leeives

Just my 2 cents:

We just got back from our DIY land tour, and we had reserved a Base Camp plus glacier landing for 4 people with Talkeetna Air Taxi on 6/5. Unfortunately, the weather was such that the peak was not visible, and our only option was South Face withOUT glacier landing. We did it anyway, and we flew with 2 people who had been waiting since the morning before to be able to go up at all so we actually felt fortunate, and even though we were a bit disappointed, we absolutely loved it. We'd watched the glaciers calve on the ship, we'd trekked on a glacier, but this offered us a new perspective of how enormous (long) a glacier can be. It also gave us some pretty dramatic views of mountains.

BUT, I will say that after it was over we talked about how we wished we were able to see even more. We would have paid just about anything to clear the weather and do the Base Camp flight.

So, my advice would be to book a higher priced/longer flight and then be absolutely psyched if the weather cooperates and you actually get to do it.

Will a cab be big enough for 4 large suitcase, 4 people and some carry ons?

 

At this point i am looking for easy and convenient.

Our airbnb host recommended Yellow Cab and to request a van for 4 of us, each with a large suitcase, carryon, and personal item. We made the cab request online and under "special options" there was a section for "VAN" (but you could call instead if you wish). They picked us up within 5 minutes of placing the online request.

If you're looking for easy & convenient, I'd definitely go the cab route, ask them to wait at the liquor store, and then they'll drop you off where the porters are. You'll hardly touch your luggage at all.

We just last week did a 6-day, 5-night DIY land tour, heading north: 2 nights in Wasilla, 3 in Cantwell, flew red-eye home from Fairbanks.

Our itinerary:

Day 1: half-day tour from Whittier to Anchorage (stopped at Portage, Wildlife Refuge, Beluga Point), pick up car at Hertz downtown, then the Reindeer/Musk Ox farms and Independence Mine hike in the evening (awesome hike)

Day 2: salmon fishing on Deshka with iFish Alaska, then Matanuska trek @ 4:30 with MICA (also awesome, and a beautiful, less crowded drive)

Day 3: flightseeing out of Talkeetna with Talkeetna Air Taxi (weather downgraded our flight path to South Face only, but still a wonderful experience)

Day 4: 8:30 Denali shuttle (that didn't leave until 9am due to bus issues) to Eielson where we did 1.5 hours on a hike up & back Alpine trail (stunning), ate at 229 Parks (fantastic farm-to-table food at around only $10 more per person than mediocre food in Glitter Gultch)

Day 5: 2pm dog sled demo at Denali, hiking around Visitor Center

Day 6: Chena Hot Springs and North Pole before red-eye home from Fairbanks

It was a full trip, but not completely overwhelming. We encountered quite a bit of construction, but it wasn't too, too bad. Personally, I think your plans are reasonable and I wouldn't miss anything on your list, if weather permits. Happy to share more if you have specific questions!

$56 plus tip

We debated it also. We used the spreadsheet (referenced above) to estimate and it showed that we'd come close enough to breaking even that we decided to do it on our upcoming cruise, just so we don't have to think/worry about how much we're spending on drinks during the week.

Also, FYI, the $56.35/day includes the 15% gratuity according to Princess: http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/food_dining/casual_dining/

I've had wonderful experiences using airbnb to find reasonable B&B-like accommodations - not specifically in Anchorage, but other places. You can put in the exact dates, read other travelers' reviews, and email the owners with questions or concerns (like your parents' mobility issues). Good luck!

Where can I find the info in this promo? Not seeing it at the website....we have 6 sailings with Princess booked so far this year, would be interested in re-faring to include the package if it's an option for any of them....thanks in advance!

I believe this is the "Travelzoo Offer: Save up to $1,000* on Europe cruises plus celebrate with an all-inclusive drink package^ and more! (Offer expires: March 22, 2015. Reference promotion code: RRZ.)" If you search for all the European cruises you can see which sailings it applies to.

Thank you so much for all your effort on this travelogue. My husband and I have booked a northbound cruise on the Coral next May/June, and are finding this incredibly helpful and exciting!