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It is so much easier to buy our preferred libation from Guest Services, long before we sail. It is in the stateroom when we arrive. No worry and no hassle. No more Rum Runner flasks or trips to the Naughty Room. The price of the bottle ordered is very reasonable.

Agreed. As a veteran smuggler on other lines, I saw no reason to even bother on our most recent cruise on HAL. I simply ordered what I wanted in advance, at a reasonable price, and it was sitting there waiting for us.

Well strictly speaking I guess I did smuggle. We had a couple leftover airplane bottles from our flight out and I smuggled them in my pocket rather than throw them away.

Yes, TSA completely doesn't care if you put a bunch of 50ml liquor bottles in your one-quart clear ziplock liquids container. :D

Any idea which side of the ship would give us what views in Glacier Bay?

That would be the OUTside, either on the bow or promenade or upper decks.

Going in and out there are incredible views in every direction. The captain will spin the ship at the glaciers. You'll want to be outside not sitting in the room.

If for some reason you are stuck in the room, the side really doesn't matter IMHO. We were on the port side northbound but on deck 10 the Noordam so mere steps away from both the Crows Nest and the outside decks above Lido, making it easy to see what the starboard side views looked like. No appreciable difference IMHO.

The highway and the train pretty much follow each other, except that the train has to deviate at a couple places to minimize the grade. You can see for yourself on Google Maps. It is difficult for me to see how the scenery could be better for one or the other.

My gps tracks for the train ride up to Carcross and the coach ride back down differed substantially for the portion of the trip past Frasier. The train went by way of Bennett Lake and the road went by way of Nares and Tutshi lakes. In many spots the scenery was similar, and in many spots it was notably different.

I'd love to go back to Bennett and spend more time at the church, trails, and station. As you're pretty familiar with google maps and the roads perhaps you can help: Looking at Google Maps, I can't see how to get there by car, could you please show how to do so? https://goo.gl/maps/2pME1Two2Tk

In any event, the point here is to offer our own experience to help those who are planning. There is certainly value in renting a car, but you will miss stuff you get doing a WPYR train ride. In contrast with a car rental as you say you can take all (most) of the time you want wherever you wish to stop.

I'll contrast AKStafford's post slightly with my personal view. As background, we're by no means shy of DIY stuff and have done plenty both when cruising and when taking other trips.

We did a northbound cruise-tour with nights in Seward, Anchorage, and then two nights each in Denali and Fairbanks.

We considered DIY for the land portion but for our first-time trip we chose to go with the packaged tour largely for convenience. We greatly enjoyed the information and local insights of the various coach drivers and guides as we were going from one place to another. We also enjoyed getting to know some of the other couples we were travelling with through the land portion. To also be completely honest, as the primary planner I would have been much more on edge on a DIY worrying that I hadn't screwed something up. With that part being in someone else's hands I personally was much more relaxed and able to stare out the coach or train windows never worrying about traffic. At least with our specific itinerary, we didn't find any part of it to be rushed and we were reasonably satisfied with the time we had at the various places. We did do a bit of DIY in terms of having a rental car for the 2nd day in Fairbanks and a late-evening flight out.

If we should visit Alaska again, we will likely DIY the land portion now that we both have a much better grasp of things. There is certainly much to be said for doing a DIY land portion, but also some disadvantages too. We ended up very happy with how we chose to do things.

On our HAL cruise in June we did both the WPYR Bennett Lake / Carcross trip out of Skagway as well as the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Denali.

The two are distinctly different not only in terms of the trains themselves but also in terms of the geography you're riding through.

If I had to pick one over the other I'd pick WPYR, but enjoyed doing both.

I'm slightly confused... if you're going a cruise-tour southbound, the cruise line doing the land tour would get you to Seward at the end of the land tour. All you'd need to do is get to where the land tour portion begins, which would be likely either Anchorage or Fairbanks.

If you just meant a cruise instead, typically people will fly to Anchorage and take train or coach over to Seward. Info on some options for this can be found at http://www.alaska.org/advice/anchorage-to-seward

Just be sure your cruise line doesn't already include the transfer from Anchorage as part of the cruise.

You'll see this discussed on the Alaska board regularly, do have look there for more info.

We did this excursion in June this year. It was great. Train up to Carcross and coach back down to Skagway.

Since they've expanded/created a museum/display room there is no more hot lunch. Instead it was a decent box lunch aboard the train as we left Bennett Lake. I'd have liked more time at Bennett Station but it is what it is I guess.

Our bus made multiple stops for photos at various scenic spots on the way back, as well as for bears alongside the road. The coach drivers were alerting one another over the radio regarding wildlife.

In terms of train vs rental car, note that the road and the train take different routes for a good chunk of the way to Carcross. Both have their merits, but for our first time both my wife and I greatly preferred being about to fully enjoy the scenery and let someone else handle the driving. On the train I made thorough use of the outside platforms for picture taking; everyone was good about not hogging the space and taking turns.

My Citi card has this protection, see https://www.cardbenefits.citi.com/Products/Trip-Cancellation-Interruption-Protection

My first reaction is "why bother". It's a long way from Seward to Denali, and to stay there a single night before going to Fairbanks doesn't give any time to enjoy the place.

Just my opinion, but if you want to see anything at Denali you need to be there at least two nights. I'd suggest looking at the double-Denali itineraries such as D5 or D6. See HAL's eBrochure at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hal/alaska2017_landandsea/?WT.ac=ebrochure_AlaskaYukon_2017_USD#/60

We did the D3C itinerary in June and had a fantastic experience. We were done with the Tundra Wilderness Tour in time to see the park service's sled dog demonstration and have time to enjoy the visitor center exhibits. We then had the entire following morning to do other things such as a ranger-led nature hike on the trails around the visitor center before getting on the bus for the three hour drive to Fairbanks.

I can't offer much for Anchorage, though we enjoyed dinner at Humpy's

In Seward we thoroughly enjoyed the Kenai Fjords tour. We had a gorgeous day and it was one of our favorite excursions of the trip.

We did the longer version with the Fox Island dinner and it was good. Not "OMG you gotta do this!" good, but worth the extra $18pp and we didn't have to find some place to eat after a long day.

http://www.kenaifjords.com/day-cruises/national-park-tour/

As an alternative, check to see if they have irons & ironing boards to borrow. I did no ironing on Noordam in June, but last fall on NCL Star I was able to borrow these and do my own. I simply called guest services and someone brought them to my cabin in a few minutes. When I was done, I called them back to have the stuff picked up.

For those of you who recently took the TWT, what was in the lunch box provided on the tour? We are taking the same tour next month and want to make sure we are well provisioned!

In early June it consisted of crackers & hummus, crackers & gouda cheese spread, packet of chocolate cheesecake cookies, slim jim style meat stick, and a packet of caramel popcorn.

My wife and I are "medium sized" folks and we were perfectly satisfied splitting a single box between us.

The driver also passed around a "share" bin for people to toss in the items they didn't want and take any extra stuff the did want. Our bus also had some extra boxes available. As far as I could tell nobody neared the brink of starvation before our return.

Interesting to quote the Bible and support smuggling in the same post. :rolleyes::D In that vein Exodus 20:15 comes to mind. :)

LOL. Nicely done. Strictly speaking, we both cited rather than quoted. ;) I respectfully disagree as to the applicability of Exodus 20:15, although it would certainly apply to instances of "sharing" a drinks package. :D Though Proverbs 23:20-21 does come to mind at times.

All that aside it seems to me that besides the revenue issue, in my mind the key reason cruise lines limit or restrict bringing spirits on board, cruise lines continue to learn how passengers circumvent their procedures. In the extreme the easy answer is like NCL to cut off bringing any liquid or restricted beverage on board.

While they certainly claim reasons of preventing issues from over-consumption, I think we all know full well that the main intent is revenue generation from a captive audience. NCL has gotten bad with that, drink prices through the roof and the complete prohibition of bringing any beverages aboard. It will be interesting to see how long that policy lasts with NCL. I for one will not sail with them for so long as that remains in effect.

On our last NCL cruise we didn't smuggle anything since we had the promo drinks package, yet we still enjoyed having our own cokes and sprites in the room.

With HAL's bottle pricing I don't see any reason to bother with smuggling. On our last cruise it was something like $37 for a liter of Seagrams and it was sitting on the desk when we got to our room. We brought on a twelve pack of coke and our steward kept the ice bucket filled. It wasn't terribly expensive to buy buckets of beer (unopened) and keep our fridge stocked as well.

On other lines I've smuggled regularly without incident. Think things through, understand how the xray systems and personnel work, then be creative. Self-righteous hall monitors can go pound sand after they review John 8:7.

We are going on a cruise in May, 2017. We are looking at flying into Seattle, train to Vancouver next day, and then flying back from Fairbanks to Seattle and then to East Coast. Does that sound like a good plan? Suggestions??? Thanks!!

Is there a specific reason you want to fly to/through Seattle each way?

Memorial day weekend this year we flew from Atlanta to Vancouver by way of Toronto, then Fairbanks back to Atlanta by way of Minneapolis. Price difference vs. flying into Seattle and taking ground transport to Vancouver was minimal for our preferred schedule and not worth the added travel time.

There's nothing wrong with flying into Seattle first, especially if you want to visit Seattle for a bit on your way to Vancouver. Just don't assume you need to go through there.

Recommend you post this question in the "photos and camera discussion" forum.

Looks like it's now been moved over here.

There are several informative threads on this. I love my GoPro

Indeed there are. The Search function will reveal much information, including stuff some folks may not feel like posting for the fifth time. :D

Whether a gopro or a conventional compact camera is the better choice depends greatly on your needs. When someone else recommends XYZ as the best solution, make sure you and they are both seeking to solve the same problem. GoPros are fantastic for video of your activities. They're not not so strong at the conventional still camera stuff.

My personal choice is the Olympus TG-4. Ruggedized, waterproof to 50ft without any additional casing, fast f/2.0 25-100mm (equiv) lens, built in GPS & WiFi, has ability to shoot in RAW format, and charges from USB. More info at http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/olympus-tg-4/olympus-tg-4A.HTM

We stayed there at the end of May this year. It is literally across the street from BC Place.

Yes it had a free shuttle to the cruise port. You had to show up at a certain time the night before to sign up on the list, and the driver has just so many spots per time slot so for your best selection get there early.

In my research it showed as being on one of the HoHo routes, the other was within a block or so. We didn't get there until late enough in the day that the tour busses were done for the day so we didn't ride.

Plenty of places to eat all within a short walk, ranging from casual/inexpensive(*) to fancy/pricey.

Breakfast is typical Hampton Inn.

Do check out the rooftop hot tub. :)

You have to go out (possibly even to the bank!) to get the cash anyway.

No, actually I don't. My two main banks have a ton of ATMs available that I already drive or walk by as I'm doing other stuff. Going to a branch during open hours requires a special trip on a Saturday morning.

That may not be true for everyone of course, but it is true for me.

I've read is that Holland attracts more mature passengers because they stick to traditional cruise standard with high tea, formal nights, etc. We'd like a ship that has a little bit of nightlife, a lounge with some current music, etc.

While I've not sailed to the degree many here have, I have sailed on Carnival and NCL, and my wife has sailed RCCL. This was our first exposure to HAL.

So with that big grain of salt...

Yes, I think HAL *overall* probably draws an older crowd. Yet I suspect that has more to do with the itineraries than the ship decor/activities. HAL seems to offer a lot more two week and longer cruises, something I don't believe is feasible for most people in their 20s and 30s due jobs and finances. But we're talking Alaska here, which tends to level the field.

We never went to high tea on HAL or on Carnival (which they had on sea days). On Noordam we had a "gala" night not formal a night; and even NCL out of Tampa last fall had just "gala". Per HAL's docs a jacket is welcome on gala night but required. We were tired that day and didn't go to the MDR, but the following night I wore a bow tie and sport coat with khakis and was overdressed. Other night, slacks and a polo was pretty common in the dining room.

I can't really speak to what they played at the dance lounges in the late night. I remember there being stuff listed in the dailies, but not the specifics. We're from the East coast and normally are up at 5:30am weekdays. Translate that by four hours to Alaska time and even sleeping in didn't have us up very late.

So I guess what I'm saying is when you're reading reviews dig into them a bit and don't just go with the "conventional wisdom" -- and even so focus first on your itineraries and where you want to go.

Oh also - we sailed during the first week of June, when there are still a lot of places where school hasn't yet let out. Later in the summer there may have been more families and younger couples than our Memorial Day weekend sailing.

Do remember to take reviews with a big grain of salt. I've been on ships for which I'd read reviews at each end of the spectrum. Oftentimes people find what they're looking for...

On the Noordam in early June this year there certainly were plenty of folks in their 60s and above, but also plenty in their 50s and 40s and 30s. Even a fair number of children were present, but obviously not to the extent you see on a four day florida cruise. The ship was in fine shape as far as I could discern.

From what I could see while in the ports the demographics didn't seem substantially different on the other ships in port on the same days. Disney of course attracts a different demographic.

With that said - what do you consider "catering towards a more mature group" that you wish to avoid? I mean it's not like the dining room closed at 6pm after the 4:30pm rush or that they turned off all the lights around the ship at 8pm. I didn't see a single episode of Matlock on the tv either. :)

I take very little cash, maybe a hundred or so.

Then on shore use my credit or debit card.

Same here, though I *NEVER* use my debit (ATM) card anywhere but my bank's ATM.

Too much card hacking going on these days. I've seen the cascading pile of crap when a friend's debit card was hacked and various in-flight payments bounced due to insufficient funds in couple of days before the bank returned the funds to her account. Fraud on a credit card is vastly less impactful.

Obviously, foreign transaction fees are a non-issue in Alaska for travellers from the lower 48. On other cruises to non-US ports I simply use a credit card with zero foreign transaction fees. I haven't bothered with travellers checks for two decades; credit cards are so commonly accepted these days.

FYI, Wells Fargo has a presence in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. As that's one of my banks I had no worries about additional cash.

If you bank elsewhere, maybe you end up getting hit with an ATM fee -- but seriously, how many trips to the ATM would you be making on a two week Alaskan cruise? I can't see needing more than one trip and that's only if you mis-estimated your cash needs from the beginning. Speaking for myself, a single $3-5 fee is a bargain compared to the time/effort to go to my bank to get travellers checks beforehand and go back to deposit the leftover checks afterward.

The lodge's web page lists the trails/descriptions and has a map. See https://www.princesslodges.com/amenities/mckinley-walking-trails/

FYI, from the marketing materials for the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge (link) here's a good photo showing what I mean by the river being down a pretty good hill.

Not that he couldn't get to the river, but doing so may be more involved than the Google Maps suggest.

IMHO you have the cart in front of the horse. Alaska is far more about the ports/activities and stuff external to the ship than it is about the ship itself. First criteria should be itinerary and going where you want to go, next criteria is amount of time in each of those ports. Do you prefer Hubbard glacier or Glacier bay? Do you want to see/do stuff in Sitka or would Skagway and the stuff there be preferable? IMHO the actual ship is near the bottom of the decision-tree.

I was on HAL Noordam to Alaska two months ago and on NCL Star in the Caribbean last fall. I've not sailed RCCL, although my wife has. So between those, and from what I understand from my wife's sailings...

#1 - doesn't really matter, they're all done up nicely, as above I've not been on the specific ships mentioned.

#2 - haven't seen that on any of them in years

#3 - I know they have them, but I have no direct experience. There were a number of children that age aboard the Noordam and they seemed to be having fun from what I could see.

#4 - AFAIK all ships have this

#5 - Nothing to worry about there on either HAL or NCL, unless khakis and a polo counts as super formal. "Smart Casual" tends to be the new norm. Even on Gala Nights they say "jacket and tie are appropriate, collared shirt and slacks are required" which doesn't seem onorous. Of course you can also go to the lido buffet if you don't feel like changing.

A couple other notes...

HAL retains the policy of allowing you to bring your own non-alcoholic beverages aboard at embarkation. Generally they'd also let you bring more aboard in port, but we didn't need to. You can also bring one 750ml bottle of wine per person and you only pay a corkage fee if you wish to have it served to you in the dining room. They also allow you to order a bottle of liquor for your stateroom in advance at (relatively) reasonable prices.

NCL recently banned passengers from bringing any beverages aboard, with the exception of one bottle of wine per person. I think they're charging a $18 corkage fee per bottle regardless, even if you'll be drinking it in your cabin. I don't know about any ability to order bar setups for your stateroom, whether it's possible or pricing if it is.

FYI, HAL and Princess are sister companies under Carnival, and they jointly operate Holland America Princess for the land tours.

The river is right in back of both properties, and also quite a ways down steep embankments. Over by the bridge there is access used by the rafters. I saw no such at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge two months ago.

IMHO DPWL is slightly better located in terms of access to Glitter Gulch, walking over to the bridge to view the river, and even walking over to the park entrance (a mile or so).

We stayed at DPWL and it was fine. We didn't go over to McKinley so I'm not sure how different it was and wouldn't have had any way to see inside the rooms either.