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mapleleaves

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    Princess refund for cancelling Natural History Tour?

    in Alaska

    Posted

    As it turns out, our cruise leaves July 12th out of Seward and we booked our air to come into Anchorage on July 5th, just so we'd have a few days there to be rested up for scheduled tour start on July 8th, so we have more than three days to play with - actually almost a week. My only concern is finding hotels in the various areas. That's todays project!

     

    What luck indeed! I like BQ's idea of the train to Seward. Rent a car for the first few days to explore and get to denali, then the train to Seward. If you have the time, maybe the day after you arrive, drive along the Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage for about 40 miles ... very scenic with interesting stops.

    http://alaska.org/driving/portage-valley-whittier-spur-drive.htm

    The drive to Denali and some other interesting side trips (Matanuska or Independence Mine) are detailed in this link:

    http://alaska.org/driving/magnificent-drives.htm

     

    Denali hotels:

    http://www.alaskaone.com/_dcc/accommodations/

    Is A Hotel Location Near Cruise Ship Terminal In Venice Really The Best Choice?

    in Italy Ports

    Posted

    But back to the OP's question ......

    <<< My question is, if we book a hotel near the Piazzale Roma/cruise ship terminal, how difficult/time consuming (I know, wandering is half the fun in Venice!) is it to walk to, say, the area around Piazza San Marco? >>>

     

    Everything I've read indicates a 30-40 minute walk between PRoma and St Marks. I tried to walk back on our last visit but got terribly lost. Personally I prefer to use the water bus if I'm on the move, so if the #1 takes an hour, that's great.

    Is A Hotel Location Near Cruise Ship Terminal In Venice Really The Best Choice?

    in Italy Ports

    Posted

    Most people stay near the pier/Piazzale Roma area because they overpack and have too much luggage to easily travel with. If you can manage your luggage you can stay anywhere; the vaporetto is an easy option for getting around as is the alilaguna if you choose a hotel away from the pier.

    However, staying near Piazzale Roma doesn't mean you'll spend lots of time 'commuting'. You're only a block from the Grand Canal and a major vaporetto station so you can easily get to St Marks. Personally I love to ride the vaporettos down the Canal; the slower the ride the better so I can take in all the sights! The #1 is the slowest and it takes just under 1 hr. There is more about the vaporettos in this link. There are several short paragraphs to read so to go to each page, especially the Vaporetto Route Table which provides a route outline for each line.

    http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-water-buses.htm

     

    Schedules in the ACTV link:

    http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/waterbusservicestimetable

     

    You can also walk from P Roma to St Marks. Supposedly it can be done in 30-40 minutes. We tried walking back to our hotel and got hopelessly lost. And unlike other folks I don't like being lost in Venice. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy wandering aimlessly around Venice but when I'm tired and want to relax in my apt or hotel, being lost for an hour or 2 is irritating not enjoyable. Hope these links help.

    Princess refund for cancelling Natural History Tour?

    in Alaska

    Posted

    The Park web page indicates $77.50 for a ticket. The cost includes a park entrance fee so they should at least give you that back. You also paid the entrance fee when you reserved the shuttle.

    If you don't get a refund take your travel docs with you and see if the Denali staff will refund your duplicate entrance payment.

    When you reserve a campsite AND take the shuttle, you end up paying 2 entrance fees but as soon as you arrive at the park they quickly process the refund.

    Good luck. Please post back after you call Princess. Others will be interested to know if P has changed their policy.

    http://www.reservedenali.com/denali-tours.aspx

    DIY+Radiance review with pics 18/7-3/8

    in Alaska

    Posted

    Yes, we are going on a 4 hour Kenai fjords boat tour the day before we get on Radiance. This is included in land portion of our trip with Royal Caribbean. We have Friday open before we board and we will be hiking Exit Glacier.

     

    You might want to look at the details of the 4 hr cruise. I think it only goes around the Bay, not out to the glaciers. (if that's important to you)

    I don't know if you're using Major Marine or Kenai Fjords, but both companies provide route maps of their various cruises on their web site. Perhaps you can upgrade if you want the longer tour?

    Personally I much preferred the longer tour ... watching and listening to the glacier calve was fascinating, plus we saw whales.

     

    Here's info on Exit Glacier:

    http://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/exit-glacier.htm

    DIY+Radiance review with pics 18/7-3/8

    in Alaska

    Posted

    great update!!!

    thanks!

    so the place that you checked your baggage is between the train station and the front of the park?

    did you leave everything there, including your carry on luggage?

    is that where you also check in your checked luggage for the train, or do you have to take all of your luggage across the street to the depot when it's time to check in for your train?

     

    If you look down the page in this link, you'll find info on luggage storage and a map that will orient you to it's location in relation to the train depot and Visitors Center.

    http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/the-denali-visitor-center.htm

    2012 July 6-20 Alaska Land and Cruise Adventure Review with LOTS of photos!

    in Alaska

    Posted

    The first time I saw photos of the Seward waterfront campground, I decided that we would camp elsewhere. It just didn't look attractive; gravel parking lots with RV's all crammed together. But when we arrived and saw that view.... oh my! We camped there for 3 nights. It was so peaceful to walk along that trail, watch otters playing in the Bay and bald eagles flying overhead. In the evenings we sat in the RV and watched all the fishing boats come in. In the mornings we enjoyed our coffee watching all the boats go out again.

    And we walked downtown to enjoy dinner at Thorns. It's definitely a busy, smokey place but such great food. We had their famous bowl of 'but.

    Review ~ RC Cruise Tour #12 ~ July 8 - 20, 2012

    in Alaska

    Posted

    I really enjoyed your photos of the scenery inside Denali. I don't think people realize the tremendous differences between the scenery of the interior and the coast. Your photo shows the color in the ridges, the rolling terrain, the greenery and the wide open space. And lucky you to see the mountain.

    I had read that on clear days the TWT travels a little further. Did you turn around at Toklat, where the bookstore is located?

    Alaska Cruisetour Do-It-Yourself and save a bundle

    in Alaska

    Posted · Edited by mapleleaves
    Princess

    Thanks for coming back with a follow up report! Glad to hear that everything came together so well. It's pretty amazing what a little research can do .. you made great use of the Toursaver coupons.

    I'm so amazed at your grandparents wildlife sightings during the first 15 miles. I've only seen moose along that stretch and only in mid August. Good for them!

    Are you going to add the cruise portion onto this thread or start a new one ?

    p.s. I'm pretty sure I read on the Princess web site that they pick up all guests from the train depot.

    Shuttle Express or Seattle's Best Car Service?

    in West Coast Departures

    Posted

    Wife and I are thinking of taking Light Rail from Seattle airport to downtown then cab it to Pier 91. Does this make sense or am I trying too hard to save a buck?

     

    More than a buck, maybe $15.

    Light Rail for 2 is $5.50, plus $15-$20 for the taxi, so a total of $25. Shuttle Express runs a service to the pier every 30 minutes from the airport for $21pp.

    A taxi from SeaTac to Pier 91 will be about $50.

    Can you easily manage your luggage? The Light Rail station is about a 10 minute walk after you leave baggage claim. I've done it with a wheeled case and it was fine; you take the elevator or escalator up one level, walk across the skybridge to the parking garage, then follow the signs to the station. The walk is covered but takes 10 minutes.

    http://www.shuttleexpress.com/cruises

    Fairbanks or Anchorage?

    in Alaska

    Posted · Edited by mapleleaves

    I too enjoy Fairbanks. There are some very interesting sights and activities around town. And it's usually the only place I find sunshine! But i've always gone DIY so I had a car or RV at my disposal. As mytime said, you need to look at the tour activities and decide if they're of interest. Most cruisetours seem to include the Riverboat and gold mine; both are very interesting and enjoyable.

    I would go as early in Sept as possible. The fall colors will be be spectacular. And a great time for seeing moose, especially in Denali. I like the fact that you have 2 nights at Denali ; that's a good indication that you're getting more than the Natural History Tour. The colors in the Park will be breathtaking.

    Have a great time !

    Shuttle Express or Seattle's Best Car Service?

    in West Coast Departures

    Posted

    I've used the shared airport service and the hotel service from Shuttle Express for years and have never had a problem. Don't know anything about Seattle's Best.

    The following 2 companies have been highly recommended on this forum and the Alaska forum, so you might want to give them a call. I don't have any personal experience with them but have read MANY positive remarks on both:

    http://www.seattleexpress.com/

    http://alreadytheretowncar.com/index.htm

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