Princess Lodge Meal Plan

[TourBusGuy]

We are doing the Alaska 6 day land tour before our cruise in May. When I booked it last year, they offered me the meal plan for $900, which includes breakfast & dinner each day at Fairbanks, Denali & Mt McKinley lodges. I called Princess today & they told me it included vouchers for the meals, but couldn't tell me if we could order any entree off the menu, or were limited to a certain dollar amount. Has anyone else ever purchased the meal plan, and if so, what were your thoughts if it was a reasonable charge, or was it better to just pay for each meal yourself?

 

Thanks for any help.......

 

Jim & Nancy

[Loonbeam]

$900? For how many people? Food is expensive up there but at least I would hope 2..

 

The vouchers back many years ago did not have a specific limit, but there were a few excluded items on the dinner menu at McKinley if I recall (the vouchers had some wording on it to allow it). Still plenty of options.

 

If I recall correctly the plan allowed 1 entree, main course with sides and dessert... Can't for the life of me recall if drinks were included (non-alcohol).

[TourBusGuy]

Yes the $900 was for 2 people. All they told me was an entree for dinner including coffee or soft drinks. Did not mention anything about appetizers or desserts. Could not find any info about it on the Princess website. Hopefully, I will get a clear definition what the vouchers include before making a decision to purchase.

 

Thanks for the reply!

[Loonbeam]

It was now more than a few years ago, but I distinctly remember was a meal, not just an entree.

 

As a rule of thumb, figure $15 for a basic breakfast, $20 for lunch and $50 for dinner in Alaska, assuming a basic entree, dessert, 1 drink and a shared app. So about $90pp on average or $540 for 6 days, which makes $450 not a bargain unless it covers more (since lunch is not included). Maybe closer to $100 per day if you eat a lot of steak or salmon, etc.

 

 

Yes the $900 was for 2 people. All they told me was an entree for dinner including coffee or soft drinks. Did not mention anything about appetizers or desserts. Could not find any info about it on the Princess website. Hopefully, I will get a clear definition what the vouchers include before making a decision to purchase.

 

Thanks for the reply!

[geoherb]

The lodges have sample menus posted on their websites. You can check them out to determine if the $900 is a good deal for you or not. We did not spend anywhere near that amount and still had some great meals on our 5 nights before our cruise. Here's a link to the Denali lodge's dinner menu: https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KS-Dinner-2016.pdf.

[wishfulone]

We had the meal plan included on an Alaskan Connoisseur Land Tour but wouldn't do it that way again. It was a choice of entree, main and dessert for dinner and the usual breakfast buffet. It would be much cheaper to plan your own meal times and choices. The journey is great though. Make sure you upgrade to the full day tour in Denali NP.

[TourBusGuy]

Thank you for the advice. From all that we have read, it doesn't seem like a wise choice. If we have a great lunch while out touring, we might not feel like eating a regular dinner entree that night.

 

Jim & Nancy

Ringgold, Ga

[Loonbeam]

I tend to agree. Except for McKinley there are lots of non-lodge dining options as well (for McKinley you need to take the shuttle into Talkeetna for pretty much anything (it also had the best restaurant of all the lodges by far)

[Thrak]

We did the Connoisseur Cruise Tour in June of 2016 with 6 days on land followed by 7 days southbound. The meals were included. You got a soup or salad or appetizer, entree of your choice, non-alcoholic beverage of your choice, and dessert of your choice. My wife enjoyed the 3 types of crab legs one night. I think the menu price was around $60 but it didn't matter as anything you wanted was OK. We could have eaten more cheaply but it was really nice being able to eat whatever you wanted with a choice of venues.

 

There is an older (but excellent) review of the land tour part of a connoisseur tour located HERE. It will answer your questions nicely.

[cruisequeen4ever]

When we were at the Copper River Princess Lodge, there was a huge CruiseTour group there, and let me tell you, a LOT of crab legs were being ordered with the vouchers! That was like 7 years ago, so it could have changed, but there definitely didn't seem to be a limit back then. The Princess lodge food was all outstanding and would be worth it IMO.

 

 

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[wishfulone]

When you're in Talkeetna make sure you visit Shirl's. She does great hmburgers, chips etc for a reasonable price from a takeaway window. There's a table or two outside with a bit of overhead cover. Pick up a jar of her Alaskan Fireweed Jam while you're there. It's great.

[Potstech]

And the hamburgers are huge. Can easily feed two people.

[Thrak]

We didn't eat in Talkeetna but we did visit the brewpub. OMG they had some wonderful specialty brews! We love to try the beer wherever we go and they had some of the best we've found in our travels.

[wishfulone]

We didn't eat in Talkeetna but we did visit the brewpub. OMG they had some wonderful specialty brews! We love to try the beer wherever we go and they had some of the best we've found in our travels.

 

 

Can't believe we missed the brewery! Next time, and there will be a next time I'm sure. The Alaskan cruise and any of a land tours must surely be amongst the best cruise destinations.

[Sea Gypsy 2]

Don't miss the Salmon Bake in Denali!

[TourBusGuy]

Thanks so much for the info. I think we are going to just pay as we go. My wife is gluten free & has allergies to other foods, so we're thinking her choices would be limited & not worth investing in the plan. That older review that you linked to is absolutely amazing & full of information.

 

Jim & Nancy

[Potstech]

Don't miss the Salmon Bake in Denali!

 

 

The one in Liarsville isn't too bad either. All you can eat. Went as part of a suspension bridge tour.

[HopsandBarley]

I have booked a cruisetour for late July and also have gluten and other food allergies. I hope you respond to this post and let us all know how you feel about your decision to forgo the food plan option. I would be most curious to hear about your experience!

[TourBusGuy]

I have booked a cruisetour for late July and also have gluten and other food allergies. I hope you respond to this post and let us all know how you feel about your decision to forgo the food plan option. I would be most curious to hear about your experience!

Everything went well for my wife, with the food allergies. Along with the gluten issue, she is allergic to tomatoes and raw onions. There were enough options for her to eat at the lodges. The food was very good. I'm glad we did not purchase the food plan, as we did not spend enough to warrant it. It is very expensive to eat, because everything is flown in.

We definitely loved the trip. We did several excursions, the highlight was the airplane ride & landing on top of the glacier. It cost $1,000 for the both of us. We did that while at the Denali lodge.....

 

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[HopsandBarley]

Thanks so much for responding! I assume the gluten free matter was not an issue on the cruise ship either. In addition to gluten, I can't eat soy, tomatoes, msg, and sodium benzoate. It makes it difficult to eat in a lot of places. Anyways, glad it all worked out for you. Your flight to the top of the glacier sounds amazing. Reminds me of a grand canyon and Maui rain forest trips via helicopter that I've taken. I'm looking forward to the glacier possibility as well as the whale watching excursions, etc.