Pre Cruise Land Tour

[TeachKinde]

DH and I are thinking we'd like to do a land tour before our cruise. Is it better to just book the cruise line's land tour package or is it better to tailor our own? We want to go to Denali but other than that we are open to suggestions. He's big on bird watching, I'm big on reading and watching the world go by. We both like to hike but easy ones. ;0

 

Thanks to all for your insight!

 

Bev

[GMoney]

You will get lots of opinions on this, but having planned my own 2 week land tour in 2007, and being in the middle of planning another for 2008, I would strongly encourage you to go the independent route.

 

I was happy I made that choice for the following reasons:

 

> Flexibility in planning

> Ability to tailor my time to exactly what I wanted to do

> Complete control over my vacation

> No wasting time waiting for others

 

The independent route does carry more responsibility:

> You have to be willing to read, research and plan

> You have to ask lots of questions

> You have to know cancellation policies

> You need back-up plans for your plans

 

Cruise tours aren't bad; they just aren't for me. They are going to take you where they want to go, and there's nothing you can do on a cruise tour that you can't do independently, often for less money, for longer times, with fewer people.

 

It would be impossible to start suggesting itineraries. I would start by reading old posts here, looking at standard tour books, and then figuring out what you want to do and how much time you have. Then come back and ask questions here. I planned 75% of my 2007 trip based on CC advice and it worked out great.

[agabbymama]

I disagree with GMoney and Budget Queen on the value of a cruisetour, but it really depends on what you want. I have done bus tours in the past, England, Australia, and around the U.S. and I love them. They schlep your luggage, as well as have you where sights are, know what the sights are in the area, get you to the hotel, everything is organized for you. Yes you are with approx 40 other people on the bus, but it's fun getting to know everyone (the same as on the cruise). I still correspond and visit a friend in Australia that I met on the tour bus in England 20 years ago.

 

The tour director on the coach is there if you have any problems, go to him/her and it is taken care of. You are pre-registered at all hotels, the TD gets the keys and hands them to you as you get off the bus. No hassles for you to sign in, or even go to the front desk for anything.

 

You look at the different tour packages and decide which one meets your needs, wants, things you want to see and do. I like HAL, and chose their Cruisetour #1 Yukon Wilderness. I had done the Inside Passage in 2000, so wanted to see a little more of the Interior and the Yukon as I always think of the Klondike and the Yukon as part of Alaska from old movies, etc.

 

We were only on the ship for 3 days, then 8 days on land. We left the ship in Skagway and went up the Yukon Whitepass Railway to the Yukon. It was great! About the only thing I would change (if I had more vacation time) would have been to select the longer cruisetour that stays 2 nights at each location. We only stayed 2 nights at Dawson City and loved it. Whitehorse, Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, and Tok were only 1 night stays. While they were nice, we didn't really get to see a lot of the towns, whereas in Dawson City we were there the next day to really walk around and enjoy the city itself, not just pass through.

 

And they make plenty of stops along the way. I think we ended up stopping for one reason or another about every 1 1/2 hours. There is a restroom on the coach, but never had to use it, as we were always stopping somewhere that had restrooms to use. We only had about 5 meals included, mostly lunches. The second thing I would have changed, is I would have purchased their meal plan. It was $300 pp and I thought we could eat cheaper than that, but that ended up not being the case. Food was very expensive everywhere we went. All the hotels had restaurants, but breakfasts ran $15, lunch about $25 and dinner was around $25-35. There were a few fast food restaurants, but never open when we were there. Submarine sandwiches at Denali were even $12.

 

I think each person has to make their own decision as to whether they want to go independent or on a cruisetour. I only had 10 vacation days, so I would have had to be up early each morning and on the go, and I still don't think I would have been able to cover the ground that we covered in that timeframe. Our tour guide told us we covered over 1800 miles in the 11 days. There could have been no leisurely driving and exploring. And the hotels/motels/B&Bs were just as expensive as the hotels included on the cruisetour, and I felt more comfortable knowing I would be at a reputable hotel if HAL owned it.

 

So if you want to do all the research, reservations, trip planning (which is a lot of work or TAs wouldn't make the money they do), go for it. If you want to let a tour company take care of all the planning, and you just enjoy the ride, then do that. Just be aware of what you are buying.

 

Alaska is the prize, and you will enjoy the trip immensely, no matter which way you decide to see it. Have a great trip!

[NancyIL]

There are places where I'd take an organized tour and places where I think they aren't necessary. I would LOVE to go on one of Rick Steves' bus tours in Europe. If I were considering going where agabbymama went on her cruisetour - I would be very tempeted to let HAL handle that as well. But if you're just talking about going to Denali for a few days and perhaps Seward - nope...it's not difficult to plan that independently.

[stan wood]

You have three great responses that will probably confuse you more. I think it depends on your own personal situation. I would consider the time you have, the money you want to spend, and what you want to do.

 

One thing I would consider is that this is still December. You still have time to consider all of the options. We spent 8 days in 2006 and had no problems. We rented a car in Anchorage and went to Denali for 2 days and then spent the rest of the time on the Kenai Peninsula. There is more than enough information on this site for you to create a perfect vacation.

 

The one big advantage to doing your own trip is that you can stop when tired or do something suggested by one of the locals or someone you meet up there. There is so much to see and do.

 

Why not research for a few weeks and then make your decision. Check out prices for your time period and then do what's best for your needs. If I had to do it again, I would go on my own. The ability to pull over and take a picture when I wanted to was worth any of the problems encountered. If you do your research, you will know what to expect. There are great books at the library and the internet can probably answer the majority of your questions.

 

Whatever you decide, take some time to make your decision so that you don't regret it later. A few hours behind the computer will lead to a great time this summer.

[qiangf2]

When I went abroad, I took organized tour because of language and culture barrier. But the price from organized tour is much cheaper than doing it myself. However, i have to put up with all those shopping excursions they sneaked in the package. But Alaska is still in US. A lot of good information is available through the internet and best of all, Cruisecritic. So it won't be too difficult to plan your own. I also found self tour within US is also cheaper than going through tour operators.

[Budget Queen]

No, I never do bus tours/group tours. I have in the past- definately not for me.

 

You have good advice above, about doing some homework. It is simple, to go on your own in Alaska, and this board provides excellent factual, accurate information.

 

I have gone to all the above areas listed above in the Yukon cruisetour, Independent, plus many more Alaska areas. Again, simple to go where you wish, if you want to consider independent.

 

With a birding interest- frankly you are going to be able to route far better on your own. Especially if you want to concentrate on sea birds- I would pile on the boat trips. :) There are very few cruisetours that offer time in Kenai Fjords and Denali Park, and some that do, are lacking in time necessary in my opinion.

 

Compare cruisetours, and look back on this board about the noted problems with this selection and avoid it, by choosing the right cruisetour to begin with- if that your choice of touring.