Princess Cruisetour: Denali Explorer or Off the Beaten Path, opinions pleas

[Love2travel4]

Looking to sail in June or July 2015. I want at least 6 day land tour, because 2 days in Denali is the main purpose. I thought I was sold on Denali Explorer, but honestly, Fairbanks is not looking as interesting to me. I am thinking that I may enjoy Off the Beaten Path instead. About us: I will be traveling with my best friend...we are both 36 and very active. We love wildlife, scenery and more outdoors. We will hopefully be white water rafting and climbing a glacier as some of our excursions. I haven't seen as many reviews on Wrangell National Park etc. anyone have any thoughts...or specifically taken the Off the Beaten Path? Thank you.

[mapleleaves]

If you want feedback you should post links so that people can see the details.

 

I've driven to Wrangell St Elias but haven't spent any time there. What would you do there? That Princess hotel is extremely isolated .... the only way off the property is via a Princess excursion.

 

Did you look thru the trip reports in the STICKYs above? I don't recall anything called Off the Beaten Path, but then again most trip reports only include the cruiseline and ship.

 

Any reason why you don't rent a car and go DIY? That would enable you to go where YOU want to go and on your own schedule, plus take interesting side trips, stop for wildlife, etc. And save money. It's very easy to drive around Alaska. There are only a few hwys, and they're only 2 lanes except in Anchorage and Fairbanks so it's impossible to get lost. I've done it several times, as a solo female or with female relatives.

Edited November 11, 2014 by mapleleaves

[Love2travel4]

Thank you...but I don't know of any links to post. Off the Beaten Path is one of name of one of the Cruise Tours. I do not have any interest in renting a vehicle or doing driving on my own, I like to leave that to the tour drivers. Yes, we would be taking Princess Excursions from the lodges, as we are so remote we would be basically locked into their excursions, which is fine with me.

 

I guess I am looking to hear from anyone who has done this specific cruise tour.

[mapleleaves]

The link to post would be the one that shows the itinerary.

 

I doubt that you will get many comments about a cruisetour that includes Wrangell St Elias so other than looking at past trip reports, you might want to use the SEARCH tool and do a search on this forum using the words Copper River or Wrangell or Wrangell St Elias. A search will bring up threads such as this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1836624&highlight=wrangell

[gonnatrycruisin']

I have been looking into the various options, and here is a link that gives a brief comparison of the various types of cruisetours Princess offers.

http://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/cruisetour-options/

[mapleleaves]

As you look at cruisetours, be VERY mindful of the details, particularly travel times. Some tours reach a destination mid day, then you leave the next morning, which doesn't allow you any time to actually enjoy the location or participate in activities.

And if Denali is a priority make sure you have time for more than the Natural History Tour. The NHT only goes to Mile 17 of a possible 100 miles of park road!!

Heck, the park courtesy bus will take you to Mile 15, the Savage River turnaround, for free! Ideally, you want to get to Eielson Visitor Center which can be accessed by a shuttle bus for about $35 or the Tundra Wilderness Tour for about $125.

 

These 2 sites have info on the Denali buses:

 

Click on PLAY to get info on the tours and shuttles http://www.reservedenali.com/

 

The map shows you the popular stopping points.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm

Edited November 11, 2014 by mapleleaves
web sites

[Bossman1]

We chose the Princess HB5 Denali Explorer primarily to see as much of Denali as possible. We are planning on taking the shuttle bus from the Wilderness Access Center to the Eielson Visitor's Center when we have a full day at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and doing a flightseeing tour out of Talkeetna when we stay at the McKinley Princess Lodge. I am booking these tours on my own, not through Princess. I had looked at tours that included Fairbanks but for us, this itinerary was more to our interests.

[Love2travel4]

Thank you for all your input. Both tours include 2 nights in Denali and yes, I already plan on upgrading to the longer tour! I am concerned about the amount of travel time (bus, train etc) and feel like the Denali Explorer at least a gives a better sense of what this is like than the other tour. I wonder if Princess can give a more detailed schedule? On Off the Beaten Path...I am concerned that day 10 and 12 May be all travel...I want time to do excursions. I don't usually get a lot of sleep on vacation. I am up early and stay up late. I figure I can sleep at home!!

[Northern Aurora]

......

 

About us: I will be traveling with my best friend...we are both 36 and very active. We love wildlife, scenery and more outdoors. We will hopefully be white water rafting and climbing a glacier as some of our excursions.

 

.....

 

 

Love2travel4: Are you willing to re-consider your decision to do a cruise tour? I live in Alaska and see these cruise tours daily in the summer. I am just not sure that someone 36 years old, very active and interested in "more outdoors" will be happy on a Princess cruise tour, or for that matter, any cruise tour.

 

The Wrangell - St. Elias area is one of my favorite places in Alaska. But the Copper River Princess is a distance from the Kennecott Mine area; it is located essentially just south of Glennallen. There are some great recreational opportunities in the Wrangell - St. Elias, but I would consider staying in the Kennicott/McCarthy area (the town is spelled Kennicott while the mine is Kennecott).

[Love2travel4]

Since we don't want to drive ourselves, I am thinking a cruise tour is the only way we will get to see more of Alaska besides the cruise portion I visited Alaska for my first time almost 10 yrs ago on a cruise and I promised myself if I ever came back I would see more!

[epixx]

Since we don't want to drive ourselves, I am thinking a cruise tour is the only way we will get to see more of Alaska besides the cruise portion I visited Alaska for my first time almost 10 yrs ago on a cruise and I promised myself if I ever came back I would see more!

 

You don't have to drive. Have you considered using trains and bus for your independent land tour? At least that way you could go where you want, and stay for as long as you want.

[mapleleaves]

Ideally, you want to get to Eielson Visitor Center which can be accessed by a shuttle bus for about $35 or the Tundra Wilderness Tour for about $125.

 

YIKES. can't believe I made this error !

The Tundra Wilderness Tour does NOT go to Eielson at Mile 66.

It only goes to Toklat at Mile 53. (if the mtn is out it MAY go to Stony Hill at Mile 62.)

Only the shuttle bus goes to Eielson.

 

These stops are clearly marked on the map:

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm

[gys]

We booked the Denali Explorer (HB5) for next year and this is the times that Princess gave us:

 

Day One Bus Captain Cook Hotel,to McKinley Princess Hotel, Dep 9:00am Arr 12:30pm

 

Day Two McKinley Princess Hotel

 

Day Three Bus McKinley to Denali, Princess Hotel Dep 10:00am Arr 12:30pm

 

Day Four Denali Princess Hotel

 

Day Five Transfer Denali Princes Hotel to Rail Depot 7:45am-8:15am

Train: Denali to Whittier, Dep 8:15am, Arr 5:30pm

 

Greg

 

Thank you for all your input. Both tours include 2 nights in Denali and yes, I already plan on upgrading to the longer tour! I am concerned about the amount of travel time (bus, train etc) and feel like the Denali Explorer at least a gives a better sense of what this is like than the other tour. I wonder if Princess can give a more detailed schedule? On Off the Beaten Path...I am concerned that day 10 and 12 May be all travel...I want time to do excursions. I don't usually get a lot of sleep on vacation. I am up early and stay up late. I figure I can sleep at home!!

[DentoAlaska]

I have booked us for July, 2015 on the Princess "Off the Beaten Path" cruisetour (LB7). Like the OP we have absolutley no interest in driving ourselves around. It appears that this tour will at least hit all the places of interest to us. We decided that since this will most likely be a once in a lifetime trip we wanted to see as much as possible. I know that a cruisetour isn't for everyone but for us it is the best option. Of course...we'll talk again after we return. HAHA!

[sammiedawg]

We enjoyed Off The Beaten path last year. At the Copper River lodge we made independent plans to go to Kennicott. We used the independent Kennicott shuttle company, we were picked up at 7:30 am, and arrived at the McCarthy footbridge about 10:30. We took the McCarthy Shuttle into Kennicott, ten minute drive. We had a wonderful lunch at the Glacier Lodge in a kennicott, then did the walking tour of the Kennicott mining buildings. We took the shuttle van back to the footbridge and rode back to the Copper river lodge via the Kennicott shuttle, we were back by 7:00 pm.

It was a long day and a very bumpy van ride to Kennicott. But the sights were so unique and beautiful. We will never forget the sights we saw.

 

There were a few Princess excursions from the Copper River lodge including one to Valdez that sounded interesting.

The Copper river lodge was beautiful, it reminded me a little bit of a Marriott hotel. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. It is isolated, you cannot walk to any town. There was a park ranger giving talks each evening. The lodge manager did a nice presentation on life in Alaska. There was a dog musher on site giving rides.

[Love2travel4]

We enjoyed Off The Beaten path last year. At the Copper River lodge we made independent plans to go to Kennicott. We used the independent Kennicott shuttle company, we were picked up at 7:30 am, and arrived at the McCarthy footbridge about 10:30. We took the McCarthy Shuttle into Kennicott, ten minute drive. We had a wonderful lunch at the Glacier Lodge in a kennicott, then did the walking tour of the Kennicott mining buildings. We took the shuttle van back to the footbridge and rode back to the Copper river lodge via the Kennicott shuttle, we were back by 7:00 pm.

It was a long day and a very bumpy van ride to Kennicott. But the sights were so unique and beautiful. We will never forget the sights we saw.

 

There were a few Princess excursions from the Copper River lodge including one to Valdez that sounded interesting.

The Copper river lodge was beautiful, it reminded me a little bit of a Marriott hotel. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. It is isolated, you cannot walk to any town. There was a park ranger giving talks each evening. The lodge manager did a nice presentation on life in Alaska. There was a dog musher on site giving rides.

 

Thank you so much Sammiedawg...I live hearing what people did. DentoAlaska...if we end up choosing this tour as well, we will have to share ideas!