oaktreerb

FYI, the Yukon trips are amazing. Double Denali will give you 2 nights and one full day, Triple will give you 3 nights and two full days. There is plenty to see and do for a Triple Denali especially if this is your first trip to Denali.

We got it, too. HAL made an offer during the Covid shut down (I think it was a 10% discount on our cruise fare if we paid our booked cruise in full). Our June cruise is really expensive and $100 OBC doesn’t interest me this time. I think HAL needs cash, again.

As this question on the “Daily” they know everything!

The bus from the ship will drop you off at the visitor’s center in town. In the past there was another hop on hop off bus that makes the loop out to the Fortress of the Bears and Raptor center. The size of your group might be an issue (getting everybody on the same bus). The price was reasonable. As @Coral said, you can walk to the Raptor Center. The Fortress of the Bears is further out but worth a visit!

Rebook at the current published fare without the drinks package and you should save $50 per day. That seems to be the drinks package add on rate. You can always refare prior to final payment. (unless you have a nonrefundable situation).

This happened to me with the large international discount retailer. I noticed the price drop and I called them and said, “With what I paid I. could have had a Suite.’. The answer: “Would you like a suite”. Yes. They called HAL and got me the only suite left…a handicapped suite on the front of the ship. My husband loved that front facing window in Alaska. The room was large, the veranda very small. It never hurts to ask, but it won’t be a price adjustment.

I think the boarding times are HAL’s attempt to spread out arrivals to avoid overcrowding. You can arrive whenever it is convenient for you.

Celebrity is not part of the Carnival Corporation cruise lines. When I pull up cruise prices on the HAL website it gives me two choices. With and without HIA. Call Holland America for the third fare choice.

You can depend on shorter daylight hours in September. You will have less time for scenic viewing. The weather is unpredictable. If you go in June you will have lots of daylight hours for scenic viewing. The weather is still unpredictable. Whenever you go, be prepared for rain.

Remember to leave time for the return trip, unexpected stops along the way, slow scenic driving, filling the car up with gas before you return it, and enough time to get back on board before the ship sails! Did you request a visitor’s guide from Skagway visitor’s bureau yet?

There aren’t a lot of cars and busses on the road. It’s more like scenic country driving. If you see cars stopped along the side of the road, the occupants may be quietly watching a bear in its native habitat.

The kids would be best in a car. You can stop along the road, take your snacks, and have a fun time. Murray’s Guide to the South Klondike Highway is a great source for what to see along the way. It has not been updated since Covid (and probably won’t be due to Murray’s health issues). I just googled it and I think you may be able to download it for free. It tells you what you will or may see along the way. We saw a bear eating dandelions at the exact spot that Murray’s guide said a bear sighting might happen. Get the car rented now and plan to pick it up as soon as the rental place opens.

Following. I have been looking at this cruise for 2025, connecting to a repositioning cruise to San Diego. (we’ve done the 14 day itinerary but not this late in the season). The weather this time of year concerns me but we have had bad weather in late May, too. I’m sure you will let us know if you see the Northern Lights. There is some concern about rough seas in the Gulf of Alaska. Are most of the local shops still open? Noordam is a great ship for Alaska. You’ll all have a great adventure!

In Alaska you can always order the Salmon, even if it is not showing up on the menu. You probably knew that, but some people may not be aware.

Glacier Bay is a National Park, will be narrated by park rangers who will come onboard, and Holland America opens the bow of the ship for outside viewing as the ship turns to starboard and to port so that everybody gets a long viewing. You can view from your balcony or from many outside and inside areas of the ship. Hubbard Glacier is a huge glacier and you may have an opportunity to board a smaller vessel for an up close experience. College Fjord is a fjord just outside of Whittier with several glaciers to view. The most “sure thing” glacier experience is Glacier Bay. Sometimes Hubbard can be cancelled due to conditions. I have been to Alaska on several Holland America ships. HAL and Princess usually get the best docking locations in the major ports. NCL is docked outside of town in Ketchikan and in Juneau may have a half day docking with a bus ride or long walk to town. Check out how long you will be in each port. Seward is definitely worth visiting on your land segment. There is a lot to do between Seward and Anchorage, stop at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, beautiful views of Turnagain Arm. Denali is worth a visit but check nps.gov for activities and the construction progress on the road into the park There is a lot of tourist information online.

Go online and look at the Sitka Visitor’s Bureau information. Order the free brochure. It will include a map of the area. You will probably dock a distance from town and have a free shuttle to the Convention and Visitor’s Center. You can walk around town and learn about the Russian history of Sitka, you can walk through the Totem Park to the Raptor Center. You can catch an inexpensive bus at the shuttle drop off to the Fortress of the Bears and the Raptor Center. Sitka is amazingly beautiful.

If you choose the “best fare” without HIA the deposit is nonrefundable.

Has anybody found it in writing that alcoholic drinks in the Neptune Lounge are included in the drinks package? If so, where, I want to print the confirmation for my next cruise. Thank you.

Neptune Suites dine in Club Orange dining room for breakfast and dinner on the Pinnacle ships. The menu and the hours are the same for MDR and CO. The menu for CO has one extra entree even in the MDR on the non-Pinnacle ships.

@oakridger see above. If you can travel the Yukon on your own, it will be a fantastic trip!

The shorter the tour the more rushed you will be. You will never have to check in to your hotel, your keys will be given to you on the bus. Early mornings are necessary since the itineraries cover a lot of territory. Our first Yukon trip at least 15 years ago was entirely by bus and train and the Yukon Queen up the Yukon river from Eagle to Dawson City. Now HAL flies people from Vancouver, Fairbanks, Dawson City, and Whitehorse on some of the tours but you miss the special out of the way places like Tok, Eagle, Chicken, Bennett Lake, the Top of the World highway. So glad we went when we did but those were long days on the bus (interesting stops and people along the way). If you can drive the route yourself, it would be an amazing but lengthly trip!

We’ll be there, too. We enjoy the overnight in San Francisco. Welcome Aboard!

The times are so close and it really doesn’t matter anyway. You can all go together. The ship probably won’t start boarding until around 11:30. You’ll go through immigration and check in and be sent to wait in a seating area until the ship is ready. Then you can go to your stateroom to drop your luggage before going to Lido or dining room for lunch.

We’ve been to Bennett Lake many years ago on a different Holland America itinerary. If you are a photographer you will love the scenery at Bennett Lake. It is a unique opportunity. Otherwise the bus up and the train back to Skagway would be my choice. On our drive up the road we saw a bear eating dandelions long the side of the road. That’s the only time we have seen a bear near Skagway. Comfort stops are planned for bus transportation. Drivers try to stop every 2 hours.

Are you traveling independently? Where does the continuation of the journey take you? Alaska Wildlife Safari tour on the Alaska Railroad is over for 2023. It ends mid September. Maybe 2024 will have it available again. You can still find the itinerary online.