Alaska Cruise Tour

[ron1946]

My wife and I (69, 68) will be booking the 15 Day Seattle Gold Rush Alaska Cruise Tour as soon as Holland America schedules for 2016 Cruise Tours are published (Hopefully it will be offered!). This tour includes three nights in Denali, two nights in Dawson City and two nights in Skagway.

 

We plan on doing the "Land First" and the four day cruise second. We have already completed two Inside Passage cruises including Glacier Bay and Tracey Arm, so the cruise portion is no big deal for us.

 

However, I have been getting some differing advice as to what month is best to go. I realize this depends a lot on what we really want to see. Therefore I would like to ask of those who have completed any Alaska Cruise Tour what your opinion is regarding best time to go and your experiences.

 

In addition, for those who have completed the Cruise Tour, what suggestions (good or bad) could you provide.

 

Do you recommend participating in the meal voucher program?

 

Having been to AK twice, I understand dressing in layers, but I have never been to the interior. Any suggestions regarding clothing to take?

 

Any recommended additional "don't miss" excursions would also be appreciated.

 

Any additional comments/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your information!

[nana51]

I went in late July this past summer and had incredible weather. It was sunny and 77 degrees in ketchikan. That is highly unusual. I think the best month for sunshine is supposed to be June, but it could be cold and rainy also. July is usually nice but it can be awful also. It is pure luck. Pick a time you want to go and just go for it. Alaska is lovely all summer.

[RuthC]

If you're used to the Alaska coastline, you may be surprised at how hot it can get in the interior. I was there one early June when it was in the 90's, and their idea of air conditioning was opening the window.

It's quite disarming to roll over at 2:00 AM and see daylight!

 

Bring a set of hot weather clothes just in case.

[Shmoo here]

My wife and I (69, 68) will be booking the 15 Day Seattle Gold Rush Alaska Cruise Tour as soon as Holland America schedules for 2016 Cruise Tours are published (Hopefully it will be offered!). This tour includes three nights in Denali, two nights in Dawson City and two nights in Skagway.

 

We plan on doing the "Land First" and the four day cruise second. We have already completed two Inside Passage cruises including Glacier Bay and Tracey Arm, so the cruise portion is no big deal for us.

 

However, I have been getting some differing advice as to what month is best to go. I realize this depends a lot on what we really want to see. Therefore I would like to ask of those who have completed any Alaska Cruise Tour what your opinion is regarding best time to go and your experiences.

 

In addition, for those who have completed the Cruise Tour, what suggestions (good or bad) could you provide.

 

Do you recommend participating in the meal voucher program?

 

Having been to AK twice, I understand dressing in layers, but I have never been to the interior. Any suggestions regarding clothing to take?

 

Any recommended additional "don't miss" excursions would also be appreciated.

 

Any additional comments/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your information!

 

Well, our cruise/tour was a few years ago, but I'll chime in here.

 

We did the land first (although we did the long tour - 10 days land/7 night cruise), beginning in late May. When we arrived at Denali, it was just after they had started "opening" for people. And the weather our first day there was rainy/snowy, but the second day and the day we departed was gorgeous. We actually have very nice, sunny weather for most of the trip. I gather that this isn't always the way. I do know the weather in Alaska can basically change within 20 minutes, so it's best to be prepared for it.

 

We didn't do the meal voucher program. It really depends on how much you eat. We shopped our first stop (Whitehorse) and bought trail mix, crackers, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, sweet rolls, soda & juice. We resupplied along the route as necessary. We aren't very big eaters (and we figured we could eat all we wanted once on the cruise). With the (few) included meals on the land portion and the fact that most of our added excursions included some sort of meal (usually lunch), we were fine with crackers & cheese & fruit for dinner/breakfast most days. Some people find the voucher system more convenient for them. That way they aren't trying to find a place to eat once they arrive at their hotel for the night. I'll point out meals tend to be a bit pricey, but also they serve really large portions. We did buy dinner one night (well, one dinner, 1 salad, 2 drinks) and that was plenty for both of us.

 

We pretty much wore the same clothes on the land portion as we wore on the cruise. But we did have low top hiking boots for our more adventuresome excursions.

[agabbymama]

We did an 11 day HAL Yukon Wilderness cruisetour in August. Weather was on the cool side, and we did get a couple of days of rain. We also shopped in Skagway at the grocery store for snacks, sandwich makings and water at the beginning of the land portion. Up the Whitepass Yukon RR to Fraser, coach to Carcross, Whitehorse, Dawson City, riverboat to Eagle, back on the coach to Chicken, Tok, Fairbanks, train to Denali, and train to Anchorage.

 

We did not purchase the meal voucher program as we thought we could eat cheaper, which ended up not being the case. After riding on the coach all day, we were ready for dinner when we arrived into town around 6:00 pm each night, so usually ended up at the hotel restaurant to eat. The wait staff was surprised when we said we didn't have the vouchers, and would be paying for our meal. We had two coaches travelling in tandem, so approximately 80 folks descended on the town. Restaurants without long waits were difficult to find. There just wasn't a lot of options.

 

You don't get much time for any kind of a lunch (other than the provided lunches). We stopped along the Yukon River and they served a small buffet type lunch with coldcuts, breads, salads, desserts etc. Then at the Goldmine Dredge in Fairbanks we had a great lunch of stew & biscuits with dessert and lastly on the riverboat from Dawson City to Eagle Alaska they served us sandwiches and chips. The other 5 days, you were totally on your own to grab a bowl of chili or a quick sandwich. But I noticed even if you bought the meal plan lunch wasn't very often on the menu. It was more breakfast and dinner.

 

Be prepared for double the cost of food. We paid $23 for a subway sandwich and salad with drink. And a small cereal bowl size Caesar salad was $12 at Denali. I guess we would be considered big eaters, as we wanted a big breakfast and a big dinner. Usually partaking of the breakfast buffets at $14.99 pp. Dinners were around $28.99 pp at the hotel restaurants.

 

I live in Southern California so don't like cold weather. I wore my cuddle duds and sweatsuits every day of the land tour. I did remove my ski jacket while on the coach, but was glad to have it when we got off the coach at the various stops. I have no idea what the actual temperature was, but I would say it was cold. after the night of rain, there was ice in the mornings. I don't do strenuous excursions, so my tennis shoes were all I wore.

 

We left Fairbanks around 8:30 by train. We arrived at Denali about noon, and were scheduled for the Tundra Wilderness Tour at 2:30. By the time we made the rounds and picked everyone else up, we actually entered the park closer to 3:00. We had a full 8 hours on the bus, returning to the hotel at 11:00 and finally to our little cabin at 11:30 and we were some tired folks, but we saw moose, caribou, Dall sheep, 5 bears, a golden eagle, a wolf, a lone prairie dog and thousands of rabbits. And even Mt. McKinley showed itself briefly through the clouds. It was a sufficient adventure for this city gal.

 

We only paid for one extra excursion in the 8 days land portion. I had told my group of 4 that I wanted to see/meet Jeff King (4 time Iditarod Champ) while at Denali, and the pups of course. I was going to walk if I had to. Thankfully HAL offered the tour, so I didn't have to walk. It was the highlight of our cruisetour. The strength and intestinal fortitude of this man, his wife & family were amazing. I was surprised by the size of the dogs (Alaskan Huskies) that pull the sleds in the Iditarod. They appear small, but again have the same strength and intestinal fortitude as their owners.

 

We left Denali on the train for Anchorage about 12:30. It's a long 8 hour ride to Anchorage, but dinner that night on the train was the best meal of the whole 11 day trip. We had the best prime rib I've ever had. It even beat out the meals on the ship.

 

If I were to go again, I'd pick the cruisetour with more 2 night stops at each location. You don't get much of a chance to see the town when you arrive at 6:00 pm and leave the next morning at 7:00 am, whereas the 2 nights in Dawson City, we had a full day to wander and see the town and actually experience how they live. I'd also purchase the meal voucher program.

 

There are a lot on this board that advocate "do it yourself" over a cruisetour, but I would not change what I chose. For me, cruisetours are great. Tell me where to be and what time to be there, I'll let the driver worry about the road/traffic, schlepp my luggage, and worry about the repairs of the coach, while I sit back and enjoy the scenery. They know the area and what is of importance to see. I researched and knew what was offered and I thoroughly enjoyed our cruisetour.

 

Have fun planning your cruisetour to Alaska, then have an awesome time on your cruisetour. Alaska/Yukon is an awesome destination!

[ron1946]

Thanks for the input so far. Anyone else out there with info. Thanks

[sotiris]

My wife and I (69, 68) will be booking the 15 Day Seattle Gold Rush Alaska Cruise Tour as soon as Holland America schedules for 2016 Cruise Tours are published (Hopefully it will be offered!). This tour includes three nights in Denali, two nights in Dawson City and two nights in Skagway.

 

 

We are doing a very similar cruise tour (2YL) in May. We really like the idea of 2 nights in some places and many included activities.

I will post a review when we return. Hopefully it will have some useful info for you.

[Lady Chew]

We did the 21-day cruise tour in 2013. Land first, beginning in late July, boarded the ship early August.

 

We had a little bit of rain & cool (50s) weather to begin with, but by the time we got to Denali it was HOT. Mid-80s!! And extremely dusty.

 

We did not use the meal vouchers. And we had no trouble finding good places to eat that were not crowded. Of course we are walkers so we may have gone further than others in our quests! But we had a lot of good food!

 

There are some meals included in the overall package - there was a welcome dinner the first night in Whitehorse, and a few lunches on the long bus rides. As I recall the rides never went more than two hours without a stop, for rest rooms & snacks (or the meals).

 

When we got to the coast to board the ship, the weather was back to the 50s & 60s, except for Ketchikan which was back up to almost 80.

 

So you do have to be prepared for a range of weather. Layers. (Even though it was over 80 the three days we were in Denali, we needed hats & gloves & boots & coats to fly up on the glacier one afternoon!)

 

One advantage to doing the land tour first - it can be very strenuous, and it gets busy going in & out of hotels every other day and dealing with your luggage (even though they make it as easy as possible) and when you get on the ship you can just relax. And send out your laundry!

 

We are hoping to do another cruise tour in a few years!

Edited January 9, 2015 by Lady Chew

[take us away]

If you go in Sept the weather may be a bit cooler but there are fewer bugs and fewer people as most schools are back in session.

 

Only thing I can add is to make sure you bring good hiking boots that are waterproof. We have found a good waterproof shell jacket to be a great addition to our travel wardrobe as we can layer under it as needed.

[Alberta Quilter]

May and June are the drier months in Alaska. I went on a cruise tour in June. We were in Dawson City on the longest day of the year. It was cool to be outside, at midnight, reading a book by natural light (just to say I did it).

 

We had great weather, and no bugs. I highly recommend going around June 21st.