Don't book a cruisetour

[Amtrack Springfield]

We have done the cruise tour twice and would do it again. If you are going to go to Alaska do the land and sea. The lodges aren’t 5 star, but you are in Alaska. The scenery is outstanding. 

[bassmk]

We saw SO MUCH wildlife on our 8-hour bus tour of Denali NP. It had snowed the day before and the tour guide says that really brings them out. I still get excited every time I see deer and rabbits and hawks in my own back yard, so I was beside myself with all the moose, bears, dall sheep, etc in the park, and then the reindeer, sled dogs and pups, eagles, and whales during the rest of the trip. I can't wait to go back next year!

 

 

[disneyochem]

We did an Alaskan cruise tour last summer (our first) and it was fabulous!  It was the Heart of the Rockies--all land accommodations were in Fairmont Hotels (Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Vancouver).  Some hotels were more posh than others but we loved the first class accommodations on the tour.  There were only about 26 folks on the land portion part--dedicated bus and tour guide--and we never traveled more by two hours by bus without a stop.  Ended the land portion by taking the Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver and then boarded the Majestic for a northbound cruise (we did a B2B).  Only complaint we had (and it was minor) is that the only train accommodation available was Silver Leaf. (This year's tour includes the option for Gold Leaf service.)

 

So my point is that all Alaskan cruise tours (or any Princess cruise tour) are not the same--one needs to the research to see what is included and if it works with your group.  I think it is a mistake that many make--not researching what is included/not included in the cruise tour portion.  That is why a number of folks encourage asking questions on this site and TripAdvisor.  We have not and will not take a cruise tour in Alaska (Denali, McKinley,etc) just because we know we would not enjoy the bus portions nor the stay at the lodges.  Princess does a nice job of posting what to expect at each transfer. As soon as we read that there was a ten-hour bus trip from the Kenali Wilderness Lodge to Copper River, we were done. We have done a number of DIY tours in the interior of the state which is our preferred method of traveling.  We are back this year again but on a 10-day DIY visit (rental car, train).

[TRLD]

22 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

We did an Alaskan cruise tour last summer (our first) and it was fabulous!  It was the Heart of the Rockies--all land accommodations were in Fairmont Hotels (Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Vancouver).  Some hotels were more posh than others but we loved the first class accommodations on the tour.  There were only about 26 folks on the land portion part--dedicated bus and tour guide--and we never traveled more by two hours by bus without a stop.  Ended the land portion by taking the Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver and then boarded the Majestic for a northbound cruise (we did a B2B).  Only complaint we had (and it was minor) is that the only train accommodation available was Silver Leaf. (This year's tour includes the option for Gold Leaf service.)

 

So my point is that all Alaskan cruise tours (or any Princess cruise tour) are not the same--one needs to the research to see what is included and if it works with your group.  I think it is a mistake that many make--not researching what is included/not included in the cruise tour portion.  That is why a number of folks encourage asking questions on this site and TripAdvisor.  We have not and will not take a cruise tour in Alaska (Denali, McKinley,etc) just because we know we would not enjoy the bus portions nor the stay at the lodges.  Princess does a nice job of posting what to expect at each transfer. As soon as we read that there was a ten-hour bus trip from the Kenali Wilderness Lodge to Copper River, we were done. We have done a number of DIY tours in the interior of the state which is our preferred method of traveling.  We are back this year again but on a 10-day DIY visit (rental car, train).

Of course the land portion of your cruise tour was in Canada not in Alaska. Totally different situation.

[Vagabond Knight]

Ahh, too bad you did not enjoy your experience, but if that was the worst experience of your life, then you've led a very charmed life. Glad you finally recovered enough to post your experience all these months later.

 

We have a 13-day cruisetour booked for June-July on another cruise line and are very much looking forward to it.  It's 6 days on land, starting in Fairbanks and ending in Seward, followed by a 7-day cruise.  We've cruised Alaska r/t out of Seattle twice and absolutely loved it. One's satisfaction of a trip very much depends upon the person's goals and what THEY consider to be fun. On our previous cruises, we spent almost every waking hour on our aft balcony with only quick trips inside for food and drink... no shows, no trivia, no dance lessons, no comedy club... and found the experience to be amazing. For us, it's all about the views, and to be able to combine that with time on a train makes it even better.

 

For our upcoming cruisetour, we selected the itinerary with the most railway time because we love train travel. We don't have expectations of luxury accommodations when on land because we've done our research, but the lodges are not why we're heading back to Alaska... it's the spectacular views and wonder of nature in an environment that's so different from where we live.  Honestly, our biggest concern with the land tour is the bus in Denali since we're tall and are worried about the legroom during the a multi-hour tour, but we'll just have to figure our the best way to deal with it. It's definitely a case of "different strokes for different folks."  On our second Alaskan cruise we had friends along who took a four-hour or so excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad and felt that it was more than enough time on a train for them. My husband and I took the extended trip that was something like eight hours and loved every minute of it. I priced out doing the land portion on our own for the trip this summer and found that I wouldn't really save anything anyhow since we'd want to max our our train time regardless, so we figured we'd let someone else worry about the schedule and the arrangements.

 

Hope your next cruise experience is better suited to your expectations.

 

 

 

 

[Thrak]

We enjoyed seeing Denali when we were at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. This is definitely something one can't see on a cruise-only trip.

 

[disneyochem]

1 hour ago, TRLD said:

Of course the land portion of your cruise tour was in Canada not in Alaska. Totally different situation.

😐

 

I’m guessing you didn’t read/process my post.  I talked about Alaskan land tours (actually in Alaska interior) and why we won’t go on them.  

 

Have nice day

[TRLD]

12 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

😐

 

I’m guessing you didn’t read/process my post.  I talked about Alaskan land tours (actually in Alaska interior) and why we won’t go on them.  

 

Have nice day

I read it. You started out talking how great tour hotels were on your Alaska land tour. Just pointed out that your land portion was a Canadian land tour.

[catgirl411]

Completely disagree with OP. We did the land tour to Denali and Mt McKinley Lodge. Loved everything about it. The train was wonderful. Yes, the accommodation isn’t luxury but it was good and we had a couple of lovely meals. Also love the Captain Cook in Anchorage…great hotel with wonderful dining.

[Ombud]

Welcome to Cruise Critic @Polopup it is unfortunate that you were disappointed in the lodgings and time to get from point A to point B

 

I read the thread to see if anyone pointed this out: Alaska is 663,300 square miles of rugged terrain and primarily rustic lodging (personal opinion based on past experiences). 19 lower states could fit into it. Since you're from California a comparison that might put it into focus: Alaska is

"4.3 times wider (east to west) and 2.1 times taller (north to south) than California."

Yeah, not only would it be reasonable to take time to get around but there's a whole bunch of the state that isn't hugging the coast. Frankly, I prefer land-based only trips there for that reason 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, catgirl411 said:

Completely disagree with OP. We did the land tour to Denali and Mt McKinley Lodge. Loved everything about it. The train was wonderful. Yes, the accommodation isn’t luxury but it was good and we had a couple of lovely meals. Also love the Captain Cook in Anchorage…great hotel with wonderful dining.

 

The server on the train made me his "Moosey Mary"

 

 

 

 

[TRLD]

When we did our one cruise tour it was during a record heatwave with 95 degree weather in fairbanks.

 

The trains are not exactly built for those temperatures.

 

On the segment from Talkeetna to Denali the air conditioner went out in our dome car.  The only way to try and get any cooling into the car was to have someone hold the doors open at each end.  We refer to that train ride as baked Alaska.

[VaCruzers]

We took an Alaskan cruisetour May 2023. It included 2 nights at Princess Fairbanks Lodge, 2 at Princess Denali Lodge and 2 at Princess McKinley Lodge. We added three additional nights in Fairbanks ahead of the cruisetour actually starting. We enjoyed the days prior to the cruisetour when we weren't bound to the tour's schedule. We rented a car and visited North Pole, Running Reindeer Ranch, Museum of the North, Morris Thompson Cultural Center, the large animal research station, the AK pipeline and more before turning in our car the night before the cruisetour began. The lodges were certainly acceptable although our room at Denali was blazing hot as there is no A/C. We were part of the first cruisetour of the season so everything was just opening and not all staff had arrived or been trained for the lodges and restaurants. This led to exceptionally slow service in lodge restaurants. Luckily, in Fairbanks we were able to eat offsite since we had a car. We also walked across the street from the lodge at Denali for lunch one day. We traveled by bus from Fairbanks to Denali and again by bus from Denali to Mount McKinley. We traveled by train from Talkeetna (for McKinley Lodge) to Whittier to board the Sapphire Princess. Our train ride was about 6 hours if I remember correctly. We shared a sandwich and had a couple drinks, chatted with our travel companions, and watched for wildlife/scenery. The portion through Turnagin Arm was absolutely stunning! Would I visit AK again? Absolutely! Would I take a cruisetour again? Not very likely! For us, it was the the inability to do whatever we pleased at our own pace and being held to a specific schedule combined with the slow service which prevented us from being able to do as much as we may have liked. There was also a lot of wait time, especially the last morning before we were taken by bus to the train. If our desire to return to AK outweighs other destinations on our bucket list, I'd absolutely plan it on our own to allow for seeing and doing what we want on our timeframe, which would not include setting luggage out in a hallway by 7 am!

 

Having shared my experience and thought process, I trust fellow forum members will kindly respect my opinion as I try to do for others. 

[jean-lynd]

On 3/20/2024 at 4:40 PM, Sea Hag said:

So far, we've only done one cruisetour, and it was great. Room we had at the Denali lodge wasn't spectacular, but it was perfectly comfortable. Our room at the Copper River lodge had a spectacular view and was perfectly comfortable. This works for me. I would do the same one again like a shot if we could leave our cat for that long. As it is, I'm very much looking forward to the short cruisetour we have coming up in August, the one that goes to Brooks Falls for bear watching. We have two nights at the Captain Cook included in this tour, and I'm more than fine with that. I like the Captain Cook.

We are doing the same cruisetour in July. I can't wait!

[Sea Hag]

1 minute ago, jean-lynd said:

We are doing the same cruisetour in July. I can't wait!

You and me too! Every year, I watch the bear cam of them feeding at Brooks Falls. This has been on my list of things to try to do for a long time, and I'm really happy that it's now possible to do on a cruisetour.

[jean-lynd]

13 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

You and me too! Every year, I watch the bear cam of them feeding at Brooks Falls. This has been on my list of things to try to do for a long time, and I'm really happy that it's now possible to do on a cruisetour.

Same - I have been watching since 2016! When I saw this cruisetour I knew I had to do it! I sure hope Otis shows up again this year!

[Sea Hag]

9 minutes ago, jean-lynd said:

Same - I have been watching since 2016! When I saw this cruisetour I knew I had to do it! I sure hope Otis shows up again this year!

It would be great if he showed up while we're there!

[Paula_MacFan]

22 hours ago, Vagabond Knight said:

On our previous cruises, we spent almost every waking hour on our aft balcony with only quick trips inside for food and drink... no shows, no trivia, no dance lessons, no comedy club... and found the experience to be amazing. For us, it's all about the views, and to be able to combine that with time on a train makes it even better.

That is how we spent our last cruise to Alaska as well 🙂  We are all about the nature and scenery.  Could not care less about shows, trivia, etc when it comes to Alaska.  We do enjoy the naturalist presentations though.  We have another aft balcony booked for our upcoming cruisetour this year too.

Edited March 23 by Paula_MacFan

[jean-lynd]

2 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

It would be great if he showed up while we're there!

True - the latest he has ever showed up is July 22 - we will be there on July 21 so I hope he is a little early!

[Rudy888]

On 3/20/2024 at 5:37 PM, Polopup said:

If you're considering book a cruisetour for Alaska this year just skip it and go on a cruise only.  Princess handles the Alaska cruises just fine.  Adding a land tour on to your cruise is an absolute waste of money. 

 

Here are the problems I experienced (that sucked so bad I almost never want to cruise again)

 

1) The "Lodges" are nothing of the sorts.  They are like staying in a 3 star best western, perhaps doublewide might be better.  They are NOTHING like a lodge or cabin style accomodations.  Woefully dissapointed on the lodging.  I've stayed in better Motel 6.

 

2) The bus transportation is slow and you don't "see" any more Alaska than you do on a regular Alaska cruise.

 

3) The train from Whittier up to Denali is 9 hours and I think being in solitary confinement in a prison would be better.

 

All in all it was one of the worst experiences up my life.  Don't do it.  Yes, a Princess cruise to Alaska is great, but adding a land portion and making it a landtour with overnight stays was terrible.

 

And you can see "all" of what Alaska is in an Alaska cruise only!!!

 

We did the cruisetour last year. The best part was the land portion. We cruised Alaska some 18 years ago. We felt the ports no longer felt like Akaska. They felt like the Carrebean, Diamonds Inter, etc. 

The lodges were great. These are not resorts they are Lodges. We were in 5 lodges over 10 days. Most rooms were basic. In general the common areas were great. The food in all was great. Most were in great locations. The bus trips were long but they stopped every few hours. The train, OH the scenery,  that is what we came for and what we saw on the cruisetour.

We were unable to visit Skagway and that may have changed our minds on the cruise portion. I would do the land portion again but not the cruise.

 

 

 

 

[SCX22]

I guess I'm spoiled with being from the San Francisco Bay Area.  Drive a few hours north we have Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and Lake Tahoe, amongst a few.  Drive a few hours south, we have Yosemite, Mono Lake, Sequoia National Park.  Might not have the moose or glaciers but IMO, even more beautiful and scenic than Alaska.  There's more to California than Disneyland and the metropolitan areas.

 

Alaska is fine.  I only cruise there because it's relatively cheap.  Denali was nice, but I'm really not itching to go there again.

[Vagabond Knight]

45 minutes ago, Rudy888 said:

We were unable to visit Skagway and that may have changed our minds on the cruise portion. I would do the land portion again but not the cruise.

 

Oh, what a shame! ☹️ Skagway is our favorite port stop. It has an adorable historic downtown, it's where you board the White Pass & Yukon Pass Route Railway, and we love Skagway Brewing Company for their beer, their food, and their friendly and fun employees.  Maybe you can get an inexpensive R/T cruise out of Seattle sometime so you can experience this fun little town.

[Vagabond Knight]

1 hour ago, Rudy888 said:

We cruised Alaska some 18 years ago. We felt the ports no longer felt like Akaska. They felt like the Carrebean, Diamonds Inter, etc. 

 

Agree on this. My husband and I feel like the cruise lines have pretty much ruined many of the port cities (at least the portions of those cities nearest to the port), taking away what made each of them unique, and in the Caribbean they've stripped most of the true local culture and turned it into a generic caricature of Caribbean culture. We find it rather sad when we take a local tour and the guide tells us that their primary industry is tourism. Some of the islands that used to have big sugar cane (and other agricultural product) plantations, rum factories, and other industries, have let them go by the wayside in favor of tourism. The sad thing is, once you turn all the islands into nothing but rubber stamped, built-up tourist destinations, they're much less interesting to visit. It gets to the point of, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all," and people who cruise a lot are less likely to get off the ship.  But I digress.  Back to the "horrors" and joys of Alaskan cruisetours...  😁

[Ombud]

8 hours ago, VaCruzers said:

... the inability to do whatever we pleased at our own pace and being held to a specific schedule combined with the slow service which prevented us from being able to do as much as we may have liked. ...

Yep. 1000% Some places are just better off as land based trips. 

[nasa1974]

We did an Alaska cruisetour twice. Our very first cruise was Alaska.

Anyway. We stopped in Skagway both times and the one thing I will always remember about Skagway is this sign. No, we didn't try the pizza. 😃