oaktreerb

Do the combo, bus up, train down. Scenery will be somewhat different, The rail coming down into Skagway is very scenic.

Holland America has very nice railcars between the cruise port and Denali and on to Fairbanks. Dome cars, narrated journey, dining car with excellent food. I have not seen a Holland relationship with the Rocky Mountaineer, that is another cruise line, I believe. Friends of mine who are seniors (70’s) did the Rocky Mountaineer last year with the hotel overnights. They enjoyed it. They took the more expensive package.

It’s cold and windy when the ship is underway. The picture shows a partially obstructed balcony IMO. If you love adventure, go for it! Is it cheaper?

Are you planning this as a part of a larger trip? Denali is frequently partnered with an Alaska cruise and as such would not be too difficult with just two nights in a Denali hotel and an excursion into the park on a narrated school bus. The accommodations are a bit rustic. On a cruise tour your luggage will be handled for you. As senior citizens with some mobility issues you would probably enjoy the Rocky Mountaineer with the hotel accommodations along the route. The scenery is beautiful and if you choose an escorted trip all of your luggage will be handled for you. There are several levels of service.

Koningsdam has the Grand Dutch Cafe mid -ship, Deck 3 . You can get specialty coffees included on the HIA package and the food items are free.

I have never understood the spending bonus. Your best source might be to call the Mariner Society to see if they can tell you.

Your mariner points in the past have included a suite bonus and a spending bonus. I don’t think it has changed. The limit would be on the spending bonus.

Last minute reminder!

@GTJ In the past Holland America has broken out of the traditional Alaska itineraries with 14 day and 21 day itineraries and I have been hoping for another long cruise with minimal effort on my part. Seattle to Seattle fits the bill. It will be interesting to visit Dutch Harbor and Nome for sure. June should be a good time to cruise. At one time I would have enjoyed sailing the Northwest Passage but it’s no longer on my “bucket list”. I also look forward to meeting the interesting experts and lecturers that will be onboard.

When we are part of a HAL excursion we meet on the ship (showroom) and tender as a group.

Love the Club Orange bathrobe so much I bought one for home! The fruit is available on request only these days. I hope NS occupants can still have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill on the older ships that don’t have a CO dining room. Priority tendering means you don’t have to get a tender ticket….just get in line when you are ready to go ashore.

The 2024 cruises just came out so the cruise tours should be out soon.

Holland America has released the 2024 Alaska cruises which include an amazing 28 day Alaska itinerary round trip Seattle. If you have the time and love Alaska, check it out! The Alaska/Yukon land and sea tours are out for 2023 but the 2024 land tours are not yet released.

@rvorcruiseThanks so much for your informative Murray’s Guide. It’s been a few years since we drove up the road from Skagway using your guide. How did you know that a bear would be munching on dandelions along the road at the exact spot you pointed out? What a treat that was. I have followed your web site since that day and found a lot of very informative articles about the Yukon and Alaska. Best wishes to you and thanks sharing your adventures and your research!

Thanks for letting us know. I’ll continue to put my empty plastic bottle it in my checked luggage!

I bring an empty single plastic water bottle in my checked luggage. I refill it onboard and carry it for off the ship activities. Did the ship security take your Evian bottle or airline security? If you emptied it you should have been able to keep it.

Included in your fare. People have complained a lot about not enough activities on HAL. Actually, it’s an activity where people can get together with a common activity, kind of like a meet and greet, I would think. This thread is like a snowball rolling down hill picking up lots of residue.

I remember the aluminum ‘bottles” as being included on HIA but in November the HIA water was a paper carton. Neither is convenient on an excursion or pleasant to drink from so I bring a firm plastic bottle and refill it onboard.

The food incident should have been reported. It was a matter of public health. I’m glad you didn’t get sick, but maybe someone else did. 1)You could have refused the plate (which I would have done). 2)You could have reported the incident to an officer (which I also would have done). 3)You could have written it on a “let us know” form available at the front desk or the Navigator App. Don’t be afraid to speak up. With the return of cruising comes the training of staff and the managers need to know if there are issues, especially in food preparation.

The past three years have been difficult for everyone. I hope we can go forward with optimism and hope for a return to the adventure of cruising. To enjoy an adventure you need to adapt to changes. If you want to sleep in the Crows Nest your adventures will be in your dreams!

For me, living in urban, sunny Southern California, a visit to Alaska is a refreshing change of environment. Rain, cold, and snow in the mountains or a summer sleet downpour are part of the fun! I also enjoy nature and gravitate toward outdoor activities rather than museums. I enjoy the small communities, the local people, and the enterprising people who travel to Alaska to work during the summer, I enjoy learning about the history and culture of the native Alaskans and am amazed by the toughness of the early settlers. In Alaska I have traveled land and sea, trains and buses, and even a floatplane. It’s a constantly changing landscape and each experience is unique. The 14 day itinerary was great, the 21 day itinerary was even better, and I expect the 28 day to be another interesting experience. Seven day cruises no longer interest me and I don’t want to fly to Florida, Europe, or Hawaii. You probably won’t miss anything if you don’t take this cruise. People who are drawn to Alaska seem to feel the value of the experience on their first visit and want to go back to see and experience more of the Pacific Northwest.

In the past we had gone on the HAL website and filled out the form for the credit after we had booked a cruise. Recently I noticed that HAL now has a third party checking eligibility and we needed to prove eligibility. So we filled out the online form and had to attach paperwork showing proof of service. After some consideration we pulled out the DD214 and sent it as an attachment. We got officially verified for the credit. When I booked this 28 day cruise the HAL PCC indicated that the military credit was added. Evidently it is now attached to his Mariner # . The website says we need to verify BEFORE we book the cruise. The form has changed and the rules seem to have changed. I need to call our PCC to see if we can have the Military credit added to our February cruise that we booked before the rules and the form changed. Ask your TA if it was added, if not you may need to reapply. I always question everything on my booking, especially how much OBC and where it comes from!

Great for scenic cruising!

Two Pinnacle Dinners and One Canaletto Dinner included pp. 3 shore excursions (up to $100 per tour) pp We used FCC and military credit was added. We ended up with $650 OBC and we hope CCL shareholder will still be available. Premium internet and Gratuities included at this time.

Booked