Need help planning

[sss10]

My husband and I are planning our first cruise to Alaska. My question is:

 

Cruise only or CruiseTour? The only other cruise we've taken was New England. We loved the cruising part but hated the crowds in the ports. Will we hate the crowds on the land tour? Is it like a 4 day excursion with everyone being herded onto buses and trains?

 

Also, I'm trying to decide between HAL and Princess....opinions?

[oldmama]

I took the 13 day cruisetour with Princess last September & thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my first time to Alaska so I was happy to let someone elso handle most of the travel details. Princess is very professional & organized. I did not feel crowded or rushed, but I would have liked more time at Denali, a second day to go into the park again would have been great. I crammed in every possible excursion time permitting & only missed one tour due to weather cancellation. Being on the bus or train you meet fellow travelers & have great conversations & fun. When you get to the ports, you are part of possibly 10,000 depending on how many ships are docked that day, so the land part is where you actually have time to meet people. When I go inland again(and I will some day), I plan on touring independently, since I now have an idea where I would like to spend more time. A lot of people on this board will say don't do an orgnaized tour, but for me it was the right choice. It is not inexpensive my any means, so do research & make the decision that is right for you.

Have a good time whatever you choose.

[MSMcDuffy]

Also, I'm trying to decide between HAL and Princess....opinions?

 

I've been on both (but only HAL to Alaska). They are very similiar as far as food and service. HAL's beds are more comfortable and their bathrooms are larger and more categories include bathtubs. I've read a few articles that said HAL & Princess do Alaska best so you really can't go wrong with either. I'd personally go by the itinerary.

 

Good luck!

[Budget Queen]

I frequently see the "crowded" comments about Alaska ports. AND absolutely TRUE, if you want to stay in the "shopping"/port areas and don't make any other plans. Alaska has a wide range of EXCELLENT touring options to consider. The key is to do your homework and have plans in place before you go. Countless options for some very solitary, isolated, "pure" touring adventures.

 

As for "cruisetours", if taking a one way, by all means, extend your time. But 4 days, clearly is extremely limited and many times, not a good cruisetour choice. Again,- DO YOUR HOMEWORK. It's just about a given, you are taking this cruisetour information at face value. There is plenty else you need to be aware of for a better decision. Cruisetours, are point to point group touring. Negatives, are the difficulities of not having your own transportation and being on a fixed schedule. Budget 50% more than you would at home for meals.

 

The major feature of cruisetours is Denali Park- extremely important you ONLY get included the Tundra Wilderness tour, and NEVER the Natural History tour- a complete waste of time.

To get the most out of Denali Park- you have to get in it, for the scenery and wildlife. TWT is mile 53, NHT is only the public road, mile 16. Park Road is 90 miles. My min. distance in is at least mile 66.

 

You want to have time with cruisetours, and 2 nights at Denali park. Avoid any marathon trips, that have most of the "touring" time in transit. Factor in the vast distances. As an example, that wonderful sounding Princess ad for "Direct to Denali" is 10 hours on the train.

 

As an alternative, is it extremely simple to go independent. You will see and do twice as much. I don't agree with the "test trips" for everyone. It's the US with one road to destinations.

 

This board has put together, countless independent touring plans for posters, with totally accurate trip planning. Never, have there been return reports of anything but raves.

[mll1013]

My husband and I are planning our first cruise to Alaska. My question is:

 

Cruise only or CruiseTour? The only other cruise we've taken was New England. We loved the cruising part but hated the crowds in the ports. Will we hate the crowds on the land tour? Is it like a 4 day excursion with everyone being herded onto buses and trains?

 

Also, I'm trying to decide between HAL and Princess....opinions?

 

We have three ports of call on our HAL Zuiderdam itinerary, and we plan to get away from the crowds at all three!

 

Ketchikan: Rent car and drive around island, seeing all of the totems. We do plan on walking around town a bit, just because of the history.

 

Juneau: Take a cab to Mendenhall Lake and hike out to the glacier, then take the tram to the top of the mountain for scenic viewing and a bit of hiking.

 

Skagway: Rent car and drive to Emerald Lake in the Yukon. (What better way to escape the crowds than driving outside of AK, beyond BC, and into the YT?

 

Some may think we're nuts not doing at least one shore excursion (Misty Fjords flight, whale watching, dog-sledding, etc.) and we're still open to having our minds changed about this if somebody puts forth a sufficiently convincing rebuttal to our plan, but we (like you!) want to explore the more pristine and natural side of AK than the touristy areas.

 

As for HAL vs. Princess, it seems like you may want to consider the itinerary that most interests you, as both of these lines are the apparent leaders of AK cruising (as far as I've read on the board) and since they are among the only cruise lines that are allowed into Glacier Bay (a big consideration for many first-timers.) They both seem to be very similarly matched heavy-weights.

 

Best wishes with the decision, and enjoy the adventure!