIL]

Our first Alaska trip was a northbound cruise followed by 9 days with a rental car - and we didn't go to Denali! Our itinerary when the cruise ended was:

 

Anchorage - 1 night

Drive to Chitina and fly to McCarthy/Kennicott - 2 nights

Valdez - 1 night

Ferry to Whittier and drive to Homer - 2 nights

Seward - 2 nights

Anchorage - 1 night

 

I wouldn't have changed a thing about that first trip.

 

A year later, I was on another northbound cruise followed by 9 days with a rental car. This time we stayed in Anchorage 5 nights to attend a church conference, and did some Anchorage-area sightseeing during the day. We spent 2 nights/1 day at Denali, then 1 more night in Anchorage before attempting to fly home. (Our plane had mechanical difficulties, so our departure was delayed 24 hours.)

 

Whether you go to Denali or Homer/Seward - you'll have a great time in Alaska.

[NancyIL]

Don't just compare pricing between HAL out of Seward vs. Princess out of Whittier. If I remember right, HAL out of Seward southbound go to Glacier Bay, while Princess southbound goes to BOTH Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay. If Princess & HAL are within 1-200 of each other, I will choose Princess without hesitation.

 

You can always go to Whittier the day before your cruise starts and take the 26 Glacier tour, then board Princess Southbound the next day.

 

You can go on a glacier cruise from Whittier the same day you sail from Whittier. Princess's southbound cruises from Whittier depart at 8:30 p.m.

[AKman2495]

Whoa! You really let me have it. I have not been to Fairbanks and certainly of most people I have read on these boards "Budget Queen" certainly does have a lot of helpful knowledge. Thus, it seemed, in my opinion only, since she has widely travelled in Alaska that if she is making a recommendation to cut out Fairbanks to make it more economical by renting an Anchorage round trip car, it seemed like a good idea. I have been all over the Kenai Peninsula and definitely think that it is worth seeing. So much gorgeous scenery.

 

I certainly didn't mean to ruffle any feathers and you are right - where someone chooses to go is their own personal preference. We all just enjoy writing our own personal experiences on these boards in hope that someone might find them helpful.

 

I definitely like your "moral of the story".

 

Happy "Alaska Cruising".

 

Budget Queen does know a lot about Alaska travel. But keep in mind she has been here many times before and that can jade people. For somebody coming the first time, they might find Fairbanks interesting. Understand where she is coming from-and take it for what it is. Listen to the advice but make up your own minds as to what you want to see.

[donaldsc]

Wow! 2 1/2 months in Alaska. Sounds Amazing! What were some highlights that stood out for you?

 

Did you do it in a motorhome or how?

 

We drove from Vegas and spent most nights in B&Bs.

 

How can you describe the highlights but I will try - seeing bears in Anan; driving the Dalton Highway; Wrangell Elias National Park; drinking in a biker bar in Fairbanks with the lady who owned the B&B we stayed in; fjord trip out of Seward; visiting Hyder.

 

DON

[Budget Queen]

There are a lot of comments about me. I would like to further clarify, that I highly value people doing their homework, which I always suggest. I also do not give out vendors unless asked, although I get blasted for doing so by a particular poster.

 

I advocate figuring out what YOU want out of your trip and rarely will post a response, what I would choose, although frequently asked to do so, Instead, I will point out differences in the tour choices and hopefully allow an informed decision by the OP to be made.

 

I tell it like it is, I'm not going to claim "good choices" if they aren't. I will point out features that clearly are unknown, to OP's positive and negative.

 

My replys are based on FIRST HAND information, I have done these tours and been to these places that I comment on. I find on this board there is a lot of "recommendations" based on the booking process and not on the actual taking of the tour- "yet".

 

This is a public board, it is easy to ignore who you wish, which I do. I would encourage others to do the same, rather than get angry and defensive.

[Hibiscus118]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I've pretty much decided to go with a SB cruise with a few days in AK before we go. I don't know what the heck we'd do in Seattle for the amount of time we want this vacation to be if we did a RT from Vancouver. Ultimately I think we'd spend the same on hotels, car rentals, etc. My husband just has this thing with Washington state and I'm going to have to talk him out of a lot of time there. Luckily I'm the planner and researcher so that won't be hard.

 

I am still going to look into Fairbanks as I think it will be easier to start from there and head south. Most likely we won't be doing that option though if the one way rental prices next year are anything like what I was looking at by "plugging in dates" for this year. I know that's not the same but it's probably close. Hopefully the car rental prices will come out before I book flights so that we can do our research.

 

Ever since I started researching, Denali was a must do. Then I started looking into the Kenai Peninsula and bopping around there for a few days also sounds quite appealing to us. We'll see. Wish we could do both but with only two weeks vacation it doesn't sound like that will be possible, unless we fly straight home once we get to Vancouver, and my husband wants to spend time in Seattle again so bad.

 

The cruise portion is the easy part. I already have ideas on what we want to do in the ports. I really do appreciate all the advice and ideas. We will most certainly do what intigues us the most, but I love hearing what everyone else did!

[poolwife]

Have you thought about making Washington State a separate trip sometime in the future? There is so much to see there and Vancouver/Victoria area. You can spend 1 - 2 days just taking the ferry and going to Butchart gardens in Victoria if that is an interest.

 

You live way over on the East Coast so I can understand why you want to put it in on this trip.

 

Have fun planning and researching. I have found after 19 cruises that that is the most fun part. The planning and expectation of the trip sometimes outweighs what ends up on the trip.

 

You will have a great time in Alaska. It is so beautiful.

[Hibiscus118]

We have. The distance does make it tougher. It's a lot easier to plan it all in one trip from here. We were in Seattle for one day on the way to Hawaii and my husband fell in love with it. He was also born in WA but grew up in a military family so wasn't there long so I think that is part of it. He loves wildlife so I think he would fall even more in love with Alaska. Just need to get him there, hehe.

 

Thanks. I have spent hours looking at different things related to AK and we've still got 15 months to go at least. It's so much fun for my planner self.

[Suzanne123]

If you have the time before your cruise, the trip over to the Olympic National Park from Seattle is really nice. We took the Bainbridge Island ferry and spent a couple nights in lovely Port Townsend (Victorian houses, lots of art galleries, book stores, etc.)

Google the Hoh Rainforest, Crescent Lake and Hurricane Ridge. The scenery is wonderful. IMO, almost as nice as Alaska and much warmer. (lol).

 

http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-hurricane-ridge.htm

 

Have fun!

[piratesmate]

A few more ideas, because I am also in the midst of planning.

 

I initially planned to fly into Fairbanks, then travel south to Denali, Anchorage, Seward, etc. I thought this would have the minimal amount of backtracking/wasted time.

 

Instead, we are flying into Anchorage - much better availability of flights and times. I generally prefer a rental car on vacation, but we are going to use the train to go to Seward, stay 1 night, and return to Anchorage (after a 1 night detour to Girdwood). Then, take train to Denali, stay Denali 2 nights, train to Fairbanks, get cab to Fairbanks airport, get rental car for 2 days in Fairbanks. Return car to Fairbanks airport, so no dropoff charge. Then, we are taking Alaska Airlines - 1 hour flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage - $138 (more or less) - and hopefully this will be a cheap way to see Denali and the mountains from the air (rather than the $400 small plane excursions). (I have 10 days on land, so we have more land time than you will.) I don't know the drop off charge, but the time and money saved may be worth it instead of driving all the way back to Anchorage. You could also take the train back, but I think the plane was cheaper than the train, and a lot faster.

I think we're taking a 5 pm flight and will be in Anchorage by 6 pm.

 

Another option for you might be to fly into Anchorage, explore as you like. Then take the train to Denali, stay Denali 2 nights (when you look at the train schedule - I think it arrives 3:45 the first day, so too late to do the shuttle into the park. The next day, the shuttle may get back too late to catch the return train to Anchorage, so you have to spend a 2nd night.) Then, take the train back to Anchorage (skipping Fairbanks completely). There is a train from Anchorage to Seward or to Whittier so you can catch the ship from either port via the train. Also, toursaver.com and alaska-discounts.com have buy 1, get 1 free coupons for the train from Anchorage-Denali-Anchorage round trip. This will save you money on the trains. You can buy more than 1 coupon book if several people are travelling.

 

I agree with someone who said to decide what you want to see first. The first step is to make your "A" list - read the internet and travel books and write down the things you really want to see. Maybe your highlights will include Fairbanks, but maybe there are places further south that are more important to you - especially with limited time. I learned a long time ago - you can't see everything you want to see (if you still want a job to go back to!) Pick your highlights first, then design your schedule around them. Not just the towns, but exactly what you want to see in each town, how many hours/days are needed. And how much time you need to allow to travel between places.