Need some help deciding on cruise tour

[potchak]

Ok, so I am hoping someone can shed some light on a cruise tour for us. We want to do a 12-14 nt cruise tour to Alaska in 2016 and want the best experience we can get.

 

1st question is, what is the best time to go? We are very open on the timing from what I can tell.

 

We would probably do a mini suite on the cruise portion, but don't want to go nuts on the expense. I see that princess has their connoisseur tours, but are they really worth it? What is the difference between having a tour guide and most meals included? Are the meals really worth it? I like the thought of everything included, but is it really?

 

Also, the only connoisseur tour they have that goes to Copper River skips Mt McKinley. Copper River isn't a requirement for us, but thought we would like it, and want to hit Denali and Mt McKinley for sure.

 

Appreciate the help.

[mapleleaves]

have you looked thru the trip reports from last summer ? (in STICKY above).

There are several cruisetours from various cruiselines. Many are detailed photojournals that will help you with your decision. The first line of the report generally states the ship, date, itinerary, and who travelled.

 

As for time to go .... if Denali is a priority, the park road doesn't open to Eielson Visitor Center, mile 66, until June 1 and to Wonder Lake, June 10.

 

Pay close attention to the details of any cruisetour. Alaska is large so it takes time to get from one location to the next. The shorter tours are spent mostly in transit with little time to enjoy a destination when you get there. ie be sure you have 2 nights at Denali or you may not have time to get into the park.

 

You will also find DIY trips in the trip report list. It's easy to drive around Alaska ... few hwys and mostly 2 lanes. If you don't feel comfortable ddriving you can DIY using the Alaska Railroad and/or Park Connection Bus.

DIY gives you more flexibility - you go to places YOU want to visit and on your schedule. No requirement to have luggage outside your door by 6am.

[Alaskanb]

We have decided on the Princess HB5 cruise tour (southbound on Star Princess) for June 2016 -- 2 nights each in Talkeetna and Denali plus train Denali to Whittier. This is our second trip to Alaska and did DIY for the first one. We plan to stay 2 additional nights pre cruise in Anchorage and again in Vancouver.

Here is a review http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=224428

http://www.princesscruises.de/en/cruise-tours/alaska/denali-explorer-tour-h

[DentoAlaska]

Since this is our first (and most likely last) trip to Alaska, our goal was to see as much of the state as possible. After much research and talking to others that have traveled there we chose Princess Cruisetour LB7. It is not a connoisseur tour but includes Anchorage, Copper River, Fairbanks, Denali, Mt. Kinley (Princess Lodge) and then the train to Whittier where we board the ship Southbound.

 

This tour seemed to cover more territory than the others we reviewed and was a perfect fit for us. You may want to take it a look at it for a comparison.

Edited April 25, 2015 by DentoAlaska

[san&zsm]

Has anyone used NCL Cruisetours? I was interested in the 13-day authentic Alaska. I cruised Hawaii on the Pride of America and would like to cruise with NCL again.

[mapleleaves]

Has anyone used NCL Cruisetours? I was interested in the 13-day authentic Alaska. I cruised Hawaii on the Pride of America and would like to cruise with NCL again.

 

there are at least 2 Authentic Alaska cruisetours in the 2014 Trip Report List on pg 4. There might be others as well but those are ones I recall.

 

Also look at the 2013 Reports ... go to reply #45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline.

[Budget Queen]

I find that many times, people pick cruise tours, BUT, have not done any homework on the areas included- know the details about where they are going? Cruisetours, aren't enough time, overall, in my opinion. Always shortchanging somewhere. My point would be, to have it as best suited for your preferred activities as possible.

 

My opinion only- 2 nights are needed at Denali Park. AND getting INTO the park- the only reason to go there. :) Going to Copper River- get INTO McCarthy/ Kennicott, take a flight, fish for Copper river salmon. etc. It's not the place to sit in the lodge, or just get to the tiny "town". Talkeetna- McKinley Princess- is this a place you want to be? It isn't a place to be at the expense of other interests in my opinion.

 

With the "direct to Denali". The best portion of the rail is between Whittier and Anchorage, 2 hours out of the 10, so don't miss the arm scenery- napping. :)

 

Be smart about your selections. the more you know about Alaska, it will be clear what you looking at. I can tell a LOT of information about itineraries, that people just aren't aware of. Wrong assumptions are frequently made. So I would suggest, before booking- take apart the tour you are looking at, and know every detail. :) Location, Time- and activities are what's important.

[donaldsc]

I find that many times, people pick cruise tours, BUT, have not done any homework on the areas included- know the details about where they are going? Cruisetours, aren't enough time, overall, in my opinion. Always shortchanging somewhere. My point would be, to have it as best suited for your preferred activities as possible.

 

My opinion only- 2 nights are needed at Denali Park. AND getting INTO the park- the only reason to go there. :) Going to Copper River- get INTO McCarthy/ Kennicott, take a flight, fish for Copper river salmon. etc. It's not the place to sit in the lodge, or just get to the tiny "town". Talkeetna- McKinley Princess- is this a place you want to be? It isn't a place to be at the expense of other interests in my opinion.

 

With the "direct to Denali". The best portion of the rail is between Whittier and Anchorage, 2 hours out of the 10, so don't miss the arm scenery- napping. :)

 

Be smart about your selections. the more you know about Alaska, it will be clear what you looking at. I can tell a LOT of information about itineraries, that people just aren't aware of. Wrong assumptions are frequently made. So I would suggest, before booking- take apart the tour you are looking at, and know every detail. :) Location, Time- and activities are what's important.

 

To add to what Budget Queen is saying, you can be sure that any tour company (cruise or land tour) is very good at making you think that you will be seeing and doing is a lot more than you actually will get. They may not be liars but they are very good at manipulating the truth. As an example of a land tour of Greece that I once took which was by the way the last escorted land tour I ever took with the exception of a recent Cuba tour -

 

1) If they say that you are going to drive from Athens to a small town near Delphi, stay overnight in the small town, tour Delphi and then return to the small town to spend the night, wouldn't you assume that you would have a full day in Delphi. I did. Turned out that we spent the morning in Delphi, had lunch in Delphi, and then returned to small town Greece for the rest of the afternoon. Trust me, there is little to do in a small town in Greece especially in the afternoon.

 

2) We visited the monasteries in Meteora on a Sunday. We had a morning tour of the monasteries and then the afternoon at leisure. If you think that there is little to do in a small Greek town in the afternoon, there is even less to do in a small Greek town on a Sunday afternoon.

 

3) I totally agree with Budget Queen's comments about timing. Denali needs 2 nights. Unless you are planning to do flight-seeing, Talkeetna is not worth an overnight (in my opinion ot a visit at all) and especially if you stay at McKinley Princess Lodge which is in the middle of nowhere and 50 miles from Talkeetna by shuttle according to Google Maps.

 

My point with the apparently irrelevant Greece example and what Budget Queen is saying is that you must be very careful to distinguish between what the tour description suggests that you are going to get and what you actually get.

 

DON