Tentative plan for Alaska and many questions

[ppxyz]

All - Great forum and lots of useful info

 

First time cruise. Family of 5 planning to cruise in Jun 2014. 2 adults (early 40's) and 3 kids ages 12, 8,8. We had planned it in 2007 but never could do it due to other commitments. Started my research recently and narrowed down on Princess cruises esp due to kids activities and itinerary. We want to include Hubbard glacier and Glacier Bay and Princess southbound cruise is what we were looking for. Sorry for so many questions.

 

1. Which Princess cruise to choose? - Island, Coral and Crown have the same itinerary i.e Whittier to Vancouver southbound but which princess ship is good for kids. I think all of them have Any time dining? Totally confused on this

 

2. We want to do pre cruise tour to Anchorage and Denali and definitely want to take the dome cars and visit Mt Mckinley as well. I keep reading that dome cars of princess get crowded and its better to book the land and transportation by Alaska railroad on own. Again totally lost here as to should we take the do your own with princess (which only takes care of accommodations and transport) or take their regular tour or do it on our own where the glass dome rail cars will not be crowded etc?? is it costlier if we do this on own. Pls. advise.

 

3. One more confusion is if we do it with the cruise, then are transfers easy to Whittier. What are the other options. Do hotels offer transfer of luggage straight to Whittier??

 

4. If possible we also want to visit Katmai national park. Which portion of land tour can I do this since cruise starts from Whittier.

 

5. Here are the tours that we plan to do at each port. Am I missing any 'not to miss' tours??

 

• Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier, Mr. Roberts Tramway ,whale watching with Capt. Larry

• Skagway - White Pass and Yukon Scenic Railway, dog sledding and glacier flightseeing

• Ketchikan – Float plane flight into Misty Fjord

Tundra wilderness tour at Denali

 

6. Pls give me recemmendations for a visit to Mt. Mckinley.Any tour that is reasonably priced and not to be missed?

 

7. Recommended tours to visit bears - heard Katmai is good - any other places for bear sightings by taking a float plane into the wild etc. From where do I take this as per my itinerary??

 

8. Best whale watching tour - which company and from which port should I take?

 

9. Another confusion for us is if we are already seeing whales from cruise ship, why do we need a separate Whale watching tour. is it just to get close? Will we get sea sick on these whale watching tours?

 

10. And finally which website offers the best deals on cruises? There are so many that I finally gave up. Where do I get a good deal. if for some reason this cannot be answered on forum, please PM me. We are on a tight budget and really need help with this. thanks

 

11. also any recommendations for companies that offer the pre cruise tour with railroad??

 

Would appreciate all the advise and looking forward for all the valuable suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance

[mapleleaves]

How much time do you have for this land trip? Your itinerary needs time and money, especially for 5.

If a train ride is a priority, the most scenic route is between Anc and Seward. So perhaps consider a day trip to Seward 6:45am - 11am, return 6pm-10pm. During the day you could take a Kenai Fjords cruise or visit the SeaLife Center plus a short hike at Exit Glacier or a dog cart ride with Seavey's.

If you're on a budget a rental car to denali is your best option. 5 people in a minivan is far cheaper than 5 train fares (dome car is $850 each way). Plus you'll be able to make some stops along the way to break up the drive for the kids ... 5 hrs w/o stops. The train is 8 hrs. Plus a car will give you access to more interesting lodging choices than the generic hotels around the park entrance. A family cabin would add to the adventure of the trip. ie Healy Heights Family Cabins

http://www.alaskaone.com/_dcc/accommodations/

And for a family of 5, the shuttle bus to Eielson will save you a fortune over the Tundra Wilderness Tour. The shuttle will be free for the kids and less than $45 for adults. It also goes a little further into the park but takes the same amt of time .. 8 hrs. Pick up Jr free Ranger kits for the 8 yr olds and be sure to visit the free sled dog demo.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/siteindex.htm

To get to Whittier, you can take Park Connection Bus, Alaska Railroad, cruise transfer, or private transfer ie Magic Bus. Or again, for 5 people it might be cheaper for a one-way rental car from Avis, which would give you the chance to see some sights on the way to Whittier, such as the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which has bears, bison, caribou, moose, musk ox.

Seeing whales from a ship when you're a mile away and 12 stories above is far different from seeing them at eye level 200 ft away. Juneau is the best bet for the ports you're visiting.

Trips to Katmai are pricey and book up fast. From Anchorage look at Rusts Flying Service for bear viewing trips. But you'll see grizzlies in Denali and the conservation center and those will be your budget bear viewing options.

[sammiedawg]

I would steer to Coral or Island Princess for the most generous space per passenger ratio. Also the Crown does not have covered pool, big drawback.

[donaldsc]

You have a lot of questions. I would subject that you go to your local Library, check out a few Alaska tour books, & then come back.

 

Don

[sammiedawg]

The Princess domed rail car was not crowded, plenty of leg room and luxurious seats. We were on a cruise tour which got us into the domed cruise car. We were taken in small groups downstairs to eat lunch. Each car had a Princess rail guide and server. The experience was top notch.

If someone is on a budget with three kids I would recommend renting a minivan and driving to Denali, Mt McKinley and the Kenai area. Avis has a drop off in Whittier for an extra drop,off fee. Car rental tends to book early. Sightseeing on your own will be much less on expensive than a cruise tour, unless there is a significant discount for kids. You can stop in Wasilla at the Iditarod HQ and there is a dog musher on site who gives cheap wagon rides pulled by the sled dogs. Any ship sponsored dog sledding will be very expensive.

If you have a rental car you can keep your luggage with you. If you do the ship cruise tour they will collect and ship your luggage to the next lodge. At the beginning of the trip they will collect luggage marked for the ship and it will be in your cabin when you arrive on board.

I would recommend the whale watching in Juneau as You have planned. Your kids are at the perfect age. Wildlife sightings are hit and miss on the ship and you will not be as close.

Bear sightings in June? Katmai will cost a fortune. You have a good chance to see bear in Denali but the wildlife may be some distance away. You can have a terrific trip even if you do not see wildlife up close. I would avoid promising the kids they are going to see bear.

You are planning a great trip for your family.

[Coral]

I would steer to Coral or Island Princess for the most generous space per passenger ratio. Also the Crown does not have covered pool, big drawback.

 

I agree :)

[Northern Aurora]

If there are budget concerns I hope that the OP is considering a "do-it-yourself" land tour as opposed to a Princess land package. Particularly for a family a "do -it-yourself" land tour should be much cheaper. And many of the cruise line tours are aimed at an older clientele so kids 12 and younger may not find that much of interest on a cruise line organized land tour.

 

The OP states that they plan to visit Denali but also asked for recommendations for a visit to Mt. McKinley, and I am unclear if they are referring to Princess Lodges or what. Just to make sure there is no confusion, Denali is the traditional first people (aboriginal) name for the mountain which is officially now named Mt. McKinley. Early in the 1900s a trapper who admired President McKinley named the mountain after a president who never visited Alaska. The state of Alaska was successful in having the name of the national park switched to "Denali National Park." Unfortunately the official name of the mountain itself remains Mt. McKinley, but Alaskans call it Denali.

[ppxyz]

You have a lot of questions. I would subject that you go to your local Library, check out a few Alaska tour books, & then come back.

 

Don

 

Thanks @donaldsc and I will definitely be reading a lot more about Alaska but unfortunately no library book about Alaska tells which Princess cruise to take or things like whether the domed cars thru the cruise is crowded etc?? In fact before posting my questions, I did a search in this forum hoping people would have already posted which princess cruise to take etc but could not find any related info. Wish there a website to compare these cruises in one go to decide the pros and cons. Individual reviews are plenty but a comparison gives a better clarity.

[sammiedawg]

Gray Line does land tours, for some reason I get their emails. I have not looked into it. I don't think they have access to the double decked domed cars. The cruise line owned cars are hooked onto the back of the regular trains. I did not walk through the regular cars but saw many people standing on the open platforms between cars to see better.

You can book cruise ship lodges as independents, depending on availability. I would recommend a couple nights at Denali and a couple nights in Kenaii. Your rental car would be invaluable if you forego the train option. We have rented cars in Anchorage to sightsee independently with. Whittier drop off, Avis. It is five hours by car to Denali national park. You could stop at the Princess McKinley lodge for lunch, just off the Parks highway. If the mountain is out you will have great views, you could attend ranger walks and lectures at the lodge. Most flights get into Anchorage late so you could stay there one night to get your bearings. I would recommend marriott Springhill suites for the family. The downtown hotels would be quite pricey in comparison.

 

if you want the cruise tour option opinions vary greatly. I would choose one that stayed two nights in Denali so you have a full day there. They all stay at least one night at the McKinley lodge. I would choose one with two nights at Kenai. I would not choose any Fairbanks itinerary. We had a tour that included the Copper River lodge which was our favorite but the bus rides are too long for three kids.

I believe all cruise tours include a night in Anchorage at the captain Cook hotel. So I would recommend a six night cruise tour, one night Anchorage. Two nights Denali, two nights Kenai and one night McKinley lodge. It is called off the beaten path with Kenaii.

 

If you want the independent option you need one night in Anchorage, two nights Denali and two nights Kenai. Book the rental car and forget the train.

Then to Whittier to board the ship and drop off the car.

[ppxyz]

Thanks @sammiedawg. Will check it out.

[Chat Noir]

Have you considered RV rental for your land tour? Domed cars sound attractive, but with 3 children, an RV would give you more room and way more flexibility to really see things along the way, then stay in a Denali campground. The railroad is scenic, but many miles are just forested with mountains peeping out along the way. The railroad still offers a very enjoyable transfer from Anchorage to Whittier and/or Seward to board the ship, so you still get the rail experience... and that scenery is breathtaking.

[peety3]

2. We want to do pre cruise tour to Anchorage and Denali and definitely want to take the dome cars and visit Mt Mckinley as well. I keep reading that dome cars of princess get crowded and its better to book the land and transportation by Alaska railroad on own. Again totally lost here as to should we take the do your own with princess (which only takes care of accommodations and transport) or take their regular tour or do it on our own where the glass dome rail cars will not be crowded etc?? is it costlier if we do this on own. Pls. advise.

 

I'm not planning to do a cruisetour, as I feel the land portion will be a let-down compared to the cruise. Simple reason: the cruise portion is basically a mobile hotel, moving you to the next activity while you sleep. The land portion requires you to be essentially a seated spectator during 50% or more of your days (if you simply count "days with travel" vs. "days without travel"). So...choose your land portion carefully, do it yourself, or jump straight to the cruise.

 

3. One more confusion is if we do it with the cruise, then are transfers easy to Whittier. What are the other options. Do hotels offer transfer of luggage straight to Whittier??

 

Amongst other comments, please realize that there's "NOTHING" in Whittier. I think they say it's nine buildings. I'd be amazed if you could actually drop a rental car there. Certainly for the northbound cruises, there are ZERO taxis waiting to pick people up, so no matter what you do, have a means of getting to Whittier set in stone long before you get to Whittier.

 

5. Here are the tours that we plan to do at each port. Am I missing any 'not to miss' tours??

 

• Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier, Mr. Roberts Tramway ,whale watching with Capt. Larry

• Skagway - White Pass and Yukon Scenic Railway, dog sledding and glacier flightseeing

• Ketchikan – Float plane flight into Misty Fjord

Tundra wilderness tour at Denali

 

Get ready to trim this list down. I just planned out my target excursions for our 2014 Alaska (RT Seattle), and the only day I can make two excursions fit into one port is Ketchikan, and I might have to skip lunch to make that work.

 

8. Best whale watching tour - which company and from which port should I take?

 

9. Another confusion for us is if we are already seeing whales from cruise ship, why do we need a separate Whale watching tour. is it just to get close? Will we get sea sick on these whale watching tours?

Check out our 2012 photos here:

- images ADI through AEH are what you'll see from the ship. AFH through BAG are what you'll see from an excursion.

 

On Princess, I'd HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend either JNU-700 (Photo Safari) or JNU-705. Both are operated by Gastineau Guiding, and the boats are much more stable, have better windows, and fewer passengers. The excursion we did on our 2012 cruise was on a boat with smaller windows that slide, so fewer places to put camera through, and a smaller aft platform (per person) so it got VERY cramped and almost physical trying to get a good spot. On our 2010 cruise, we did the photo safari and had a much better experience.

[ppxyz]

Thanks @Chat Noir. @Peety3- Thanks for such valuable information.

 

I wish I could get answers for points 10 and 11. How do all the forum members book their cruises - direct or thru other websites. I kindly request members to PM me with website they are using to book their cruises if its against the rules to do so.

 

Thanks

[peety3]

To (not really) answer #10, we've booked 100% of our cruises through a travel agent. Our most recent cruise, one TA said they'd be charging a nonrefundable $40/person booking fee, and the one we chose charged a $25/couple fee. If TAs are resorting to booking fees, I have to imagine that commissions are getting cut down to the bone from the cruise lines, and therefore few if any websites will have much margin to survive as middlemen.

 

Frankly, our second TA was a hawk on price, seeking every possible discount program available. She made sure that we (as past Princess cruisers) could extend our past-cruiser specials to my folks (never cruised before), and really looked for options to help further. Our current TA did the usual discount search, then alerted us ASAP when a special promo came along (that one didn't save us any money, but it got us a nice upgrade). I guess I'm just saying you should take an honest look at a travel agent.

[sammiedawg]

Regarding travel agents, the OP has never cruised before and has an odd sized family of five people. An experienced cruise travel agent can pay off with good recommendations on cabin selection and money saving ideas. The cheapest Internet based agencies basically take orders and book cabins and may offer limited advice.

I rarely use a full service agent but in this situation I would consider the expertise.

[tiger belle]

don't want to hijack the OP's thread but I have a basic question...why is there a distinction between a northbound and southbound cruise? if they are both one-way options, what does it matter if you go north to south or south to north? Or are the ports of calls and routes different for a northbound v. southbound route? :confused: sorry if I sound so stupid but I've just begun the planning for an Alaskan cruise and have only taken Caribbean cruises in the past (with Carnival and RCI)...I know an Alaskan cruise is a whole other story

[peety3]

don't want to hijack the OP's thread but I have a basic question...why is there a distinction between a northbound and southbound cruise? if they are both one-way options, what does it matter if you go north to south or south to north?

 

Depending on your home base, travel to Anchorage can be tricky (from a schedule perspective), and therefore it can be a big factor on whether you cruise northbound or southbound. Given that many people encourage flying in a day early, it ends up being a LONG day flying into Anchorage as it's one timezone west of Pacific (so four hour difference for east coasters).

 

There's also a question of the day at sea (it's a long haul from Ketchikan to Vancouver/Seattle). Do you want that at the beginning of the cruise (i.e. northbound) to maximize the relaxation and familiarization with the routine aboard and the ship's features, or do you want to be active to start your vacation with activities (i.e. southbound) and end with a day of nothing before climbing off the ship? As a first-time cruiser on a northbound, it was a fantastic itinerary to settle in and relax before honestly getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of port calls, whale watching on the balcony, etc.

 

To some degree, it also influences your packing plan to disembark. When we've done northbound on Princess, we've had Glacier Bay the morning of the day before, formal night, then a quiet morning/afternoon to pack, and College Fjord on the final evening. We'd usually pack up two suitcases before College Fjord, one after CF but before dinner, and one after changing for bed. Southbound with a day at sea to end the cruise, it might be easier to plan your packing without a designated activity.

[ppxyz]

I read a lot of reviews regarding this and finally chose Southbound. I also hear that there might still be sea sickness after the cruise is over - this is my first time cruise ever! so did not want to spoil the land trip. The energy level is also high at start of the trip. So felt that we can relax in the ship later with no worries of luggage etc and then fly out from vancouver.

[Budget Queen]

don't want to hijack the OP's thread but I have a basic question...why is there a distinction between a northbound and southbound cruise? if they are both one-way options, what does it matter if you go north to south or south to north? Or are the ports of calls and routes different for a northbound v. southbound route? :confused: sorry if I sound so stupid but I've just begun the planning for an Alaskan cruise and have only taken Caribbean cruises in the past (with Carnival and RCI)...I know an Alaskan cruise is a whole other story

 

Yes there are differences. Port times, itineraries are significant.

 

For some, it would be a good idea to take the time and learn the details of visiting Alaska. Depending on WHY you are going, but finding out, would allow you to understand what you are looking at and then making the best choice depending on your priorities.

[Budget Queen]

All - Great forum and lots of useful info

 

First time cruise. Family of 5 planning to cruise in Jun 2014. 2 adults (early 40's) and 3 kids ages 12, 8,8. We had planned it in 2007 but never could do it due to other commitments. Started my research recently and narrowed down on Princess cruises esp due to kids activities and itinerary. We want to include Hubbard glacier and Glacier Bay and Princess southbound cruise is what we were looking for. Sorry for so many questions.

 

1. Which Princess cruise to choose? - Island, Coral and Crown have the same itinerary i.e Whittier to Vancouver southbound but which princess ship is good for kids. I think all of them have Any time dining? Totally confused on this

 

2. We want to do pre cruise tour to Anchorage and Denali and definitely want to take the dome cars and visit Mt Mckinley as well. I keep reading that dome cars of princess get crowded and its better to book the land and transportation by Alaska railroad on own. Again totally lost here as to should we take the do your own with princess (which only takes care of accommodations and transport) or take their regular tour or do it on our own where the glass dome rail cars will not be crowded etc?? is it costlier if we do this on own. Pls. advise.

 

3. One more confusion is if we do it with the cruise, then are transfers easy to Whittier. What are the other options. Do hotels offer transfer of luggage straight to Whittier??

 

4. If possible we also want to visit Katmai national park. Which portion of land tour can I do this since cruise starts from Whittier.

 

5. Here are the tours that we plan to do at each port. Am I missing any 'not to miss' tours??

 

• Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier, Mr. Roberts Tramway ,whale watching with Capt. Larry

• Skagway - White Pass and Yukon Scenic Railway, dog sledding and glacier flightseeing

• Ketchikan – Float plane flight into Misty Fjord

Tundra wilderness tour at Denali

 

6. Pls give me recemmendations for a visit to Mt. Mckinley.Any tour that is reasonably priced and not to be missed?

 

7. Recommended tours to visit bears - heard Katmai is good - any other places for bear sightings by taking a float plane into the wild etc. From where do I take this as per my itinerary??

 

8. Best whale watching tour - which company and from which port should I take?

 

9. Another confusion for us is if we are already seeing whales from cruise ship, why do we need a separate Whale watching tour. is it just to get close? Will we get sea sick on these whale watching tours?

 

10. And finally which website offers the best deals on cruises? There are so many that I finally gave up. Where do I get a good deal. if for some reason this cannot be answered on forum, please PM me. We are on a tight budget and really need help with this. thanks

 

11. also any recommendations for companies that offer the pre cruise tour with railroad??

 

Would appreciate all the advise and looking forward for all the valuable suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance

 

I will make some general comments- First- why aren't you considering a shuttle bus at Denali. I do NOT recommend the Tour you list. First point- you have 3 kids that are FREE on the shuttle buses. Second- getting to Eielson is a BIG deal with kids, flush toilets, nice visitor center, running water. You mention- "tight budget" what you have planned is a mistake. Big amounts of money are going to be required for Katmai since you have to fly there. Find out the details with further looking. You need to determine the PEAK viewing times and see if they match up with your dates. You are too early for any Ketchikan fly in bear tours.

 

You likely will see bears in Denali. Very good chances, IF you go to Eielson.

 

 

Your "McKinley" reference is noted a few times. You are NOT likely to see it. Taking a flight ups the chances greatly, but these flights are subject to weather and no guarantees either.

 

Seeing "whales" from a cruise ship and on a whale watch tour are two VERY different things. For you to see whales from a cruiseship, you are going to have to be willing to invest the considerable time looking. You are NEVER "close" with your views, and you must be willing to be out looking for maybe hours for a minute of view. Whale watches are small boats on the water, the areas they sail, has 100% sightings. They stop and watch with tours which last several hours.

 

If you continue with the "dome car" priority, then also look at just going independent direct booked with Alaska RR. See if any of the purchased coupon books have discount coupons available. Be prepared for BIG money costs. A round trip Anchorage car rental- which I recommend you reserve NOW anyway- then cancel later once you figure out what you are doing, would be significantly cheaper- allow you to stop when and where you want, offer way more lodging and meal choices. IF you don't have your own transportation- then you need to budget 50% more for food than you would at home. With a car you can supplement at grocery stores- as an example.

 

Have you determined how much time you have? First you need to select your cruise dates- then you can move on.

[ppxyz]

wow, thanks @Budgetqueen for the frank comments. You are right, I am somehow fascinated with this dome car concept, dont know why but realize that it requires stretching the budget a lot. And yes itinerary wise I liked princess which goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay. Most of them in the forum recommend both of these. And I want to do the land part first so that i can finish all the hectic travelling and then relax on ship just like many on this forum have pointed out.