ljcruising

So glad your trip is going wonderful and excited you posted about the zodiac boats we have that tour booked for our upcoming cruise the end of this month and really looking forward to it! Your weather has sounded picture perfect and hope it stays that way at least a couple more weeks!

Can't wait for more... we are on her for our first Alaska trip and first cruise on 05/31 with a land tour first, arriving in Fairbanks on the 24th. Hope you have a FANTASTIC trip!!!

I guess the old saying is true " no news is good news" glad to hear she is not getting bad vibes. I will be on her end of May in Alaska and this will be our first cruise. Getting nervous and very excited!!!!

Count me in!!! DH and I are on the Oosterdam 05/31/15 south bound doing land tour first arriving in Fairbanks on 05/24/15 with 3 days in Denali.... I am ready to start packing!! 1st Cruise AND 1st time flying... YIKES! Excited and very nervous.

Hi,

Sailing on the Oosterdam May 31, 2015 Seward to Vancouver starting on land tour 5/24 in Fairbanks! First time cruiser and so excited!!!!

Thanks Budget and Mapleleaves.... we are from North Carolina and never seen any part of the Pacific, we travel quite a bit (by 5th wheel camper) but have never ventured this far from home... actually first time on a plane (yikes!!!) Will never forget when I made my reservations the HAL rep ask me if I had ever been on a boat before and my answer to her was "does a pontoon count":):) I guess my biggest concern is the Seward site seeing and maybe a boat ride and Sealife center worth giving up the train ride for and venturing out on our own verses staying with our "cruise group".

Thanks all... There is the excursion option for the Kenai Fjords cruise with HAL but that still leaves no time in Seward, this option on my own will be about the same cost as what HAL is wanting for their upgrade. Budget Queen good points!!! Could just skip Fox Island all together and hang around Seward. Thinking the shorter tour would fit in nicely and see some wild life and would take care of lunch all in one shot not to mention being on a train 8 hours the day before may have hubby sick of trains by the next morning[emoji6].....

We are sailing with HAL on cruise/land tour and train ride included from Anchorage to Seward but as you know gives NO time to do anything in Seward, so was thinking of doing train on our own (leaving at the crack of dawn) but than found several other options with my favorite being as follows: take park connection leaving Anchorage at 7:00am and arriving Seward 9:45am, tour Sealife Center than Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise with salmon/prime rib buffet on Fox Island ( 4.5 hours ) starting at 12:00 still gives us a little time in town before getting on ship by 6:30 or 7:00pm. Advice please or other idea's welcomed!!!!!

I agree also, we are on a 14 day cruise tour and since booking in September I have saved 1,150 per person not counting the 400.00 per person on the flights! Plus you get the pick of the cabins and the one you want not what is left over. Kept looking for the price drops before final payment but now really happy with the price I received from the beginning. Just counting days down now!!!

Hope you have a wonderful trip!!! Please send a update with your thoughts we will be on the Oosterdam late May early June.

If that shows optional excursions for your booking/reservation then arrival time will be before that... they will only post excursions you will be able to make under your time frame... I called and they told me I would arrive around 4:30 from Fairbanks... They are very helpful over the phone... Hope you have a fantastic trip!!!!!

More than welcome and hope you have a fantastic trip!

Thanks... Got the age thing WELL covered and no problems there..[emoji4]We have almost 3 full days in Denali so trying to put together the best plan, I did realize it was a jeep not a atv, we have a atv and a Argo excursion already lined up. I have reserved so we will see, the way I look at it can't go wrong with anything in Alaska!!!

Depending on your likes and what you want to do.... Wish we were stopping in Talkeetna they have a horseback riding tour and a Jet boat excursion that we would love to take. I would prefer the second and arrive 1 day earlier in Fairbanks.

Hi, we are headed out in May on the DL1 tour and should be close but every place you visit will be a Westmark and Denali will be the McKinley Chalet, I called back in November and got times and places from HAL, wonder if you call back and get another person they would let you know. Let me know if any questions and be glad to help all I can, this is our first cruise ever so I am learning a lot!! Hope you have a GREAT trip!

Thanks, I guess it looks like I may have to be the guinea pig for the CC posters and hopefully bring back some good reviews.http://www.denalijeep.com

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I have seen several video's on you tube and reviewed some reports on this but knew I would get accurate and trusted info from the Alaska experts here. Hubby and I are avid ATV riders at home and enjoy off-roading, looking forward to the Argo adventure we have reserved. Just haven't seen much on here on the Hwy Jeep excursion and guess it left me wondering if it was worth the money and time. The video's you shared are for the Jeep Backcountry adventure down the stampede trail, the Hwy Jeep takes you down the old Denali Hwy and is about 5 hour excursion.

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I did a search and couldn't find anything so if this has been covered sorry for the repeat. Wondering if anybody has done the Denali Highway Jeep excursion and thoughts good or bad. We have 3 days in Denali and 3 days in Fairbanks trying to plan some of our days and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Already have reservations for the Argo tour, flight and bus tour and in Fairbanks so far only have the Riverboat planned as it is included in our cruise tour.

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Thank you for sharing!!! Beautiful town and wish we were going to have more time on our up coming cruise to see it in person, will only be there a couple of hours before the ship sails.

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We are looking forward to the Zodiac expedition!!! Reserved it about a month ago for our June trip and the Lumberjack show. Hope you find what you are looking for and have a great cruise!!

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Did not realize the drive would be around 3 1/2 hours (thought it was about 2 hour) so would mean we would have to leave the Healy area around 5:00 am to make sure we made it in time. Sent an email to the rental/dome house and have not heard back yet. We will be renting a car in Fairbanks for 3 days before the cruise tour actually starts and we head to Denali, now that would be a REALLY long drive.

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Thanks for all the help... Didn't think it could be done but always worth a shot to ask.

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Glad you had all the available options! Not the case for the smokers.

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We are on a tour and staying at the McKinley Chalet and only in Anchorage overnight for the train ride next day to Seward. I guess trying to fit everything in is not an option, may have to try talking hubby into a 2nd trip😘

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We are in Denali for 3 days and really want to do the Devil's Cannon jet boat excursion starting at 9:39am, found away to get back to Denali that afternoon when ride is over just can't find a ride to get us there in time in the am. Any ideas is much appreciated!!!!

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