Alaska 2014 Tour 8B (Report)

[chandom]

Currently on the Alaska 8B tour and thought it would be kind to post a few things.

 

Don't expect this to be a "live" on going blog with loads of personal details.

 

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

[chandom]

First here is a link to the pre cruise daily break down.

 

http://gallery.mjcwebdesign.com/main.php?g2_itemId=8795

 

Added: Any new pics will be posted in the gallery listed above. I tend not to post images direct in the discussion or attach.

Edited June 2, 2014 by chandom

[chandom]

As any fyi, I flew in on Alaska Airlines flight 123. The transfer process was smooth.

 

Get to baggage claim. Grab a strip of stickers to I'D the hotel your staying at. Claim bags, hand over to a baggage handler for the tour company. Wait to load motor coach. Drop off at hotel. Have a briefing session with the tour guide. On your own the rest of the day.

[chandom]

Staying at Sophie Station, they have a free bus that runs a loop in the city. The entire loop takes an hour.

Front:

http://gallery.mjcwebdesign.com/main.php?g2_itemId=8822

 

Back: http://gallery.mjcwebdesign.com/main.php?g2_itemId=8825

Edited June 2, 2014 by chandom

[edjny]

Currently on the Alaska 8B tour and thought it would be kind to post a few things.

 

Don't expect this to be a "live" on going blog with loads of personal details.

 

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

 

Thank you for posting info on this cruisetour. We are booked on the same one next year.

[edjny]

Did you arrive in Fairbanks the first day of the tour or did you arrive a couple days early. We are planning on arriving a couple days early to get in some casual touring before the 'official' cruise tour starts.

 

What hotel do you stay at in Fairbanks for the cruise tour?

[chandom]

Did you arrive in Fairbanks the first day of the tour or did you arrive a couple days early. We are planning on arriving a couple days early to get in some casual touring before the 'official' cruise tour starts.

 

What hotel do you stay at in Fairbanks for the cruise tour?

Got in the first day of the tour, May 31st (Saturday).

Staying a Sophie Station, thank you free wifi at the hotel.

[edjny]

We have never been to AK before. What is the range of restaurant dining prices? I don't mean top of the menu items or simple sandwiches, but the average for a good meal per person.

 

BTW, it is really nice of you to post photos of all the documents and hand-outs on your web site. Very helpful.

Edited June 2, 2014 by edjny

[AshleyDillo]

I am also currently on this tour with chandom (my brother!). I will kick in when I beat him to the questions.

 

We have only experienced Fairbanks so far. I have found prices to be reasonable in this city.

 

For example, we ate at The Fudge Pot for lunch yesterday. They serve sandwiches and soup and have fudge and ice cream. A sandwich/soup combo was $11.50.

 

The night before we ate at Big Daddy's which is a barbeque restaurant. A platter was about $16 for meat and 2 sides and it was a lot of food!

 

The hotel restaurant is pricy. $16 for a Reuben.

 

There is a Fred Meyer (similar to Walmart) and a Safeway (grocery store) within walking distance from the hotel. A gallon of milk was $3.49! We pay $4.19 at our Publix in Tallahassee, FL.

 

Gas was $3.89 a gallon.

 

So, in summary, Fairbanks prices have been really reasonable. We have been warned that the more remote cities on the tour will be pricy.

 

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[edjny]

Thanks... Those prices are not all that different than down here in the lower 48... We had been wondering if we were going to get 'sticker shock' when we looked at the menus.... I want to limit the amount of cash we bring to what we will reasonably need and charge most things on the credit cards.

[hollon]

What ship are you on? If it's the Radiance, how do you like it and which other ships have you been on to compare. Please let us know if you made it to hubbard and if you've done Glacier Bay in the past and after seeing hubbard would you choose rccl - I just can't decide. Thanks :)

[chandom]

What ship are you on? If it's the Radiance, how do you like it and which other ships have you been on to compare. Please let us know if you made it to hubbard and if you've done Glacier Bay in the past and after seeing hubbard would you choose rccl - I just can't decide. Thanks :)

 

It will be the Radiance. Just arrived in Denali, so we haven't been on the ship yet.

 

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[AshleyDillo]

Everywhere has taken cards so far. The train is card only, no cash. Breakfast prices on the train were $13-$15 for a plate. No outside food or drinks on the train.

 

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[chandom]

What ship are you on? If it's the Radiance, how do you like it and which other ships have you been on to compare. Please let us know if you made it to hubbard and if you've done Glacier Bay in the past and after seeing hubbard would you choose rccl - I just can't decide. Thanks :)

 

Just to rehash...

 

Ship: Radiance

Tour: 8B (Pre cruise, starting May 31st)

Cruise: Southbound (Leaving June 6th)

 

Haven't done an Alaska cruise before. So I can't comment about Hubbard or Glacier Bay.

 

Ship wise, I have been on her sister ships Brilliance (Dec 2013) and Jewel (Nov 2012). To me both ships were for the most part equal. So for the most part I feel Radiance will be the same.

 

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[Lorey2007]

We will be on a cruise tour in August starting in Fairbanks & cruising on Radiance. The cruise tour is not the one you are on but a shorter version. The photos you posted for the daily cruise tour is so helpful thank you. Can you tell me what optional excursions are offered in Fairbanks and in Denali? Thanks so much for doing this have a great tour & cruise.

 

Did you do any shopping when you arrived in Fairbanks? We will be arriving one day early and I will be looking for zip front, long sleeve, fleece without a hood when we arrive.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Lorey2007

[lantzwr]

DW and I will be on this land tour next month. Thanks so much for posting the documents, she was having a meltdown because we didn't know what time things were happening. This couldn't have come at a better time :D.

 

Thanks SilkySal for steering me to this thread.

[AshleyDillo]

The excursions will change based on the conditions. We were given a list when we arrived and the next day we were told to trash them and they were replaced by a new list. With a lot of the tours dependent on water levels, some tours may not be available during your tour

 

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[AshleyDillo]

From memory, since I no longer have the list:

 

Fairbanks

Alaskan Salmon Bake

Alaskan Salmon Bake with Comedy Show

Arctic Circle Flight

 

Denali:

Cabin Night Dinner Show

Husky Homestead

ATV Adventure Tour

Whitewater Raft Trip or Float Trip

Fixed Wing Denali Flight

Helicopter Sightseeing Tour

 

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[AshleyDillo]

Didn't really do much shopping. There is a clothing section in the Fred Meyer that is walking distance from Sophie Station. They had a wide variety of items. Fairbanks is a pretty modern city. They have the big box retailers. I know I definitely saw a Sports Authority and there were signs for a Sportsmans Wearhouse in the airport. Likely you will need to take a cab to either of those.

 

The gift shops in Denali had a lot of fleece options.

 

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[chandom]

From memory, since I no longer have the list:....

 

Found it and uploaded.

http://gallery.mjcwebdesign.com/main.php?g2_itemId=8830

 

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[edjny]

Found it and uploaded.

http://gallery.mjcwebdesign.com/main.php?g2_itemId=8830

 

Sent from a mobile device

 

Thanks, that was one of the things I was going to ask about. I am pushing 250 lbs, so I guess I will have to slim down before the trip if I want to go on any of the plane excursions....

[CatMom7]

Thanks for posting your documents about this tour. We just booked 8b with the southbound Radiance cruise for next year. I could not find any detailed itinerary on the RCI website. The rep we booked with said this tour included the Wilderness Tundra tour at Denali but it now appears on our receipt that it includes the shorter Denali Discovery tour instead. Do you know if you are able to upgrade to the other tour?

 

Have fun on your tour. Looking forward to your review.

[AshleyDillo]

Looking at the RC site it still shows the Wilderness Tundra Tour for the 2015 season. I am not sure if they're planning on making a change and haven't updated the website yet...

 

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[chandom]

So far the only hotel not to have in room wifi has been the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. They do have it in the lobby.

 

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[edjny]

How was the Wilderness Tundra Tour?

Did you have good weather and see lots of critters?

Did you go on the morning tour and how early did you have to get up for it?

What hotel did you stay in at Denalli NP?

Edited June 5, 2014 by edjny