Booked for Alaska Cruisetour in May 2012!!!!

[SheriNtexas]

I'm SO excited!! I've never sailed on Princess, and I've never been to Alaska...this will surely be a fun trip!!

 

Ok, i just have a simple question....any advice?;) Ok, maybe NOT so simple...now that we are booked, i'm kind of overwhelmed...i've been on 12 cruises...10 with Carnival, and they have all been Caribbean cruises...Alaska is WAY different...different weather, excursions, etc...

 

I have a Frommer's Cruise Alaska 2011 book...anyplace else where we can get some great tips and advice? I know CruiseCritic will have some...i have only begun to dig for threads that will help us!! I'm just SO thrilled...i never thought i would even CARE about going to Alaska....i was wrong.....:rolleyes::eek:

[twins79]

We are just starting to look for an Alaska cruise in May 2012! What made you chose Princess? I have requested Holland America info and will call tomorrow for a Princess brochure. Do you sail out of Vancouver or Seattle? Is it 7 days?

[SheriNtexas]

We are just starting to look for an Alaska cruise in May 2012! What made you chose Princess? I have requested Holland America info and will call tomorrow for a Princess brochure. Do you sail out of Vancouver or Seattle? Is it 7 days?

 

My friend and I just started with cruiselines that went to Alaska and found a cruisetour that fit our budget and time we could go...we will actually do a cruisetour before the cruise...we start in Anchorage...our cruise will go southbound and we will disembark in Vancouver...our land part will be 4 nights and the cruise will be 7 nights...

[Phyljim]

My friend and I just started with cruiselines that went to Alaska and found a cruisetour that fit our budget and time we could go...we will actually do a cruisetour before the cruise...we start in Anchorage...our cruise will go southbound and we will disembark in Vancouver...our land part will be 4 nights and the cruise will be 7 nights...

 

You made a wise choice doing the land tour first. Tours on land give you a much better idea of the "real" Alaska. And it will definitely be tiring. Well, exhausting....they will keep you busy.

 

Enjoy Alaska.....we will be going again for the fourth time.;)

[spunkie4]

You made a great choice by booking with Princess. We have cruised Alaska three times, all on Princess. The three cruises were in May, one seven day, one ten and a cruise tour. My advice: dress in layers, pack light, carry leather tennis shoes or boots due to rain, a jacket that is not too heavy and is water repellant, sun glasses, moisturizer for your body and your lips.

 

Have a wonderful time.

[bjkTX]

We have done Alaska twice on Princess, the 7 day inside passage, and last May the 14 day cruise out of Alaska - both in May. Both times we hit better than perfect weather. We took long underwear and needed shorts :-) I agree about taking the land tour first, then relaxing on the cruise. We had friends that did it the other way and said that was their only regret.

 

May 2012 seems so soon...I just today booked a cruise for Feb 2013 out of Galveston :-)

[SheriNtexas]

You made a wise choice doing the land tour first. Tours on land give you a much better idea of the "real" Alaska. And it will definitely be tiring. Well, exhausting....they will keep you busy.

 

Enjoy Alaska.....we will be going again for the fourth time.;)

 

 

I'm glad we are doing the tour first too....made sense to do land stuff first, then unpack and relax on the cruise! I have a feeling i will be going to Alaska more than once!:D

[SheriNtexas]

You made a great choice by booking with Princess. We have cruised Alaska three times, all on Princess. The three cruises were in May, one seven day, one ten and a cruise tour. My advice: dress in layers, pack light, carry leather tennis shoes or boots due to rain, a jacket that is not too heavy and is water repellant, sun glasses, moisturizer for your body and your lips.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

 

Thanks for the great list!!

[SheriNtexas]

We have done Alaska twice on Princess, the 7 day inside passage, and last May the 14 day cruise out of Alaska - both in May. Both times we hit better than perfect weather. We took long underwear and needed shorts :-) I agree about taking the land tour first, then relaxing on the cruise. We had friends that did it the other way and said that was their only regret.

 

May 2012 seems so soon...I just today booked a cruise for Feb 2013 out of Galveston :-)

 

I hope we have good weather...maybe i'll take a pair of shorts too!:D

[astro2001]

I was just looking for 2012 Alaska cruises on the Princess website and wasn't able to select that year. Am I missing something? Do I need to call to book?

[Loonbeam]

Your cruisetour should include the Natural History tour in Denali. Upgrade as soon as possible to the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Unless you would rather see Indian chiefs speak instead of amazing animal life...

 

Time to link the pics again I think...

 

http://loonbeam.smugmug.com/Travel/Alaska-2009/13372271_S5ZH3#972434108_jJsJd

[mytime53]

I was just looking for 2012 Alaska cruises on the Princess website and wasn't able to select that year. Am I missing something? Do I need to call to book?

 

I asked this question on another thread, as I can get 2012, but DH can't on his computer. Darn, and just when I got him to agree to some of the planning!! If you find the answer, please post here and let us know...

[mytime53]

I'm sure all of you who have booked and posted have done your research and know what you want to do. But for those who might not research before booking, here are a couple of things to think about.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm#CP_JUMP_308925

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm

 

At the above websites, you'll see dates for shuttle buses and tours in Denali National Park. If you are doing a soutbound cruisetour in May, or a southbound cruise in May with plans to head to DNP on your own before the cruise, those dates are important to you. You may find that you cannot see the sights you intend to see. Although I could repost all the info here, you will find it reported on in the Alaska Port of Call board in numerous threads: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

We're planning on booking a SB Princess cruise in May, 2012 (on my todo list tonight), but we won't be trying to get into DNP ahead of time!

 

Have a wonderful time planning your trip, and an even better time when you get here!

[Loonbeam]

If you book a Princess cruisetour, one Denali tour is usually included for you and can be upgraded...

 

I'm sure all of you who have booked and posted have done your research and know what you want to do. But for those who might not research before booking, here are a couple of things to think about.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm#CP_JUMP_308925

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm

 

At the above websites, you'll see dates for shuttle buses and tours in Denali National Park. If you are doing a soutbound cruisetour in May, or a southbound cruise in May with plans to head to DNP on your own before the cruise, those dates are important to you. You may find that you cannot see the sights you intend to see. Although I could repost all the info here, you will find it reported on in the Alaska Port of Call board in numerous threads: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

We're planning on booking a SB Princess cruise in May, 2012 (on my todo list tonight), but we won't be trying to get into DNP ahead of time!

 

Have a wonderful time planning your trip, and an even better time when you get here!

[Texas Tillie]

The "problem" with the May cruisetours is that the road is not opened as far into Denali early in the season. The early season tours are cheaper because they don't offer the same experience as later in the year. Please come over to the Alaska board here at CC .... there are people over there with A LOT of Alaska experience. It's so very sad when people don't know and don't make adjustments and don't get a very good experience.

[SheriNtexas]

Oh no, i'm afraid after reading some of these posts, we may have chosen a bad time to go! My friend can only get off work for the length of time we need for this trip in MAY....i will go over to the Alaska board too, and look for the threads...thanks!

[tampatoms]

We did Mid May in 2006 and had a GREAT time, we are going in 2012, here is a link for those that have already signed up..http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1407887

[pwc115]

Hi Sheri,

My husband and I just booked a cruise for May 2012- 4 day land tour, then the cruise portion; Start in Anchorage and end up in Vancouver.

Have you found out any more useful information? I am overwhelmed with the amount of planning that is needed for this trip as compared to a Caribbean cruise! I am confused on where to look for good information and tips about excursions, planning, etc.

Thanks for anything you can share!

 

Patricia

[2little time]

Oh no, i'm afraid after reading some of these posts, we may have chosen a bad time to go! My friend can only get off work for the length of time we need for this trip in MAY....i will go over to the Alaska board too, and look for the threads...thanks!

There is no bad time in Alaska. It is a gorgeous state that is all about nature and wildlife. Although the shoulder months have more precipitation you need to be prepared to take whatever the weather is as a part of the beauty of Alaska. I would say no to the shorts and concentrate on things you can layer. Look online and you will find various Alaska booklets you can send for that are free. Don't forget binocculars and cameras. You will have a wonderful time and never forget what you see.

[HomelessBear]

We have done the Alaska cruise twice and really enjoyed it both times. We went each time in May. The second cruise we got sunburned and it was hot. There was snow on the tops of the mountains and the scenery was spectacular. As has been said, take layers so you can add or take off as the weather dictates. Take a rain coat / umbrella as you should expect some rain.

Have a brilliant tour and cruise. You won't regret it!

[Snowangel3]

For those of you that are on a May cruise in 2012 with Princess, may I ask what is your cruise date?

 

My husband and I are doing a cruisetour starting on May 27th. The cruise portion starts on June 2nd out of Anchorage (actually the itinerary says Anchorage, Whittier). We can't wait! I have been looking on CC off and on since about May and I have a running list of items to buy, ask for Christmas, etc. I already started a packing list too from the info I've gotten here. The the planning and can't wait until it's time to go!!!!

 

Carol

[Beopthtuh]

we,ve done 2 princess cruises to alaska both in may first was a 7 day with 5 day land tour before hand ,the most exciting cruise we ever done , started in calgary and seen all the wildlife you could expect black bears,grizzlys,moose and bald eagles one word categoriesies ALASKA (BRILLIANT).

second cruise 10 days out of s.f. warm weather ,cool fresh air and clear skies ,whales galore humpback and killers trip of a life time for wildlife.

cruisers always say the one place in the world a cruiser must do is alaska enjoy

[caribill]

My husband and I are doing a cruisetour starting on May 27th. The cruise portion starts on June 2nd out of Anchorage (actually the itinerary says Anchorage, Whittier).

 

Have you joined the roll call for the June 2nd cruise?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1394188

[LaCal]

You Are Going to LOVE Alaska....We were there last year in May on Princess and it was Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful..We had packed lots of Warm Clothes and Jackets and NEVER Used half of it....Only a Small Fleece Jacket was needed....And We got Super Lucky with only Drizzle in one port....

 

We Loved it SOOOO Much We just Booked another Trip Next May as well but through NCL.....We LOVE Princess but NCL gave us a Casino Rate of less than $5,000 for the 3 of us in a PH Suite with Free Drinks during the whole cruise in the Casino....

 

Make sure if you like Alaskan King Crab to try some while your there....We had some and it was the BEST WE'VE EVER HAD.....

 

So Far We've Cruised All Over Mexico(MANY MANY TIMES), The Caribbean, Alaska and WE just got back a few weeks ago from Hawaii......

 

And I'd have to say that the Most Fun and Most Beautiful Place of All has been ALASKA......Have Fun

[coo359a2]

I'm sure all of you who have booked and posted have done your research and know what you want to do. But for those who might not research before booking, here are a couple of things to think about.

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm#CP_JUMP_308925

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm

 

At the above websites, you'll see dates for shuttle buses and tours in Denali National Park. If you are doing a soutbound cruisetour in May, or a southbound cruise in May with plans to head to DNP on your own before the cruise, those dates are important to you. You may find that you cannot see the sights you intend to see. Although I could repost all the info here, you will find it reported on in the Alaska Port of Call board in numerous threads: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

We're planning on booking a SB Princess cruise in May, 2012 (on my todo list tonight), but we won't be trying to get into DNP ahead of time!

 

Have a wonderful time planning your trip, and an even better time when you get here!

 

 

We did a cruise tour May 2010. The cruise portion was first (22 May) and then we did the land portion. Had fantastic weather during the whole cruisetour.

 

We had our TA cancel the Natural History Tour included in our land package based on comments on the Alaska board So glad we did as it doesn't go very far into the park and we didn't see any animals on that section. The tour amount was deducted from each of our cruise booking .

 

We looked into the Princess Wilderness Tour but decided to go with the tour sponsored by the Denali National Park Servivce (links above). They use the same type of bus and go to the same turnaround point as the Princess tour except the snack lunch and TV in the bus is not included in National Parks Service tour (didn't miss that at all). Before we were shuttled over to Denali Park Station, we went over to Subwy across the street from the Princess Wilderness Lodge and purchased subs, chips and drinks. There is a way big difference in pricing between the two Denali tours and with the National Park Service tour kids under a certain age were free. Our oldest grandaughter was 14 at the time. Princess Tour charges no matter what the age. At least it was done this way in May 2010. We saw every animal except the wolf.