Shortened Denali History Tour

[PhotoFlo]

Just received this notice from Princess.  I know the road was closed at Mile Marker 43 or so but to only go to Mile Marker 17?

 

UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DENALI NATURAL HISTORY TOUR

We are reaching out regarding your upcoming Natural History Tour in Denali National Park on your Alaska vacation.

The National Park Service has announced that a section of the Denali Park Road will be closed for the 2022 Alaska season due to road construction. As a result, your bus tour will now go to Primrose Ridge at Mile 17 and will be of similar duration. Please refer to your detailed itinerary in the Cruise Personalizer for an updated tour description.

We're confident you will thoroughly enjoy this Denali Park tour and we look forward to welcoming you soon.   I have loged into my account and can not find any updated information.  This is highly disappointing!

[strickerj]

That is surprising. I'm glad now I switched to the Seattle roundtrip rather than the one-way northbound, since my point was to see Denali. Is the road actually closed at mile 17, or is this just for the tour operator's convenience?

[Alphen]

2 hours ago, PhotoFlo said:

Just received this notice from Princess.  I know the road was closed at Mile Marker 43 or so but to only go to Mile Marker 17?

 

UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DENALI NATURAL HISTORY TOUR

We are reaching out regarding your upcoming Natural History Tour in Denali National Park on your Alaska vacation.

The National Park Service has announced that a section of the Denali Park Road will be closed for the 2022 Alaska season due to road construction. As a result, your bus tour will now go to Primrose Ridge at Mile 17 and will be of similar duration. Please refer to your detailed itinerary in the Cruise Personalizer for an updated tour description.

We're confident you will thoroughly enjoy this Denali Park tour and we look forward to welcoming you soon.   I have loged into my account and can not find any updated information.  This is highly disappointing!

This is the official parks website notice; 

Summer 2022

In addition to changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, summer 2022 operations will be affected by the ongoing Pretty Rocks Landslide and the associated closure of the Denali Park Road at Mile 43. To learn more about potential solutions and plans to address the landslide, see the Polychrome Area Plan.

Known operations for summer 2022 are described below. Details will be added over the winter as additional information becomes available.

[Northern Aurora]

4 hours ago, strickerj said:

That is surprising. I'm glad now I switched to the Seattle roundtrip rather than the one-way northbound, since my point was to see Denali. Is the road actually closed at mile 17, or is this just for the tour operator's convenience?

 

No -- the only road into Denali National Parka is not closed at mile 17.  It is closed at mile 42/43.  Technically, the road is closed at mile 42.6 or something.

[Alphen]

10 hours ago, PhotoFlo said:

Just received this notice from Princess.  I know the road was closed at Mile Marker 43 or so but to only go to Mile Marker 17?

 

UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DENALI NATURAL HISTORY TOUR

We are reaching out regarding your upcoming Natural History Tour in Denali National Park on your Alaska vacation.

The National Park Service has announced that a section of the Denali Park Road will be closed for the 2022 Alaska season due to road construction. As a result, your bus tour will now go to Primrose Ridge at Mile 17 and will be of similar duration. Please refer to your detailed itinerary in the Cruise Personalizer for an updated tour description.

We're confident you will thoroughly enjoy this Denali Park tour and we look forward to welcoming you soon.   I have loged into my account and can not find any updated information.  This is highly disappointing!

Reading your DENALI NATURAL HISTORY TOUR (30 miles into the park) description, this is not the same as the Tundra Wilderness Tour (normally 60 miles into the park).

 

You may want to read again, what you have booked;

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/denali-princess-wilderness-lodge-excursions/denali-natural-history-tour/

 

[SightCRR]

See if you can switch tours to at least further in. I can't figure how they can take the same amount of time and only go to m/p 17. Unless some hikes or walking to sites. With only info provided it doesn't make a bit of sense.  There must be some more info. If only to m/p 17 I would be tempted to skip the whole thing. sightcrr. 

[PhotoFlo]

They have updated this tour description to now say it will go 17 miles into the park. Everything else remains the same.  Does not seem worth the money to me.  It is included in the cruise and will see if we can change it out.  

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/denali-princess-wilderness-lodge-excursions/denali-natural-history-tour-primrose-ridge

[AKStafford]

Book the shuttle buses at Denali National Park. Same road, same views, goes to the turnaround at mile 42 and is much, much cheaper:  https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

[PhotoFlo]

12 hours ago, AKStafford said:

Book the shuttle buses at Denali National Park. Same road, same views, goes to the turnaround at mile 42 and is much, much cheaper:  https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

Thank you, we will be at the Wilderness Lodge.  Since this is our first trip to Alaska, we are basically clueless - is it easy to get to the bus station from the lodge?

[Northern Aurora]

1 hour ago, PhotoFlo said:

Thank you, we will be at the Wilderness Lodge.  Since this is our first trip to Alaska, we are basically clueless - is it easy to get to the bus station from the lodge?

 

Are you staying at the Denali Princess?  If so some folks just walk from the lodge to the park shuttle bus station.  If my memory is correct, in pre-covid times there was shuttle service from the Denali Princess to the park shuttle bus station and on to the visitor's center.

 

I've always thought that folks who didn't go in to Denali to the Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66) short-changed themselves.  With the road closure at Pretty Rocks (mile 42) for me it wouldn't be worth a visit to the park.  If this is a Princess cruise tour I would consider another choice.  

[AKStafford]

2 hours ago, PhotoFlo said:

Thank you, we will be at the Wilderness Lodge.  Since this is our first trip to Alaska, we are basically clueless - is it easy to get to the bus station from the lodge?

That's the downside to doing a CruiseTour; they hold you captive. Would you be open to cancelling  the land portion (the cruise is great) and putting together your own great  trip using a rental car? You can get a lot of helpful advice here and also at the TripAdvisor Forums for Alaska travel. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[don't-use-real-name]

Two ways to go here - - -

 

The cruise tour package if it is before the start of the cruise - probably best to consider

taking it without alteration since the schedule is pretty much set and guided by the

cruise company including the airline reservation in conjunction with that tour

 

However if the tour package is at the end of the cruise - compare what is offered and

what you can do it yourself going off on your own guided way not having to worry about

a time schedule to be back on the ship - maybe more useful in making airline reservations

to meet your schedule than cruise line take it or leave it

 

There is of course a cost related to these - check it out - compare it - - -

[Northern Aurora]

Our OP seems to be booked with Princess.  I don't have any Princess cruises booked, but I was under the impression that they are one of the cruise lines which has extended the final payment date to 60 days before embarkation.  Unless Princess has some strange requirement regarding land tours which differs from cruises they should be able to cancel with no penalty.   

[SightCRR]

Are you staying at what is called "princess wilderness lodge"? If that is the one it is about 1.5 miles past the park entrance from ANC. From their web site it says "We also offer a scheduled shuttle service between the Lodge and the Denali National Park Visitors Center for $5 roundtrip." I have never stayed there and have no idea how often the shuttle service runs or if was affected by covid. Using sites mentioned above can help with bus tours. The lodge site (service) mentions the "Tundra Wilderness tour" so they must have a plan to get folks to the bus. Not sure if you can get a refund for history and then buy your own wilderness tour. In years past many people have switched out of history but I have no details on current methods and results to do that. Once you know the shuttle times you can figure out bus times. I suggest earlier the better but you need to plan for box lunch. Also look into the kennel tours. In our experience clouds roll in the afternoons and cloud over the mt. 

Hope this helps. sightcrr.  

[SightCRR]

For a long time I couldn't the link to your cruise tour but then it sort of worked and said this. "

Special Notes:

If you have the Denali History Tour included in your cruise tour and would like to upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness Tour or Kantishna Experience, please call Princess at 1-800-774-6237. Changes to your park tour should be made as soon as possible."

[SightCRR]

If I am reading your tour info correct Mt Mc Wildness Lodge, 1 night. Make sure to ask for the best view and direction to see the mt at every stop. Ask about the treehouse for viewing. 

 

Bus/train to park and the Denali Wildness Lodge and arrive in the afternoon. If you are not to worn out & don't have luggage to fiddle with, try to check out to see about the kennel tour or quick bus ride (may be stretching it) / check on bus info for next day and see how shuttle works to lodge.

Overnight there. 

Next day at the park. The more days you ride the bus the better chance you have to see animals and mt. Try to sit towards the front and on left. If you are the first one on the very best seat in our opinion is right behind the driver or front row on right. Expect to cross bus aisles and have others cross if the animals are on the oposite side.  We went on the bus two days in a row and the lighting and animals were completely different. sorry for so long and many messages. sightcrr

[don't-use-real-name]

Some of the buses have video displays (TVs) and the bus driver has a camera with telephoto lens

to zoom and photo the subject and then project on to the video TV.

Not a perfect system but far better than nothing.

[cruisesoon]

I am booked with Princess and doing a post tour.  I am trying to upgrade to the Tundra Wildness Tour.  Princess presently has me booked on the Natural History Tour.  On the excursion page it said to call Princess to upgrade.  Has anyone been successful in doing this recently?  They seem to NOT have a clue about this.  I am on my 4th transfer and problem has not been solved!  Any tips to doing this?

 

[Northern Aurora]

20 hours ago, SightCRR said:

......From their web site it says "We also offer a scheduled shuttle service between the Lodge and the Denali National Park Visitors Center for $5 roundtrip." I have never stayed there and have no idea how often the shuttle service runs or if was affected by covid. Using sites mentioned above can help with bus tours. The lodge site (service) mentions the "Tundra Wilderness tour" so they must have a plan to get folks to the bus. .......

 

I've stayed at the Denali Princess a number of times and have seen their shuttle but have never used it since we always have our own vehicle.  We have no idea if the shuttle service was impacted by covid last summer since the Denali Princess was not open the summer of 2021.  The one in Fairbanks also wasn't open and I am not clear if any of the Princess lodges were open since there were no cruise tours.  The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act allowed for RT cruises out of Seattle, not one way itineraries.

 

The issue with covid and the shuttle service is that Alaska is experiencing a severe labor shortage.  In addition to issues in the hospitality industry we have a severe shortage of folks who have Commercial Driver's Licenses.  For instance this shortage of folks with CDLs have impacted our school bus operations in the Fairbanks North Star Borough as well as the FNSB transit system.  Some of the transit routes had to be cut.  Last week the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner ran an article about long delivery times the fuel oil companies are experiencing -- again because of the lack of fuel truck drivers because they need a CDL.

 

And as I interpret the language quoted from the Princess website that shuttle service is between the lodge and the Denali National Park Visitor's Center, which is not the bus depot.  The DNPVC is located near the Morino Grill and the book store.  In addition the Murie Science Center is very close.  The shuttle service into the park operates out of the bus depot which was formerly called the Wilderness Access Center.  The bus depot is actually closer to the park entrance than the DNPVC.

 

I wish the moderators had not deleted the several years worth of trip reports which had been posted on this forum index page.  My memory from reading those trip reports is that the folks who were sold either the Tundra Wilderness Tour or the Natural History Tour from the cruise lines were picked up directly from the hotels.

[Teeboner]

On 2/7/2022 at 3:05 PM, cruisesoon said:

I am booked with Princess and doing a post tour.  I am trying to upgrade to the Tundra Wildness Tour.  Princess presently has me booked on the Natural History Tour.  On the excursion page it said to call Princess to upgrade.  Has anyone been successful in doing this recently?  They seem to NOT have a clue about this.  I am on my 4th transfer and problem has not been solved!  Any tips to doing this?

 

If I'm understanding it correctly, since the park road is closed at mile 43, the Tundra Wildness Tour wouldn't be happening since it's supposed to go to mile 60? But it looks like you can take a shuttle directly at the park ($30) and it will go up to mile 43 (East Fork Transit). The regular National History Tour through Princess looks like it is only going to mile 17 (Primrose Ridge). 

 

I might end up doing that. Disappointed can't go further in but reading up on the landslide, there doesn't look like anything that can be done until the park can fix it. 

 

EDIT: Found this:

 

https://www.denaliparkvillage.com/

 

You can book the Tundra Wildness Tour here and it should go to mile 43. I believe the difference between TWT and shuttle at the park is TWT is narrated while the plain $30 shuttle is not.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Teeboner

[PhotoFlo]

On 2/7/2022 at 5:05 PM, cruisesoon said:

I am booked with Princess and doing a post tour.  I am trying to upgrade to the Tundra Wildness Tour.  Princess presently has me booked on the Natural History Tour.  On the excursion page it said to call Princess to upgrade.  Has anyone been successful in doing this recently?  They seem to NOT have a clue about this.  I am on my 4th transfer and problem has not been solved!  Any tips to doing this?

 

Princess is not offereing that tour this year.  I was able to book the Tundra Wilderness directly with the park.  I only did that after comfirmation from Princess that if I canceled the History tour, I would get credit for that tour.  They assured me I would. This was on February 9th and I am still waiting for my credit.  I have contacted them several times.  At the very least, they should give me on board credit.  

[Cali Viajera]

We are on the Princess cruise tour. I went to the Princess website and in the Cruise personalizer clicked on excursions for Denali and upgraded to Tundra wilderness tour. It ends at 12:30.