Fairbanks or Not?

[newbiecruiser09]

Trying to decide on a 10 or 11 night cruisetour for 2015. Would you do the Fairbanks itinerary or the other (Talkeetna I think for most). This will be our only trip to Alaska (most likely) so want to get the best 'bang for the buck".

Thanks for any help offered.

[nukesubsailor]

Trying to decide on a 10 or 11 night cruisetour for 2015. Would you do the Fairbanks itinerary or the other (Talkeetna I think for most). This will be our only trip to Alaska (most likely) so want to get the best 'bang for the buck".

Thanks for any help offered.

Once you see Alaska, you probably will change your mind about it being your only trip there. I have been there 5 times and I recommend you take the longest cruise tour that you can afford the time and money for. I also recommend that you pick a booking that does the land tour before the cruise. The land tour is more tiring than the cruise so doing it first will give you time to rest and relax.

[mapleleaves]

That's a decision only you can make ... based on YOUR interests and priorities. And how much time will you have in Fairbanks to do anything?

 

Look at the sights and activities available at each location .... which one is more appealing ? Fairbanks is a large city so there's lots more to see and do. Talkeetna is very small, barely a town, known for views of the mountain when it's out and for flightseeing trips.

Edited February 22, 2014 by mapleleaves

[newbiecruiser09]

Thanks for the inputs. We just reserved a cruise tour w/o Fairbanks. DH's thought was that Talkeetna would be more interesting for the kids and it would probably be easier to fly into Fairbanks later if we wanted to do the city thing.

Appreciate the advice

[Northern Aurora]

DH's thought was that Talkeetna would be more interesting for the kids .....

 

I am curious as to why Talkeetna would be "more interesting for the kids?" Years ago Talkeetna was a funky little community, but we were there last summer and I was appalled. It has become a tourist trap with a number of tents in with vendors (most who clearly were not Alaskans) trying to sell jewelry, cheap souvenir trinkets and so forth.

[donaldsc]

I was in Talkkeetna on a recent trip. The town was not worth the 15 mile drive from the main highway. The only reason to go there is of you are going to fly over Denali.

 

I sure hope that the town's publicity people are getting a lot of money from the town's government. They have and are doing a wonderful job of convincing people to a place that is not worth visiting.

 

If you are not doing the fly tour, Talkeetna is only mildly better than North Pole and we all know about North Pole.

 

DON

[Carol & Jim]

We were in Talkeetna last August and thoroughly enjoyed it. Stayed in a cabin close to town, walked around, ate good food, went to the museum and the National Park Visitor Center which had a great presentation on the Mt. McKinley climbers. Took a flightsee over Denali, great trip! Shops were nice, bookstore, art gallery, old store. Didn't bother with the craft booths.

Fairbanks was a one day one night stop on our way from Denali to Chicken. We went to the pipeline, tried to visit the Dredge but bad timing so no ticket. Rained off and on all afternoon which put a damper on walking through parks. Not interested in the car museum or the Riverboat, have them by home and friends reviews weren't that great for the Riverboat, or the Dredge for that matter but thought we'd try at least one! But, maybe with small children you might find more things to do in Fairbanks than Talkeetna. Depends on whether you like to kick back and enjoy surroundings or be on the go from attraction to attraction. We're headed back to Talkeetna in May, going to take the train roundtrip from Anchorage, mostly to experience the Alaska Railroad, never been!

And, I for one, rather enjoyed visiting the North Pole!! How many people can say they've been to the North Pole?? Got to see a huge balloon Santa and real reindeers! Ok, kinda corny! Had to buy a North Pole Xmas ornament!! :D

[OldDogMusher]

Sorry to hear that you opted out of Fairbanks. It's really not a "city" and has a lot to offer, especially for families with younger children. One of the best activities in town is a 2-hour float in a kayak or canoe from Pioneer Park down the Chena River. Whether you are a novice or a pro, its a fun float ending at the Pump House, a national historic landmark with a great deck overlooking the river. Plus, Fairbanks has GREAT summer weather: 80's and 90's!

[grandma101]

Trying to decide on a 10 or 11 night cruisetour for 2015. Would you do the Fairbanks itinerary or the other (Talkeetna I think for most). This will be our only trip to Alaska (most likely) so want to get the best 'bang for the buck".

Thanks for any help offered.

 

My husband and I back in 2011 did the 13 day trip southbound starting in Fairbanks (2 nights) Denali/Talkeetna Alyeska Anchorage then the 7 day cruise.

 

This year we are taking our family with us and I choose to skip Fairbanks. We did several thinks on the tour in Fairbanks But what I was most interested in doing again with my family was panning for gold but I found that we can do that several other places. So for the price the 11 day cruise tour fits our budget better because we are taking our whole family. Not only for the cost but my kids don't have to take so much time off work. And I felt the 3.5 hr trip into Denali was better for us than the 8 hr one and if they want to do the longer one they can upgrade. I also wanted them to ride the train and also stay at 2 of my favorite Lodges. ( Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge & Hotel Alyeska)

 

But first time around we wanted to experience it all. So then the longer tour was what we wanted. But it is quite of difference in cost. I hope you enjoy whatever you pick.

[grandma101]

Thanks for the inputs. We just reserved a cruise tour w/o Fairbanks. DH's thought was that Talkeetna would be more interesting for the kids and it would probably be easier to fly into Fairbanks later if we wanted to do the city thing.

Appreciate the advice

 

Hey you have to make the right decision for your family. And another thing the hotel in Fairbanks is okay but out of all the places Celebrity took us to stay it was the least I liked.

 

I am thinking of maybe doing the panning for gold either on the land or the cruise. So I don't really think I will miss the stop in Fairbanks.

 

The most beautiful time we spent were in the Hotel Alyeska. Be sure to do the tram up to the Mt. And also Talkeetna Alaska Lodge was so very nice with huge windows overlooking Mt McKenney if you are lucky enough to see it. (weather fog)

 

I'm getting very excited! For you and for me!

[Budget Queen]

Rarely are 10/11 night cruise tours the best choices. The highlight being Denali Park, 2 nights is the min, in my opinion. Never settle for the worthless Natural History tour, a waste of time. A cruise tour is also many times a poor choice with kids. First, it is a much higher cost and sees the least. Denali Park is free for 16 and under on the shuttle buses. Having a car is grossly superior for those interesting and varied stops. The short cruisetours you are considering, have early morning starts, long distances and point to point. You can see more not being on a fixed schedule.

 

You may have a skewed idea on Talkeetna? It can be a great meal stop, and certainly the flightseeing is superb, but to have a "scheduled day" here at the expense of being elsewhere may not be a good choice. Be sure your cruise tour, stays at where you want to be and makes the best use of your time.

 

You don't mention the kids ages, but they are also likely to be the only kids on a cruise tour. Be sure to take with you, triple the snacks, betteries, DVD;s/games etc. Headphones are necessary.

 

Fairbanks is a great stop for me, but always with a car. Having Fairbanks on a cruisetour, can be a superior itinerary, so be certain, to understand fully what you are looking at and know the transit times involved and what activities you want to include. Make sure you have the time necessary.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Budget Queen