McKinley/Denali bus transportation

[mamkmm2]

For those that have done a land tour in addition to your cruise and have taken the bus between Anchorage and Denali, could you please tell me if they stop or is it a straight through trip? Also, do they stop for lunch/dinner or should we pack a box lunch for the road?

 

Thanks.

[Budget Queen]

For those that have done a land tour in addition to your cruise and have taken the bus between Anchorage and Denali, could you please tell me if they stop or is it a straight through trip? Also, do they stop for lunch/dinner or should we pack a box lunch for the road?

 

Thanks.

 

Yes they usually do stop. Is there a "meal" stop mentioned in your itinerary?

 

In your title you have "McKinley", what is this reference???

[PennyAgain]

On any of the tours, short or long, have your own snacks and bottles of water. Better to have what you know you like than to risk either having nothing or having to buy what may not be what you want.

[mamkmm2]

Yes they usually do stop. Is there a "meal" stop mentioned in your itinerary?

 

In your title you have "McKinley", what is this reference???

 

Some people call the area Mt. McKinley and some people call it Denali. I put both just to be on the safe side. LOL.

 

Actually this is a Princess land tour but it is a "on your own" and they provide the travel and hotel rooms. I can't find anyone that seems to know the answer to the question so I will likely just make sure that we have drink and snacks. We'll be taking the bus twice ... once from Anchorage to the McKinley princess lodge (3.5 hours) which I'm not too worried about and then the really long one from Denali princess lodge to Whittier which is 8.5 hours long which is really what I am trying to plan for. I hope they stop at least once as hubby needs to walk off being cooped up.

[AKman2495]

FYI: The mountain is named McKinley. That was done by Congress. Our delegation has been trying to change it for decades but some guy from Ohio always blocks it.

 

Denali is the native name for the mountain. It means "The great one".

 

As a bone, Congress named the national park there "Denali National Park".

 

There is also a Denali state park that is attached at the southeast corner of the national park.

 

So, there you have it.

[Chenega]

Some people call the area Mt. McKinley and some people call it Denali. I put both just to be on the safe side. LOL.

 

Actually this is a Princess land tour but it is a "on your own" and they provide the travel and hotel rooms. I can't find anyone that seems to know the answer to the question so I will likely just make sure that we have drink and snacks. We'll be taking the bus twice ... once from Anchorage to the McKinley princess lodge (3.5 hours) which I'm not too worried about and then the really long one from Denali princess lodge to Whittier which is 8.5 hours long which is really what I am trying to plan for. I hope they stop at least once as hubby needs to walk off being cooped up.

 

I've often seen tour buses from both Princess and Holland America stopped at either the Fred Meyers or Carrs/Safeway grocery stores in Wasilla which is an approximate midway point.

[mamkmm2]

FYI: The mountain is named McKinley. That was done by Congress. Our delegation has been trying to change it for decades but some guy from Ohio always blocks it.

 

Denali is the native name for the mountain. It means "The great one".

 

As a bone, Congress named the national park there "Denali National Park".

 

There is also a Denali state park that is attached at the southeast corner of the national park.

 

So, there you have it.

 

Thank you for the background. I had read this but you know how it goes ... better to get it from a local than from a tourist magazine as the local is more likely to give you the full-truth without it being prettied up.

[mamkmm2]

I've often seen tour buses from both Princess and Holland America stopped at either the Fred Meyers or Carrs/Safeway grocery stores in Wasilla which is an approximate midway point.

 

Very helpful. Thank you. At least now I've got something to consider. I'm not even getting anything but "hmmmm, let me ask ..." when I call the cruise line.

[Chenega]

Very helpful. Thank you. At least now I've got something to consider. I'm not even getting anything but "hmmmm, let me ask ..." when I call the cruise line.

 

Many of the cruise line agents know little about the itineraries they are booking. That's where boards like Cruise Critic come in handy:)

[Shaelyn]

Hi! We are doing a pre-cruise to Fairbanks then Denali. Taking a motor coach from Denali to Anchorage, then on to Seward to get on our Celebrity Mellennium cruise. Since I'm with a group and going through a travel agency, I don't know if it's done through Celebrity, but my intinerary says we stop in Anchorage with "lunch on our own".