HAL CruiseTour Report - Dawson/Denali Plus (Y4T) - June 26 to July 14, 2013

[shrimpboat123]

We completed the HAL CruiseTour a few weeks ago and I'm finally posting a kind of report on our trip on the HAL board. If you'd like to see the report please visit:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1897694

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing the very extensive review and the photos.

 

Keith

[shrimpboat123]

Would it be better if I posted my trip report here as well, rather than just the link to the HAL board?

[oaktreerb]

Would it be better if I posted my trip report here as well, rather than just the link to the HAL board?

It's an excellent review. A lot of people who sail on other cruise lines don't know what they are missing by not expanding their experiences into the Yukon!

[huskyguy]

It's an excellent review. A lot of people who sail on other cruise lines don't know what they are missing by not expanding their experiences into the Yukon!

 

The local rumour, though, is that 2014 is going to be the final year for these cruisetours that include the Yukon, due to low demand. They've sold one of their Yukon hotels, are closing another, and a 3rd is usually 2/3 empty through the summer.

[oaktreerb]

I have talked to a surprising number of people who have taken the Yukon trips through the years...going way back prior to our first trip in about 2007. We have gone twice and I was thinking of going again but not next year.

 

Now that they are flying from Fairbanks to Dawson City they will no longer need the Westmark Tok and I see that they are no longer going to Beaver Creek which is another trip I had considered.

 

I have the 2014 Alaska cruise atlas and they no longer mention Westmark Hotels. They just say hotels in Dawson City and Whitehorse so I had wondered what changes were coming.

 

I'm wondering if they are going to turn over the Yukon tours to the Gray Line tours. Then they will be available but cost more as add ons....or maybe they will get rid of the Gray Line division of HAL and Princess.

 

It was a lot easier getting to Bennett Lake as part of a cruise tour in both of our prior trips. Now I have to schedule it as a separate excursion and it takes up a whole day in Skagway. On our first two Yukon trips it was part of the journey from Whitehorse to Skagway. Perfect!