Alaska cruisetour

[5soccer9]

We are looking at doing an Alaska cruisetour. We did an Alaska cruise about 5 years ago but now want to cruise and then do Denali and Mt. McKinley.

 

Wanted to know if it is better to cruise first and then tour or the other way around? It seems less expensive to cruise first but didn't know if anyone had any suggestions about that. Also I have heard that the two two top places to see on the tour are Denali and Mt McKinley. Is that right? I heard there is not a lot to do or see in Fairbanks.

 

We are looking at booking throuigh Princess so should we get the airfare through them as well?

 

Thank you for any and all help and suggestions. I am sure it all will be very helpful.

[AKStafford]

Would you be open to planning your own land trip? It's easy to do for Alaska and gives you the flexibility of setting your own agenda. It's also usually cheaper...

 

Mt. McKinley is a mountain in Denali National Park. If the sky is clear it can be seen from much of Southcentral Alaska. Many people do a McKinley flight seeing trip out of Talkeetna.

Denali National Park is accessed via shuttle buses along the Denali Park Road, which beyond mile 15 is closed to traffic other than the buses.

Fairbanks is nice, but getting that far north will depend on how much time you have for the trip.

If you are planning your own trip, flying in Anchorage and renting a car is the most common option. Cruisetours typically start from either Fairbanks or Anchorage.

[oaktreerb]

It really doesn't make much difference if you cruise first or tour first. If you are still working and want to rest most people would recommend tour first and cruise for the relaxation on the way home. I prefer to take the best itinerary for the best price.

 

Just make sure you have at least two nights in Denali National Park so that you will have time to enjoy it and if you go to Fairbanks you should plan for two nights there, too.

[zqvol]

IMO do the land portion first for one reason. The time difference coming home is brutal when it is 5 hours, and you have had a couple of days to rest on the ship after what will be a very busy two weeks.

[5soccer9]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas. I really appreciate it and now have lots to think about and a lot of planning to do.