Celebrity Alaska Land Tour

[Amishcountry]

Has anybody been on any of the Celebrity Alaska Land tours pre or post cruise? Would like to hear thoughts or reviews.

 

 

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[Lastdance]

We were on the 3 day one pre cruise last May. I always plan our trips and land activities in Europe. This time my DH wanted to try it since we got such a good price and amenities. We have been to Alaska before.

Neither one of us would recommend it, as you are on a bus a great deal of time. Our guide was not very good, and the same people were always late. The last day it was raining, so many of us asked to go directly to the ship and skip the animals who are boarded at the nature center. Well, that fell on deaf ears. We were suppose to walk in all the mud and get drenched...

Even our luggage was late arriving, though it was sent earlier.

Yes, we expect somewhat of an organized tour, but there were too many people to enjoy it .

If you have the right temperament and have not traveled a lot, you might be fine with it. However, that is not the case with us...sorry for the negative review!!! You could do it yourself and enjoy it more!

 

 

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Edited November 22, 2016 by Lastdance

[Amishcountry]

Thanks for your honest review. What was your experience in Denali?

 

 

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[ROYALBOY]

We were on the 3 day one pre cruise last May. I always plan our trips and land activities in Europe. This time my DH wanted to try it since we got such a good price and amenities. We have been to Alaska before.

Neither one of us would recommend it, as you are on a bus a great deal of time. Our guide was not very good, and the same people were always late. The last day it was raining, so many of us asked to go directly to the ship and skip the animals who are boarded at the nature center. Well, that fell on deaf ears. We were suppose to walk in all the mud and get drenched...

Even our luggage was late arriving, though it was sent earlier.

Yes, we expect somewhat of an organized tour, but there were too many people to enjoy it .

If you have the right temperament and have not traveled a lot, you might be fine with it. However, that is not the case with us...sorry for the negative review!!! You could do it yourself and enjoy it more!

 

 

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We purposely booked the celebrity cruise tour 8B train tour from Fairbanks to Seward on our up coming trip in May. WE have done the on and off bus tours in Europe and swore never again. WE hear good things about the ALASKA railroad, and are Looking forward to the adventure.

 

 

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[GottaKnowWhen]

Has anybody been on any of the Celebrity Alaska Land tours pre or post cruise? Would like to hear thoughts or reviews.

 

 

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I am a big Celebrity fan, 75% of my modern-era cruises have been with X. But I did not and would not do their land tour in Alaska. My bias, your milage may vary. My reasoning: Alaska is a BIG place and in a few short weeks you will be able to sample only a small slice. Many people (like me) have an Alaska must-see list that includes big mountains (especially Denali), Northern Lights, bear, wolves, moose, caribou, whales, salmon spawning, and sea lions. And glaciers. You need to be extremely lucky and flexible to be able to check all of these off on a 7-day cruise and 3-days on land. If you are on somebody else's bus, it is hard to be flexible, to adjust your schedule to chill out in the case of bad weather or to go longer/further in the case of good viewing conditions.

 

We did a b2b Seward->Vancouver->Seward last August with about 2 weeks on our own after the cruise. (Travel via train, rental car, small plane.) Occasionally happened across a Big Celebrity bus doing pre- or post cruise tours, and had no regrets.

 

We did get to experience all of the must-see elements on my list above. Partly luck, partly because we put ourselves in the right place at the right time. But I think the best approach would be to take whatever option is feasible and affordable. Then to be open to experience whatever may happen your way. Given all of our Big sightings, I was most impressed and pleased with the small flock of Ptarmagin we saw, halfway through their moult from summer to winter plumage. We were just sitting there on the tundra, enjoying lunch, they were just clucking away in the shade of a nearby bush...

[Mr. Click]

We opted to DIY on our northbound cruise because we wanted more of our own time than a bus or train would allow. We booked with 907 Tours for a pick up in Seward the morning we arrived and had a full day of touring on the Kenai Peninsula that included the wildlife conservation center and a visit to glacier ally and the Portage Glacier. At the end of the day we were dropped at hour hotel in Anchorage. The following morning we picked up a rental car and drove out to Denali stopping to see some sights including Thunderbird Falls. We had booked two nights at the Princess McKinnely Lodge that we used as our base to see Talkeetna, take a float trip and see a bit of the national park. We left that we really got to see a lot more being on our own and hot having to wait for buses to load and unload. One note, we were not thrilled with the McKinnely Wilderness Lodge, our first room was on the second floor, no elevator, no AC and when the day got hot the room was unbearable when we came back at 8pm. They were nice enough to move us to another room but it only happened after some serious complaints. Actually seeing The Mountain is always hit and miss unless you take a flightseeing tour. DW is not a fan of small planes or helicopters so we settled for seeing a lot of beautiful scenery without seeing The Mountain.

[annie99]

We did a post cruise land package with HAL and it was excellent. The train was like the Rocky Mountaineer and we enjoyed fresh wild salmon in the dining section as we passed spectacular scenery. Make sure you do a double night in Denali so that you can do the Wilderness tour.Denali was the very best part of our time in Alaska and HAL made the logistics of travel very easy. We would do it again in a flash.

[Northern Aurora]

Those considering a cruise-tour in Alaska may find it very helpful to read the trip reports posted in stickies (organized by year) at the top of the Alaska Cruise Critic forum (located under "Ports of Call").

 

Since we live in Alaska I regularly read the Alaska CC forum. I find it amazing how many folks purchase a cruise tour and don't understand what they are purchasing. Assumptions are made at the time of purchase which may not be correct. A stunning number purchase these cruise tours and then start to do some research at later date. Virtually every summer someone will start their research after their final payment is due, and then come to the realization that the cruise tour they purchased does not fit their interests. Absolutely painful to read their posts as they attempt to deviate from their cruise tour; sometimes they can do these deviations but there are times when they can't without spending an incredible amount of money.

[Nanny2Trey]

We did the 5 night land tour in August pre cruise and we enjoyed it very much. We flew to Fairbanks and spent two nights there. We toured FB and also took a boat tour. We stayed at Sophie Station. It was nice and clean and spacious but rustic. Not as rustic as Denali and unfortunately I can't remember the name. We spent 8 hours in Denali and yes it was on a bus. But it was amazing. We saw so many animals and yes, we saw several bears. Some right beside the bus. A mom and her baby. Denali is amazing. We took the train from FB to Denali and that was fun. The service was very good. We had a great breakfast and some yummy beverages. Not included in the price. The place we stayed in Denali was very clean and unique and log cabiny. Made up that word. From Denali to Anchorage. Stayed in an upscale hotel. Toured a native center which was ok. We then headed to Seward with a stop in Talkeetna. It's a lovely little town. On to Seward. Stayed in a very cozy, quaint lodge. Took a nature boat trip the next day and then boarded the ship. I would highly recommend doing pre cruise instead of post cruise. Not going to kid you it was a bit tiring and good to have the cruise last to relax. Our guide and driver were great and very informative. Our luggage was always waiting for us at our room. We did have some early mornings to have our luggage out. Always felt well cared for. Enjoyed it very much. I'm sure you could see and do more if you chose to spend more time and go on your own but that wasn't an option for us. Felt we made the most of our time.

 

Linda

[Amishcountry]

Thanks Linda! [emoji3] sounds wonderful we are doing a 4 day pre cruise tour starting in Anchorage, heading to Denali , then Talkeetna Lodge And Alyeska Resort, will stop at the Wildlife Center on our way to Seward, and the ship.

 

 

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[Lastdance]

We purposely booked the celebrity cruise tour 8B train tour from Fairbanks to Seward on our up coming trip in May. WE have done the on and off bus tours in Europe and swore never again. WE hear good things about the ALASKA railroad, and are Looking forward to the adventure.

 

 

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Yes, the railroad was nice! We have never done a bus tour in Europe, with or without Celebrity, so I totally understand. I have always planned our DIY there. So, it was my first bus tour; the price was very cheap and my DH just wanted to try it. Yes, I researched it and knew we wouldn't like it, but we did it anyway...what can I say...we just needed to get away due to family issues!

Some people really enjoy it a lot. It all depends on your prior experiences, not to mention what you like and dislike. Some people feel better having someone else plan the trip and be responsible for everything; I like to be in charge after researching and choosing what I want to see and do!

I am sure you will enjoy the train...I take trains all over Europe and love to travel by rail...Enjoy[emoji844]

 

 

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Edited November 26, 2016 by Lastdance

[joanne2]

We've done the 4 day pre-cruise twice and loved it both times. I know a lot of cc posters like to DIY and look down on cruise tours. But we saw a lot, stayed at great hotels, had free time to do some things on our own and no worries, no carrying luggage, great train trip.

[Amishcountry]

Joanne2 - can you give more details? How was your Denali experience?

 

 

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[joanne2]

The Denali trip was great. We had a full day bus trip; some tours just include a half day and you don't go as far into the Park. The buses have cameras and some small screens so if the guide spots an animal, you can get a closer view if you need it. Both trips we went at the end of August and it's still summer outside the Park but inside the Park the leaves had turned and it was gorgeous fall colors (something about a micro-climate). Dinners aren't included but the hotel has a free shuttle that takes you to an area with restaurants and a few shops. On the road we saw some bears very close up. All of the hotels we stayed at had a sign up sheet for a wake-up if the Northern Lights were visible. We never saw them but just missed by 1 day.

[Amishcountry]

Thanks you joanne2 [emoji4] What time did you come into Seward?

 

 

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[CHEZMARYLOU]

Amishcountry, are you doing the Alaska Wildlife Encounter Cruisetour? If so, I highly recommend that you upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali (for an additional fee & if time permits) if your interest is in the wild life. The tour included with this cruisetour only goes a few miles into the park, The TWT is 8.5 hours or so and goes much further which is where the wildlife sightings are.

 

On our pre cruise tour we arrived in Seward about 5:00 and boarded immediately. You will get to Seward earlier because you have the Sea Life Tour when you arrive.

[Amishcountry]

CHEZMARYLOU. thank you so much!! We are on the Wildlife Encounter , and your response was so helpful!! We want to upgrade to the Tundra tour, when do we do that? Any more details of your tour would be SO appreciated!! [emoji4]

 

 

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[CHEZMARYLOU]

Both of our cruise tours included the TWT. According to Celebrity's web site you can upgrade with the tour director, usually they will pass out a list of optional excursions on the land portion for you to book, which would include the TWT. The only issue with upgrading is how long you are in Denali since it is 8.5 hours. I have some pictures that are amazing, I'll post some later today. We never went to Alyeska on either of our trips. Most of our travel was on the train, we only used a coach to and from Anchorage/Seward. Food on the train is very good and there is a nice set up of large windows on the upper level and the dining room on the lower level of the train car. It is a car dedicated to Celebrity tours.

[Amishcountry]

It looks like the Wildlife Encounter uses the train to get from Anchorage to Denali, but buses to get back to Seward. We rode the train from Anchorage to Seward last time, so don't mind the bus. How were your accommodations in Denali? I certainly hope they allot enough time for the Tundra Tour, which is one of the reasons we chose this tour. Thanks for your response, as I was hoping to contact somebody who actually did this tour [emoji2]

 

 

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[michebob]

May I ask when you went to Alaska and saw northern lights?

 

 

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[Jim_Iain]

Could someone that has done one of these tours answer a question. Do you Get CC Points for the Land Tour Days in addition to the number of days on the ship?

 

Reading the fine print it appears you do.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Yes, we received the CC points for the land tour. I'm also thinking that we got the on board booking credit for the total number of days, not just for the cruise portion. I know we did for the 1st Alaska cruise tour we did and am pretty sure we did for the 2nd also.

[Dawg67]

We did the land tour in June. Too much time on the buses. Not one of our better tours. Seemed that other cruise buses had priority and we were always toward the end of the bus que. Salmon feast in Fairbanks is just a buffet that is not very good. Spend your time in a restaurant in Fairbanks. Train ride from Fairbanks to Denali Park was great. Hope this helps someone.

 

 

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[Jane2357]

We cruised Vancouver to Seward and then the 6 night Heartland tour, ending in Fairbanks, with Celebrity and LOVED it! This was late May and early June.

 

We were skeptical of doing an organized tour as we tend to be DIYS types but this was perfect. Great group on our tour and a perfect mix of group activities (some optional) and time to do things on our own.

 

The only issue we had the entire tour was that the accommodations at the Denali stop were not to our standards as they had put us in one of the oldest buildings. We complained to the front desk and were promptly moved to one of the newer buildings right on the river. :D

 

We were very happy with the ease of the tour. Set the luggage out and it just appeared outside your next hotel room. The bus driver and tour guide were knowledgeable and fun. RELAX and ENJOY!

Edited November 27, 2016 by Jane2357

[Amishcountry]

Sounds GREAT, Jane2357 what did you do for meals? Were any included?

 

 

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