First Alaska Cruisetour: Overwhelmed by options!

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Hopefully 1 3/4 years in advance will suffice.  We'll definitely decide, one way or another, in the coming days.

 

If we go with the 15 day off the beaten path, the good news is that Island Princess is a smaller ship; theoretically tours won't sell out as quickly. 

 

That reminds me, I need to start looking at Island Princess deck plans to pick out cabins.  I'm thinking a balcony and an interior. We don't need two balconies, and the interior will save a bit of money. On Carnival, you can get an extra key to your cabin. Can you do this on Princess with the medallions?  This way we could all use the balcony cabin whenever.

 

Speaking of rooms, do the lodges have rooms for 5, or will we be given two rooms?

[Torfamm]

3 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

On Carnival, you can get an extra key to your cabin. Can you do this on Princess with the medallions?  This way we could all use the balcony cabin whenever.

Guest services can program your medallions to open both cabins once you are onboard.

[mya603]

On 9/20/2024 at 4:11 PM, crusdiva said:

I envy you. Our Alaska cruise tour was one of our favorite journeys. I know you are leaning towards the northbound sailing but I will say based on our experience the land portion is exhausting. The way Princess moves people from place to place is amazing but the early mornings, long days touring (on buses and trains) and moving from place to place can catch up with you. I was never so happy to see the Coral Princess sitting pretty in Whittier after 4 days on land. Having the relaxing days in Glacier Bay and College fjords were just the ticket.

Same with me!  After 4 days on land I was glad to see the ship and relax while sailing for a couple of days before a port stop.  I'm heading back on a longer land tour first then cruise in May of 2026.  So looking forward to it.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

3 hours ago, mya603 said:

Same with me!  After 4 days on land I was glad to see the ship and relax while sailing for a couple of days before a port stop.  I'm heading back on a longer land tour first then cruise in May of 2026.  So looking forward to it.

 

Which tour do you have booked for 2026?

[mya603]

3 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Which tour do you have booked for 2026?

Nothing booked yet.  Excursions are not open to book yet.  

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

1 hour ago, mya603 said:

Nothing booked yet.  Excursions are not open to book yet.  

Thanks. This is good to know. Do you know when they open? 

 

Which cruisetour did you choose? 

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 9/20/2024 at 5:11 PM, crusdiva said:

I envy you. Our Alaska cruise tour was one of our favorite journeys. I know you are leaning towards the northbound sailing but I will say based on our experience the land portion is exhausting. The way Princess moves people from place to place is amazing but the early mornings, long days touring (on buses and trains) and moving from place to place can catch up with you. I was never so happy to see the Coral Princess sitting pretty in Whittier after 4 days on land. Having the relaxing days in Glacier Bay and College fjords were just the ticket.

 

9 hours ago, mya603 said:

Same with me!  After 4 days on land I was glad to see the ship and relax while sailing for a couple of days before a port stop.  I'm heading back on a longer land tour first then cruise in May of 2026.  So looking forward to it.

 

 

I’d agree with these thoughts on land first. Although the process was largely seamless, the land portion seemed a lot more draining than the cruise. Packing and unpacking and heading for the shuttles, etc… we were glad we did the land tour before the cruise. 

 

We did an “on your own” tour in 2017. It was the end of the season, and was tour IBX, which included a night in Fairbanks, two at the Denali lodge, and two at McKinley. We ended up liking McKinley the best, because it was secluded and quiet. The Denali lodge was chaotic at times, including when our Princess shuttle departed 5 minutes early (without us), leaving a frantic front desk clerk to shove us in her car and drive us to the rail depot.

 

A few thoughts: booking an extra night at the Princess lodge in Fairbanks might be the challenging. A majority of the rooms ant the lodges are allocated for cruisetour guests during the summer season. We ended up staying at the Springhill Suites before starting our cruisetour because the Princess Riverside was fully booked.

 

I’d also point out that half of the Denali park road is still out of commission because of the rock slide at mile 45. That means the tundra wilderness tour has been cut back, and the shuttles likewise only go partway into the park, with nothing accessible past that point until the new bridge is completed in 2027. We haven’t been since the rockslide, but the tours now have subtitles to differentiate them from the real, full tours that will likely restart when the bridge is finished. 

 

Personally speaking, we also like Princess ships that are NOT Royal class or larger for Alaska on the Whittier to Vancouver routes. Royal class and up are not approved for sailing on the east side of Vancouver island by the BC pilots association. That means they miss the Seymour Narrows and have to sail in the open ocean, missing what may be on the more picturesque spots in the inside passage. 

[mya603]

On 9/27/2024 at 4:02 PM, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Which tour do you have booked for 2026?

Sorry.  Haven't been online today till now.  I have booked tour UB8  15-day Connoisseur escorted from Fairbanks to Vancouver.  Starts May 15th, 2026.  I am retiring in October of 2025 and this is my retirement gift to myself!  Whichever tour you choose you will love it, I'm sure!  And you will do like me and return.  This will be my third land/cruise tour to Alaska with Princess.  First in 2015 was only three days on land.  Second in 2019 was three days on land.  This one is 8 days on land.  So I will get to see some of the same places and also new places.  I'm so excited!  Alaska is so beautiful and I've met some wonderful people in Alaska and on the land tour/cruise.  I hope you enjoy.  This board is a great place to get information about the tour/cruise.  And if you don't have a travel agent, please get one.  They can sometimes get you free upgrades and things.  At least my travel agent does.  Happy Sailing!

[mya603]

22 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Thanks. This is good to know. Do you know when they open? 

 

Which cruisetour did you choose? 

The probably won't open untll early 2026.  See post below about the cruise/tour I've booked.

[mya603]

On 9/20/2024 at 3:43 PM, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

The connoisseur is a still quite a bit more than the off the beaten path. Even if you add the meal plan to off the beaten path, the connoisseur is almost $1000/person more (though that does include 2 extra days).  

 

What do you get with the connoisseur in addition to the meals?

My friend went on a connoisseur tour and got a better room.  The meals were a plus.  And she got to leave for the train earlier than anyone else and got priority seating on the train.  Worth it?  She thought so.  And they had a dedicated person if they had any questions or problems just for that group.  Otherwise, it's the same.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

In picking a tour, which lodges would you prioritize being on the itinerary, and why?

 

(I know they all include Denali)

[Torfamm]

2 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

In picking a tour, which lodges would you prioritize being on the itinerary, and why?

 

(I know they all include Denali)

I’d pick the Denali Wilderness Lodge and the McKinley Lodge to visit the National Park and for the chance of breathing views of Denali (if you are lucky), respectively.
 

For what it’s worth - we really enjoyed the Wilderness Wave Tour at Denali

https://www.newwaveadventures.com/rafting