dolfndreams

We used the luggage drop at Barrachina's last year and it worked great. They have a room off to the side of the restaurant with a jar for dropping in some money for holding the luggage. I can't remember if it stated a price, but we dropped in some money when we picked up the bag. No one was there watching the luggage so not absolutely secure but probably as much as a hotel bell desk.

And of course had a Pina Colada just to support them which was wonderful. Worked very well to have a spot for the bags for a few hours before leaving to the airport.

Money no object, Aft wrap in a heartbeat. Had a chance to have one twice and absolutely loved it. They are amazing.

Trying a Cove in January but if a wrap was offered I jump on it:D

I've done this three times :) I find it a great day on St. Kitts. I always book through their site and do the plantation tour with a island tour.

The taxi pickeds up at the port and drives you to Clay Villa where you are greeted by Phillip and taken on a walking tour of the house and grounds.

Very eclectic collections from everywhere in the world throughout the plantation and beautiful garden with lots of eclectic statuary. Fun tour with fabulous rum punch at the end. Then the taxi takes you on a 2 hr island tour. Very enjoyable.

The price is great for the tour of Clay villa w/ taxi tour of the island and was given the option of having a private tour or with others for the same price so taxi/tour great price for private tour.

Trying to figure out something else to do since I have done it 3 times when we go in January but actually not finding anything else that appeals so may actually do it again taking a different land tour.

Thanks so much for taking the time for such a detailed review, taking a similar way next year. And your photo's are stunning

Thanks

Nan

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Happy planning:)

You get to keep them; have a nice collection :)

Not sure on when the assign rooms, I'm a bit to picky to chance it although I have heard various answers up to pretty close to the sail date. I'm sure someone will come along who knows a bit more on that.

Doing this one next year, looking forward to the review.

Thanks:)

I have gotten on around 11a or 12 if I remember right. Then you can get back off and explore Old San Juan.

I'm assuming you are referring to the Fox Island with National Park tour?

 

But, this far off, I would still be open, and not worrying about firming up itinerary plans. A LOT can happen in a year, the more you research.

 

I'm on the Noordam this Saturday.

Yes I was looking at the 8 1/2 hr tour National park tour with Kenai Fjords, are they as good a option as Major Marine?

I'm following the posts and reading up everywhere on Alaska. Lots of fun and staying open. I can see lots of trips in my future, but following your general adavice that the excursions are the focus. If I need to change to a lesser room (Balcony now) I will. Excursions first, room later.

Now I have the basic route planned the excursions are wide open. Been following your advice to others for a long time and appreciate it. You are one of the reasons I finally caved and decided to do the DIY option. Very excited now but lots of time before things firm up for sure.

Enjoy your cruise; wish I was there:)

Thanks to Mapleleave... Now for 15 months to go by:D

Thanks Mapleleaves for the itinerary suggestion. Definitely more workable but still open to suggestions

8/21 fly into Anchorage - drive to Talkeetna; stop Eklutna spirit house/ orthodox church- flight if weather permits or in am.

Denali Fireside cabin 1 night

8/22 Talkeetna - Summit flight - if not night before

drive to Denali pick up shuttle tickets- drive first 15 miles Denali ; ? hike Savage river

Healey Heights cabin (Willow) 2 nights

8/23: Denali - Eilson shuttle

8/24- Sled dog demo - drive to Girdwood area. (another chance to flight see since drive past Talkeetna)

Hidden Creek bnb booked 2 nights

relax check options once there - Alaska Conservation center/gold panning?

8/25 Whittier - Prince William Sound surprise glacier cruise

8/26: drive to Seward; possible williwaw fish viewing platforms; wildlife conservation center on way to Seward.

Lost creek cabin booked 2 nights

8/27: Kenai fjord to fox island cruise (today or tomorrow depending on weather)

8/28: Cruise begins 8 pm check local options - sealife center, ranger walk Exit glacier

Noordam sailing

8/29 sea day

8/30 Glacier bay

8/31: Haines Chilkat eagle preserve float for relaxing day or Skagway train

9/1: Juneau Whale watch tour /Mendenhall

9/2; Ketchikan: Island wings floatplane; bus to totem bight

9/3: Inside passage cruising

9/4: Debark Vancouver; hertz car touring /Air bnb that night

Fly home

Homer sounds beautiful. I'll look at it. I have read a couple of othermentions of Homer but hadn't looked at it yet.

It is definitely is sounding like a return trip is happening in the future. What a amazing place. The possibilities are endless there.

Thanks so much both Of you. This does give me a chance to be more realistic. I'll definitely look at this itinerary option it looks great.

Downtime I can do at home right:)

I live in a desert also and am thrilled to be going back to cooler Alaska in June 2016. We did an after-cruise DIY in early June 2012 and focused on Turnagain Arm, Seward, and the Matanuska Valley. There are so many great stops on Turnagain Arm that going down it twice was wonderful. We had lots of rain!

We chose not to include Denali but that will be our focus in 2016 so decided on a pre-cruise tour as DH does not want to drive the distances it would take.

Isn't it a amazing contrast. I did a cruise many years ago and fell in love with Alaska on the excursions I did. Truly amazing.

Enjoy the pre-cruise tour. I was doing the same but.....figured I can always go back and try the cruise tour if it ends up being miserable; which I can't imagine.

I wish I had a driver also but if we have a comfortable night spot where I can relax I think it will go well. My biggest concern was lodging on the fly and Definitely don't want to drive a RV so tings started looking good when I found places that I wanted to stay.

I want to come back and do the train version, but really want to try the stop at will version first.

I

- Talkeetna is the popular spot for Denali flightseeing. Talkeetna is closer to Mt McKinley so less time is spent flying TO the mountain which gives you more time to fly AROUND the mtn.

- the Hertz car rental seems quite low. Are you sure they included the drop off fee?

- sounds like you have lodging secured already, so does that mean the itinerary is locked in?

My sister works for hertz so I get the family discount. It is substantial. I thank her regularly and ask her not to quit.

I can change the Anchorage Airbnb, although they seem pretty great and very cheap.

The Seward Cabin is pretty locked in.

Haven't heard back from Denali but hoping I will since her spot looks excellent.

Thanks so much Mapleleaves and AlaskaB the distance and tunnel charts will help a lot in the planning. The stopping points link will be great. I'm looking forward to the driving almost as much as the excursions. I live in the desert and while it has its beauty there is something about the mountains that lights me up so will be worth the drive time I'm sure.

Yes Whittier was interest for the cruise so thanks for the Tunnel link, I was seeing the warning on that.

Actually I had been originally going to do a land tour and had some things planned in Fairbanks that sounded kind of fun, a bit kitchy but fun. The riverboat/Gold dredge and/or Chena hot springs but not committed to them and not really a issue with cutting out Fairbanks. I'll just have to visit it later starting from there. I suspect I'm going to be back:)

I wasn't sure about doing 2 days on the shuttles in Denali although having a option of doubling our chance to see wildlife might be worth it. My sister has some back issues so was a bit concerned about 2 days shuttling into Denali. Any other must do things to do in Denali aside from the shuttle? No problem cutting out the Fairbanks drive time and I do still want to do a flightseeing tour in Talkeetna, perhaps use that day to do that? Open to any suggestions.

Very open to changing my plans at this point but if the Denali spot to stay comes through looking forward to staying 3 days in a nice apt as a base to exploring. Would you suggest somewhere else to visit from Denali as a base (home would be about 1/4 mile from the entrance to Denali I think)

The dogs, not really interested as much in the cart as the working dogs so the free demos sounds great.

Seward I found a cabin I want to stay in so would need the car for that, could of course change and stay in town, but the cabin looks amazing and then I won't be worrying about getting to the Kenai cruise site etc and the cabin is lovely and I don't often have a chance to stay in that type of setting.

The car sounds ok after comparing it to the land tour portion, with all the housing/car/flight I still came in $900 under what the land tour was charging and we can cook in the cabin/apts so food costs will be less.

Reading the boards I've been convinced to try the DIY drive. Found a decent rate for car rental Anchorage/dropping in Seward $675.00

Found some great Airbnb /Homeaway options. Just early planning so no specifics on excursions yet; but would it work to do base in these three places and drive to different options.

Anchorage Aug 21-23: (arrive afternoon the 21st). Is Prince william sound at Whittier drivable from Anchorage? for 22nd. Drive to Denali 23.

(Would like to do the McKinley summit flight can I drive to it from Anchorage or better from Denali?)

Denali 23-26. Perhaps arrival day do a Denali tour huskey homestead or one of the other shorter ones. One day use to drive to Fairbanks/ 1 day Denali shuttle at minimum to Eilson. Drive to Seward 26th (is the drive Denali to seward doable or do I need a night to split it up on the way?)

Seward 27-28: Kenai glacier cruise to fox island, still exploring other options. Leave on cruise 28th 8pm

Just rough draft but is this doable?

Sorry noticed you already said you checked cruise documents after posting; deleted pst.

Just back from my third time and each time I worry about the loungers (for the cruisers only one section available and the loungers are in poor condition.

However I have to say had a great time and the snorkeling there was the best we had all of our stops. Be sure to have your snorkel gear if you like that sort of thing. I think there is some to rent also.

We did luck into a lounger towards the end of the 2 hr stay but they were missing part of the slats. We made it work especially since we spent most of the time snorkeling. Again beautiful snorkeling with lots of fish and different corals.

One hint is to definitely have water shoes here. There is a very rocky entry as I discovered my first time visiting; a much better experience when you aren't wincing all the way into the water.

Have fun

Just walking Old San Juan is fun in itself. But on past trips

I have done the Segway tour 3 times, love it. Also did the food tour one year and really had a great time, I think it was the Flavors of San Juan although the other food tour has great reviews also. Considered doing another food tour this year it but decided to eat at Barrachina's instead to try their Pina Colada's I've heard so much about and see their free Flamenco show instead this year.

This year decided to do something different since I already had done the stroll the streets and we are doing a tour with archtours a architect who gets great reviews and does a history tour of Old San Juan. Looking forward to a bit more in depth perspective.

(yes I love this itinerary leaving in a week for #4 taking another sister with me this time:D)

I agree. The times I have done the spa have been the specials. They have some great ones especially port days.

Definitely haven't seen prices higher booking on board and never had a problem getting a appointment even though I had excursions on port days.

Personally if I had a choice I would skip the volcano. Basically flats with sulfer bubbles on occasion. It was pretty underwhelming.

It was a larger chunk of time they might be able to add to the beach time.

Agree with emailing Clay Villa, Phillip is great and he will help you with the taxi costs.

Great tour. I've done it twice and am taking another sister there this year along with the island tour.

I'm sure they don't mind anyone just doing taxi to and from. You need a appointment anyway since it is a private home so he would need to know you were coming anyway.

If they have the onboard sign desk up it will give you on board credit which is a plus over scheduling on the site.

I scheduled a 7 day and got $100 on board credit with 2 vouchers for friends and family if they booked the same cruise for $100 each.

Great pics, some angles I haven't seen before. Makes me want to go to Cristobal. For some reason haven't made it there yet.

Love your pics details some angles I haven't seen before. Especially love the sunset fountain pic, hadn't thought to try that before.

Looking forward to the rest of the islands.

Back on the Valor for this itinerary in January. Always happy to see a new review, looking forward to the rest.