DIY vs Cruisetour

[CatManDoo73]

We're looking at taking a cruise, likely on either HAL or PCL, July 2017 and are trying to decide whether to do a cruisetour or DIY. Generally, I like to DIY, which I've done all over Europe. However, Alaska has me a little on edge due to the rustic/remote locations. So I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done DIY land tours. The major must-see is Denali NP, and we'll be coming from the Anchorage area. A cruisetour would obviously be easier from a planning perspective, but it would also be more expensive. I've also read that the train trip to Denali is very long compared to driving. We'll be my parents, myself, and my two 13 year old kids. I'd love to rent a van and go it on our own, but just not sure how practical that would be. Any advice or experiences would be great. Thanks!

[donaldsc]

We're looking at taking a cruise, likely on either HAL or PCL, July 2017 and are trying to decide whether to do a cruisetour or DIY. Generally, I like to DIY, which I've done all over Europe. However, Alaska has me a little on edge due to the rustic/remote locations. So I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done DIY land tours. The major must-see is Denali NP, and we'll be coming from the Anchorage area. A cruisetour would obviously be easier from a planning perspective, but it would also be more expensive. I've also read that the train trip to Denali is very long compared to driving. We'll be my parents, myself, and my two 13 year old kids. I'd love to rent a van and go it on our own, but just not sure how practical that would be. Any advice or experiences would be great. Thanks!

 

We did almost 3 months on a DIY in AK. We drove almost every paved road in Alaska and a bunch of unpaved roads. It is the only way to go since you have the independence to go where you want, stop where you want to let your kids run around for a while, not have to wait for 40 people who think that they are mobile but are not to get off the bus ahead of you. and not be forced to spend time at shops where people can buy souvenirs.

 

Unless you plan to go on some really strange unpaved out-of-the-way roads, Alaska is not the the unexplored open wilderness that you are worried about. There will be cars and people about if you have car troubles and people will stop if you have any troubles. The times that we had flat tires on our trip and were on the side of the road changing the tire, several people stopped to ask if they could help.

 

Cruisetours are for people who are afraid of their shadow or for people who are not willing to do a bit of planning work. Since you have already done DIY trips, you know how to do it. Go for the DIY.

 

DON

[AKStafford]

I drove tour bus for HAL for two years. Based on that, my preference is DIY. I get why some people prefer the cruisetours. But putting together a basic Alaska trip is fairly straight forward. Especially since you've got plenty of time to plan.

Renting a car or RV will give you the most flexibility on lodging, dining and activities options.

You mentioned Denali: Here's a pretty thorough list of lodging options in the area: http://www.a1cms.com/_dcc/accommodations/ . And to get into the park, use the shuttle buses: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

You'll find plenty of help here in the Cruise Critic forum and also in the TripAdvisor forum for Alaska: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[Alaskanb]

With two 13 yr olds I would not consider a cruise tour.

[thinfool]

We did a cruisetour (no kids) and loved it, tho we customized it a little (on Princess).

 

I wouldn't do it again, but I know the 'lay of the land' now, so it is not intimidating.

 

Having said that....Alaska is part of the US...they even take our money :D

Driving, eating, sleeping, traffic laws are all very familiar and you would do very well.

 

Distances are great, but there is only one road....with plenty of traffic if you have problems.

 

There are also non-cruiseline tours available if you want to look into that.

 

IMO, doing Alaska on your own isn't much different that going to the Grand Tetons or Yellowstone. I would definitely do them on my own.

[Helabama]

We're looking at taking a cruise, likely on either HAL or PCL, July 2017 and are trying to decide whether to do a cruisetour or DIY. Generally, I like to DIY, which I've done all over Europe. However, Alaska has me a little on edge due to the rustic/remote locations. So I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done DIY land tours. The major must-see is Denali NP, and we'll be coming from the Anchorage area. A cruisetour would obviously be easier from a planning perspective, but it would also be more expensive. I've also read that the train trip to Denali is very long compared to driving. We'll be my parents, myself, and my two 13 year old kids. I'd love to rent a van and go it on our own, but just not sure how practical that would be. Any advice or experiences would be great. Thanks!

 

Our first trip to Alaska was a cruisetour and we enjoyed it. Since then we have taken 3 DIY trips and enjoy those even more. I'm in the process of planning our next DIY for August. I use a book entitled MILEPOST which is available at bookstores or on Amazon--it is very helpful. It has maps and details about nearly every road in Alaska, sights to see, restaurants, lodging, things to do, etc. This message board has been most helpful--Reading about the experiences of others and asking for recommendations and also checking out reviews on TripAdvisor. It is time-consuming but worth the effort. We were a little hesitant starting out on our first DIY but soon realized "Alaska is just like America" ;) and most of the time the people are friendlier.

 

I hope you enjoy what ever you decide to do. Alaska is a wonderful place.

[txwriter]

Cruisetours are for people who are afraid of their shadow or for people who are not willing to do a bit of planning work. Since you have already done DIY trips, you know how to do it. Go for the DIY.

 

DON

 

This is not true. I love to plan and spent months planning a DIY trip before realizing that, for us, with our specific circumstances and limitations, a cruisetour would suit our needs better AND allow us to see a bigger area of the state. Also, I am not afraid of my shadow. We (shadow and I) had a talk one night, and I told it to behave...we've been good ever since ;).

[donaldsc]

This is not true. I love to plan and spent months planning a DIY trip before realizing that, for us, with our specific circumstances and limitations, a cruisetour would suit our needs better AND allow us to see a bigger area of the state. Also, I am not afraid of my shadow. We (shadow and I) had a talk one night, and I told it to behave...we've been good ever since ;).

 

You do touch on a basic difference between cruisetours and DIY tours. Cruises tours are very good at enabling you to cover a lot of ground and seeing a lot of places in a cursory manner. In general, you spend a day at each location. I like my trips to be a bit more immersive. We almost never stop at a place unless we can spend 2 or 3 days there. I like to be able to sit at smell the roses and you do not get that opportunity with cruisetours.

 

DON