Its Going to Be Majestic - Live Review Princess Majestic Cruisetour - June 10-22

[Stealthdog]

4 minutes ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Is this a picture for the pit stop?

lol yes - the driver offloaded us on the side of the road while he tried to troubleshoot the AC.  We had a nice break of 20-30 minutes before we went back onto the sauna bus.  

[gottagoacruzn]

Had to laugh at that!!!😄😄Some yrs ago, one of the gals at work, got a bus for those at work & friends to go to vegas. Well we had a good time, then on the way home, the a/c broke down, it got to be 115 inside the bus. Had to stop an hr or more at the state line for the a/c to cool off, the driver drove with the door opened a little after that an said he could be in big trouble if he was stopped.

[Stealthdog]

Arriving at each lodge has the same experience.  A Princess rep hands out a packet for each guest which includes room keys and number, map of the lodge facilities, information on hours and activities, and instructions on excursions purchased and details for transportation to the next lodge.  Attached is what the package looks like (This is the McKinnley package).  
 

McKinnley also had a number of complimentary daily activities that they publish in the lodge near guest services. 
 

One additional difference between Kenai and McKinnley is McKinnley provides shuttles to the nearest town of Talkeetna.  We traveled to Talkeetna today to take the rail to Denali, but didn’t see the town, so unsure what else is there. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

There were some big difference between Kenai and McKinley lodges.  The rooms in Kenai felt more like cabins, while in McKinley was more like hotel rooms.  The lodge, restaurants, and outdoor spaces in McKinley were all larger to presumably support a larger number of guests at the lodge.  We completed the Lodge Trail (where we saw the moose) and South Trail Park. We never had a chance to do the treehouse and treehouse trail because it was closed every time we checked - likely due to wildlife being seen on the trail.  It seems Kenai was much quieter and quainter, but with much fewer activities and tours to participate in.

From the observation deck at the McKinley lodge, at times we could see Mount Denali completely from the observation decks

 

Attached are some pictures of the room and facilities around the lodge area.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

We at dinner at the McKinley Lodge’s North Fork Restaurant.  The food at the restaurant was ok, and we liked they there were some unique dishes on the menu, but generally the food wasn’t as good as the restaurant at Kenai’s restaurant.  
 

The stars of the evening were the Tavern Style Onion Soup and Crab Fritters.  The Onion soup was on par with the MDR on the ship - it was a little salty but had some great flavors.  Eric got the Halibut and was disappointed again by the amount of salt on the Halibut.  The duck was ok - nothing great, nothing bad.  We had the brownie for desert and it was pretty good.  Overall, it was an ok meal but definitely not worth the cost.  There were 3 choices for dining at McKinley - I would recommend looking at the cheaper options unless you see something on the North Forks menu you really want.  

[Stealthdog]

After putting the luggage out the door for pickup, we had breakfast at the 20320 Alaskan Grill.  I had the blueberry French toast and Eric got some egg meal that included Reindeer sausage (which was awesome, but not pictured below).  Sadly, we enjoyed the breakfast at 20320 better than the dinner at the North Fork last night, for probably 1/4 the cost.

 

After our designated meetup time in front of the lodge, we loaded onto a bus taking us to Talkeetna Railroad.  There was much celebration on the bus when people realized the AC was working.  At the Talkeetna station we had about 30 minutes of free time before the train arrived.  There is a bathroom at the station and a little building that provided some tourist information.  We were separated into different cars, and boarded the train once it was ready onto the 2nd floor (1st was the dining car).  This portion had assigned seatings, but our train was only about 1/3 full so people were able to go to left and right to take pictures and look for wildlife.  We could also go on the outdoor platforms between the cars like the a White Pass train.  

 

The train to Denali was very similar to the White Pass rail - you will see similar scenery, which is really pleasant.  There is also a tour guide on the train that narrates some history and help point out some wildlife.  The big difference between the Denali train and White Pass is we had a bartender on board (yay!!!!) and the White Pass had no alcohol.

 

The train had electric outlets so you can charge your phones on board, but there is no Wi-Fi and for most of the trip there was no cell service.
 

Along the Denali train we saw a lot of wildlife too - a handful of bears, swans and other birds, and another moose!  So far, the train to Denali is one of the big highlights of the land tour portion.  

Edited June 20, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Hogladyrider]

Unless things have changed drastically in Alaska, it has been my experience that both cell service and internet are mostly unavailable and should not be counted on.

 

Talkeentna is a lovely unique town for sure!

[Stealthdog]

1 hour ago, Hogladyrider said:

Unless things have changed drastically in Alaska, it has been my experience that both cell service and internet are mostly unavailable and should not be counted on.

 

Talkeentna is a lovely unique town for sure!

I’m going to do an all things internet post (ship, lodges, and transportation) when we get back home later this week.  So far with the lodges McKinley seems to be the worst, Denali the best, and Kenai pretty good too.  

[AJSkarbo]

One more question, I am doing McKinley and Denali lodges on a land tour next month. My travel companions and I love enjoying a glass of wine together. Are there places to buy bottles near the lodges? Or are the lodge bars the only option?

[Stealthdog]

56 minutes ago, AJSkarbo said:

One more question, I am doing McKinley and Denali lodges on a land tour next month. My travel companions and I love enjoying a glass of wine together. Are there places to buy bottles near the lodges? Or are the lodge bars the only option?

Denali absolutely.  McKinnley I don’t think so.  There is a fairly big area right across the lodge where you can shop, including a liquor shop.  I’ll  include that in a post tonight.

[AJSkarbo]

18 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

Denali absolutely.  McKinnley I don’t think so.  There is a fairly big area right across the lodge where you can shop, including a liquor shop.  I’ll  include that in a post tonight.

Thank you so much for all the information. I really appreciate it!

[Stealthdog]

There is so much of Denali to break out, so I will create many Denali posts to better organize and make sure information doesn’t get lost.  So far we have done the Dog show in Denali Park, 2 trails, took the shuttles, ate on the lodge property, and off the lodge property, so I’ll have alot of pictures, details on times for shuttles and shows, and some recommendations.  

[hello]

Thank you .... your trip report has been quite informative and enjoyable to read!

[Stealthdog]

Our Denali Lodge portion is almost over and will be on the bus to the Princess Lodge Fairbanks soon.  
 

The Princess Denali lodge is the biggest of the 3 lodges we stayed at.  It almost felt like a resort style lodge that you see in the Caribbean - sprawling areas for 2 story buildings for lodging, several restaurants on the property (pizzeria, a pub/saloon like place, and the nicer sit down restaurant) and several little shops.  
 

The lodge offers shuttle buses that will take around the lodge property - there are designated sites where you can get on and get off.  There is also a shuttle to the “sister” property McKinley Chalet Resort, where additional restaurants, entertainment, and shops are.  We did not go to that resort so don’t have information to share.  
 

Attached is the information and map of the property.  Right across the street is a strip mall-like (or boardwalk like) row of shops, tours, and restaurants.  I’m attaching some photos of the stores and googlemaps screenshots (many of the stores don’t show up on google maps).  If you are staying on the resort a couple of days and want to do a tour or a excursion outside of the Princess, it looked like there were some options across the street.  There is a stoplight and crosswalk right outside the lodge, so it’s really easy to get to the other side.  
 

@AJSkarbo the store to get bottles of wine is across the street to the right of the resort.  You can’t see the sign in the photos but there is a white sign off the street that says they have the largest wine selection in Denali.  I think it’s the one with the big white grocery and liquor sign, but we didn’t walk down there.  

Edited June 21, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

Quick stop in Kenana and realize I didn’t include the photo with the wine store.   It’s on the far right (photo take from in front of the lodge).

Edited June 21, 2023 by Stealthdog

[milogurd]

19 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

Quick stop in Kenana and realize I didn’t include the photo with the wine store.   It’s on the far right (photo take from in front of the lodge).

 

 

Is this it? Sled Dog Liquor and Grocery.

 

 

[Thrak]

For those who want good beer:

In the row of businesses across the street from the Princess Denali Lodge is the 49th State Brewing Company. It's on the left end of that row of businesses and has great beer(s) available. I tend to order the Chuli Stout from the Denali Brewing Company located in Talkeetna (If you get a chance check out their brewpub there) but there are many different beers to choose from. For those who have been on Princess and unable to get good beer this is a great place to visit. For those who do a land tour first and are about to be on Princess - and therefore will be unable to get good beer - this is a good place to get your last shot at really good beer.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Thrak

[Stealthdog]

1 hour ago, milogurd said:

 

 

Is this it? Sled Dog Liquor and Grocery.

 

 

Maybe.  We didnt walk in that direction but I think I saw that name when we drove by on the bus.  The one I saw had a big white sign in front that specifically advertised their wine selection.  It was in the cluster of store across the from lodge and to the right.
 

Having significant internet issues today - it’s taking a minute just to upload a page and don’t want to waste my battery, so will look through my photos again tonight.

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Stealthdog

[AJSkarbo]

Thank you again @Stealthdog! Your information has been so helpful. Looks like you had a wonderful trip. I appreciate you taking us along with you!

[EDVM96]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

For those who want good beer:

 

Sounds good. I can really recommend Prospector's Pizzeria & Alehouse, opposite of McKinley Chalet Resort. They have over 49 beers on draft and excellent pizza.

The place is popular and can get crowded quick. They also have some outside seating.


 

[gottagoacruzn]

18 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Sounds good. I can really recommend Prospector's Pizzeria & Alehouse, opposite of McKinley Chalet Resort. They have over 49 beers on draft and excellent pizza.

The place is popular and can get crowded quick. They also have some outside seating.


 

Hey I don't drink, but just suppose I might want a 50 something beer. Do they got that? Just jokin guys!!!

[Stealthdog]

7 hours ago, milogurd said:

 

 

Is this it? Sled Dog Liquor and Grocery.

 

 

Looking at googlemaps and the photos I took, it looks like that is the place that has the wine sign in front of it.

[Stealthdog]

Wow, do I alot of catch-up to do.  We are in the for the night tonight, so have time.  Tomorrow we are going to go to the North Pole and The Museum of the North before heading to the airport for an evening flight.  

[Stealthdog]

The Princess Denali provides free shuttles to the Denali Park Visitor Center (plus other stops in the Park) every 30 minutes and returns back to the lodge every thirty minutes.  Below is the shuttle schedule.

 

One of the major complimentary events the Park does is the Sled Dog Demonstration, 3 times a day.  There is a Park Shuttle for the sled dog event at the same spot where the Princess shuttle drops you off in front of the Visitor Center.  You will see a sign for the dog shuttle - this is where the line to board the dog shuttles will be.  If you look at the Princess shuttle schedule the 3 times with the stars on the left are the recommended shuttles times to take to the Visitor Center to get the Park shuttle to the dog kennel.  
 

Once you get to the kennel a Park Ranger will give a overview of the rules with the dogs, rough timeline, and some additonal information.  Try to get on the first dog shuttle from the Visitor Center to the kennels (there will be 3 or 4 buses) because that will give you more time with the dogs.
 

Once you enter the kennel area, you will see dogs inside the rope and those behind the fences.  Dogs will come up to you in both locations if they want you to pat/scratch/rub them.  

After some time with the dogs, you will move to a seating area will the rangers will give a presentation on the dogs and demonstration of the dogs pulling a wheeled cart.  Once this is the complete, the Park shuttles will take you back to the Visitor Center, where you can stay at the park or wait for the Princess shuttle to bring you back to the lodge.

 

The kennel and dog demonstration is worth it - highly recommend you take advantage of this free activity.

 

You can visit the kennels without the Park shuttles and show - from the Visitor Center there will be sign posts you can follow to hike to the dog kennels.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

All three lodges are much different from each other.  The Denali lodge has a Caribbean resort feel to it (minus the heat and beaches) - there are many 2-story buildings that have the lodging rooms, 4 restaurants plus the coffee/pastry cafe on the property, several little shops, and little shuttles that will take you around the property.

 

You will stay in hotel-like rooms at Denali, just like McKinley.  Kenai was different with its cabin-like rooms.

 

Just like all of the other lodges, you will get your welcome package with your keys, map, information, etc.  On the information package will include a phone number to reach guest services.  When we got to our room, it hadn’t been cleaned.  There was a white powder all over the desk (was probably sugar…we hope) and the floor was dirty and clearly hadn’t been vacuumed.  We texted guest services, so no need to physically go to the lodge and stand in line to guest services, and they sent someone to clean the room while we went to dinner.

 

Below are pictures of what the room looks like, the lodge map and information, and some pics of the lodge.  Denali was by far the biggest lodge, which also means more people and busier restaurants.  

Edited June 22, 2023 by Stealthdog