Princess newbie - lots of Q's - Alaska & Others

[minniemom2009]

Hi All,

 

We've sailed on several cruise lines in the past (Disney, RCCL, Norwegian, Carnival), but never Princess. We're now looking at an Alaska cruise tour next August with Princess and I'm totally clueless about it all! I have a ton of questions I'm hoping someone can help answer for me.

 

Princess-specific questions:

 

1. Is there anywhere I can see the menus in advance? I have MANY food allergies and I've read that Princess is great about accommodating them, but I'd like to just be able to look at the menus ahead of time to see what I can expect.

 

2. Any thoughts on the kids programs on Princess? We'd have children ranging in age from 9 - 14.

 

3. Are there restaurants on Princess that have surcharges?

 

Alaska Q's:

 

1. It looks like the more days we add, i.e. 10 versus 14 days, the more free time we have on land. I'm wondering what we can actually do during this time.

 

2. We definitely want to do the Tundra tour. How many days on land do we need to do this?

 

3. Has anyone taken kids on an 11+ day tour? I'm a bit worried the land tour may be a bit too exhausting for them. I see the Tundra is 9 hours. Any thoughts on this?

 

I'll leave it at that for now even though I have tons more questions! Thanks so much for any input :)

[Pam in CA]

It's been years since my last Alaskan cruise so I'll leave those questions to others to answer.

 

Princess is very good about modifying a dish for you if you have allergies. My daughter has a shellfish allergy and has never had a problem finding dishes she likes. Tell the Maitre d' the first night about your allergy and he will bring the next night's menus for you to check and modify, if desired.

 

Also, fill in your allergy in the Personalizer so if special ingredients need to be purchased, they can make sure they're onboard for you.

[satxdiver]

We were with a couple where the lady had food allergies. She talked to the maitre'd before the first dinner and he would come out every evening and show her the menu for the next evening and discuss the offerings. The two of them would then decide what the lady would have the next night. So she would order her meal 24 hours in advance. The specialty restaurants are Sabatini's (Italian) and Trident Grill (steak and seafood). We don't have children at home anymore so can't help there.

 

I have not taken a Princess land tour but have been to AK several times including Denali. What you are going to see is wilderness and lots of it. You may be able to see moose, bears (mostly brown or grizzlies), sheep, carribou, wolves, fox, beavers etc. However these are wild animals and don't exactly pose for you. A 9 hour tour is going to be long. I did a tour in Denali to Wonder Lake that took over 10 hours. I was glad i did it but would not do it again as it was tiring. All there is to see in AK is wilderness and lots of it. So it falls back to whether you enjoy seeing the wilds. I do.

[Tina G]

About Alaska, you need to understand just how large this state is! Most of the resorts are in very remote areas, especially the Mt. McKinley Lodge. There are no towns within walking distance. There are activities to enjoy, but they are not free. Food is not included once you get off the ship, and it will be expensive.

If your kids like camping and outdoors, they will enjoy it. You cannot appreciate Denali National Park unless you take an extensive tour. It takes about 6 to 7 hours to drive across the park in an old school bus. The wildlife is fantastic, but it is a long ride. My daughter and son-in-law were disappointed that they didn't get to see more of the park. They should have shelled out the money and taken the long tour. The park is enormous!

[satxdiver]

We were with a couple where the lady had food allergies. She talked to the maitre'd before the first dinner and he would come out every evening and show her the menu for the next evening and discuss the offerings. The two of them would then decide what the lady would have the next night. So she would order her meal 24 hours in advance. The specialty restaurants are Sabatini's (Italian) and Trident Grill (steak and seafood). We don't have children at home anymore so can't help there.

 

I have not taken a Princess land tour but have been to AK several times including Denali. What you are going to see is wilderness and lots of it. You may be able to see moose, bears (mostly brown or grizzlies), sheep, carribou, wolves, fox, beavers etc. However these are wild animals and don't exactly pose for you. A 9 hour tour is going to be long. I did a tour in Denali to Wonder Lake that took over 10 hours. I was glad i did it but would not do it again as it was tiring. All there is to see in AK is wilderness and lots of it. So it falls back to whether you enjoy seeing the wilds. I do.

 

I had a senior moment. The Crown Grill is the specialty restaurant and not the Trident Grill.

[caribill]

You cannot appreciate Denali National Park unless you take an extensive tour. It takes about 6 to 7 hours to drive across the park in an old school bus.

 

The Tundra Wilderness Tour is NOT in an old school bus.

 

It is in a modern bus with TV sets located where you can watch a closeup of the wildlife the bus driver spots, even if it is just a dot in the distance for you.

 

It may look a little like a school bus from the outside, but that is because of all the windows that can be lowered so you can take great pictures.

 

Outside of a TWT bus:

 

 

 

Inside of a TWT bus:

 

 

 

Example of wildlife shown on the TWT bus TV:

 

 

 

And the same wildlife as seen through an open window with a camera with a good lens:

 

 

 

Only the OP will know if his/her children would have a problem with the length of the TWT. It should be a day they will always remember for the right reasons.

 

In my opinion, you need two nights at Denali National Partk to do it justice. You would do the TWT during the full day you are there.

[5326jan]

Just as an aside, I think the kids would enjoy the lumberjack show in Ketchikan. Here are some reviews from TripAdvisor. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31030-d672604-Reviews-Great_Alaskan_Lumberjack_Show-Ketchikan_Alaska.html

 

Compare the price for "self-pay" vs ship's tour price. It's an easy walk from the pier, through the shopping district, so you don't need transportation. :)