Independent time on Alaska cruisetour?

[TravelFiend]

Hi all! First time on NCL here, and also our first time doing a cruisetour. We're sailing on the Jewel on the Denali by Rail Explorer 12 day this June.

 

We're all set for when we are in port, but I'm having a hard time telling how much of our day will be occupied during the land portion. Do we need to plan some excursions, or are the included activities taking up most of the day? We'd love to do some things like white water rafting in Talkeetna, etc. but from the brochure they sent us, it doesn't seem like we'll have a ton of down time? 

 

Apparently we won't get the detailed itinerary for that portion of the trip until about 30 days out, according to the Norwegian rep I chatted with. So just wondering if anyone has been on this previously and can give some insights? Thank you so much!

 

 

[julig22]

I did an Alaska land tour a few years back. Days are pretty filled but there were a few optional evening excursions. And you're probably on your own for most dinners.  Mine was a different tour but there was an optional white water rafting trip available, might have been at Talkeetna, I don't recall for sure.

I have an upcoming land tour and didn't get the details until after I had checked in, at 21 days. 

You might want to see if you can find a CC or other chat group from this summer and see if they can give you the link to their itinerary.

[CCJack]

We have been on an RC cruise tour and really enjoyed it.   (You will get a lot of negative opinions on CC for cruise tours but be careful some of those comments may be from people who haven't been on one.)

 

For RC we got very little information ahead of time, but once on the bus our cruise guide was very helpful and assisting with planning for each of the guests.    We actually booked very few organized excursions.   We enjoyed day hikes around the lodges in the woods on our own, etc.   I remember quite a bit of free time, but maybe that is because we didn't do a lot of excursions.   Note there is a lot of travel time (bus, train) to get to these destinations.   Alaska is big !

 

One of the things I enjoyed on the cruise tour is getting to know our fellow passengers.  You will be on a bus with about 40 not on a ship with about 4000, so it is a totally different experience. 

 

 

 

 

[mapleleaves]

Cruisetours are quite expensive.  I can't imagine paying that kind of price without knowing all the details.  But, your money, your choice.  Have you looked at the Alaska forum and read thru past trip reports ?  The reports are usually detailed and are a great resource.

 

If you at least know your destination each night and you're sure that ALL travel is being done by train, it is relatively easy to understand your day.  There is only ONE departure each day on the Alaska Railroad, so just use their schedule to determine the arrival and departure times for each location. For instance if your itinerary is Anc - Talkeetna - Denali, you will leave Anc at 8:20am and arrive Talkeeetna at 11am.  So you will have the afternoon and evening plus a few hrs the next morning to explore Talkeetna.   Denali is where it gets dicey. Be sure you have 2 nights here, otherwise you may not have enough time to do a bus tour thru the park to see the wildlife and scenery, as well as enjoy the exhibits, activities, trails, and surroundings.

Train Schedules | Alaska Railroad

 

If you would prefer more time at specific locations, the Alaska Railroad provides several different travel packages.They make the arrangements for lodging and travel.  Summer Travel Packages | Alaska Railroad

 

Or, this company runs the main bus line in Alaska ( Seward, Anc, Talkeetna, Denali)  and they also work with the railroad to provide packages by train, by bus, or bus and train combo. Again, they make the arrangements for hotels and travel.

Best Alaska Vacation Packages 2024 | Top Alaskan Vacations | AlaskaTravel.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tundra1]

We did a cruise tour last year.  There were open blocks of time that we could use to go on hikes on our own, or to take an excursion booked through the cruise line.  I do suggest doing the land portion first, and then a 7-day cruise southbound.  The land portions are tiring.  You are doing stuff all day, but it is so beautiful and there are so many opportunities up there!  Enjoy your time!  Whitewater rafting looks like fun!  We went zip lining and did an ATV excursion in the Denali area.  Both of those adventures were totally worth it.  The Tundra Wildnerness Tour in Denali National Park was part of our tour package, and we had a glorious time there as well!  We saw Denali's summit, and all 5 of the "big 5" animals along the way.  It was truly magical!

Enjoy your adventure!

 

 

[cruiser2015]

4 hours ago, CCJack said:

We have been on an RC cruise tour and really enjoyed it.   (You will get a lot of negative opinions on CC for cruise tours but be careful some of those comments may be from people who haven't been on one.)

 

For RC we got very little information ahead of time, but once on the bus our cruise guide was very helpful and assisting with planning for each of the guests.    We actually booked very few organized excursions.   We enjoyed day hikes around the lodges in the woods on our own, etc.   I remember quite a bit of free time, but maybe that is because we didn't do a lot of excursions.   Note there is a lot of travel time (bus, train) to get to these destinations.   Alaska is big !

 

One of the things I enjoyed on the cruise tour is getting to know our fellow passengers.  You will be on a bus with about 40 not on a ship with about 4000, so it is a totally different experience. 

 

 

 

 

We did a 4 night cruise tour with RC a few years ago.

@ N near Denali' 2 N Fairbanks

A lot of the time was for travel (bus + RR).

We did a tour of Denali Park - that was a day.

There was some included touring in Fairbanks and we did a dinner excursion extra.

Last day in Fairbanks was open (all evening flight out). Just went back into downtown and roamed around a bit. There were some tour options offered.

[bonvoyagie]

We just did the 14 day Authentic Alaska cruise tour, Most of the time was filled with tours. We did have extra time in Denali where the tour company offered extra excursions for purchase. There was also an extra day in Homer with the same. For the most part we enjoyed the planned tour. That said, now that we have been there and know more about the area and options, I would DIY and add extra time in Denali.

[df5250]

I did the 13 Day Denali/Talkeetna Explorer - Southbound this past Summer.  We had most of the day to take excursions in Talkeetna after our arrival at the hotel.  Our guide had a list of available excursions to purchase through their tour company.  There is lots and lots of daylight so many tours were available in the afternoon and evenings!
I pre-booked many of my excursions during the land portion on my own in advance. I was able to work out most of the schedule ahead of time. But you don’t have to. People in our group picked stuff to do while we were on the tour.If you have must do things, then I suggest booking in advance! 

On the travel days to each location, there is usually free time to do things after arrival at the hotels. Denali is a little tougher because we didn’t get our park tour time until a day or two before our arrival.  I was lucky that it was a morning tour and I did not have to cancel or change what I had planned the night we went to Denali! (I had booked a tour with Denali Jeep Excursions that evening!)

Our bus broke down while we were in Anchorage, so we spent a few more hours there than expected and we had less time at the last stop before getting to the ship/Seward.  Our arrival time to the ship was also scheduled. Unfortunately, we did not have time to explore Seward on our trip. 
During the southbound cruise on the Jewel, I booked two excursions each day at most ports through the ship.  I packed my days and nights to see and do as much as possible while in Alaska.  It was exhausting but so worth it!! 

You might want to check out some of the past Jewel Roll Calls to ask about the schedule for your exact land tour. Someone might still see your post and be able to give you more details from their experiences!  Enjoy your planning and have a wonderful trip!!

[TravelFiend]

Thank you all so much! I would definitely prefer to do this on my own, but my mom is taking the whole extended family (10 of us), and so since she is paying, she decided the itinerary! But I am helping with shore excursions and such. I appreciate all the help!