Princess Cruisetour vs Grayline of Alaska

[ihopfar]

We are looking at doing a land tour of Alaska June 2012 followed by a S/B Princess cruise.

 

I see Princess tours mentioned (sometimes positive/sometimes negative) often, but see Grayline muti-day tours mentioned a lot less.

 

Which do people think are better? I know with either one we need to choose the tour wisely. Grayline's website mentions that they are customizable. What is posted now is only 2011, so I don't know if they would have everything we would want already "laid out" for 2012, but if they don't -- are they truly customizable? How much flexibility do they give you? I know Princess itineraries appear pretty rigid -- except for upgrading to the TWT w/2 nights in Denali.

 

Thanks,

Brad

[Budget Queen]

We are looking at doing a land tour of Alaska June 2012 followed by a S/B Princess cruise.

 

I see Princess tours mentioned (sometimes positive/sometimes negative) often, but see Grayline muti-day tours mentioned a lot less.

 

Which do people think are better? I know with either one we need to choose the tour wisely. Grayline's website mentions that they are customizable. What is posted now is only 2011, so I don't know if they would have everything we would want already "laid out" for 2012, but if they don't -- are they truly customizable? How much flexibility do they give you? I know Princess itineraries appear pretty rigid -- except for upgrading to the TWT w/2 nights in Denali.

 

Thanks,

Brad

 

Both booking options are going to similar with a "tour". You are going to need to diesect, each one, and determine, WHAT you are looking for on your trip??? Figure out where you want to be, what touring you wish to occupy your time with- ease of access and availabity?, be certain to factor in all time and distances- a feature, uninformed make errors with. Both tours are going to give you lodging and transportation. Not sure of your "laid out" reference??? Are you talking about tours??? Those would be up to you to arrange. Free time??? Flexxibility?? Really not sure what you mean here either?? The point to point group touring, has no "flexibility", outside of the scheduled time and location. Without your own transportation, you are going to on the tour's timeframe.

 

There certainly is all the "flexibility" in the world in how you spend your time at that location, needing realistic planning.

[ihopfar]

Both booking options are going to similar with a "tour". You are going to need to diesect, each one, and determine, WHAT you are looking for on your trip??? Figure out where you want to be, what touring you wish to occupy your time with- ease of access and availabity?, be certain to factor in all time and distances- a feature, uninformed make errors with. Both tours are going to give you lodging and transportation. Not sure of your "laid out" reference??? Are you talking about tours??? Those would be up to you to arrange. Free time??? Flexxibility?? Really not sure what you mean here either?? The point to point group touring, has no "flexibility", outside of the scheduled time and location. Without your own transportation, you are going to on the tour's timeframe.

 

There certainly is all the "flexibility" in the world in how you spend your time at that location, needing realistic planning.

 

Sorry if I was not clear. I am not asking for help picking a tour -- I have been reading this board intently and in discussions with my family for what we want to see using the suggestions discussed here so we will be able to choose a tour when we are ready.

 

Basically, my inquiry boils down to 2 questions.

 

1. All things (tour schedule, places visited, etc.) being equal, which company Princess or Grayline provides a better "product"? In other words, who gives a better land tour? What does Princess do better? What does Grayline do better?

 

2. The Grayline website talks about "creating a customized experience" and "adding a day in Denali" to some of the tours, so I am wondering how customizable they are. The site says you don't travel with the same people throughout the trip, so I am wondering if this means we have the flexibility to add or subtract nights from the pre-packaged plans offered. Has anyone worked with Grayline to customize a tour in this way?

 

Thanks,

Brad

[bqkali]

Grayline has two different types of land packages. One is their standard escorted tours where you will have a guide making arrangements, traveling with you, and taking care of details along the way. This is similar to what Princess offers. While there may be free time built into some of the days (i.e. 2 hours in the afternoon after a tour but before dinner), there won't be flexibility to add in extra days in the middle of a tour. These are set itineraries with set departure dates. You might have some time to pick optional excursions within their set itinerary, but you cannot just (for example) stay an extra day in Denali and skip a day in Anchorage. You will travel with the group. Very little flexibility in these escorted tours (same as Princess), but the upside is that all the logistics are taken care of for you.

 

MOST of Grayline's packages are just bundled hotels, transportation, and excursions without a guide traveling with you. In other words, they will book a room for you and make sure you get from the hotel to the train station when you need to get there, but you will still have to check yourself into the hotel, etc. There is more flexibility in these packages because you are simply adding or deleting components to their "suggested" itineraries. They are really acting as a travel agent, with the main perk to booking through them being that they have representatives in each of the cities you'd be staying in if you needed assistance along the way.

 

In either case, you are of course paying a premium to have an agent (i.e. Grayline) book all the components for you. If you want 100% flexibility, you need to book things yourself. Book the hotels directly, book the train directly, etc. You can certainly design your itinerary based on something that sounds good to you on Grayline's site, or read a travel book to get some other ideas and ask questions here on Cruise Critic. Yes, this takes some logistics but to many it is worth it for the flexibility. If you'd rather have someone else take care of the details, you'll need to decide which type of package you'd like to go with - with a guide and traveling with the same group for the entire duration or without a guide and more on your own schedule.

 

I can't compare Princess tours vs. Grayline tours so if you decide on an escorted tour, you are best off by going straight to the source to ask questions about what is most important to you. Dig into their own itineraries to see which one spends time where you are interested. Look at what tours and meals are included. No one here can tell you who does it "better" because everyone values different things. Some people want to make sure the meals included are gourmet, other people care more upscale lodging, and others just want to enjoy the scenery. Different tours may be more active, with longer tours and more sightseeing. Determine what is important to YOU because neither operator will have everything you are looking for and you will likely have to prioritize (or plan your own trip - but that is not always the best option for everyone).

 

In the end, no matter how you book, you'll end up in Alaska...and that is the most important part :)

[Mr_Cruise]

Grayline has two different types of land packages. One is their standard escorted tours where you will have a guide making arrangements, traveling with you, and taking care of details along the way. This is similar to what Princess offers. While there may be free time built into some of the days (i.e. 2 hours in the afternoon after a tour but before dinner), there won't be flexibility to add in extra days in the middle of a tour. These are set itineraries with set departure dates. You might have some time to pick optional excursions within their set itinerary, but you cannot just (for example) stay an extra day in Denali and skip a day in Anchorage. You will travel with the group. Very little flexibility in these escorted tours (same as Princess), but the upside is that all the logistics are taken care of for you.

 

MOST of Grayline's packages are just bundled hotels, transportation, and excursions without a guide traveling with you. In other words, they will book a room for you and make sure you get from the hotel to the train station when you need to get there, but you will still have to check yourself into the hotel, etc. There is more flexibility in these packages because you are simply adding or deleting components to their "suggested" itineraries. They are really acting as a travel agent, with the main perk to booking through them being that they have representatives in each of the cities you'd be staying in if you needed assistance along the way.

 

In either case, you are of course paying a premium to have an agent (i.e. Grayline) book all the components for you. If you want 100% flexibility, you need to book things yourself. Book the hotels directly, book the train directly, etc. You can certainly design your itinerary based on something that sounds good to you on Grayline's site, or read a travel book to get some other ideas and ask questions here on Cruise Critic. Yes, this takes some logistics but to many it is worth it for the flexibility. If you'd rather have someone else take care of the details, you'll need to decide which type of package you'd like to go with - with a guide and traveling with the same group for the entire duration or without a guide and more on your own schedule.

 

I can't compare Princess tours vs. Grayline tours so if you decide on an escorted tour, you are best off by going straight to the source to ask questions about what is most important to you. Dig into their own itineraries to see which one spends time where you are interested. Look at what tours and meals are included. No one here can tell you who does it "better" because everyone values different things. Some people want to make sure the meals included are gourmet, other people care more upscale lodging, and others just want to enjoy the scenery. Different tours may be more active, with longer tours and more sightseeing. Determine what is important to YOU because neither operator will have everything you are looking for and you will likely have to prioritize (or plan your own trip - but that is not always the best option for everyone).

 

In the end, no matter how you book, you'll end up in Alaska...and that is the most important part :)

 

The parent company of Grayline owns most if not all of the properties they use for their land tours in Alaska, so I seriously doubt there's a "premium" for booking a bundled package.

 

Princess also owns their own properties (much nicer than Grayline's). Princess' cruisetours can also be somewhat customized (adding another night or two in the first stay is simple; revising the mid-section of the land tour is possible, but cumbersome).

 

With a Princess cruisetour you're with the same people throughout the land tour and their staff are on hand to assist / answer questions and what not; with Grayline, you get your transfer vouchers and hotel reservations but you're largely responsible for being where and when you need to be on time as there's no tour conductor to co-ordinate things.

 

All things considered, I'd choose a Princess package (providing it fits your budget).

[ihopfar]

Thanks all for your feedback. :) Certianly gives us stuff to think about as we figure out what we want to see.

 

Brad

[Budget Queen]

Sorry if I was not clear. I am not asking for help picking a tour -- I have been reading this board intently and in discussions with my family for what we want to see using the suggestions discussed here so we will be able to choose a tour when we are ready.

 

Basically, my inquiry boils down to 2 questions.

 

1. All things (tour schedule, places visited, etc.) being equal, which company Princess or Grayline provides a better "product"? In other words, who gives a better land tour? What does Princess do better? What does Grayline do better?

 

2. The Grayline website talks about "creating a customized experience" and "adding a day in Denali" to some of the tours, so I am wondering how customizable they are. The site says you don't travel with the same people throughout the trip, so I am wondering if this means we have the flexibility to add or subtract nights from the pre-packaged plans offered. Has anyone worked with Grayline to customize a tour in this way?

 

Thanks,

Brad

 

You may want to think of an Alaska visit about where you are going, rather than who is arranging it??? Of course an extra day in Denali park is well worth it, and "necessary", if you only have one in a "tour". Do you have any idea of what "customizing" you are referring to??? Do you have areas of interest, that you wish to spend more time in, want to skip?? Certain hotels you want to stay in?? This is about the extent of "customizing" in Alaska, as any "tour" allows you the ability to do ANYTHING you please once you get there. :)

[ihopfar]

We do know what we want to see and are trying to pick the best way to see as much of it as possible.

 

Here is our "working" itinerary for a land tour before boarding a Princess cruise from Whittier to Vancouver:

 

Day 1 --- Fly to Fairbanks Check-in Hotel, Explore local area

Day 2 --- Tour Fairbanks Gold Dredge #8, El Dorado Gold Mine and Riverboat Discovery w/Gray Line

Day 3 --- Tour Fairbanks Walking Tour, Georgeson Botanical Garden, Pioneer Park and Fairbanks Ice Museum on our own

Day 4 --- Train to Denali Visitor Center and Savage River areas

Day 5 --- TWT or Shuttle into Denali After Park attend Dog Sled Demo and Dinner theater

Day 6 --- Train to Anchorage See anything missed in Denali in Morning before Train

Day 7--- Tour Anchorage Alaska Aviation Museum, Botanical Gardens, Walking Tour

Day 8--- Tour Anchorage AK Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Sled Dog Rodeo

Day 9 --- Drive to Homer Stop at Mt Alyeska and Turnagain Arm on way, Homer Spit, Skyline Drive

Day 10 --- Drive to Seward Alaska Sealife Center, downtown walk, Exit Glacier

Day 11 --- PJs Taxi/Drive to Ship Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in Seward before heading to Whittier

 

Of course, Princess does not have any tours like this. I think Gray Line does, which is why I asked the question. I am trying to find out if anyone has used Gray Line for multi-day tours in Alaska and how did it turn out.

 

We are thinking of doing the above with Gray Line or booked independently, or a combination of the two, to give us what we are looking for.

How does the itinerary look? Does it look like a well-balanced trip?

 

We are looking at arriving in Fairbanks around June 3rd. Do we need to worry about this being too early in the season for anything we are thinking of doing, or any weather concerns for this period we may not have taken into account?

Thanks,

 

Brad

[wolfie11]

We do know what we want to see and are trying to pick the best way to see as much of it as possible.

 

Here is our "working" itinerary for a land tour before boarding a Princess cruise from Whittier to Vancouver:

 

Day 1 --- Fly to Fairbanks Check-in Hotel, Explore local area

Day 2 --- Tour Fairbanks Gold Dredge #8, El Dorado Gold Mine and Riverboat Discovery w/Gray Line

Day 3 --- Tour Fairbanks Walking Tour, Georgeson Botanical Garden, Pioneer Park and Fairbanks Ice Museum on our own

Day 4 --- Train to Denali Visitor Center and Savage River areas

Day 5 --- TWT or Shuttle into Denali After Park attend Dog Sled Demo and Dinner theater

Day 6 --- Train to Anchorage See anything missed in Denali in Morning before Train

Day 7--- Tour Anchorage Alaska Aviation Museum, Botanical Gardens, Walking Tour

Day 8--- Tour Anchorage AK Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Sled Dog Rodeo

Day 9 --- Drive to Homer Stop at Mt Alyeska and Turnagain Arm on way, Homer Spit, Skyline Drive

Day 10 --- Drive to Seward Alaska Sealife Center, downtown walk, Exit Glacier

Day 11 --- PJs Taxi/Drive to Ship Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in Seward before heading to Whittier

 

Of course, Princess does not have any tours like this. I think Gray Line does, which is why I asked the question. I am trying to find out if anyone has used Gray Line for multi-day tours in Alaska and how did it turn out.

 

We are thinking of doing the above with Gray Line or booked independently, or a combination of the two, to give us what we are looking for.

How does the itinerary look? Does it look like a well-balanced trip?

 

We are looking at arriving in Fairbanks around June 3rd. Do we need to worry about this being too early in the season for anything we are thinking of doing, or any weather concerns for this period we may not have taken into account?

Thanks,

 

Brad

 

It looks great up until Day 9 - you are not allowing enough time in Homer. This is a long drive from Anchorage on a two-lane road with lots of people in RVs or hauling boats. On the weekends, the traffic can be horrendous at least as far as Kenai. You will need to allow at least 6 hours with stops to get to Homer. It is well worth spending a couple of days there.

 

If it were me, I would cut out a day in Fairbanks, or skip Fairbanks all together and fly into Anchorage, rent a car, drive to Denali, spend two nights in Denali and then take several days to explore the Kenai. You could save a lot of money by returning the rental car to Anchorage and taking the train or bus to Whittier for your ship.

[Lookingforfacts]

Grayline of Alaska is owned by HAL. HAL owns Westmark hotels. Princess owned lodges have the Princess name as part of the hotel. HAL and Princess are merging their Alaskan tour operations. I see Grayline is now booking guests on some tours in Princess hotels.

 

You have to compare the tours and prices. A Princess tour will include direct transportation to/from Whittier. Luggage will be handled directly to/from your ship.

 

JMO but I wouldn't bother with Grayline unless you get some kind of BOGO offer. You'll probably get the disadvantages of a cruise tour (higher price and fixed itinerary) without the advantages (seamless transfer between the land and cruise portion of your trip.

[ihopfar]

It looks great up until Day 9 - you are not allowing enough time in Homer. This is a long drive from Anchorage on a two-lane road with lots of people in RVs or hauling boats. On the weekends, the traffic can be horrendous at least as far as Kenai. You will need to allow at least 6 hours with stops to get to Homer. It is well worth spending a couple of days there.

 

Wow -- I thought it was a 4 hour drive -- I did not realize it would take closer to 6. We may have to rethink trying to go to Homer. If we budget enough time, you think it is worthwhile to go? After the first hour or two out of Anchorage, is the drive very scenic?

 

Thanks,

Brad

[Budget Queen]

I will also say, Homer is a 2 night stop, but so is Seward, which you also do not have.

 

Cutting out Fairbanks, may be the best option, unless you can add a couple more days? Taking the train from Fairbanks, is the slow way to go as well, and highly restrictive for Denali Park. You are going to be at the mercy of lodge shuttle buses, that are going to cause you to eat up time, you could better use direct at activities. Wolfie and I agree a car rental is a better use of time, round trip out of Anchorage.

 

This routing is a stright shot and direct, not sure why you are still looking at bus service with preselected lodging, and fixed schedules with a tour? You have listed, your destination choices- is there a reason, you can not get yourself to them, and selection your own lodging?? This is all the "'tour" is doing for you.

[Budget Queen]

[

SIZE=3]Day 11 --- PJs Taxi/Drive to Ship Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in Seward before heading to Whittier

 

 

]

 

What is this?

[ihopfar]

I will also say, Homer is a 2 night stop, but so is Seward, which you also do not have.

 

Cutting out Fairbanks, may be the best option, unless you can add a couple more days? Taking the train from Fairbanks, is the slow way to go as well, and highly restrictive for Denali Park. You are going to be at the mercy of lodge shuttle buses, that are going to cause you to eat up time, you could better use direct at activities. Wolfie and I agree a car rental is a better use of time, round trip out of Anchorage.

 

This routing is a stright shot and direct, not sure why you are still looking at bus service with preselected lodging, and fixed schedules with a tour? You have listed, your destination choices- is there a reason, you can not get yourself to them, and selection your own lodging?? This is all the "'tour" is doing for you.

 

I think we might skip Homer instead of skipping Fairbanks. That's my thought and I have to see if my family agrees. I really don't like the idea of driving that far since there is plenty we are interested in seeing in other areas -- maybe we wil get their on our next trip to Alaska. :)

 

The reason for not renting a car to Denali is the same -- not wanting to drive that far. I am on vacation and am trying to limit the long drives when there is some other way(train/bus) to get around.

 

BQ -- I know you often suggest driving to Denali , but it's not for everyone. I know you also don't like organized tours and your point is well taken about selecting our own lodging and arranging our own transportation. I have come to realize that Gray Line is just acting as a booking agent, for the most part, and not providing a full "tour." If the price is cheaper then I can find on our own (for comparable accomodations) then I will use them, otherwise I may book everything myself.

 

I actually like that Gray Line is not a full tour, because I think we can add the days in Fairbanks and Anchorage (and possibly Seward)that are not on the tour they show in their 2011 brochure and have flexibility (other then making sure we are at the trains/buses at the scheduled time -- which we will need to do anyway if we book ourselves) to do what we want and when we want.

 

Truly, that is why I started this thread -- to see if anyone can tell me about their experience traveling with Gray Line of Alaska -- good or bad -- so I can judge if I am getting what I think I am and if they provide a good "product." Has anyone used them?

 

(I don't want to start any debates if they will be cheaper or not -- only time will tell when they release their 2012 information and we see if they offer any specials. Anything before that is just speculating.)

 

Thanks,

Brad

[ihopfar]

What is this?

 

Sorry - that got a little garbled and was part of a holdover from a previous draft of the intinerary.

 

It was trying to say -- that before leaving seward we might visit the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center. Then, if we have a rental car that we got from Anchorage, we would drive to Whittier (knowing the drop off fees would probably be high). Otherwise, we might use PJs Taxi to get from Seward from Whittier -- I have seen some good things on here about PJs.

 

Does anyone know approximately what that would cost for 3 people?

 

Thanks,

Brad

[Lookingforfacts]

I actually like that Gray Line is not a full tour, because I think we can add the days in Fairbanks and Anchorage (and possibly Seward)that are not on the tour they show in their 2011 brochure and have flexibility (other then making sure we are at the trains/buses at the scheduled time -- which we will need to do anyway if we book ourselves) to do what we want and when we want.

 

Truly, that is why I started this thread -- to see if anyone can tell me about their experience traveling with Gray Line of Alaska -- good or bad -- so I can judge if I am getting what I think I am and if they provide a good "product." Has anyone used them?

 

I guess I didn't do a good job. Gray Line (Alaska) is owned by HAL. HAL and Princess are owned by the same corporation. The Alaska land tour operations have been merged.

 

They're not just a booking agent. They'll be "booking you" into hotels they own. Looks like the hotel they're using in (OK an hour drive from) Talkeetna is the Princess. Cruise tours leave lots of time for you to book optional tours. Princess has some tours which don't include any tours.

 

Grayline probably makes it easier to customize your tour and add an extra day.

 

Cruisers on cc either do it themselves or book a tour through the cruise line. I doubt you'll find many (any?) posters who booked a tour directly through Grayline. HAL and Princess has been running tours in Alaska for years. I'm sure the tours they offer through Grayline will be well run.

 

Suggestion. Rent a car in Fairbanks. Book your own train (or bus) to Denali then from Denali to Anchorage. Rent a car in Anchorage to do the rest of your trip.

 

edited to add Grayline (Alaska) and Princess tours are basically the same company. Same hotels. Same trains. Might even be on the same bus as cruise passengers. Grayline gives you more options. Princess tours will get you directly to the dock and will ship an extra suitcase directly to your cabin.

[Lookingforfacts]

You need to set up a spread sheet and crunch the numbers. Booking everything separately will give you lower numbers if you can take advantage of BOGO pricing. Something like Grayline (or a package from the Alaska RR) might look good if they're running a promotionon and/or offer a BOGO. Check toursaver. Things to check:

 

1. Transportation from FAI to your hotel in Fairbanks. Might be included with your tour. Might be included if you book direct from the hotel. Might not be included depending on the rate/package you book.
   
2. Transportation from the train station to your hotel. Probably included with your tour. Might be included if you book the hotel directly. Might not.
   
3. Transportation to activities like Riverboat Discovery. Probably included with your Grayline Tour. Not necessarily included if you're on your own, using a BOGO coupon.
   

I, but not few others, understand some people don't want to rent a car.

 

 

nsportation from the bus station to your hotel. Probably included with your tour. Might be included

[GalavantinGal]

I am planning a cruise to Alaska for September of 2015, and a group of people are interested in joining. They will of course have the option of adding/subtracting from the itinerary, but I'd like to plan a nicely rounded land trip to accomodate the cruise. Flying out takes a day, flying back takes a day, cruise of 7 days leaves only 3-4 days of land.

 

The Princess 3-day land option added to the cruise costs approximately $1,000 per person and does not include meals. I'm certain we can do better than that, and will be taking this wonderful advice on self-booking the pieces.

 

Thank you for all the marvelous ideas, and let me know how your trip went in June!

[ihopfar]

GalavantinGal,

 

Here is my post after I returned from: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1668287

 

We used grayline for a package that included the train from Fairbanks to Denali, 2 nights hotel in Denali, and the train from Denali to Anchorage. They have a similar package round trip from Anchorage --- you would have to get from the ship (Whittier) to Anchorage via Princess or independant transfer option.

 

I was presently surprised (because everyone at the Greyline office in Seattle told me this would not happen) that even though we were not on a cruisetour, they still delivered our bags to our room in Denali, and then picked them up from our room the morning we left and transfered them to Anchorage. A rep from the Denali hotel found us on the train and gave us our room keys, so we did not need to check in once we got to the hotel. it was very seamless.

 

Let me know if you have any questions...

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We cruised to AK on the Last NB Radiance of the Sea cruise this year. [Aug 31-Sept 7].

We booked the cruise with an online travel agency that arranged a post-cruise land tour that had an itinerary at a price we liked. We later learned that they contract the land tour to Gray Line of Alaska (owned by HAL). So while you are booking through Grayline you are really using the HAL glass domed train cars [McKinley Express, they move your luggage with the HAL customers and you stay in the McKinley Chalet. We liked the land tour. We did upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness tour in Denali.

I did a Live posting during our cruise. This is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1697232

 

You can skip down to posting # 86 to start the land portion.

[GalavantinGal]

Heading to read right now. I'm loving all the input! I am listing, categorizing and organizing all this information as I plan. I'm really glad to be starting this now rather than 2 months before cruise time!

 

Thanks so much for the info! It is truly and sincerely appreciated.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Heading to read right now. I'm loving all the input! I am listing, categorizing and organizing all this information as I plan. I'm really glad to be starting this now rather than 2 months before cruise time!

 

Thanks so much for the info! It is truly and sincerely appreciated.

 

Alaska is a cruise that you need to plan in advance. There is just so much to put together.