cruise cancelled

[trimixdvr]

well my cruise aboard the empress on the 23rd was cancelled today, we already had a week land tour before the cruise, so we left our flights as is and added a week to the land tour, going to be able to do denali now for 3 days, and snuck into brooks for a couple days so not a total wash...got a full refund, airfair reimbursed and a 25% discount ona future cruise so not feeling to bad at the moment, going to have a few nights in anchorage. Looking for a very nice hotel any recomendations?

[RCCLismyfav]

Why was it cancelled?

[qiangf2]

what happened?

[Yukon]

The Empress of the North hit a rock near Juneau in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago.

[usavvy2]

Go to tripadvisor.com and do a search on Anchorage hotels for the period you need as many hotels will already be booked for the 2007 summer. You can read the reviews folks write and decide based on all the feedback you read.

 

this year we're staying at SpringHills Suites 7/14 (~$160), then Comfort Inn Ship Creek 7/21 (~$200 but the guys wanna fish one last day), then Courtyard Apt. Marriott 7/24 (~$200). Last year I think we stayed at Hampton Inn and two years prior we stayed at a Hilton or Marriott property (I forget which).

[Chenega]

The Empress of the North hit a rock near Juneau in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago.

 

According to today's Anchorage Daily News (http://www.adn.com), the Empress has to go to the lower 48 for repairs. Sad that so many vacations were ruined.

[Poconolady]

We saw her last Thursday in a repair dock in Ketchikan, We couldn't see the damage from the pier, but she seemed to be listing to the side a little

[fti]

well my cruise aboard the empress on the 23rd was cancelled today, we already had a week land tour before the cruise, so we left our flights as is and added a week to the land tour, going to be able to do denali now for 3 days, and snuck into brooks for a couple days so not a total wash...got a full refund, airfair reimbursed and a 25% discount ona future cruise so not feeling to bad at the moment, going to have a few nights in anchorage. Looking for a very nice hotel any recomendations?

 

Great that you could get to Brooks Falls at this late date, though that is barely the start of the peak season for bears.

 

Check hotwire.com for hotels - some people have reported some good deals for May arrivals but June/July might be sold out for their best deals. Otherwise, comb various websites for hotel deals. If the price is the same, book directly on the hotel's own website. Often there are benefits for doing so (freq guest club benefits for example - and you often don't even need to be a "frequent" guest - just enrolled in their program).

 

Being at Denali for 3 days (or 3 nights?) is something you won't regret. I always stay there at least 3 nights but then I love riding the shuttle buses and hiking. Note that if you pay for the shuttle bus for 2 days, you get a third day free. You also might want to check into the Discovery Hikes that rangers lead. Check when you first arrive since they usually book up a day in advance.

[trimixdvr]

Thanks for the info.

 

Brooks, I'm going to halo bay for a couple days as well so no biggie if bears are not abundant shoud see some either/or. I plan to do some fly fishing at brooks and understand it may be a ggod time for that.

 

Denali we are going to do a summit flight, and the natural history tour. The rest of the time we hope to do a little hiking and bumming around. We now have a 16 day land tour, homer, seward, whittier, aleyaska, anchorage, brooks, denali, juneau with allot of things planned at each location so should be a good one.

[fti]

Thanks for the info.

 

Brooks, I'm going to halo bay for a couple days as well so no biggie if bears are not abundant shoud see some either/or. I plan to do some fly fishing at brooks and understand it may be a ggod time for that.

 

Denali we are going to do a summit flight, and the natural history tour. The rest of the time we hope to do a little hiking and bumming around. We now have a 16 day land tour, homer, seward, whittier, aleyaska, anchorage, brooks, denali, juneau with allot of things planned at each location so should be a good one.

 

That sounds great going to both Brooks and Hallo Bay.

 

May I give a suggestion regarding Denali? Cancel the Natural History Tour. Do you really know what you get with that? Basically a little commentary along with a bus you could take for free to mile 15 (Savage River). To really experience the park, you need to go MUCH further than that. You have to go to Fish Creek or Wonder Lake to see the scenery and wildlife. It might cost you another $4/person to change but that will be the best $16 you ever spent. Plus, the shuttle bus will cost you WAY less than the NHT so you will actually get money back and have a much better experience.

 

The NHT has been described by Budget Queen as going to Disney World and only getting to the parking lot. Unfortunately it is MUCH worse that that. At Disney World, at least from the parking lot you realize a lot of what you are missing 'cause you can see the rides from the parking lot. At Denali, taking the NHT, you really have no clue what you are missing, and that is the sad part.

 

John

[trimixdvr]

thanks for the info, will definately do that. Got a room and dimond center for the 2 nights well be staying in anchorage...not back to back, ine when we leave seward for anchorage to depart for brooks, and the other when we return from brooks, the night before we leave for denali...thanks for the help

[fti]

thanks for the info, will definately do that. Got a room and dimond center for the 2 nights well be staying in anchorage...not back to back, ine when we leave seward for anchorage to depart for brooks, and the other when we return from brooks, the night before we leave for denali...thanks for the help

 

Out of curiosity, when will you be in Anchorage? I am there the night of 5 July after Denali (at Denali July 2-5 <3 nights>).

 

Look at www.nps.gov/dena and/or www.reservedenali.com for info on the shuttle buses - times, etc. Generally the further you can get into the park, the better.

 

John

[trimixdvr]

be in anchorage the 24th and 28th