mapleleaves

since you're on the West Coast this probably isn't a one-time opportunity to visit Alaska. I'd look closely at the itineraries out of Seattle AND Vancouver. It's easy enough to fly into Seattle then take the train or bus to Vancouver if you find a superior RT itinerary.

And do the math ... compare all the costs involved in a one-way vs RT cruise (airfare, hotels, transfers, etc)

your ship might arrive at midnight but you won't be able to disembark until around 7am or so.

To reach Anchorage from Whittier you can take a cruise transfer, independent transfer, Alaska Railroad, Park Connection Bus, or Avis rental car. You exit Whittier thru a tunnel which is only open on the hour so timing is critical! Plan on 2 hrs at least for the drive so don't reserve an early flight. http://dot.alaska.gov/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml

 

From Anc it's a 5 hr drive to Denali. Basically you need 3 days to enjoy Denali; 1 day each way for travel time and a day for the shuttle into the park. It would certainly give you a different perspective on Alaska from the coastal scenery you saw during the cruise.

 

Its an enjoyable drive if you're willing to pay for the one-way car rental. Look at the Turnagain Arm drive and the Portage Valley/Whittier Tunnel Drives in this link,

http://www.alaska.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives

If the ship departs from Alaska it will be southbound, not northbound.

Do a little research to learn about your Alaska cruise options. There are a couple of books on Alaska cruising ... Ann Vipond has 'Alaska by cruiseship' and Fodors has 'Alaska Ports of Call'. Both books provide info on cruiselines, ships, ports, activities, excursions, etc. Maybe your library has them. Learn for yourself rather than rely solely on the TA. And ask the TA how many trips they have made to Alaska ... many have never been.

Your cheapest option would be RT out of Seattle or Vancouver,primarily because you'll get RT airfare. For a Vancouver sailing many people find it cheaper to fly into Seattle then take the train, bus or rental car to Vancouver.

I'd recommend an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay.

Another great resource... look at the STICKY above called 'Alaska cruise reports for 2013". Go to reply #45 where all the reports are grouped by cruiseline. The reports are very detailed so they provide lots of helpful information. Good luck!

I like late May, early June for the reasons LondonTowner stated. Plus it's the beginning of tourist season so vendors are relaxed, rested and ready for the vacationers.

Too early in May you might experience wet Spring like weather.

one more thing .... at Seatac you can stand in any TSA line, not just the one associated with your gate or airline. So if one line is really long, go to another. Which airline are you using? Some of the gates are a distance away and require a tram ride so be sure to give yourself the full 2 hrs. Good luck!

There's no guarantee what time your ship will dock or when you will be able to disembark. Here are the details; you can decide for yourself if it's within your comfort level:

The pier is about a 30 minute drive to the airport but give it 1 hr for road construction, city events, games, accidents, etc. You should be at the airport 2 hrs prior to your flight, so at least 8:50am.

If all goes perfectly, yes, you should make it. What would it cost you if you miss the flight tho?

If you're interested in a DIY land trip, visit the tripadvisor web site. Under the Top Questions, you'll find a RESOURCE thread with lots of helpful information and links. Also under Top Questions you;ll find a link to trip reports which are quite detailed and helpful.

And if you're planning to drive, buy The Milepost. You can buy an older edition on amazon for under $10. For each Alaska hwy it provides the milepost for gas stations, hotels, scenic views, parks, activities, etc.

Have fun planning!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

Would you not consider a DIY trip? As northern aurora pointed out, Alaska is easy enough to do on your own. Many of us have done so and multiple times. And as Donald said, DIY allows you to go where you want to go and at your own pace.

If you go to the STICKY above, called '2013 Alaska cruise reports' or something similar you'll find many detailed trip reports for Alaska. There are cruises, cruises with cruisetours and cruises with DIY land travel (by car, train, bus). Go to reply #45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline/ship.

Good luck with your plans.

options include: Amtrak Cascades train, Amtrak Cascades bus, Quick Coach, Bolt Bus, one-way car rental, or fly ( alaska/horizon air).

Be mindful of the arrival/departure locations as it may require a taxi to reach. ie in Seattle you might be dropped off downtown which is about 30 minutes north of the airport.

If you can't check in i'm sure there's storage available at the pier.

If not, you could always leave your luggage at the hotel desk and pick it up afterwards.

The Park Connection Bus has regular service twice a day. http://www.alaskacoach.com

 

Or try Seward Bus lines.

 

A private transfer might be cheaper for a group your size.

Either pier is about a 30 minute drive to Seatac airport, but I'd give it 1 hr to be safe due to road construction, downtown events, accidents,etc.

You should be at the airport 2 hrs prior to your flight so back into a safe time. 10am would be ok if you KNOW for sure that you can disembark at 7am. But there's no guarantee that will happen. 1:30 is good. Have b'fast then take a 10am shuttle to the airport.

(At Seatac you can use any TSA checkpoint so if the line is long for your gate, move to another line. When I flew out last Sunday one line was a 20 minute wait so I moved to another which was only 10 minutes. )

Yellow Cab and Stila Towncar have the airport contract so they have vehicles stationed at Seatac at all times:
[url]https://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/Parking-and-Transportation/Ground-Transportation/Pages/Taxis-and-Limos.aspx[/url]
Last summer Stila had a sign posted by their kiosk, $45 to downtown. You call them from baggage claim with your exit door # and they'll pick you up at the curb.

Pier 91 is about 5 miles north of the downtown core. A cab will cost about $20.

The reason people suggest 2 days in the park is because ... the more time you spend IN the park, the more opportunity there is to see wildlife. Also, some people stay on the shuttle bus the first day trying to get a 'lay of the land', then on the 2nd day they'll hop off at some point for a hike.

 

The drive from Anchorage to Denali is 5 hrs under perfect conditions and with no stops. It's a 2 lane road so easy to get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle, plus most people want to enjoy a few places along the way. This summer they are already warning of construction on the George Parks Hwy so that could slow you down further. I sure wouldn't consider racing to Denali and take the shuttle same day. Doesn't sound like an enjoyable day at all. Either does driving back to Anchorage immediately after the shuttle. Take your time and enjoy the trip.

 

There are other shuttles besides the 8 hr shuttle to Eielson Visitor Center. If you want something shorter, I think Toklat is 6 hrs RT. The bear viewing is usually best between Toklat and Eielson however. The park web site has info on the shuttles and bus tours plus a map showing the stops.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm

 

I've only been on a few shuttles into Denali and have never seen the mountain while in the park. The scenery is still wonderful and you stay very focused watching for wildlife in gullies, behind shrubs, rocks etc. After the shuttle it's nice to grab a pizza and beer and relax.

 

On day 4 why not stay in Whittier or Girdwood for the night then have a leisurely drive to Denali the next day. Spend that morning enjoying sights in the area ... pan for gold, visit the Wildlife Conservation Center. Other suggested stops in this link, under Turnagain Arm and Whittier Tunnel.

http://www.alaska.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives

I am flying into Seattle the night prior to our cruise on the carnival miracle. There will be 6 of us. Would I have to book one of the earlier suggestions prior to our trip or are they already at the airport?

 

Shuttle Express has service to downtown hotels. Even if they don't go to your specific hotel, perhaps they stop within a block or 2: http://shuttleexpress.com/

 

Otherwise Yellow Cab and Stila Towncars have the contract for service at the airport, therefore have vehicles stationed there at all times.

 

I used flatrateforhire for my last trip. They offered a great price but mostly have Prius cars so don't know how they would manage 6 people other than have 2 cars. Check their web site.

If you're just using the ferry system to explore the SE you don't really need to travel WITH a car. It would be easier to fly into Juneau then explore by ferry from there. Most of the locations are island or have few roads. ie if you visit Juneau, Sitka, Gustavus (Glacier Bay) you would be a foot passenger on the ferry and use public transportation, a taxi or rent a car for the day. If you visited Skagway or Haines and wanted to visit the Yukon you would pick up a local rental for a few days.

That's a plan!! :)

 

There are land tours available out of Anchorage -- but I wonder if I would dare to hire a car and do something inland ourselves????

 

Barry

 

If you utilize the trip report link I posted for you earlier you'll see that there were travelers from Australia, NZ, UK, India, Denmark and other countries around the world. They managed to plan their Alaska adventure (car, motorhome, cruise or ferry) so I'm sure you can do so too. You just need to do some research and determine which locations you want to visit based on your interests and priorities.

Borrow some Alaska travel books from your library. The Alaska forum on tripadvisor has a TopQuestions section that has lots of useful information and resource links to help you with an itinerary.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful responses. Think we'll stay in Venice...probably CAnareggio or Santa Croce areas and just walk and ride vaporettos to get around.

 

The website europeforvisitors/venice is awesome! Very helpful suggestions that I will continue to read. Love all the planning!

 

Sunshine Nana, where did you stay pre-cruise?

 

I also read on the website that we could store our large bags at the train station and just take our carryons to our hotel. That might work too.

 

If you look at the HOTEL section on europeforvisitors.com, they break down the hotels by area and by number of bridges to cross. If you have too much luggage to manage there is left luggage facility at Piazzale Roma. Maybe 5E per bag. Details are in the europeforvisitors site. PRoma is where you will catch a cab or airport express bus to the airport so very convenient.

When I took the SOS we actually arrived in port an hour early but were not able to disembark for at least an hour.

Marco Polo Airport is a 20 minute drive by taxi or airport express bus. The airport is a disaster with long long lines; for an 11am flight you need to be AT the airport around 8/8:15am. We almost missed our first flight because we only allowed 2 hrs. We got there 2 1/2 hrs prior for the next flight and had about 10 minutes to spare.

There will be taxis at the pier but most of them will be reserved and if there are several ships arriving that morning there will be thousands of passengers looking for a ride to the airport. With your tight schedule I'd suggest reserving a car.

you need to do the research and determine which itinerary, cruiseline, etc will work best for YOU.

There are books specific to Alaska cruises .... Ann Vipond's "alaska by cruiseship and Fodor's 'alaska ports of call' will provide you with info about the cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, activities, etc

Have a look at the STICKY above called something like '2013 alaska cruise reports'. There are detailed reports for NB, SB, and RT cruises. Go to reply #45 and you'll find they're sorted by cruiseline.

Also, go to the REVIEW forum, specifically the MEMBER REVIEWS of Alaska cruises.

If you choose a Vancouver departure you MAY find it cheaper to fly into Seattle then travel to Vancouver. You can do so by cruiseline transfer, Amtrak Cascades train or bus, Quick Coach, Bolt Bus or one-way rental car. Have fun planning!

Whether to take a cruise or ferry depends on how much time you want to spend exploring the SE communities. The ferry schedule can be tricky to work with because arrival/departures aren't always daily and are sometimes at 2,3 or 4am, but the ferry can certainly provide a wonderful adventure and will give you time to explore Glacier Bay, Sitka, Haines and other places not as heavily visited.

I'd suggest going to the Alaska forum of www.tripadvisor.com. Under Top Questions you'll find a link to trip reports for recent years. The trips are by motorhome, rental car with lodging, cruises, cruisetours, and ferry. The first line of the report gives you an outline of the itinerary so you will easily find reports that interest you. Good luck!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28923-i349-k5289155-o40-Trip_Reports_for_2012-Alaska.html

On the princess lodges web site:

"We provide shuttle service hourly from 7 am to 7 pm between the lodge and the Denali National Park Visitors Center, the Wilderness Access Center and Horseshoe Lake for $10 roundtrip per person."

 

http://www.princesslodges.com/denali-lodge.cfm

during your time frame, the furthest you can get into the park is Toklat at Mile 53, either by shuttle or tour bus. The shuttle is about $30 and the tour is about $115. It takes you into some good bear viewing area and the animals will be eating all the new greenery after the long winter so it should be a good time to see them, especially their young.

Just don't do the Natural History Tour which only goes to mile 17-18.

I still use my 2009 edition!

Towns and hwys won't change. Some vendors will go out of business and new ones will start up.

Just before you leave home, use the Alaska DOT web site to find current info on construction.

Anc to Denali is 5 hrs, plus any stops you choose to make.

If you want to stick with your original plan but with a RT rental car, you could do Anc-Denali-Girdwood-Homer-Anc, drop the car then take the morning train to Seward to meet your ship.

 

day 1 arrive in Anc. overnight

day 2 drive to Denali

day 3 shuttle to Wonder Lake

day 4 drive to Girdwood ( 1 hr south of Anc)

day 5 drive to Homer 3 hrs.

day 6 Homer

day 7 drive to Anchorage 4 hrs.

day 8 train to Seward ( 6:45am - 11am)

 

www.alaska.org has lots of helpful info ....travel charts, scenic drives, etc

Personally I'd skip Homer before giving up Denali. Your cruise will provide you with scenic coastal views and ports, whereas Denali will be an entirely different experience to anything else on the cruise. Plus it's the budget jackpot for wildlilfe viewing. Hope this helps....