Land portion of Alaskan Cruise Tours

[LisaLeone]

Hello! My husband and I are looking at an Alaskan Cruise Tour on Holland. Can anyone tell me their experience? Were you pleased with the land portion? How were the accommodations? What meals were included? Anything not to miss?

Thank you!

Edited February 25, 2023 by LisaLeone

[Mehroswitha]

We have done Alaskan cruise tours with both Princess and Holland American and were fully satisfied with both.

 

It is, of course, not possible to make a direct comparison because the land portion itineraries were not identical, and we experienced Princess in 2003 and HAL in 2018. Covid has had an impact on almost every aspect of travel!

 

With that being said, we felt the Princess accommodations were a little nicer--I believe both lines use their own properties. We were in no way dissatisfied with HAL, though.

 

Most meals are not included; that will be spelled out in the tour descriptions, but sometimes you have to read pretty carefully to find the information. We found most of the included meals good but not memorable. Restaurant prices in Alaska seemed quite high, so included meals are a plus.

 

We experienced two (separately booked) outdoor salmon bakes--one absolutely outstanding and a clear "don't miss," and the other just "good." Unfortunately I don't remember the name of either provider, but highly recommended in either case. Reviews are available on line for most providers.

 

A highlight of the land portion for us was the train trip covering at least part of the stretch between Anchorage and Denali. You will travel in a dome car providing views that are beyond spectacular! When we did it, a host with amazing wildlife-spotting abilities provided just enough commentary to be interesting but not intrusive. When we took this trip excellent meals in a dining area downstairs from the dome were included. I understand this is no longer the case--or maybe it depends on the package booked? Some itineraries cover this stretch by bus, but I highly recommend the train!

[P&PNH]

We did a Triple Denali land/sea tour on HAL last May.  It as a wonderful trip and we enjoyed it.  We started in Seattle where we spent a few days exploring the area.  The light rail system is a great way to get around the area.  HAL flew us to Fairbanks from there.  Note of caution here, make sure you get an early flight  from Seattle to Fairbanks.  Some people did not get into the Westmark hotel in Fairbanks till after midnight, and there is an early start the next day. Two nights in Fairbanks would be better.  Call HAL if you need to get the flight fixed if necessary.  We did the riverboat cruise the next day which was fun, there was a lunch included. We then bussed up to Denali for 3 nights in the McKinley lodge to explore the area. The Princess lodge is just up the street, and we ate dinner there one night. Many of the evening tours and shows include dinner, so the meal package from HAL is not worth the price. The package includes a Tundra tour into the park with wildlife sightings and history of the area with a park ranger.  Note here, this was one of first tours of the season after Covid shutdown.  Some people did not wear masks  in tight spaces and we were tested for Covid before the next phase of the trip. There was a 20% positive result in people so their trip was cut short.  

Train ride from Denali to Anchorage was great as stated above.  One night in Anchorage seemed short, then train again down to Whittier to board the N. Amsterdam. From there to Vancouver with stops along the way. Others fell ill on the ship and were quarantined in their cabins, so make sure you are up to date on vaccinations, and be safe.   The trip was a bucket list item for us, and it was well worth it. HAL did a great job with luggage,and  the Westmark hotels were OK  Remember it is Alaska and there is not a lot to choose from in some areas.  There is an Alaska tour thread on CC somewhere that has a great deal of information. Good luck.