tundra1

Thanks!  We might have to go with the hand held route.  My husband is 6'5".  But he is used to "making it work and ducking when needed".

I love your husband's hat! 

How tall is he?  He seems to be around the same height as my husband, and I was wondering if he would be comfortable in the HAL showers. 

Thanks for a great trip report!

Thanks for this amazing trip report!  I can't wait to read about the rest.  We are traveling with our 9 year old grandson in August, so I am taking notes!  ✍️

`Call back tomorrow and try again.  You will get a different customer service agent, who will probably be better able to help you!

If you go northbound, get a room on the Starboard side of the ship.  Pick a ship that does the inside passage as well as Glacier Bay.  Once you land in Whittier, take the train to Anchorage, then rent a car and go to Denali.  There are lots of nice Airbnb's up there.  You could also spend a night in Talkeetna before going to Denali to split up the drive.

Check out Turo.com.  That is a car share program like Airbnb, only for vehicles.  You might save enough money using them to buy lunch, too!

I would love to hear the perspective from your granddaughter from time to time.  My grandson (9) is coming with us in August.  He has traveled quite a bit, and loves learning about new places, people and cultures... plus he is a bit of a foodie.  He would have been right there with a salad of his own!

20 hours ago, CupKayke said:

Good Evening!   

I have not been active on Cruise Critic in a long time so I don't know if there is a real desire for cruise reviews anymore however, we just stepped-off the Westerdam in Alaska, it was our second HAL cruise, our first time to Alaska, and one of our top trips of all time.  I think I'm going to post a daily review with pics. 

I'd like to know if there is enough interest for me to do this?   Thanks - Kay

Yes Please!  We are taking our first Alaskan cruise in August, and first on HAL!  We would love to hear your impressions and see photos.  Would you go again?

On 6/24/2022 at 4:37 AM, Mary229 said:

When are you going?

August 24th - September 3.  The land / sea tour is Y6L.  Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks, to Dawson City, to the ship in Skagway.  It is a 10 night tour.  We are arriving 2 days early and spending that time down in Seward staying in an Airbnb and getting around in a Turo car-share SUV on our own.

I called the shore excursions number a week ago.  The very helpful HAL agent was able to confirm that our land tour was going to be held as scheduled, and could even give me the departure time of our Tundra Wilderness tour, the time the train was going to leave Anchorage, and the time the bus was going to leave Denali for Fairbanks.  She did not have the times listed for the flights from Fairbanks to Dawson City or Dawson City to Whitehorse.  She did confirm that we will fly from Dawson City to Whitehorse, take a bus to Skagway, and then take the round trip to the Summit excursion on the White Pass and Yukon Train prior to boarding our ship.  I had to wait about an hour to get through to someone, but it has given me a sense of security somewhat that the trip will actually happen!  

Thank you so much for this great trip report!  The links have been really helpful also, since I still can't find anyone who posted about a trip that starts on land, goes to Denali, Fairbanks, and the Yukon, and then catches the ship for a 4 night cruise out of Skagway.

I hope you are recovering quickly.  I had heard about the spotty internet in the hotel rooms on the land tour portion, and was debating whether or not to bring my laptop, but your post convinced me it is worth the hassles, just to have that access to make alternate plans if needed.  I already have plan A and a plan B in case our Land/Sea package is canceled.  I guess I should now start lining up a plan C in case one of us gets Covid!  

As long as you have all your receipts, I am sure HAL will eventually reimburse you for your expenses, but I am sure it will take time to see that money again.  I wish you a speedy recovery of both your health and your funds!  🤗

My sister and her husband was on the Majestic Princess in May.  The food was okay but several times the hot food was cold or undercooked.  The production show was good but the venue was crowded, and the trivia games were so packed they could not find a seat.  It was tough to get a good view from the outside deck on Glacier Bay day, and again, those areas that they found were crowded.  The internet was very spotty and they really struggled to get their on-line covid testing done the day before they landed in Vancouver, even though they had upgraded to the premium package, and the staff said "I don't know" or "you will have to figure it out" more often than they provided any guidance. 

They were first time cruisers, but they still had fun.  They never met their cabin steward, so could not comment on him/her, but their cabin was clean and tidy each day.  They met some very nice people and enjoyed the music. Their luggage made it to their cabin and they loved their Alaskan excursions.  I don't think it was enough to keep them from sailing Princess again, but they now want to try HAL for their cruise.

I think that is because they also experienced a lot of stress from trying to figure out things on their own, and their medallion app never figured out where to deliver their drinks, LOL!  They saw drinks that they ordered being delivered to other tables, and the customers looking surprised to get them.  But when they went over to the crew member who delivered them, the crew member said that she delivered them correctly.  After not getting drinks a second time, they just gave up on that feature.  I would think cruise lines would be patient and welcoming to first time cruisers, since they want their repeat business, but my sister did not get that impression.  She knew she did not have the experience to know certain things that come naturally to regular cruisers, but she would leave the customer service desk after asking a question about the internet or her bill feeling like she was an imposition.  

We have always had impressive customer service on HAL.  Our Alaskan vacation is not until August this year, but judging from past experience, I think you will be happy sailing with them!

Thank you so much for your updates!  We are still trying to figure out which meal plan to select, and are leaning towards the breakfast plan only, since there does seem to be options for dinner.

I hope the weather gets better for you once you get into Alaska!

Woodlands Store in Ketchikan, Alaska is filled with clothing, crafts, and treats made by Alaskan artisans.  They are located at 712 Water Street, just across from Berth 3.  They come highly recommended by friends of ours who are from Alaska.  You should stop by!

Thanks for this update!  We were debating the food plan and decided that breakfasts would be the best option for us.  Your pictures and descriptions have been so helpful, especially seeing the menus. 🙂

Thank you so much for these great pictures!  What time did you leave on the Tundra Wilderness Tour?  Was there a long line for breakfast because everyone had to get on the buses at the same time?

Thanks for that info!  This is proof we are going to have to test on board the day before we end the cruise.  Canadian law states that if you test positive while still on the ship, the cruise line is responsible for you until the quarantine is over.  If you test positive after debarking the ship, You are on your own.  I will buy the top tier WiFi for our last sea day and do the tests on board.  I am happy you are all fine though!

Thank you!  We love Thai food!  I had read that Fairbanks for well known for its Thai population and excellent Thai restaurants.  That riverboat tour looks amazing!  

Did you notice if there was self service laundry facilities at the Westmark in either Fairbanks or Dawson City?  Also, did you go out for dinner away from the hotels or just eat in the dining rooms there?  We are trying to figure out whether or not to get the food package for our land tour.  Thanks!

Thanks for posting this!  😀  I am excited to see how HAL arranges things!  I am going to need to find a testing place for our Covid-19 tests in Anchorage now.  I did not hear anything from them yet about the change in plans.

You were offered a lunch package?  We are doing the Denali + Yukon tour and were only offered a breakfast package, full tour package (that includes mostly breakfast and dinner, and two lunches over the 6 days on land), or a Denali only package.  It would be nice if anyone had the menus from the Westmark hotel restaurants, so we could have an idea if we even want to eat there before we invest that much money.  Right now we are leaning towards the Denali only package, since there are limited options there, and includes meals on the train.  There seems to be many options in Fairbanks and Dawson City within walking distance to our hotel.

I am also hoping someone will post the actual itinerary, so we know what time we leave each day to head towards our next destination and what time we arrive in the next town.  I think that would help with our planning.

Our friends are on a back to back on the Serenade of the Seas, and did this tour on their turn around day.  It worked out perfectly!  This company runs like a well oiled machine, and are committed to ensuring that their guests get to the cruise port and train station in plenty of time.

40 minutes ago, Andi Land said:

Since it’s early in the season, it may be ice related. I wonder if anyone has made it to Hubbard yet this year? We went in 2019 at the end of May and there was so much ice we couldn’t get as close as they normally do. It was still magnificent to see the ship surrounded by ice particles. 
 

As a side note, we prefer Hubbard to Glacier Bay. Been to both many times and Hubbard is our preference. 

My friends are on a Princess ship and their Hubbard Glacier day was cancelled due to too much ice.  It is still snowing there.

Our plan is one suitcase each and a laundry day in either Fairbanks or Dawson City.  The 13 lb weight limit for our carry on will be a challenge.  My laptop is heavy, and I will need it for access to my work. Just my laptop, power cords, camera, binoculars, and papers will add up to over 13 lbs!

Is there a rule about liquids?  We were planning on traveling with full size liquids and bug spray which we were going to purchase in Anchorage on arrival and keep in our carry on, along with a bottle of wine.  If we have to follow airline rules for liquids, that will change our plans.

Thanks for bringing this up!