Dreaming of Alaska... but not sure of the logistics.

[Mike&Nancy]

Nancy,

 

We booked our own cruise, and knew that we wanted to land at Fairbanks and make our way down to Denali, so we went through AlaskaTravel.com. I had parked the website earlier. Our counselor was very informative about other things we could do (like fly to the Arctic Circle ..yikes), and they were able to make arrangements on the train. They had comparable prices to all the hotels (I checked all the prices), and all the hotels have shuttles for air/train, etc. I so enjoyed the train when we were there last, so it's ideal for me. Guilty pleasure .. staying at Kantishna Roadhouse, which is a 6-hour trip each way (if I remember correctly). NO headaches! We added things, and they sent us a fresh itinerary via email. We just got our "papers" the other day, so I'm going to start highlighting.

 

Thank you so much for this information. This is really what I wanted to do all along..customize our own land vacation, and have someone else figure out all the logistics for us. I'm so glad to know it's possible. One more question, if you don't mind. How far in advance did you contact them?

 

Thanks again.

 

Nancy

[KruisinKath]

Thanks for clarifying....I knew it was a town that started with a W. We only do RCCL so I only know Seward.

 

My pleasure! It took me a while to get all the different town names down when I first started researching. I have a bad memory, too, but the 10 million hours of reading finally seared everything into my brain! :p

[katiel53]

I know you are looking at responses from those who have sailed on RCI to Alaska. Even though we sail mostly on Royal Caribbean, we did 2 Alaska cruises on another line. We live in FL and we sailed from Seattle to Alaska, round trip.

 

We went to Glacier Bay both times which was phenomenal. We spent time enough for the ship to turn and for everyone to get pics and see the calving. If we were to go to Alaska again, it would also be on that other line.

 

I liked going to Juneau, Skagway, as well as Ketichican. We would go to Alaska again in a NY minute.

[Sharkb8]

Nancy,

 

I think it was two months ago, so the beginning of the season. When I checked the individual hotel sites there were rooms available. I think the critical piece is the airline flight arrangements. We used RCI cruise air, which has always provided the least expensive flights (open-ended).

 

Thank you so much for this information. This is really what I wanted to do all along..customize our own land vacation, and have someone else figure out all the logistics for us. I'm so glad to know it's possible. One more question, if you don't mind. How far in advance did you contact them?

 

Thanks again.

 

Nancy

[JimAOk1945]

We have taken two Alaska cruises so far. Both times we were there in mid August. The first one in 2009 was a round trip from Seattle on the Star Princess. Our ports of call were Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. We had a great time but wanted to go back again, which we did last summer.

We sailed on the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas last August on the southbound route. We loved it! We had four ports of call, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Icy Strait Point located in the Alaskan town of Hoonah.

 

When we booked the cruise, we arranged to have transfers through RC and I'm glad we did. We didn't have any trouble at all.

 

When we flew into Anchorage, we asked for the RC representative. We were directed to a kiosk where the friendly RC staff checked us off their list, and then told us when the next bus was leaving for Seward. I think we had about a one hour wait.

 

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the food court, then went back to the waiting area at the RC desk. When the bus arrived, we got in along with several other people and the driver loaded up all the baggage.

 

I'm not sure how long the drive was but it seemed to pass quickly. The scenery was fantastic and the driver gave information about what we were seeing from time to time.

 

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Seward terminal. The Radiance was the only ship there! Check in at the terminal was a breeze. We walked right in, went up to the counter to check in, and went right on to the ship!

 

The quickest embarkation we have ever had.

 

The ship is fantastic and the cruise was the best we have ever had. The itinerary includes 4 ports of call. Icy Strait Point was and still is our favorite. We went on the Bear and Whale watch combo excursion through RC. We saw two bears catching Salmon and countless whales! It was absolutely breathtaking!

 

When we went through the Hubbard Glacier area, we witnessed numerous "calving" which is when great chunks of ice break off with loud cracking and rumbling then fall into the water.

 

I could go on and on. As you can see, even now I get excited just thinking about it and trying to describe what we saw.

 

We went in August and had beautiful weather all week, even in Ketchikan where it usually rains so much. We had sunny weather all day!

 

At the end of the cruise, going through the Vancouver terminal was no trouble at all. We also had a transfer through the Princess cruise line that took us to the Vancouver airport.

 

You might be interested in seeing my wife's picture slideshows. Here is a link to the page where you will see slideshows about the different ports of call as well as the ship. The slideshow will start when you click on the link, but you can also go through the pictures if you want to by clicking on the thumbnails one at a time.

 

2012 RC Radiance of the Seas ~ Alaska Southbound

 

HAPPY SAILING! It's a great way to explore the world!

[Mike&Nancy]

Nancy,

 

I think it was two months ago, so the beginning of the season. When I checked the individual hotel sites there were rooms available. I think the critical piece is the airline flight arrangements. We used RCI cruise air, which has always provided the least expensive flights (open-ended).

 

Thanks for all your help. :)

 

Nancy

[reney313]

We've done both Northbound and Southbound. I agree the flight home is MUCH better doing SB. There is a lot of waiting around for the night time flights from Anchorage.

 

On our SB cruise, we went to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay. Stunning! We also took the Amtrak from Vancouver to Seattle. Very relaxing and easy to get to SEATAC. We took a cab from the train station to the airport since it was so late when we arrived.

 

On our NB cruise, we also flew into Seattle, toured for a day, and then took the Amtrak to Vancouver. On that cruise we saw Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

I have yet to see Sawyer glacier and Tracy Arm so I really can't compare.

 

I will say that Glacier Bay is well worth it and changing lines for that cruise might be a good option. Now that I've seen it twice, I feel more comfortable with a Seattle Round trip or with RCI. That's just my opinion though.

 

If you have an opportunity to do land as well, I highly recommend the train to Denali and spend a few days there DIY. We booked independently with Princess Lodges through their website. You can do that even if you cruise with RCI.

 

Above all...I think anywhere you go in Alaska will be well worth it!

[Cheryl H]

We've done both Northbound and Southbound. I agree the flight home is MUCH better doing SB. There is a lot of waiting around for the night time flights from Anchorage.

 

On our SB cruise, we went to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay. Stunning! We also took the Amtrak from Vancouver to Seattle. Very relaxing and easy to get to SEATAC. We took a cab from the train station to the airport since it was so late when we arrived.

 

On our NB cruise, we also flew into Seattle, toured for a day, and then took the Amtrak to Vancouver. On that cruise we saw Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

I have yet to see Sawyer glacier and Tracy Arm so I really can't compare.

 

I will say that Glacier Bay is well worth it and changing lines for that cruise might be a good option. Now that I've seen it twice, I feel more comfortable with a Seattle Round trip or with RCI. That's just my opinion though.

 

If you have an opportunity to do land as well, I highly recommend the train to Denali and spend a few days there DIY. We booked independently with Princess Lodges through their website. You can do that even if you cruise with RCI.

 

Above all...I think anywhere you go in Alaska will be well worth it!

 

So for south bound....you arrived at the pier in Vancouver....did you just take a cab to the train station? Was the train ride long? Scenic? I would rather fly home from Seattle...but I'm not sure how much effort it is getting to the train and to the airport with lots of luggage. You mentioned you had to take a cab to Seatac because it was so late....are there other options?

 

Are there any upgrades on the train that you recommend? I seem to recall folks on the Alaska board talking about upgrading to gold service, but I can't remember if that was on service up to Vancouver BC, or for the train service between Anchorage and Seward. Or maybe it's both.

 

Thanks for the info.

[reney313]

So for south bound....you arrived at the pier in Vancouver....did you just take a cab to the train station? Was the train ride long? Scenic? I would rather fly home from Seattle...but I'm not sure how much effort it is getting to the train and to the airport with lots of luggage. You mentioned you had to take a cab to Seatac because it was so late....are there other options?

 

Are there any upgrades on the train that you recommend? I seem to recall folks on the Alaska board talking about upgrading to gold service, but I can't remember if that was on service up to Vancouver BC, or for the train service between Anchorage and Seward. Or maybe it's both.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

When we went SB, we arrived early morning and were off the ship by 8:30 or 9:00am. Our train out was that evening. We took a cab (about $10, I think) to the train station and dropped off our luggage in a holding room and went ahead and checked in for the train. I think it was $5 for the luggage hold. Then we jumped on the subway across the street and toured Vancouver for the day. It was really nice!

 

As for the upgrade, yes. Both ways we have upgraded to Business Class. It was around $19 more per person. It includes free wifi, much nicer seats, and some drink coupons. The biggest thing is that you get in line first for Customs when boarding. (Vancouver to Seattle you go through Customs when you board. Seattle to Vancouver we went through Customs when we got to Vancouver. Both ways, Business Class was well worth it for that alone!).

 

I think our train got in around 10:30pm in Seattle. We took a town car to Seatac. It is about a 30-45 minute ride. When we did the opposite direction, we went during the day and took the light rail from the airport to the train station (pretty much across the street).

[Cheryl H]

When we went SB, we arrived early morning and were off the ship by 8:30 or 9:00am. Our train out was that evening. We took a cab (about $10, I think) to the train station and dropped off our luggage in a holding room and went ahead and checked in for the train. I think it was $5 for the luggage hold. Then we jumped on the subway across the street and toured Vancouver for the day. It was really nice!

 

As for the upgrade, yes. Both ways we have upgraded to Business Class. It was around $19 more per person. It includes free wifi, much nicer seats, and some drink coupons. The biggest thing is that you get in line first for Customs when boarding. (Vancouver to Seattle you go through Customs when you board. Seattle to Vancouver we went through Customs when we got to Vancouver. Both ways, Business Class was well worth it for that alone!).

 

I think our train got in around 10:30pm in Seattle. We took a town car to Seatac. It is about a 30-45 minute ride. When we did the opposite direction, we went during the day and took the light rail from the airport to the train station (pretty much across the street).

 

Thank you so much for the information. Was the scenery nice on your train ride, or doesn't really compare to everything you already saw in Alaska?

[reney313]

Thank you so much for the information. Was the scenery nice on your train ride, or doesn't really compare to everything you already saw in Alaska?

 

When we took the evening train, the scenery was nice for sunset, but after we crossed the border, it was pretty much dark out. It was still enjoyable as you pretty much follow along the ocean and can see the contrast in colors at night. Compared to the scenery in Alaska, can't really do that, it's not fair :)

 

It is definitely a more enjoyable trip than a car or bus. The airfare was about $600 cheaper for the two of us out of Seatac and the train was about $122 for both so financially it worked out better--and we got to take the Amtrak Cascades, which is something we don't available here in the midwest!

[Cheryl H]

When we took the evening train, the scenery was nice for sunset, but after we crossed the border, it was pretty much dark out. It was still enjoyable as you pretty much follow along the ocean and can see the contrast in colors at night. Compared to the scenery in Alaska, can't really do that, it's not fair :)

 

It is definitely a more enjoyable trip than a car or bus. The airfare was about $600 cheaper for the two of us out of Seatac and the train was about $122 for both so financially it worked out better--and we got to take the Amtrak Cascades, which is something we don't available here in the midwest!

 

Thank you so much for the info. I think I'll let the pricing be my guide. If we can save money like you did, then I'd like to go for it. Besides that my husband will be overjoyed to avoid the Vancouver airport. Hate is not a strong enough word for how he feels about it. Hopefully Vancouver airport is better than our last flight out of there. It was just after the 9-11 disaster. They had installed glass partitions up so from our area, we could see food, we just couldn't get to it. I wonder if the glass partitions could have been just a temporary security measure. Plus they had us line up and pay a 20 dollar each airport fee. I understand they don't do that anymore. I think it's built into the tickets now. Oh and the kicker was that we got contaminated fuel so our flight was diverted to Spokane to get fuel from there. What a time we had trying to get home.

 

Thanks again for the Cascades info.

[Tkaklita]

When we took the evening train, the scenery was nice for sunset, but after we crossed the border, it was pretty much dark out. It was still enjoyable as you pretty much follow along the ocean and can see the contrast in colors at night. Compared to the scenery in Alaska, can't really do that, it's not fair :)

 

It is definitely a more enjoyable trip than a car or bus. The airfare was about $600 cheaper for the two of us out of Seatac and the train was about $122 for both so financially it worked out better--and we got to take the Amtrak Cascades, which is something we don't available here in the midwest!

 

This is our thinking too except opposite in that we will be going to Vancouver from Seatac and so will then be on the morning train. I'm thinking of it as a small preview to the gorgeous train sights later.

 

We have found that by doing the RT from Seattle and taking the short JetBlue option from Anchorage to Seattle we will save not only $$ but better flight times and flying times as well.

[Mike&Nancy]

When we went SB, we arrived early morning and were off the ship by 8:30 or 9:00am. Our train out was that evening. We took a cab (about $10, I think) to the train station and dropped off our luggage in a holding room and went ahead and checked in for the train. I think it was $5 for the luggage hold. Then we jumped on the subway across the street and toured Vancouver for the day. It was really nice!

 

As for the upgrade, yes. Both ways we have upgraded to Business Class. It was around $19 more per person. It includes free wifi, much nicer seats, and some drink coupons. The biggest thing is that you get in line first for Customs when boarding. (Vancouver to Seattle you go through Customs when you board. Seattle to Vancouver we went through Customs when we got to Vancouver. Both ways, Business Class was well worth it for that alone!).

 

I think our train got in around 10:30pm in Seattle. We took a town car to Seatac. It is about a 30-45 minute ride. When we did the opposite direction, we went during the day and took the light rail from the airport to the train station (pretty much across the street).

 

When we took the evening train, the scenery was nice for sunset, but after we crossed the border, it was pretty much dark out. It was still enjoyable as you pretty much follow along the ocean and can see the contrast in colors at night. Compared to the scenery in Alaska, can't really do that, it's not fair :)

 

It is definitely a more enjoyable trip than a car or bus. The airfare was about $600 cheaper for the two of us out of Seatac and the train was about $122 for both so financially it worked out better--and we got to take the Amtrak Cascades, which is something we don't available here in the midwest!

 

You have been a wealth of information. I want to add my thanks too. :)

 

Nancy

[Robinhill]

We're considering doing a Alaskan cruise next Summer, as it's on DH's bucket list. Planning this seems to require a fair amount of coordination, as we live in the Washington DC area. I know there are a lot of Alaska-bound cruisers on here--can any of you help?

 

- Is there a huge advantage (ship size and amenities aside) to doing a Hubbard Glacier cruise over a Sawyer Glacier cruise? The Hubbard Glacier cruises would be tougher to do logistically and cost more. Are they more scenic?

 

- We were looking at an Anchorage to Vancouver cruise, as we're both also interested in seeing Vancouver. What would be better: flying from Vancouver to DC, or taking a bus/train/rental car from Vancouver to Seattle and flying from Seattle?

 

- We're aft people. DH likes to tell people that he's an "aft man." :) The aft cabins are, as you might expect, already booked. Is there one side of the ship that's better than other? I'm guessing in a northbound cruise that the starboard side would be better, and in a southbound side, a port side cabin would be better.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Hi- i am from Baltimore and i am actually going on my second cruise in Alaska next week. Well actually I am flying to Fairbanks and renting a car and working my way down to Denali, Talkeetna then to Anchorage where i will take a train down to Seward and board the Radiance for a 7 day cruise. I much prefer the southbound and also doing at least 4-5 days on land first whether that means a formal cruisetour or a DIY which is what I am doing this time. I did a formal cruisetour 3 years ago and I am saving at least half of the money that it cost me and doing so much more. Does not matter port or starboard- you will have great views.

 

I fly from BWI to CHicago to Seattle and then to Fairbanks. I fly home from Vancouver to Toronto to BWI. I booked the flights almost 8 months ago and it was quite expensive even then. Over $1000 each for the two of us. The cruise itself the price dropped several times so we have a good rate on that. If you are interested in details about the excursions that I have booked (all independent- none are through the ship), let me know. I really would recommend flying in a few days early either for a cruisetour or rent a car and do a few things inland. It is a very different and interesting experience. For instance, you have to go to Denali- the wildlife that you will see is amazing. You don't have to do a formal tour there- you can save $ by taking the Park shuttle which allows you to jump on and off if you need to, will stop for wildlife sightings, etc. I would recommend going at the very least to Toklat which is mile 53 I believe or even Eileson which I think is 65. You will see a lot of wildlife and for only around $35 or so each. Talkeetna is a little town that Northern Exposure was modeled after (I don't know your age so I don't know if you remember this show. It was popular I think in the 80's).

[reney313]

You have been a wealth of information. I want to add my thanks too. :)

 

Nancy

 

No problem. I "learned" from CC how to logistically get from point A to B to C to D to E as Alaska had a lot of options and travel planning. It was daunting figuring out how to do the one ways and then get to the port from the airports and vice versa...all without costing 5X as much as the cruise and excursions. Much more than flying to florida and boarding a ship, that's for sure! I think my post count jumped from 200 to 400 for one cruise! I'm happy to pay it forward :)

 

I will mention, if you take the light rail from the airport in Seattle to get to the Amtrak station, it looked "scary" on Google Earth. It couldn't have been easier though. To go from one platform to the other you have to go up to street level when getting off the light rail (stairs or elevator). Then head west, across the street (it's a busy street but there is a cross walk and a LOT of tourists so no worries there). Then back down to the train level. When we were there, we couldn't find the elevator (a lot of construction was going on) so we shlepped our luggage down the equivalent of a flight or two of stairs. If you have a lot of luggage, you don't want to do this. We each had a backpack and a rolling bag. My parents on the other hand...all I can say is my poor dad. LOL

 

I can't remember if you were going NB or SB. If SB, I would recommend spending the night in Vancouver after you disembark. Then you can enjoy the day in the city. It is gorgeous! The train the next morning leaves early and you are in Seattle by noon. we did not do that, but if I had a choice, I would next time. We had completed 5 days in Anchorage/Denali prior to the SB cruise so we didn't really have vacation time to tack another overnight stay. Our plane from Seattle left around midnight so it worked perfectly with our night train the evening after disembarkation -- I think I slept on that plane ride!

[reney313]

I much prefer the southbound and also doing at least 4-5 days on land first whether that means a formal cruisetour or a DIY which is what I am doing this time.

 

I've done both the SB and NB. If doing the land portion in Alaska, I agree the SB is preferable. I think I would be too overwhelmed and exhausted to have done all that we did on the land portion after the cruise!

 

For our second trip, we did the NB route. Some people like NB because the scenery builds on itself. This also has its merits. We took my parents for this trip and they had not been to Alaska before and were not doing the land tour after. I think in that case I do like the NB better.

 

I really would recommend flying in a few days early either for a cruisetour or rent a car and do a few things inland. It is a very different and interesting experience. For instance, you have to go to Denali- the wildlife that you will see is amazing. You don't have to do a formal tour there- you can save $ by taking the Park shuttle which allows you to jump on and off if you need to, will stop for wildlife sightings, etc. I would recommend going at the very least to Toklat which is mile 53 I believe or even Eileson which I think is 65. You will see a lot of wildlife and for only around $35 or so each. Talkeetna is a little town that Northern Exposure was modeled after (I don't know your age so I don't know if you remember this show. It was popular I think in the 80's).

 

I couldn't agree more! Some great info. in your post for folks! I booked the train and hotel in Denali independently through Princess lodges and did the DIY--so all I was paying for was the train and lodge. We booked the shuttle through the park website to Wonder Lake (although we got a late start and the clouds came out at the end so we got off in Eileson and took a different bus back to camp). Not only is it cheaper than the guided tours, but the buses are roughly the same, much less packed, you can get off and on anytime you want, and the drivers are pretty darn good guides! I much preferred the flexibility. I also thought we saw as much wildlife on the way to Toklat as we did from Toklat to Eileson. Such an amazing experience!