Mountaineer0313

To go along with my other topic on travel logistics between Seward and Denali, where is a great place to stay near Denali? We will have from the afternoon of September 1st until evening of September 4th (flight leaves at 6 am on September 5th, so ideally we'd like to be back in an Anchorage hotel room the night of the 4th). We are a couple, will be 37 and 41 at time of travel. We will have a vehicle. We want clean, comfy, preferably something with a fantastic view. I know that we cannot drive into Denali on our own, so I'm researching bus trips that will take us, but we also want to explore the rest of the area. We are not hikers or fishers, again, great scenery, great food, wildlife, local shops, etc. We also don't mind driving. We drove to Homer and back from Moose Pass on the same day just to go to the spit, have lunch, and go shopping. So we don't have to be right beside Denali if there's better lodging options further away.

As of yet, there are no transfers listed to the Airport except one that includes a wildlife cruise and lunch, then a bus to the airport. Which, again, wastes a whole day. I'll check the bus schedule and see if there's a bus transfer from Seward to Anchorage that will get me there quickly and early.

It just depends on if you're the type of person who wants to sit on a bus with a bunch of other people or if you want to be able to pull over on a whim and look at the scenery. Because there's a lot. We added about 3 hours onto our drive just from stopping, then continued on past Emerald Lake and found Lewes Lake, which was absolutely beautiful. No way to get there by bus, as it's on a 4 x 4 trail out in the middle of absolute nowhere.

lol, yep. We've done it twice. And we'll probably do it again this year when we're there.

We disembark on September 1 in Seward. Our flight home from Anchorage isn't until September 5th. Since we've done the Kenai Peninsula twice, I'd like to head more interior to Denali. I already checked for rental cars that could be picked up in Seward and returned in Anchorage, that's a no go, none available for one way. The train from Seward to Anchorage on the day we disembark doesn't leave til 6 pm, with 10 pn arrival in Anchorage, which means we lose an entire day. Any ideas for the best way to do this from seasoned Alaska travelers?

Say what? Seward is a great little town with lots to do and see.

Neither. Rent a car and drive yourself. We've done it twice and it's fantastic.

There are none. Seward and Anchorage are it. We flew into Anchorage, took the train to Seward the next morning, picked up our rental car there, then backtracked to Moose Pass where we had a cabin rented for 4 days prior to our cruise. On the day the cruise left, we just dropped the car off in Seward and then they dropped us off at the ship.

They are pricey, but well worth it. We have another Alaska tripped planned this year, but I wear them here at home in West Virginia too. Unless you live in a southern or tropical climate, there's no reason that Xtratufs have to just be for Alaska. They work well just about anywhere.

Of your ports, you will want to whale watch in Juneau. I recommend Jayleen's Alaska.

Hmm. I've never heard of that happening in my life. It's certainly never happened to me.

See my above post. I did not think the rules didn’t apply to me because I did not know CBD products were banned until I read this post. I brought my CBD cream with me on our last cruise, packed in its original bottle, and it sat on the counter in the bathroom for the whole 7 days. I was simply telling the OP that in all likelihood, it would not get flagged. They can make their own decisions on packing it 🤷‍♀️

How? I’ve never had a problem booking anything specific.

if CBD had any actual drugs in it, then no. I had my CBD lotion with me in September. I did not read the list of prohibited items, so I packed it, in its original tube, and it sat on the bathroom counter the entire cruise.

Furthermore, if it's a cream or oil, put it in a clear container, which is perfectly legal and will not be questioned, and go about your day. No one opened and inspected my myriad clear plastic bottles full of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner.

A CBD cream or roll on will not be flagged on the ships x-ray scanners if it's just packed it your toiletries bag in your suitcase, so I wouldn't worry about it.

In 2018, my husband and I were also mid 30s and planning our first cruise to Alaska. I planned the whole thing from start to finish with no expense spared because I assumed we would only go once. We are booked for our third next August 🤷‍♀️ So, first cruise in 2018, was the last week of August into the first few days of September. We sailed on RCCL Radiance of the Seas northbound out of Vancouver. We stayed one night prior in Vancouver and our ports were Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Icy Strait Point. In Ketchikan we did the Wilderness Exploration and crab feast, which was phenomenal. In Juneau we went whale watching with Jayleen. In skagway we rented a car and drove to Emerald Lake, which I will recommend to everyone until I die. And in Icy Strait we didn't have an excursion and we should have because the port is very boring. We had really REALLY great weather the whole time. It only rained once, in Juneau, but it was warm and didn't bother us a bit. Post cruise, we stayed for 2 nights at the Alyeska resort in Girdwood before flying home from Anchorage. Fast forward to this year, we did southbound from Seward on Celebrity Millennium and we flew into Anchorage on monday night, September 5th. Early tuesday morning we took the gold star dome train to Seward, picked up our rental car, and then backtracked an hour to Moose Pass where we stayed 3 nights at Summit Lake Lodge in a lakefront cabin. If I could have moved in and never left, I would have. We'll be going back here for sure. Now, we are not hikers so we spent a lot of time sightseeing, but the Kenai peninsula is one of my favorite places on earth, and you can't even try to fit in seeing everything there is to see into a short vacation. The cruise portion of this trip left from Seward on that Friday, and it went to the same ports as the first cruise. In Juneau and Skagway we did the same things we did the first time, whale watching with Jayleen (because I adore her and we'll go out on her boat every time we visit), and rented a 4 x 4 Jeep in Skagway and drove past Emerald Lake. In Icy Strait we went whale watching with Glacier Wind and it was awesome. In Ketchikan we took a float plane to a lake in the middle of the Tongass national monument and it was MAGICAL. Complete awe inspiring beauty. There was more rain on this trip, but nothing that hindered us from doing what we wanted to do, and the temperature was still pleasant during the day. Next year, we're going the last week of August into the beginning of September, on Radiance again. Northbound, but this time instead of Ketchikan, we'll be going to Sitka, which I am very excited about. I haven't booked anything yet (except whale watching with Jayleen), and I haven't decided on pre or post cruise lodging or length of stays, but basically what I'm saying is, plan on going to alaska, and then plan on going back lol.

I will not book tours through the cruise line or a broker. The independent tour companies lose money on that. I have always booked directly with the tour company and have never had an issue.

How long do you have? We flew into Anchorage late at night, spent the night in Anchorage. Bright and early the next morning we took the Gold Star dome train to Seward, picked up our rental car, and stayed the next 3 nights at Summit Lake Lodge in Moose Pass, which is about an hour outside of Seward. Highly highly recommend.

I've been whale watching twice in Juneau, both times on small, 6 person vessels, and it was not rough, at least not in my opinion. But I don't get seasick. And yes, we saw many MANY whales.

On our first trip, I mostly wore my tennis shoes. I bought a pair of 15 inch Xtratuf boots before our last trip and that's the only thing I ended up wearing. Totally waterproof, I could wade into shallow water, slip proof on the deck of the ship or boats we were taking excursions on. They're my absolute favorite boot now and I'm really glad I bought them.

Yes, we've been to Alaska twice, once the last week of August into first week of Sept, and once mid September, and neither time did we see a single mosquito and the colors were beautiful.

Firstly, if you're going to Alaska and not doing a whale watch tour, you're missing out. We actually went on two separate ones last time we went, in Juneau and Icy Strait. That being said, if it's just because you're not into seeing ocean wildlife, then don't do it.

See above ^

I love this idea. We actually have a friend from our state, and former coworker, who lives in Nome, after moving to Alaska about 12 years ago. And right now I'm trying to convince my brother and his girlfriend, who are avid birders, to go with us, so this would be totally up their alley.