Connoisseur Alaska land tour help

[cruzrbachoua]

Hi I am looking for anyone who recently (postcoivd) has done one of these tours.  

 

I am looking to see if those who had this tour also tipped the folks at the lodges during dinner.  I saw the big long very helpful thread from I believe Caribill (sp?) but I didn't see any notes if they tipped during the dinners.  

 

Please don't turn this into a debate about tips and it is up to the individual ...I know all that...I am simply asking for those that have done this what they have done.

[mtnesterz]

You might want to take another look at the bottom part of Caribill's post #1. There is a photo of a meal voucher which states (and in his bullet points as well) that a 15% gratuity is included.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1656270-details-of-the-tour-part-of-a-princess-alaska-cruisetour/

Edited May 30, 2023 by mtnesterz

[ClydeKilgore]

1 hour ago, cruzrbachoua said:

Hi I am looking for anyone who recently (postcoivd) has done one of these tours.  

 

I am looking to see if those who had this tour also tipped the folks at the lodges during dinner.  I saw the big long very helpful thread from I believe Caribill (sp?) but I didn't see any notes if they tipped during the dinners.  

 

Please don't turn this into a debate about tips and it is up to the individual ...I know all that...I am simply asking for those that have done this what they have done.

On the Connoisseur tour, you will get vouchers for the meal, and a gratuity is included.  Other meals you will want to tip as you wish.

[cruzrbachoua]

I saw that the meals with the tour do have gratuity...but we also have daily gratuity on the ship and gratuity added to the drink packages and most still tip out waiters and bartenders....so I was curious as to how folks handled it on the land based portion. 

 

 

[mtnesterz]

1 hour ago, cruzrbachoua said:

I saw that the meals with the tour do have gratuity...but we also have daily gratuity on the ship and gratuity added to the drink packages and most still tip out waiters and bartenders....so I was curious as to how folks handled it on the land based portion. 

OK, I understand. With that in mind no, we did not additionally tip in the restaurants where gratuity was included.

 

[cruzrbachoua]

11 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

OK, I understand. With that in mind no, we did not additionally tip in the restaurants where gratuity was included.

 

Ok thanks that is helpful 

[cruisewkid]

We did a 12 day Connoisseur land tour 5/19 - 5/24 before joining Sapphire on a Southbound.  (Cheryl Papin was our guide & she was great as was the tour!)

I believe the tip included in the voucher is now at least 18%.  We routinely tip 20% for restaurant bills on land....  I cannot remember for certain, but I THINK we left extra a couple times to acknowledge service.

I will say though, that the servers seemed very welcoming of vouchers & were helpful w utilizing them.....  it did not feel, AT ALL, like "Oh geez, a voucher, I am not going to make much on this one!"

I hope this helps!

 

[cruzrbachoua]

@cruisewkid thanks that does help

[cruzsnooze]

Which Princess Lodges are you staying at? I just did a cruisetour last week. The Princess Wilderness lodge was okay the Mt McKinley lodge does not have internet in the rooms and Captain Cook in Anchorage was the best. 

[cruzrbachoua]

@cruzsnooze we have one night in Anchorage at the Captain Cook, then 2 nights at McKinley and then 2 in Denali then the train down to the ship..grand princess. 

 

How were the menus/food items in the lodges?  

 

Was there anyplace to buy bottled water not a case just a couple of bottles since the drink package doesn't extend to the land.

[cruisewkid]

We had the identical land itinerary as you.  You will easily find individual bottles of water everywhere!  Cannot remember the price, but in the $2-$3ish range each. There were coolers w a decent selection of beverages in the gift shops at both lodges you will be at.

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, cruisewkid said:

We had the identical land itinerary as you.  You will easily find individual bottles of water everywhere!  Cannot remember the price, but in the $2-$3ish range each. There were coolers w a decent selection of beverages in the gift shops at both lodges you will be at.

beer?

[cruzrbachoua]

26 minutes ago, cruisewkid said:

We had the identical land itinerary as you.  You will easily find individual bottles of water everywhere!  Cannot remember the price, but in the $2-$3ish range each. There were coolers w a decent selection of beverages in the gift shops at both lodges you will be at.

That is great thank you sooo much.  

 

What about the dinners at the lodges...did you by chance take any photos of the menus, if not was there anything that stood out as great or something to avoid....?

[cruisewkid]

I am sorry - can't really help you there.  No copies of menus or pics of dishes.  We really aren't foodies.  Hopefully, you like salmon - that was ALWAYS available on every menu we saw, including the Daily Princess Favorites once you are onboard.

I do remember, in Anchorage, we really enjoyed Simon & Seafort's.

We used a Princess dinner voucher at the Steakhouse at the Denali HAL lodge next door to Princess & we weren't overwhelmed by that, but may have just been our evening there.

We were early season, but literally every meal started w servers telling us what they were out of!  Those issues may be resolving, as may staff shortages on land.  But staff we encountered seemed across-the-board happy to be in Alaska & eager to help.

[cruzrbachoua]

@cruisewkid ok thanks...salmon for me can go either way.  But will get tired of it and we do have a meat eater with us who will want something other than fish as well.  We are hoping for some other local items like cariboo or something.  In 2010 the last time we were in Alaska DH had a burger that I think was cariboo or something like that...not something you typically get in California.  

[KYBOB]

I think I saw some of the menus posted on Facebook in a group called Alaska Cruises on Princess you might join and then look there.

[cruzrbachoua]

1 minute ago, KYBOB said:

I think I saw some of the menus posted on Facebook in a group called Alaska Cruises on Princess you might join and then look there.

thanks will see if i can find it

[cruisewkid]

Not sure about the beer - sorry!  There were always bars/lounges available though.  I was always able to find Diet Coke!  😉