prudhoe bay on princess cruise tour....

[bethaniesmom]

has anyone done this one.....the thing that kept me away from alaska cruises for years was the thought of going all the way there to look at a few glaciers and not really get to the heart of alaska and turn around and come home.....but then i found, in the latest princess alaska catalog, a 7 day cruise with a 7 day land tour that includesColdfoot and Prudhoe Bay....WOW!!!! then you would really feel like you have been to Alaska....but I am curious, has anyone done this one....is it worth the extra money...it runs May thru august.....when would be the best time to go?

 

thanks for any input!

 

Beverly

[Yukon]

This tour ( http://www.princess.com/destination/alaska/alaskactour_detail.jsp?mktcode=AWE&itincode=AGG07120S ) could either thrill you or leave you thinking that your time could have been better used, depending on your specific interests. You cover a LOT of ground in a short time, with great variety. But, Denali is your only 2-night stay, and that can be tiring. The drive up the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay is the part that "loses" a lot of people, though - it is often a dirty, rough ride with some superb spots and a lot of similar scenery. And Prudhoe Bay is a rough oil town - the tour is very short! What is the "real" Alaska? Different for every person, probably - a Native town such as Kotzebue, more time in Fairbanks to see the details, down the coast to Valdez, fishing on the Kenai - the list goes on and on. But there are LOTS of cruisetour options - not just from the cruise lines but from high-end independents such as http://www.jerryvandyke.com/cgi-bin/Journey_Intro.asp?Tour=15 (sailing on Celebrity) and many, many others.

 

Murray

[Budget Queen]

I agree with Yukon- for a first trip- see the wonderful areas of Alaska between Seward and Fairbanks. The HAUL road- is boring for the most part- I have been on it one way flying the other. Extensive fire areas and long views of the pipeline. This takes up too much time if you are only going 7 days. Cruisetours are lacking anyway in my opinion , missing everything between the point to point group travel. If you really want to see some REAL Alaska then rent a car and go on your own, planning a tour that involves YOUR interests. Extremely simple to arrange. There is far more beauty and life in Alaska than Prudhoe Bay. I think Barrow has much more to offer frankly- if you have the need to get to the Arctic Ocean. Understand- Alaska is a multi trip destination- be satisified with bits and pieces but allow enough time. Head to your library and take out Alaska travel books, especially Frommer's Alaska and Fodor's Alaska. See what interests you? Then plan from there- don't underestimate time of distances.

[greatam]

We have been to Prudhoe twice. It is a long drive for the average Alaska vacationer and an expensive trip. Please search this board for answers in response to another poster's questions about Prudhoe.

 

We have seen the Princess bus arrive in Prudhoe twice. Most of the passengers looked shell-shocked when they got off the bus. There really is not much to do, UNLESS you are very interested in industrial stuff. The mosquitos are ferocious in June and July. They are the #1 killer of the baby caribou. The regular BP tour is very short-about 30 minutes. Yes, you can go swimming in the Arctic Ocean or at least get your toes wet if you are not so brave. And the caribou-lots and lots and lots. But they are all over Northern Alaska, so not such a big deal.

 

For a first time trip, UNLESS you are really into industrial stuff (we are), spend the time in Denali, Homer, Barrow. The advice from Budget Queen and Yukon is always right on the money. Enjoy!!!

[alpal1993]

My friend did the Prudhoe tour with Princess and she loved it. IMO The accomadations were substandard They staid in a place that looked like a trailer.It looked baren and muddy to me.She said the food was good.In cold foot the food was horrible,but the place to sleep was better.