debating on post-cruise/tour from RCI, Fairbanks worth seeing?

[MJN]

We are currently booked on cruise/tour pkg 2 through RCI that starts in Seward, includes resurrection Bay, Alyeska, Talkeetna, Denali for 2 nights and ends in Fairbanks. One of the problems I have with this is that it only includes the Discover tour of Denali and not the Tundra-Wilderness tour which is longer and would give us a nicer view of Denali. There is another tour #17, we could switch to which stays a night in Seward, and would give us the Tundra-Wilderness tour but does not go up into Fairbanks. Would we be missing out on much by not going to Fairbanks? We like everything else about # 17 as well, the biggest differences are the ones I mention above. From those of you who have been on these tours, would love to have your impressions of likes, dis-likes and your viewpoints. This would be our first, and perhaps only trip to Alaska so we want to take tours we would see the most on. Thanks

[mapleleaves]

What is the "discovery tour of Denali?" It isn't listed on the park's web site. Do you think it's the equivalent of the Natural History Tour?http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm

Besides the fact that you apparently don't get far into Denali, the other issue with tour #2 is that it only includes the Resurrection Bay tour in Seward. If you take tour #17 with the extra day in Seward would you get the National Park cruise out to the glacier?

There is at least one thread on the first page of this forum that discusses Fairbanks. You should probably read that and decide for yourself if you want to skip it. My opinion ... if you're going all that way and don't expect to return you might as well go to Fairbanks since it's only 2 hrs north of Denali. The gold mine and paddle boat are the usual tour items and they're both enjoyable.

Better yet, do your own tour for a week ! It's so simple .....when you get off the ship, take the train to Anc, pick up a rental car and drive yourself to Denali for 2 nights, then go to Fairbanks for 2 days then return to Anc and fly home.

[MJN]

I went to the RCI website and they list the Discover Denali tour as little more than a park ranger and film and then a nature walk. Deffinitly not what we want out of Denali. You can of course buy another tour while there but we were looking more for an "all inclusive" tour, at least for the most part anyways with options still open to us to personalize them. Tour number 17 offers the Tundra wilderness tour we really wanted, which is the 7 hour tour that goes deeper into the park. I see on their website that they have a 11-12 hour tour as well but not sure we really want one that long. Tour # 17 also offers in Seward the Resurrection Bay Wildlife cruise with Lunch at Fox Island, which their website says does the Kenai Pennisula as well, it's a 5 hour cruise I believe, then the next morning has the Ealife Center and then later in the day the Alaska Wildlife Conservation center and then the tram ride up Mt. Alyeska.

Tour # 2 has the goldmine tour in Fairbanks, which I hear is a tourist trap and a reconstructed town. My husband was interested in doing a goldmine panning thing but he could also do that in Skagway, which we where we also planning to do the whitepass railroad. I have about got myself talked into changing to #17 but just wanting to make sure that Fairbanks is not something we would really miss. Our main "want to see" areas are the coast, Alyeska, and Denali. Am I making the right move?

[Glaciers]

I would much rather do Denali over Fairbanks although if seeing the mountain is your primary reason for going to Denali it’s a long bus ride and you can get some very good views from the south side of the park without even going into the park. Remember, the mountain is only visible about 1/3 of the time. If seeing wildlife is a priority then getting further into the park is necessary. The majority of the wildlife sightings are from mile 30 and beyond making the Shuttle Bus or Tundra Wilderness Tour a better choice. I think your plan to change tours is good although you can duplicate the tour if you don’t mind renting a car and driving yourself which will give you much more flexibility.

[MJN]

I forgot to say in my last post that neither my husband nor I are fans of long driving trips where we have to do the driving and miss the scenery. We would both much rather leave the driving to someone else. The area of Florida where we live has long drives to get from one area to another as it is a very large state. Alaska is an even bigger state with even longer drives so neither of us is really interested in the driving part. That is why a tour is more attractive to us than the renting a car idea, at least for the moment anyways. We also like the narrative that tour guides give. We may change our minds as we get more info but for now we are still thinking of a tour. We do understand about the mountain itself being often hidden from view. It was both the views of the mountain and hoping to see the animals that we are most interested in at Denali park.

[Budget Queen]

I forgot to say in my last post that neither my husband nor I are fans of long driving trips where we have to do the driving and miss the scenery. We would both much rather leave the driving to someone else. The area of Florida where we live has long drives to get from one area to another as it is a very large state. Alaska is an even bigger state with even longer drives so neither of us is really interested in the driving part. That is why a tour is more attractive to us than the renting a car idea, at least for the moment anyways. We also like the narrative that tour guides give. We may change our minds as we get more info but for now we are still thinking of a tour. We do understand about the mountain itself being often hidden from view. It was both the views of the mountain and hoping to see the animals that we are most interested in at Denali park.

 

What ever you choose, you are going to "miss" something, just how it goes. :) BUT, you need to be very certain, WHAT your Seward inclusion is?? The Fox Island salmon bake is good, but with the full Kenai Fjords transit, this is about 6-7 hours. Any less is going to be a bay tour, which is lacking in my opinion.

 

I do believe you have the wrong idea about "driving". It is in no way comparable to any Florida freeway driving. :) The driver has full range of viewing, and the benefit of having your own transportation is excellent for all the options, you are never going to get with a point to point group transit tour.

 

Being informed will offer you the best options for your choice. :)

 

IF your priority is wildlife, then, frankly, I would encourage you to consider the two night option and adding a shuttle bus to your included touring. Even picking up the Toklat shuttle will offer you, that much more with two transits in. IF you do consider going on your own, my min. distance in is Eielson, there can be significant bear activitiy between Toklat and Eielson.