Land Portion of Crusie

[chuckles60]

Very confused about the Land Portion of the Alaska Cruise.  We've determined that we want to do the tour Pre-Cruise, and our mandatory want on our wish list is the train ride thru Denali.  Here's my question...

 

- How many days would you suggest for the land tour?

- Is the Consierge Service worth it, or should we do the touring on our own?

- What would be your 'Must do List" for the land portion?

[mapleleaves]

The train doesn't go THRU Denali.  There's a train depot at Denali but the only way to travel THRU the park is on the transit or tour bus ( or walk or bike ).

 

My land trips are always DIY ... car/hotel or  RV.   I prefer the flexibility of going where i want to go  and on my schedule.  Plus I have the ability to stop for wildlife or anything of interest as I drive.  My travel style isn't up at 5am with bags at the door by 6.

 

Have no idea about your interests, your budget or physical ability, so pretty hard to say what's a Must-do.   Hundreds of options, but they're dependent on YOUR interests and priorities, and where  you go on the land portion. 

 

Look thru the trip reports posted above.  There are some detailed photo journals that will give you an idea of what to expect, recommendations for lodging, excursions, vendors, etc.  They are a great resource.  There are a few  Connoisseur tours .... the first line of the report will generally say so.   Use the search function and do a search on 'connoisseur" on the Alaska forum to find past threads. 

Here's one Connoisseur trip report:

 

I also suggest borrowing a few Alaska travel books from your library. Learn about the various destinations and what they each offer.  There are even a couple of books specific to Alaska cruises.   Good luck with your research and planning !

[AKStafford]

I would also suggest the land portion be done DIY. I would think to include Denali National Park, 4 days would be a minimum and you could do weeks and weeks if you wanted to. You'll want to start looking at rental car prices now. They are going to start ticking up very soon.

The train: The Alaska Railroad to Denali follows the same route as the highway, so it doesn't offer any alternate views. And it takes longer. And then once you are in the Denali area, your lodging and dining options are more limited without a rental car. So, I recommend a rental car to get to Denali. Then if you want a scenic train ride, you can do the train to your cruise ship from Anchorage.

[masterdrago]

We had originally booked a 6 day land tour through our cruise line (pre-cruise) next year. It seemed to be an overwhelming and daunting task to DIY. But after setting aside the time to look things over, it became a no brainer to DIY. For only slightly more $$$, we have far more and interesting excursions available, better places to stay and much more freedom to explore on our own. A rent car was a must and although it will take up the better part of one day to get it back to the Anchorage airport and get back to Seward, the other hours will be all ours.

[Budget Queen]

With  touring planning in Alaska-   it's essential,  you know -  details of what you are looking at.   As mentioned  above there is NO train,  "in Denali"        You have to get INTO Denali,  which is separate- and frankly-   a vital part of going there.   A big mistake in my opinion,  if this isn't done.    TIME is also essential.   At least 2 nights are needed at Denali,   and that is somewhat limited.   

 

Don't   overlook,  transits-  and be very conservative with your time.   Many miss the gems that are available in both Whittler and Seward,  often,  simply  just passing through.   Each is superb for excellent touring options  and worth extra time.   

[Elizabeth K.]

Frequent posters lean towards DIY.  Here's my opinion. We did the  Princess 12 night NB Denali Explorer cruise tour in June 2017 and loved it . We are 3 active, capable, middle age couples perfectly capable of planning a DIY.  But  here's the upside to the Princess cruise tour package in my opinion. We were 1st timers to AK. The Princess land tour take every headache out of the trip. It was a great overview with the inside passage cruise, 2 nts at Denali State Park, 2 nts in Denali National Park, and 1 nt (2 long days) in Fairbanks.  All the transfers were seamless. No standing in line at the hotels to check in because you've received your room # and key before arrival. Lots of excursions for any interest. Everyone can view the scenery at all times since no one has to do the driving. The lodges were great with beautiful scenery, interesting  lectures, convenient locations. Now that isn't to say that when I return, I wouldn't do a DIY.  Next trip I hope to do the cruise again, and add time in the Seward/Kenai area on my own. But I absolutely loved the land tour through Princess for the wonderful overview.

[Budget Queen]

14 hours ago, Elizabeth K. said:

Frequent posters lean towards DIY.  Here's my opinion. We did the  Princess 12 night NB Denali Explorer cruise tour in June 2017 and loved it . We are 3 active, capable, middle age couples perfectly capable of planning a DIY.  But  here's the upside to the Princess cruise tour package in my opinion. We were 1st timers to AK. The Princess land tour take every headache out of the trip. It was a great overview with the inside passage cruise, 2 nts at Denali State Park, 2 nts in Denali National Park, and 1 nt (2 long days) in Fairbanks.  All the transfers were seamless. No standing in line at the hotels to check in because you've received your room # and key before arrival. Lots of excursions for any interest. Everyone can view the scenery at all times since no one has to do the driving. The lodges were great with beautiful scenery, interesting  lectures, convenient locations. Now that isn't to say that when I return, I wouldn't do a DIY.  Next trip I hope to do the cruise again, and add time in the Seward/Kenai area on my own. But I absolutely loved the land tour through Princess for the wonderful overview.

Did you do touring in Denali State Park?    Unfortunately,  without your own transportation-  that usually is very limited.   Some wouldn't say,  the McKinley Princess is an "excellent "  location.  :)     As I mentioned,  it's important to know details-   which are pretty hidden  with cruise tours.      

 

Hopefully you did a review- that would be very beneficial for others.   

 

those referring to these boards are way ahead of the game, and can easily get accurate factual information.,   which results in the best plans.    :)   

[Elizabeth K.]

The poster said they already decided to do a land tour. The DIY isn't  everyone's cup of tea. For us, there were 3 couples. A DIY would've been logistically very difficult as far as travelling together in one vehicle,  agreeing on hotels, and schedules. With the cruise tour, the schedule is predetermined. Yes I know, it's less flexible. We did active excursions each day, everyone picked their own, so at the end of the day it was nice to relax at the lodge and share experiences. We kayaked the afternoon we arrived at the Mt. McKinley Wilderness lodge. We did a hiking trip the next day , the Tundra Wilderness during our stay at Denali Princess Lodge, and some of our group did whitewater rafting as well. We also did the riverboat cruise in Fairbanks which I expected not to like but it fun and interesting. 

 

I think 5 days on land if you can swing it, and if you're combining it with a cruise.  My neighbor spent the whole summer there last year exploring in her little RV. She had some amazing off the beaten path stories. But alas, I am not retired yet.