Alaska Land & Sea packages. Please advise.

[Jim Henry]

We plan on going to Alaska this summer. I feel if we are going to do this once in a lifetime trip we want to see Denali National Park. Land and sea package is the only way to do this. Looks like Holland and Princess offer the best land and sea options. Any suggestions on what be the best choice?

[mapleleaves]

A car rental and independent trip to Denali is the best option. But if you're not comfortable driving, you can still go to Denali independently. The Alaska Railroad and Park Connection bus have depots at Denali.... maybe train one way and bus the other ??

With a car you have access to many lodging options. Without a car you need to stay at one of the large hotel chains near the entrance, and probably one with a shuttle to/from the park unless you're willing to walk 35-40 minutes.

With a cruisetour you need to pay close attention to the details. Be mindful of the travel times and how much time you have at a destination. ie some of the tours advertise 2 days in Denali but in reality you arrive at midday one day and leave at noon the next, so you only have time for the Natural History Tour which only goes to Mile 16 of 100 miles of available road.

If you want first hand feedback on the cruisetours, look at the STICKY above called '2013 alaska cruise reviews' .... reply #45 has all the reports grouped by cruiseline.

[Northern Aurora]

As someone who lives a two hour drive north of Denali, I just wanted to echo Mapleleaves' excellent advice. Not only is it very easy to do Denali on your own, it probably is best to do so. Allow two nights in the park area, either at one of the "Glitter Gulch" hotels, or at a B & B or hotel in Healy. That way you will be able to spend an entire day going into the park as the farther you are able to go the better the opportunity to see wildlife.

[oaktreerb]

If there are only two of you and you want to see Alaska you should look at the itineraries offered by Holland America. They will get you from the airport to the ship and back to the airport. You just have to show up.

 

They have a variety of offerings. You will travel with a group leader and your leader and your bus driver will offer commentary. Plan to spend at least two nights at Denali and take a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay. That is Alaska basics. Look online at their offerings. Most people enjoy taking the Alaska Railroad to Denali. If you are short on time skip Fairbanks. If you have lots of time I would suggest a double Denali and Alyeska.

 

If you go with Princess most people suggest skipping Talkeetna as it is a lovely stopover on the way to Denali National Park but for many a waste of a day, not well located.

[1153rsmith]

Do any of the recommendations so far differ if you are taking a 15 year old and a 13 year old, as well as 2 other adult couples? I would definitely consider doing the land portion on our own, but I am concerned about getting a vehicle large enough for the 8 of us plus luggage.

 

How does Holland do for families? We have been looking at mini-suites on Princess to allow our children to have separate beds. One on the couch and the other on a pulldown.

[poolwife]

Try renting one of those passenger vans. Having taken 4 out of 5 trips to Alaska and doing the land portion by our own vehicle (mini-van which was for 4 people plus luggage), I wouldn't do it any other way. You can stop when you want and see what you want and not be tied to a whole big group of people doing what is pre-planned for you. I especially think it would be better with teenagers along. Those cruise "tours" are great for accommodating older ones who can't handle making the plans on their own.

 

You will be glad you did it independently. There is so much to see that the tours do not take you to.

 

Planning your trip is 3/4 of the fun of it. YOu will learn a lot from our peoples trips and reading these boards.

[Alberta Quilter]

Do any of the recommendations so far differ if you are taking a 15 year old and a 13 year old, as well as 2 other adult couples? I would definitely consider doing the land portion on our own, but I am concerned about getting a vehicle large enough for the 8 of us plus luggage.

 

How does Holland do for families? We have been looking at mini-suites on Princess to allow our children to have separate beds. One on the couch and the other on a pulldown.

 

From some research I have done, a Princess mini suite is the same size as a HAL regular verandah cabin. I believe some HAL verandahs may be able to accommodate four people with the pullout couch and the Pullman. Check the deck plans very carefully. I've not cruised with more than two in my cabin so don't know for sure. You might want to ask on both the Princess and HAL boards about accommodating four in the cabin.

 

Don't believe that HAL is a floating nursing home should anyone try to tell you that. They do have a kids club which reports to be quite good and more attentive to the kids. Alaska attracts all ages, and many families, even on HAL. How many will depend on when you cruise. If school is out, then your kids will not be the only kids on the ship.

[oaktreerb]

Do any of the recommendations so far differ if you are taking a 15 year old and a 13 year old, as well as 2 other adult couples? I would definitely consider doing the land portion on our own, but I am concerned about getting a vehicle large enough for the 8 of us plus luggage.

 

How does Holland do for families? We have been looking at mini-suites on Princess to allow our children to have separate beds. One on the couch and the other on a pulldown.[/quote

 

Princess would be best with kids. Cruisetours are best for couples who either don't want to do the planning or want a host to show them the area. They are too expensive for groups.

 

Look at what the tour groups offer and plan to do it yourself. You still need at least two nights in Denali and you can plan to do the park shuttles. Glacier Bay is recommended on the cruise. Rent a car in Skagway to drive to the Yukon and back. There are so many options when you start researching!

[sherryf]

Do any of the recommendations so far differ if you are taking a 15 year old and a 13 year old, as well as 2 other adult couples? I would definitely consider doing the land portion on our own, but I am concerned about getting a vehicle large enough for the 8 of us plus luggage.

 

How does Holland do for families? We have been looking at mini-suites on Princess to allow our children to have separate beds. One on the couch and the other on a pulldown.

 

I have teenagers, and while I've never been on a cruise tour, I have read enough about them to know I wouldn't take my teens on one, especially my nearly 15 year old daughter. The whining about being bored would be insufferable. Better to have your own car and be able to make your own choices about stops.

 

We took my teens on Princess a couple of years ago when they were 12, 15, and 18, and they had a great time. I think Princess is very family friendly. The kids were in the pools every day. We got a separate room for the kids, but since I have 3 of them, we really didn't have much choice. I preferred having our own space, away from their mess and noise and coming in late.

 

You can see the schedules for the teen club (Remix) from our Alaskan cruise on the Golden Princess here: http://s204.photobucket.com/user/cruisinmama06/library/Princess%20Patters?sort=3&page=1 They are the all black & white ones in the middle of the page. They should give you some idea of the activities offered by Princess. My son (15) mostly went to find his friends, then hung out elsewhere with them, like the sports court, pool, or buffet.

 

Let me know if you have any questions about teens on Princess.

[agabbymama]

While I love cruisetours, they are NO PLACE for children of any age. Adults have a hard enough time riding all day long on a coach. You do make plenty of stops, but it is still a long day on the coach. We covered 1800 miles from Skagway to Fraser, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Eagle, Chicken, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage. I WOULD NOT have attempted to drive those roads myself.

 

I don't think any size van would be comfortable for 8 people. I think you are looking at 2 vehicles and splitting up the group, traveling in tandem if you decide to go independent.

 

Or look at the Alaska Railroad tours if you are only interested in Anchorage to Denali. You could get the best of both Worlds, it would only be a day trip from Anchorage to Denali, spend a couple days there, and train back.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your trip!

[olemissreb]

We had our 2 teenage boys with us this summer (17 & 13 at the time). When I had first started planning, I had thought about doing a cruisetour but then after much research decided we could see more of what we wanted and do it on our timeline for a whole lot cheaper. We rented an SUV and drove up to Denali spent 3 nights after 1 night in Anchorage. We did a whitewater rafting trip, a Midnight ATV ride and took a shuttle into Denali National Park all the way to Wonder Lake (luckily the mountain was out the whole way). Because we were not in a hurry, I was able to book a flight lesson for my now 18yo in Talkeetna and we were able to walk around there for a while. Our whole land trip was as relaxing as it could be while still being active.

 

Things you may want to consider: splitting up the group. If you did this, everyone could see more of what they want to see and it would give you all something to talk about when you get back together before the cruise portion. Or - renting an RV. It may still be tight with 8 people, but you'll all be together and you can still do what you want, when you want - it may just take a little longer to get there than in a regular vehicle. Of course not all of you have to sleep in the RV. You could split up with half of you in the RV and the other half in a hotel.

[Budget Queen]

Do any of the recommendations so far differ if you are taking a 15 year old and a 13 year old, as well as 2 other adult couples? I would definitely consider doing the land portion on our own, but I am concerned about getting a vehicle large enough for the 8 of us plus luggage.

 

How does Holland do for families? We have been looking at mini-suites on Princess to allow our children to have separate beds. One on the couch and the other on a pulldown.

 

Especially with the kids, going on your own is preferable, for many reasons. :) Free entry into Denali Park for one, and the biggest, a non fixed schedule- avoid at all costs a stranger, group, point to point tour.

 

I suggest you get 2 rental cars and just follow each other. Head to your library and get a copy of THE MILEPOST. Will give you descriptions of the drive, which is simple.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Budget Queen

[NativeTexanCruiser]

We plan on going to Alaska this summer. I feel if we are going to do this once in a lifetime trip we want to see Denali National Park. Land and sea package is the only way to do this. Looks like Holland and Princess offer the best land and sea options. Any suggestions on what be the best choice?

Jim, we've only gone with Princess on the Alaskan Cruise-Tours, and we loved them! Thirteen years ago we did a land first tour beginning in Fairbanks then to Denali, then to Kenai and boarded ship in Whittier. Kenai was our favorite place but this July we are going again with Princess and decided to try the Copper River area on the tour #LB7. I was starting to have second thoughts about not going back to Kenai but from the reviews I've read here about Copper River, I think it will be wonderful too. You can't go wrong going to Alaska period!

P.S. Are you related to Karla M. in Cedar Park, Tx.?

[Jim Henry]

Jim, we've only gone with Princess on the Alaskan Cruise-Tours, and we loved them! Thirteen years ago we did a land first tour beginning in Fairbanks then to Denali, then to Kenai and boarded ship in Whittier. Kenai was our favorite place but this July we are going again with Princess and decided to try the Copper River area on the tour #LB7. I was starting to have second thoughts about not going back to Kenai but from the reviews I've read here about Copper River, I think it will be wonderful too. You can't go wrong going to Alaska period!

P.S. Are you related to Karla M. in Cedar Park, Tx.?

 

Hi NTC. No relation in Cedar Park, TX. We are considering a northbound in late May and then spend 3 days/2 nights in Denali, if possible. What makes Kenai so special?

[Jim Henry]

As someone who lives a two hour drive north of Denali, I just wanted to echo Mapleleaves' excellent advice. Not only is it very easy to do Denali on your own, it probably is best to do so. Allow two nights in the park area, either at one of the "Glitter Gulch" hotels, or at a B & B or hotel in Healy. That way you will be able to spend an entire day going into the park as the farther you are able to go the better the opportunity to see wildlife.

 

Appreciate this advice. We are now considering a northbound from Vancouver in late May on Princess and includes Glacier Bay. Looks like a good price on Interior cabin. I am not opposed to driving. So 3 days/2 nights in or near Denali may work. There will be four of us (Wife and 2 adult daughters.) I suppose book the cruise now, get flights taken care of and then do research on what's best to do for the extra 3 days before heading home from Anchorage.

[uvasag]

For doing Denali on your own - Do you still get to see equal wild life as opposed to a professional taking you around ? I went on an African Safari in Kenya and without a guide you cannot see as much wild life. They are constantly on radio with each other plus they know how to read the signs in the wild that we don't.

[oaktreerb]

For doing Denali on your own - Do you still get to see equal wild life as opposed to a professional taking you around ? I went on an African Safari in Kenya and without a guide you cannot see as much wild life. They are constantly on radio with each other plus they know how to read the signs in the wild that we don't.

 

Doing Denali on your own only means that you are not traveling with a tour group. You will still have access to the National Park visitor center and all that it has to offer. Most cruise tours offer the more expensive Tundra Wilderness Tour into the park where you can view most wildlife.

 

Most people who "do it on their own" take the park busses into park. There is only one road into the park and the bus driver and passengers will point out wildlife along the way. If they see bears for instance they will pull to the side of the road and everyone will stay in the bus for viewing and photos. The bus will stop every 2 hours for bathroom breaks. If you check the Denali National Park website you will see what options are available, how to get tickets, and where to get on the bus. You can also get off the park busses if you want to hike but you will have to wait for the next bus with empty seats to come along to be picked up.

 

The Tundra Wilderness Tour does not let you off for hiking and it also does not go out to Wonder Lake. My experience has been that the TWT drivers provide better commentary. All of the drivers are very knowledgeable and do communicate with each other about wildlife locations.

[uvasag]

Thank you oaktreerb

[Budget Queen]

For doing Denali on your own - Do you still get to see equal wild life as opposed to a professional taking you around ? I went on an African Safari in Kenya and without a guide you cannot see as much wild life. They are constantly on radio with each other plus they know how to read the signs in the wild that we don't.

 

You see MORE going on your own. Find out about Denali and take a look at a map. http://www.nps.gov/dena

 

Going on your own, My min. distance in is Eielson. Neither of the cruise tour inclusions go that far. Farther equals seeing MORE. The farther you go, the more you see.

 

Especially take a look at the buses website and the differences between the TOUR and SHUTTLE buses.

 

There is no "taking around". It is ONE road in, ONE road out. ALL the buses travel the same road.