Alaska 2018 25th Anniversary

We have just decided on Alaska for our 25th Anniversary Trip. So just starting to plan for summer 2018. I would like some opinons and your thoughts would be appreciated on my first hurdle. How many days will I need to plan to be away? At this point, we are thinking a 7 day cruise and two days in Denali. The travel times to destinations and for flights are holding me up (It may be that I can't face how long we will need to be gone to do the minimum of what we want.)

1. Cruise from Vancouver BC to AK.

2. Flying from Kansas. At this time, we do have a non-stop flight to Seattle available, but you never know what will happen in 2 years.

3. Minimum 2 days in Denali - this could include arrival day and one full day. Wanting to stay in park.

Is this feasible: Travel Day 1 to Vancouver. Day 2 Board Ship. The next 6 nights on ship. (Day 3-8) Day 9 travel to Denali. Day 10 Denali. Day 11 Travel to Anchorage (I think this is where will have to fly out of.) Day 12 Fly Home.

Now obviously, more time in Denali would probably be nice, this would be bear minimum. If we can work in another day great. Is the time to get everywhere doable? Once I have that figured out, I can decide I we can swing any more days.

Feel free to share any and all thoughts, shoot me straight.

Thoughts...

• Fly to Seattle? If you are trying to save time... look at other airline options where you can fly into Vancouver to save time.
  
• There is a $50 shuttle to get you from Seattle's airport into Vancouver.
  
• think about which month you want to come to Alaska? Dry weather? Heat? Cold? Wet? May and September offer savings, but offer a different climate experience. There's also seasonal festival opportunities like fireworks!
  

Thoughts...

• Fly to Seattle? If you are trying to save time... look at other airline options where you can fly into Vancouver to save time.
  
• There is a $50 shuttle to get you from Seattle's airport into Vancouver.
  
• think about which month you want to come to Alaska? Dry weather? Heat? Cold? Wet? May and September offer savings, but offer a different climate experience. There's also seasonal festival opportunities like fireworks!
  

Good Point: Will definitely not limit ourselves to Seattle Flight. Looking at beginning of July cruise right now, with Land after. Also, will look at options aside from Denali. The biggest reason I said it was 1. It's Denali. 2. I knew my husband would hate not getting to hike Alaska. He is not set on Denali. Any ideas for that type of adventure area for him would be great. Something closer to Anchorage?

We're also intent on Alaska in early July 2018 for our twenty fifth anniversary. We're looking at this from two perspectives simultaneously: How optimal the experience must be, and the pragmatic realities. The difference between whatever else we would do and the "second best" Alaska cruise is so large compared to the difference between "second best" and "first best" that we're not worrying too much about whether (in terms of the choices we're making) a one way is better than a RT. That confidence is allowing us to bracket the trip from the more pragmatic standpoint, in terms of how many days, where we would cruise to/from and how that would affect airfare and flight times, etc.

Given our different vacation objectives, we probably won't bump into each other, but best wishes to you on your anniversary regardless.

I also encourage you to fly to Vancouver.

Strangely enough - Alaska airlines is expanding quite a bit (and is a great airline). There are direct flights from OMA and MCI to Seattle. Not sure which airport you are flying out of. I live in LNK so I was thrilled when the OMA to SEA direct flight came out as we don't have many direct flights.

I assume you're planning on renting a car in Alaska ??

If your ship docks in Whittier it is easy enough to reach Denali in a day.... it takes about 1 1/2 hrs to drive Whittier to Anc. Keep in mind that you pass thru a tunnel that's only open once an hr in each direction. From Anchorage it's another 240 miles or 5 hrs to reach Denali.

You can take a transfer from Whittier to Anchorage where you can pick up a RT rental. OR get an expensive one-way rental from Whittier (AVIS is the only option. ) You could return the car to Fairbanks ... only 2 hrs north of Denali, which is quicker than driving back to Anchorage.

The only lodging IN the park is at the far end of the park road; a 13 hr bus ride thru the park or you can fly. Most people stay at the commercial area called Glitter Gulch about a mile outside the park entrance. Or better yet, about 15 minutes away in Carlo Creek or Healy, there are cabins, B&Bs, smaller hotels.

If your ship docks in Seward it can be tough to reach Denali in a day.... it's about 370 miles on a 2 lane hwy. (Seward to Anc is about 130 miles or 3 hrs, then Denali is another 240 miles or 5 hrs). There can be long delays due to extensive summer road work and slow tourist traffic.

HOWEVER, I think you're getting way ahead of yourself. Your trip isn't until 2018. Use this time to research all the opportunities available to you. Do you really want to rush from the ship to Denali and miss sights and activities along the way? Do some research and determine what you want to see and do - that will determine how much time you need. You're coming a long way, so why not take advantage of your time in Alaska. Adding 5-7 days after the cruise would be best.

The Turnagain Arm, less than an hr south of Anchorage has many opportunities ..... Wildlife Conservation Center, gold panning, Beluga Point, looking for sheep on the ridges, Byron Glacier, Portage Lake/Glacier, Alyeska Resort, Potters Marsh boardwalk.

Many people disembark in Seward and spend a day or 2 to visit Exit Glacier, take a Kenai Fjords cruise, heli dogsledding, then take the 6pm train to Anchorage or drive so they can explore along the way.

North of Anchorage you can detour to Matanuska Glacier for an ice trek or white water rafting. And hike around Independence Mine Historical Park. stop at Talkeetna for lunch and have a look around town. Many many options available ... use this time to research all the opportunities.

Borrow some Alaska travel books from your library, utilize the on-line many sites. I started a thread a month ago called Helpful Resource for Planning a trip to Alaska .... put the word ' resource' in the Search function above to find the thread. Also read thru trip reports posted in STICKYs above .... many are detailed photojournals with info on hotels, transfers, sights, activities, etc. They are a wealth of information.

Have fun with your research and planning !

p.s. . even if you're only contemplating a car rental, book it next August for 2018 to get the sale rate. ie right now you can get a car for $30 a day for next summer but if you wait it will be closer to $100 a day.

I also encourage you to fly to Vancouver.

 

Strangely enough - Alaska airlines is expanding quite a bit (and is a great airline). There are direct flights from OMA and MCI to Seattle. Not sure which airport you are flying out of. I live in LNK so I was thrilled when the OMA to SEA direct flight came out as we don't have many direct flights.

Thanks for the additional advice on flying to Vancouver. I appreciate it when multiple people make the same suggestions. Works out well planning something so far ahead, because there is plenty of time to adjust original thoughts.

We're also intent on Alaska in early July 2018 for our twenty fifth anniversary. We're looking at this from two perspectives simultaneously: How optimal the experience must be, and the pragmatic realities. The difference between whatever else we would do and the "second best" Alaska cruise is so large compared to the difference between "second best" and "first best" that we're not worrying too much about whether (in terms of the choices we're making) a one way is better than a RT. That confidence is allowing us to bracket the trip from the more pragmatic standpoint, in terms of how many days, where we would cruise to/from and how that would affect airfare and flight times, etc.

 

Given our different vacation objectives, we probably won't bump into each other, but best wishes to you on your anniversary regardless.

I'm curious, what are your objectives? Ours are to enjoy a cruise because we (myself, the most) love cruising and am looking forward to seeing amazing sights along the way. An added objective is my husband get to hike, the more in the interior the better for him. During that time, I will find something to do depending on where we land.

I too send the warmest of wishes for a wonderful anniversary.

Thanks mapleleaves for your thoughts, stats, and advice.

We do plan on getting a rental car.

Thanks for the timing on getting around, it is a little different than I had read so far and I appreciate knowing the drive to lodging in the part is so long (longer than I thought). The different information about where we dock will help a lot in deciding which cruise we decide on.

Regarding: HOWEVER, I think you're getting way ahead of yourself. Your trip isn't until 2018. Use this time to research all the opportunities available to you. Do you really want to rush from the ship to Denali and miss sights and activities along the way? Do some research and determine what you want to see and do - that will determine how much time you need. You're coming a long way, so why not take advantage of your time in Alaska. Adding 5-7 days after the cruise would be best.

Actually, in my mind figuring out how long we can stay is the starting point. Then as we discover what options we have, we can prioritize the time we have. With Danali on my mind, I needed to figure out how much time it would take, to see if it was even possible. We are limited to vaca time. We each have several weeks, however, summer is both of our busy times at work. At one point, it was determined you couldn't take two weeks in a row off where my husband works. So, the amount of days we can take off may come into play. If it was my choice, absolutely would do 5-7 days land, just may not be feasible. I am hopeful we can squeeze a few more days beyond a week out of them!

That being said, you are right, I appear to be the one that had Denali on the brain! The reality is my husband just wants to make sure he has time to hike Alaska, anywhere. Your suggestions on things to do are truly spot on timing wise. We would much rather have more time to enjoy, and less time on a bus getting places.

I appreciate you reminding me of what is available on the board. It has been 5 years since our last cruise and spending a lot of time on here. I have been reading through the Resources, but have not gotten to your Planning a trip thread, and am looking forward to reading it. I have also been reading through the trip reports, which are always so fun!

The car tip is great - thanks for that!

Our cruise is next summer and my original plan was similar to yours: rent a car in Whittier, drive to Denali, one full day in the park, drive to Fairbanks and fly home. But in the end, we decided 3 nights (which is all we have) was not enough to devote to Denali and most of our time would be spent in the car or on busses. So if you can add more time, I certainly would. There is just so much to see--every time I think I have our itinerary, I read about another place to see! With 3 nights, we will certainly be limited but I am excited for what we will get to see.

We are going to spend 2 nights in Seattle sightseeing and then take the train to Vancouver the day before the cruise, again trying to see as much as we can in the time we have. Many would say add those 2 nights to Alaska and I would not disagree. But this is our plan and I can't wait.

Have fun planning! :)

Actually, in my mind figuring out how long we can stay is the starting point. Then as we discover what options we have, we can prioritize the time we have. With Danali on my mind, I needed to figure out how much time it would take, to see if it was even possible. We are limited to vaca time. We each have several weeks, however, summer is both of our busy times at work. At one point, it was determined you couldn't take two weeks in a row off where my husband works. So, the amount of days we can take off may come into play. If it was my choice, absolutely would do 5-7 days land, just may not be feasible. I am hopeful we can squeeze a few more days beyond a week out of them!

Have you considered working your vacation around a holiday like Memorial Day or 4th of July? If you get that day off already, then you wouldn't have to use actual vacation time for that day and could use that 8 hours on an extra day for your trip. Of course, those days may be harder to get for you?

If you do that, though, I strongly suggest you book early. My cruise is for next May and includes Memorial Day, and it's already getting very full.

By the way, a lot of people will tell you fares for Alaska come out in Spring, but I know for a fact that Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess all came out late fall last year for 2017 (I know because I was stalking them ;)). I think Celebrity came out first. Both Holland and Princess were out in early December. It could be different this year, but that's how it was in 2016 for the 2017 fares.

I'm curious, what are your objectives?

Our cruise is next summer and my original plan was similar to yours: rent a car in Whittier, drive to Denali, one full day in the park, drive to Fairbanks and fly home. But in the end, we decided 3 nights (which is all we have) was not enough to devote to Denali and most of our time would be spent in the car or on busses. So if you can add more time, I certainly would. There is just so much to see--every time I think I have our itinerary, I read about another place to see! With 3 nights, we will certainly be limited but I am excited for what we will get to see.

 

We are going to spend 2 nights in Seattle sightseeing and then take the train to Vancouver the day before the cruise, again trying to see as much as we can in the time we have. Many would say add those 2 nights to Alaska and I would not disagree. But this is our plan and I can't wait.

 

Have fun planning! :)

Thanks, Beachiekeens. I am more the, lets make sure we get in "the" places to go. But this trip there just isn't enough time, as we do want to do the cruise. My husband just wants to be able to hike, he doesn't care where as long as it is beautiful and cool - not a hard bill to fit in Alaska!

What will you be dong with your land days next summer?

Have you considered working your vacation around a holiday like Memorial Day or 4th of July? If you get that day off already, then you wouldn't have to use actual vacation time for that day and could use that 8 hours on an extra day for your trip. Of course, those days may be harder to get for you?

 

If you do that, though, I strongly suggest you book early. My cruise is for next May and includes Memorial Day, and it's already getting very full.

 

By the way, a lot of people will tell you fares for Alaska come out in Spring, but I know for a fact that Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess all came out late fall last year for 2017 (I know because I was stalking them ;)). I think Celebrity came out first. Both Holland and Princess were out in early December. It could be different this year, but that's how it was in 2016 for the 2017 fares.

txwriter: great minds! I am strongly considering booking around July 4th. Unfortunately, it will not be a year where either company will add another day to make or a long weekend, but we do both have holiday flex days we can tack on anywhere and will probably use one of those to be able to get away with extending our vaca.

I am soooo glad you shared that about when fares come out, as there were only a very few when I last looked. Did you happen to watch fares enough to know if booking immediately was the cheapest way to go? Obviously, the week we go is priority, but might as well get the best deal we can if possible.

What I was referring to was that one of our objectives is to minimize flying. Combined with the fact that we don't share your husband's interest in hiking the interior, we'll almost surely end up on a round-trip (probably to/from Seattle) despite the inherent compromises of that itinerary, while you'll probably end up on a one-way cruise to or from Vancouver.

I'm with you. The positive is, possibly one route better than another, however you just cannot go wrong with Alaska I have no doubt. And why is it flying has to take so much time? ;)

txwriter: great minds! I am strongly considering booking around July 4th. Unfortunately, it will not be a year where either company will add another day to make or a long weekend, but we do both have holiday flex days we can tack on anywhere and will probably use one of those to be able to get away with extending our vaca.

 

I am soooo glad you shared that about when fares come out, as there were only a very few when I last looked. Did you happen to watch fares enough to know if booking immediately was the cheapest way to go? Obviously, the week we go is priority, but might as well get the best deal we can if possible.

General consensus across the boards is that best fares are early when they first come out (and stay this way for a bit). You also have first pick of cabins if that's important to you. However, if you book early and a better deal comes out, you can usually rebook through your TA or Princess. I did this on the current promo and saved a few hundred. Someone else on our roll call did this for the Sip N Sail; that promo didn't help me. I've seen people on the boards saying similar things. One promo worked better for them than the other. But, again, if you book early and watch the prices, you can go lower with the right promotion. On the Princess board, they always post well in advance with a fare sale will begin, and I always check.:)

You can always use 2017 dates across the different lines you are considering and see how they compare in terms of pricing and perks offered. Do you know which cruise line you want to use? If not, start looking at the boards for the cruise lines. They will sometimes have more information that isn't always available on the Alaska board. Reading trip reports is another fun thing to do to pass time and get ideas. Enjoy your planning!

Thanks, Beachiekeens. I am more the, lets make sure we get in "the" places to go. But this trip there just isn't enough time, as we do want to do the cruise. My husband just wants to be able to hike, he doesn't care where as long as it is beautiful and cool - not a hard bill to fit in Alaska!

 

What will you be dong with your land days next summer?

We haven't decided yet, but probably Girdwood or Seward. We will be there July 1-4 which is really busy in Seward but we may do it anyway. We are making our final arrangements in a couple of weeks. Like you said, I don't think we can go wrong either way! :)

Alaska Airlines runs a promotion around Nov, which is when Alaska residents receive their annual dividend funds. Primarily geared to entice those residents to take a trip using Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines also has a $100 companion pass with their credit card. The annual credit card fee is $100, but if 2 people are flying the same route and it's a lengthy flight, the overall cost of $200 is a good deal. Worth looking into.

On one-way cruises, some people prefer to get the longest flight out of the way first; fly into Anchorage, fly home from Vancouver/Seattle. Also worth looking into.

Hiking info: http://alaskahikesearch.com/?s=

Lots of good hiking around the Anchorage area.

The Forest Service is another good resource ie. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/chugach/csptrails.htm

I also encourage you to fly to Vancouver.

We've slowly come around to this point of view. Mostly, it is because HA is running Vancouver round-trips that travel the Inside Passage both ways, so there's no real exposure to the open ocean.

It can still be rough - just FYI.

Like everything else it is all a matter of controlling the probabilities rather than the actuality.

We celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2012 with a HAL RT from Vancouver and also enjoyed hiking on our own. The full loop around Dewey Lake in Skagway was the best day for us. They also had a nice vow renewal ceremony option.

We'll be returning next year for our 30th anniversary and chose a one way cruise so we can spend some time inland before the cruise. We chose to stay in Talkeetna to avoid the long bus rides into Denali. Since we live in a tourist area, we choose activities to avoid tourists as much as possible when traveling. We prefer to spend time talking to the locals and exploring non-excursion areas.

Day 2 Board Ship. The next 6 nights on ship. (Day 3-8) Day 9 travel to Denali.

I think your calculation may be one day off here. I didn't see any 6 night cruises when looking at one ways. There are a lot of one way cruises that are 7 nights on the ship. For example see this itinerary of a Northbound 7-day Alaska Cruise on Holland America. The boarding day is Day 0 and there are 7 more days.

(This is different from common practice on many tours where x days usually means x-1 nights as they count the starting and ending days.)

Wanted to let you know that your plan is definitely possible. We did pretty much the same thing back in 2011.

We disembarked in Seward, took a bus transfer to Anchorage where we picked up our rental. Even taking into account a stop for lunch in a restaurant (not fast food) and several stops along the way; we easily made it to DNP by 9 pm. Long days up there so no driving in the dark.

Spent the next day in the park on a bus tour. Then on the 3rd day drove back to Anchorage. Generally flights don't leave early, so plenty of time to get there.

I find it easier to talk about nights (where I sleep) rather than days. I think in your case it would be: Night 1 in Vancouver. Nights 2-8 on board. Nights 9 & 10 at Denali, Night 11 would be flying home!

Just wanted to throw in that a 25th anniversary cruise is WONDERFUL. DH and I did a Caribbean cruise for our 25th and it was magical. We had such a wonderful time that DH's brother and his wife also did a Caribbean cruise for their 25th a couple of years later.

Now we are hooked and we are all going on an Alaska cruise next spring. ;)