opinions on differences of these 2 cruisetours....please!!

[creel5857]

I know this is Alaska board not princess or HAL but we must make a decision in next day or so about a cruisetour for 2016 and I am kindly asking for comments from anyone who has sailed with BOTH lines on any pros and cons between them

 

Princess: Anchorage, mt McKinley, 2 day denali, train to whittier (cruise hubbard glacier, glacier bay Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Vancouver)

 

HAL: anchorage, 2 nt denali, bus to seward, (Cruise day at sea, glacier bay, haines, juneu, Ketchikan, sea day.vancouver)

 

what about the difference in Haines and Skagway??

what about difference between the bus and train routes?

[diane.in.ny]

I'd go with Princess. Actually, we just did ... in May. Had the same cruise itinerary. Loved both days of glacier cruising. After all, isn't that one of the main reasons to go??? :D

[Kamloops50]

I know this is Alaska board not princess or HAL but we must make a decision in next day or so about a cruisetour for 2016 and I am kindly asking for comments from anyone who has sailed with BOTH lines on any pros and cons between them

 

Princess: Anchorage, mt McKinley, 2 day denali, train to whittier (cruise hubbard glacier, glacier bay Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Vancouver)

 

HAL: anchorage, 2 nt denali, bus to seward, (Cruise day at sea, glacier bay, haines, juneu, Ketchikan, sea day.vancouver)

 

what about the difference in Haines and Skagway??

what about difference between the bus and train routes?

 

I would take Princess mainly because of the train . Also Skagway is a better stop than Haines

[mapleleaves]

Look into the details of '2 day Denali' , specifically the arrival/departure times.

With only 2 days/ 1 nite at Denali, you might arrive at midday on Day 1 and leave at noon on Day 2, which means you might only have time for the Natural History Tour which only goes to Mile 17 of 100 available miles of Park road.

[creel5857]

thanks.....these are the kind of comments I need to help me decide.....anymore?

[Budget Queen]

You need to post the actual itineraries. Just a "list" tells me little. Overall, these choices look to be too short in my opinion. An example- is your "bus to Seward" mention- IF that is in one day and from Denali- what I would consider a very poor choice, being on this transfer at least 10 hours, and completely missing Seward.

 

I will continue to stress the importance (in my opinion) of YOU figuring out what YOU are going to be doing in these areas. There is no point in wasting your time, in Talkeetna (example), with no "plans" when you are already too short time wise- to begin with, overall.

 

Have you looked up- Whittier, Seward, Haines, Skagway???? What you would do in each? Part of my "figure out" mention.

 

I completely disagree with the above that Skagway is somehow better. Absolutely not. It is different and depending on your PLANS, could be the superb choice for you.

 

I have sailed both these lines- in Alaska, numerous time, including both, this year, along with Carnival.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Budget Queen

[Alaskanb]

What date are you looking at?

We have chosen Princess cruise tour DB4, in early June, because we will have a full day in Denali = 2 nights. We have cancelled the Natural History Tour and will do the Eielson Shuttle. There is enough time at the McKinley Lodge to visit Talkeetna.

This is a short overview:

Day 1: Anchorage

Arrive in Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Anchorage to Mt. McKinley

Travel by scenic motorcoach to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Enjoy a relaxing evening at the lodge.

Day 3: Mt McKinley to Denali

This morning is free to relax or opt for an Excursion. Then, take a scenic motorcoach journey to Denali National Park and the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. The evening is yours to spend at your own pace.

Day 4: Denali

Travel to Denali National Park on the Natural History Tour. The rest of the day is free to spend as you please. Enjoy another night at your wilderness lodge.

Day 5: Denali to Whittier

Ride the Denali Express rail direct to your awaiting ship in Whittier. Embark and sail this evening.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Alaskanb

[bonvoyagie]

The HAL tour is really just a taste - the double Denali is very misleading.

Day 1 is your arrival day in AK

 

Day2 you spend all day on the train arriving at Denali station around 4:00PM you might be able to squeeze in some sightseeing - but most likely not. The good news is that it will probably still be daylight :D

 

Day 3 you get to do the TWT better than the NHT but there are other options see http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm for more details on how to get around in Denali. BQ prefers the shuttle buses as they allow you to see the park on your terms and not a schedule - but you need to decide what you want.

 

Day 4 your Denali adventure is over and you are on a bus for Seward - enjoy the next 6-8 hrs - depending on when you leave Denali, you won't get to do all that much in Seward prior to the departure of the ship.

 

As for Haines vs Skagway - the last time I was in Haines was back in 02 - it was a quick add on port stop after Skagway on our cruise. We did get off and walked around a bit - I remember mostly high priced gallery type places.

 

The high speed ferry service has improved the connection to Skagway, but it still takes time away from excursions. It also makes it harder to do some of the excursions that leave Skagway in the early AM. Although since 02 I have notice that there are more excursion options for Haines. I would also suggest that you use only HAL excursions in Skagway in case things run late :eek:

 

I also have to agree that Princess has way too many choices. The one thing they do that no one else does is the Direct to Denali train. They got the AKRR to haul only their cars directly between Whittier and Denali park.

 

I suggest that you look at a map - or google earth to get an idea of where these different properties are located. In Denali most all of the accommodations are located around the park entrance (map Denali Visitor Center) - go north a bit and you will find the Princess and HAL lodges.

 

The Princess Wilderness lodge is further south near Talkeetna. So on that tour you spend a night there and then the second night at Denali.

 

So you are packing and moving every day.

 

Here is another site on the ports in AK http://www.cruiseportinsider.com

 

You might also consider a DIY land portion - that way you control your travel times and can decide how much time you want to spent in any given location.

[frugaltravel]

I too like the Princess itinerary rather than the HAL one. The +-10 hour bus ride from Denali to Seward is not ideal. But I definitely prefer Haines over Skagway. Way fewer tourists, prettier, great touring options. However, visiting both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay with Princess is a huge plus.

[donaldsc]

I would take Princess mainly because of the train . Also Skagway is a better stop than Haines

 

Not true that Skagway is better than Haines. More ships visit Skagway than Haines but Haines has its own neat much less commercial charm. Been to both places - Haines maybe 4 times. I like them both.

 

You need to do your own research and decide for yourself.

 

DON

[donaldsc]

Look into the details of '2 day Denali' , specifically the arrival/departure times.

With only 2 days/ 1 nite at Denali, you might arrive at midday on Day 1 and leave at noon on Day 2, which means you might only have time for the Natural History Tour which only goes to Mile 17 of 100 available miles of Park road.

 

Not relevant to this thread but we leave for Spain in 3 weeks. I am getting excited.

 

DON

[Northern Aurora]

Not relevant to this thread but we leave for Spain in 3 weeks. I am getting excited.

 

DON

 

I really find it odd when folks take a thread off topic -- but just had to say "hello" to Don. I'll see you onboard the Equinox in October! It is a great ship (we've done two prior cruises on her) and I am looking forward to this upcoming B2B2B very much.

[duck addict]

I took the Princess cruise tour in July and loved it (including the relaxing train ride)

[NancyIL]

The HAL tour is really just a taste - the double Denali is very misleading.

Day 1 is your arrival day in AK

 

Day2 you spend all day on the train arriving at Denali station around 4:00PM you might be able to squeeze in some sightseeing - but most likely not. The good news is that it will probably still be daylight :D

 

Day 3 you get to do the TWT better than the NHT but there are other options see http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm for more details on how to get around in Denali. BQ prefers the shuttle buses as they allow you to see the park on your terms and not a schedule - but you need to decide what you want.

 

Day 4 your Denali adventure is over and you are on a bus for Seward - enjoy the next 6-8 hrs - depending on when you leave Denali, you won't get to do all that much in Seward prior to the departure of the ship.

 

As for Haines vs Skagway - the last time I was in Haines was back in 02 - it was a quick add on port stop after Skagway on our cruise. We did get off and walked around a bit - I remember mostly high priced gallery type places.

 

The high speed ferry service has improved the connection to Skagway, but it still takes time away from excursions. It also makes it harder to do some of the excursions that leave Skagway in the early AM. Although since 02 I have notice that there are more excursion options for Haines. I would also suggest that you use only HAL excursions in Skagway in case things run late :eek:

 

I also have to agree that Princess has way too many choices. The one thing they do that no one else does is the Direct to Denali train. They got the AKRR to haul only their cars directly between Whittier and Denali park.

 

I suggest that you look at a map - or google earth to get an idea of where these different properties are located. In Denali most all of the accommodations are located around the park entrance (map Denali Visitor Center) - go north a bit and you will find the Princess and HAL lodges.

 

The Princess Wilderness lodge is further south near Talkeetna. So on that tour you spend a night there and then the second night at Denali.

 

So you are packing and moving every day.

 

Here is another site on the ports in AK http://www.cruiseportinsider.com

 

You might also consider a DIY land portion - that way you control your travel times and can decide how much time you want to spent in any given location.

 

The Mt. McKinley (wonder if it will get renamed?) Princess Lodge is ~ 50 miles from Talkeetna. All of the Princess lodges have "Wilderness" in their names: Denali Wilderness, Mt. McKinley Wilderness, etc.

 

Beware - almost all of Princess's cruise tours include the Natural History Tour - even when they spend 2 nights at Denali. The exception is their Connoisseur tours - which include the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali.

 

When I was on a HAL cruise that stopped in Haines, my friends and I rented a car and drove through BC into the Yukon - as far as Million Dollar Falls. We had a great day.

Edited September 4, 2015 by NancyIL