14 Day Princess Cruise or Cruisetour to Alaska?

[Shoobee2]

My sister and I are looking for a cruise to Alaska in Summer 2009 and are debating between the 14 day cruise on the Pacific Princess that visits the standard ports plus several smaller towns and a Cruisetour of about the same length. Both of us have been on Alaska cruises before and so have seen the standard ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway). Has anyone done either or both of these trips that could give us some information on plusses/minuses of both? :confused:

[Toto2Kansas]

My sister and I are looking for a cruise to Alaska in Summer 2009 and are debating between the 14 day cruise on the Pacific Princess that visits the standard ports plus several smaller towns and a Cruisetour of about the same length. Both of us have been on Alaska cruises before and so have seen the standard ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway). Has anyone done either or both of these trips that could give us some information on plusses/minuses of both? :confused:

 

The one minus we found with the cruise/tour was that on the tour portion (although expensive to begin with), it does not cover your meals, which can be a bit pricey in Alaska. The tour portion can cost almost as much, and sometimes more, than the actual cruise itself, and when you factor in meals, it can be an expensive adventure.

 

We enjoy both the cruise and tour portion, but if I had to do it again, I would probably stick with the cruise. I have never been fond of packing and unpacking over and over again, it is one of the reasons I so enjoy being onboard a ship. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

I vote for the 14 dayer for all the reasons that Toto mentioned. :D

[harleysmama]

I have been on both. On the cruise tour it was wonderful to see the inside of Alaska and the many different landscapes that it offers. We did our land portion at the end of our cruise and we were exhausted when we were done. I would suggest the cruise at the end. We did get to see Denali which was quite awesome with lots of bears, caribou and moose.

The 14 day was fantastic. And we didn't have to pack and unpack almost every day as we did on the land portion of the cruise tour. At the regular ports we saw different thing that we hadn't seen before and the new ports were just fun to look around at these places that you have only heard of before. Lots of history in these ports. I fell in love with Kodiak. It is such a quaint little town and everyone was very friendly. But you really have to book excursions in these new ports because there isn't alot to do in them. Each one had only one short street that had very few shops. If I did one of them again I would do the 14 day it was wonderful.

[Tina G]

The two trips are very different. Are you the blue jeans and national parks type? Do you like getting out in the wild? Or are you more the lay back with a nice drink and relax style of traveler? Only you can decide what suits you best. The Alaska interior is nothing like the rainforest area the cruiseships sail. The Princess resorts are lovely, and pricey, but this is Alaska! If photography is your hobby, you really should spend time in Denali National Park. :) If the idea of spending a day riding in a converted schoolbus taking the photos of a lifetime turns you off, then do the long cruise. DH insisted we do the haul road all the way north to Prudoe Bay!

There are no flush toilets for 500 miles. :eek: This is not for everybody. You know best what you will enjoy in a vacation.

[crusdiva]

My sister and I are looking for a cruise to Alaska in Summer 2009 and are debating between the 14 day cruise on the Pacific Princess that visits the standard ports plus several smaller towns and a Cruisetour of about the same length. Both of us have been on Alaska cruises before and so have seen the standard ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway). Has anyone done either or both of these trips that could give us some information on plusses/minuses of both? :confused:

Shoobee2,

TinaG is right they are two very different experiences. So I guess it depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for. The 14 day cruise will be far more relaxing but the sights on the land portion are glorious.

I would take the cruise tour especially if you have visited the ports previously and I would suggest that if you do the cruise tour that you take it first. It can be exhausting with early mornings and long train rides but the lodges are lovely and the train ride spectacular.

If you get a chance make sure you dine in the dining car - very special.

The day on the train to Denali has some of the most incredible scenery and once at Denali the lodge and surrounding area was beautiful.

At McKinley it's even more special as you are truly in the wilderness, so quiet and majestic with Mt. McKinley standing tall opposite the lodge.

Dining at both lodges is very nice - though plan on spending about 25% more than at home, service and food is wonderful.

[paul929207]

We took the 14 night cruise on the Tahitian Princess this summer and loved it.

 

However, as others have said this and the cruise tour are different vacations. We did not get to see Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, etc. We did not even go to Wasili :)

[Shoobee2]

Thanks to those of you who have shared your experiences with these cruises. As I look thru the message board about cruise tours, several people talk about the seating on the train being somewhat crowded-- at tables with 2 facing forward and 2 backward... Is that how it is with Princess or are they talking more about booking the tours independently?

 

Both my sister and I love photography and seeing animals although we aren't really the rugged, get out and hike up a mountain type of people. I love cruising, but I have visited many of the national parks also and love that too. Don't like the packing/unpacking part of travelling though. For those who have done the cruise tour, what are places not-to-be-missed (besides Denali!) and which lodges did you enjoy the most?

[SusieS]

After having done both, without hesitation I would say the 14 day cruise.

[mii]

Maybe to help you decide there is always a lot of discussion about the cruise land portion part over at the Ports of Call board for alaska. Some of the "regulars" over there are very much into independent land rather than through the cruise ship. Maybe try that, you might get some more info to make a decision.

 

Marilyn

[crusdiva]

Thanks to those of you who have shared your experiences with these cruises. As I look thru the message board about cruise tours, several people talk about the seating on the train being somewhat crowded-- at tables with 2 facing forward and 2 backward... Is that how it is with Princess or are they talking more about booking the tours independently?

 

Both my sister and I love photography and seeing animals although we aren't really the rugged, get out and hike up a mountain type of people. I love cruising, but I have visited many of the national parks also and love that too. Don't like the packing/unpacking part of travelling though. For those who have done the cruise tour, what are places not-to-be-missed (besides Denali!) and which lodges did you enjoy the most?

 

Shoobee2,

Yes, the train seating is assigned by Princess. There are tables for 4 one side facing forward, the other facing aft but you do not have to stay there the whole time. DH and I spent a great deal of time out on the open deck between the train cars taking pictures, we had lunch in the dining car and walked around talking to people. There is also bar service. ;)

That said, we preferred the train from Fairbanks to Denali - they are owned by Princess and are very nice and very roomy as compared to the train from Talkeetna to Whittier which is leased by Princess from the ARR - it was fine just not as nice as the Princess cars.

 

If you are into photography then the land tour is a must-IMHO. We're not rugged outdoorsy people by any means - hey that's why we cruise :D -

so the cruise tour provided the opportunity to see the Last Frontier without spraining an ankle. ;) Alaska is just too fantastic to miss and the train from Fairbanks to Denali provide some of the most incredible scenery I've ever seen in my life.

 

Princess will take all of your bags and send them directly to the ship except for one carry-on which they will deliver to and from the lodges. You will not tote your own bags, place them outside your door and they'll pick them up and deliver them. Our bags were always outside our door when we arrived at the room. Princess' organization of these tours is incredible. They hand out all room keys and meeting information in envelopes on the buses and train - they even check you in on the train for the ship.

 

The Denali Lodge is nice but in a more built-up area, McKinley is the wilderness they talk about - nothing around for miles, I loved both. Being able to sit at The Grizzly Bar (at the McKinley Lodge) and watch Mt. McKinley come into view is something I will never forget.

 

We did the southbound tour in September 2005 - the link below will take you to my photos (including the lodges). If there is any other way I can help feel free to email me at the link below.

Alaska Cruise Tour Photos

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Shoobee2

 

We did the cruisetour last year and thoroughly enjoyed the train. The highlight being the scenery shots from Denali to Mt MCKinley. The tinted windows allowed you to take excellent pictures. You are correct in the seating configuration of 2 facing forward and 2 facing backwards but we along with our friends didn't feel over crowded. One nice thing with Princess is that they have the last car in the train. The train we we on had 9 passenger cars in total.

 

Good Luck with your trip

Thanks to those of you who have shared your experiences with these cruises. As I look thru the message board about cruise tours, several people talk about the seating on the train being somewhat crowded-- at tables with 2 facing forward and 2 backward... Is that how it is with Princess or are they talking more about booking the tours independently?

 

Both my sister and I love photography and seeing animals although we aren't really the rugged, get out and hike up a mountain type of people. I love cruising, but I have visited many of the national parks also and love that too. Don't like the packing/unpacking part of travelling though. For those who have done the cruise tour, what are places not-to-be-missed (besides Denali!) and which lodges did you enjoy the most?

[katisdale]

We did a cruisetour this September. We chose to go to Copper River rather than Fairbanks. We had one night in Anchorage (late arriving flight so did nothing there but sleep), one night at the McKinley Lodge and two nights at Denali and Copper River. The trains were very nice however we are so glad we took the bus from Denali to Copper River by way of the Denali Highway. This was wildlife heaven. Swans, bears, caribou, moose and even porcupines. From Copper River to Valdez was also an interesting ride where we saw the Worthington Glacier. Then we had a catarmaran from Valdez to Whittier across Prince William Sound. It was also good for wildlife - seals and otters.

[louwoz]

We did the cruise tour a few years ago and found the "tour" part exhausting. Keep in mind the vastness of Alaska and decide how many hours you are willing to spend sitting on a train or a bus. If you do decide to do both, definitely do the cruise part last so you can go home relaxed & refreshed.

[Shoobee2]

Thanks for all of your suggestions and things to think about. For those of you who have gone on the 14 day cruise, what shore excursions did you go on in the less visited ports and did you like them?

[harleysmama]

We did the Worthington glacier excursion in Valdez and that was nice but it rained most of the day so we didn't get to see the valley like we were suspose to. A lot of people that we met did the best of tours for those ports and said that they were really good. And they said that any tour to watch wildlife was worth the money.

[hamlet68]

We took the Northbound CruiseTour this summer on Island Princess and it was fantastic! (4 Adults, 2 kids 6&4) Got tired of saying WOW! and meaning every one. The CruiseTour was at the end of the Northbound route and beyond being spectacular we really needed more time in Denali and Mt McKinley. It felt rushed and coming at the end of the cruise rushing was not what we needed. This was our second cruise to Alaska and regardless of the ports, we did something different than done previously. In particular was the summer dog sled camp in Juneau. We had seen the whales last time but had never seen DOGS like these! Twelve dogs pulling twelve persons AND a 600 pound cart over a 1 1/2 mile course only begins to give you the impression of dogsledding--WILD AND WOOLY! Talkeetna was fantastic as well. We floated down from the McKinley Lodge with our two grandchildren, to the city 23 miles or so and ate in a restaurant that we could never find or would go to in Kansas--RUSTIC--but out of this world! Make a stop where you see the "climbers" gathering-the ones with the sunburned faces-they know what's good. At the conclusion of our tour we flew out of Anchorage-more time needed there as well. Yes it is more expensive in Alaska unless you are from a bigger city, where you will hardly tell the difference. Gone are the days of the nickel-cuppa-java!!!!! But Princess does it best-lodges, trains, and sidetrips!

[yapmom]

We did a cruisetour this September. We chose to go to Copper River rather than Fairbanks. We had one night in Anchorage (late arriving flight so did nothing there but sleep), one night at the McKinley Lodge and two nights at Denali and Copper River. The trains were very nice however we are so glad we took the bus from Denali to Copper River by way of the Denali Highway. This was wildlife heaven. Swans, bears, caribou, moose and even porcupines. From Copper River to Valdez was also an interesting ride where we saw the Worthington Glacier. Then we had a catarmaran from Valdez to Whittier across Prince William Sound. It was also good for wildlife - seals and otters.

 

Our cruisetour in June has 2 nights at Copper River including our 20th wedding anniversary. Could you tell me more about the lodge, such as things to do and some place to eat for our anniversary?

Thanks a lot,

[Starlaker]

I cast my vote for the cruise tour, but definitely do the tour part first. It is hectic and it is very nice to relax on the ship after four hectic days. We loved the train ride down from Fairbanks. We were with another couple so it worked out great for us to be seated across from each other. Don't know if it would have been quite as enjoyable facing strangers all the way down.

 

We lived in Fairbanks for two years many years ago so it was fun to go back and see how things had changed. We thought that the riverboat tour and gold mine tour in Fairbanks that are included might be a bit hokey, but we thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

The Lodge accomodations are very nice with nice restaurants. Pricey, but it IS Alaska. Where else would you have Caribou stew? We took a float tour down one of the rivers in McKinley. It was so peaceful, just the four of us and our guide. Saw lots of wildlife. Just thinking about the trip makes me want to go back!

[gooch47]

The trains were very nice however we are so glad we took the bus from Denali to Copper River by way of the Denali Highway. This was wildlife heaven. Swans, bears, caribou, moose and even porcupines. From Copper River to Valdez was also an interesting ride where we saw the Worthington Glacier. Then we had a catarmaran from Valdez to Whittier across Prince William Sound. It was also good for wildlife - seals and otters.

 

You've just validated what we were hoping we'd see on our upcoming trip. Last time we took the train most of the way and saw virtually NO wildlife. I think the noise of the train scared them away. Someone "thought" they saw a moose. That was just about it.

[cruzzers]

My sister and I are looking for a cruise to Alaska in Summer 2009 and are debating between the 14 day cruise on the Pacific Princess that visits the standard ports plus several smaller towns and a Cruisetour of about the same length. Both of us have been on Alaska cruises before and so have seen the standard ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway). Has anyone done either or both of these trips that could give us some information on plusses/minuses of both? :confused:

 

Good question! We have been agonizing over the same thing and after many hours of research, our group decided this was likely a good time to take advantage of the cruise/land tours while we are all still physically active enough to enjoy the tour. That said, it does look like we will be on the move alot. Check out this site before you decide for sure. It gives you a wonderful overview of the lodges and rail services, along with the tours available. They are running some great specials right now.

 

http://www.princesslodges.com/princess_alaska_lodges.htm

 

We decided on the 7 day Island Princess out of Vancouver, (Tour # KA-6)followed by a 6 day land tour to Copper River Lodge (2 nights), Danali Princes Lodge (2 nights) and then Princess rail to Fairbanks for 2 nights. Instead of flying back from Fairbanks, we booked an additional 2 day-one night by rail in Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge, (tour #M5B) We will end up in Anchorage and fly home from there.