Planning "CruiseTour" on our own

[luckybecky]

We are booked on a Celebrity cruise in June 2017, southbound Seward to Vancouver. We are a family of four. Will have two staterooms (one for my husband and me, and one for our two adult children) on the cruise, but we don't mind all four sharing a hotel room during our pre-cruise land tour.

 

We want to spend about a week in Alaska pre-cruise. The Cruise Tours that are offered seem ridiculously expensive. I'm pretty certain that I can put together our own tour with a rental car that will be far cheaper and allow us to follow our own itinerary.

 

We have never been to Alaska so we want to make the most of it. I've put together a few possible itineraries. Want to know if anyone has any suggestions.

 

We could focus on national parks: Anchorage to Wrangell - St Elias Nat'l Park. Then to Denali, then back to Anchorage and on to Seward and Kenai Fjords Nat'l park before boarding our cruise. A big circle tour encompassing 3 national parks in one week.

 

Or, we could start from Anchorage, drive to Fairbanks and then work our way back. Enjoy Fairbanks, then Denali, then go South to Seward and Kenai Fjords.

 

Or, we could spend a couple of days in Denali and then focus on the peninsula including Seward, Whittier, Homer, etc. Hike the Exit Glacier, Spencer Lake iceberg float, etc. It looks like there are many wonderful tours here, and this would cut down on our driving time and leave us more time to DO stuff.

 

In any case, we are certainly going to do Denali Nat'l park. Beyond that, anyone have thoughts on our trip? Should we focus on seeing the national parks? Go to Fairbanks? Spend our time on the peninsula south of Anchorage?

[Fiveone5]

Check trip advisor - some great advice from people that live there or have done land travel. Also get The Milepost on Amazon. I purchased a used one 2014. The maps really help you figure out how to plan your trip. Also did a search on here for DIY Land found some useful information. Good luck!

[mapleleaves]

i have done each of those 3 itineraries but as separate trips! I think you're grossly underestimating the travel times. Keep in mind that the highways are 2 lanes and it can be very slow due to summer road repairs, gawking tourists, and slow RV's. It also depends on planned activities. ie do you plan on driving directly to Wrangell St Elias without stopping at points of interest along the way? no ice trek at Matanuska? no hike at Independence Mine? And for Wrangell St Elias, would you do a scenic flight? or would you take the shuttle to visit Kennicott Mine? Or maybe you enjoy scenic driving so there's no need to stop between Anchorage and Glennallen. What's your travel style?

 

I think you need to look at each destination to determine the travel distances, and your activities. Get a realistic view of how much time is needed .... determine your priorities.

Mileage chart and travel times in this chart. http://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart

 

HOWEVER, if your dates are fixed. rent the car NOW while there are good deals. Add a day at either end for wiggle room.

 

Another thought .... consider an RV. It's a little slower for travel but gives you more flexibility. You don't need reservations except at Denali If the weather is crappy on the Kenai, you can change your itinerary on a dime and head east or north instead.

 

Definitely buy an old Milepost on-line.

And tripadvisor is far superior for land travel than cruisecritic.

 

Have fun with your planning and research.

[AKStafford]

Check trip advisor - some great advice from people that live there or have done land travel. Also get The Milepost on Amazon. I purchased a used one 2014. The maps really help you figure out how to plan your trip. Also did a search on here for DIY Land found some useful information. Good luck!

 

Here's the links

 

• TripAdvisor Forum for Alaska: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html
  
• The Milepost: http://www.TheMilepost.com
  

[AKStafford]

I've put together a few possible itineraries. Want to know if anyone has any suggestions.

As you've seen, you've got a lot of options that can be combined in a number of ways. Keep in mind driving times in Alaska. Getting to Denali takes the better part of a day. So allow three days at least for Denali, which would only include one day on the shuttle bus ( http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm ) into the park. Go to/from Denali you could include Talkeetna (which is a great spot for flightseeing trip) and/or the Matanuska Glacier. The balance of your days could be used for exploring the Kenai Peninsula.

[xlxo]

southbound Seward to Vancouver.

While you are waiting for answers.... hope you have a few full days in Vancouver post-cruise.... lots to do there.

[Budget Queen]

We are booked on a Celebrity cruise in June 2017, southbound Seward to Vancouver. We are a family of four. Will have two staterooms (one for my husband and me, and one for our two adult children) on the cruise, but we don't mind all four sharing a hotel room during our pre-cruise land tour.

 

We want to spend about a week in Alaska pre-cruise. The Cruise Tours that are offered seem ridiculously expensive. I'm pretty certain that I can put together our own tour with a rental car that will be far cheaper and allow us to follow our own itinerary.

 

We have never been to Alaska so we want to make the most of it. I've put together a few possible itineraries. Want to know if anyone has any suggestions.

 

We could focus on national parks: Anchorage to Wrangell - St Elias Nat'l Park. Then to Denali, then back to Anchorage and on to Seward and Kenai Fjords Nat'l park before boarding our cruise. A big circle tour encompassing 3 national parks in one week.

 

Or, we could start from Anchorage, drive to Fairbanks and then work our way back. Enjoy Fairbanks, then Denali, then go South to Seward and Kenai Fjords.

 

Or, we could spend a couple of days in Denali and then focus on the peninsula including Seward, Whittier, Homer, etc. Hike the Exit Glacier, Spencer Lake iceberg float, etc. It looks like there are many wonderful tours here, and this would cut down on our driving time and leave us more time to DO stuff.

 

In any case, we are certainly going to do Denali Nat'l park. Beyond that, anyone have thoughts on our trip? Should we focus on seeing the national parks? Go to Fairbanks? Spend our time on the peninsula south of Anchorage?

 

I agree, you are underestimating distance and time needed at destinations. I suggest you back up and look at the details of the places you list, and more important- WHAT you want to see and do there. (essential for time to be allotted)

The other issue is when in June?? Could impact your route.

 

All of these selections, could be the perfect trip for you. What anyone else does doesn't matter. It depends on YOUR choices.

 

Get the rental car, now. This is overall, your cheapest window.

[DisneyDatknee]

Don't forget you can spend basically the whole day in Seward on Embarkation Day. We drove down from our cabin in Moose Pass and went to Exit Glacier. I know there are others nearby that are great for hiking. Can easily be done Day of. It was a perfect start before the cruise. FYI, agree with the person above about the rental car. Make sure to look up some company discount codes like AAA things like that to get a good deal.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited October 6, 2016 by DisneyDatknee

[luckybecky]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

 

I understand what you are saying about driving times. I've mapped out these possible itineraries on Google Maps to get an idea of driving times. Hopefully that is reasonably accurate, though I know that obviously it doesn't include time stopping for meals, photos, or seeing any sights. I do think each of the three possible itineraries I have considered is do-able within a week, but perhaps I'm wrong.

 

I appreciate the links y'all have shared to other sources of information. Will definitely check them out.

 

I have looked at rental car prices and they look very reasonable. Will make sure to reserve one soon. I don't think we will go the RV route. It's a good idea but we are travelling with our 2 adult children, so we would want a pretty large RV. Never having driven one, I don't think we are up for that adventure!

 

Mapleleaves, you mentioned that you've done all three of these itineraries. Do you have an opinion as to which would be best for first-time visitors?

 

I think I'm leaning toward just doing denali and the peninsula with Kenai Fjords. (By the way, what is that peninsula called?) That itinerary has the least driving time so we could spend more time doing different activities and less time driving, though it also means we would see less of this enormous state.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help. I'll definitely check out the tripadvisor forum. I love tripadvisor. Can't wait for our trip!

 

Becky

[mapleleaves]

The denali - seward itinerary is a popular option, but even so there are several variations depending on your interests, and whether or not you use a car for the week or car for a few days then take the train to seward.

You could do the 3 day denali visit plus a quick trip to homer, or a few days around seward, or matanuska glacier/independence mine.

So it could look like this:

day 1 arrive anc .

Day 2 drive to denali 6 hrs

Day 3 shuttle into denali

Day 4 10am sleddog demo. Drive to girdwood 7 hrs.

Day 5 drive to homer 5 hrs

Day 6 homer

Day 7 drive to seward, board ship 5pm

A lot of time on the road with only 1 full day in denali and 1 full day in homer

 

OR

Day 1 arrive anc

Day 2 drive to denali

Day 3 shuttle into park

Day 4 sled dog demo. Drive to anc

Day 5 train to seward. Exit glacier

Day 6 kenai fjords boat

Day 7 kayak tour or some other activity, board ship 5pm

 

There are a dozen ways you can plan out a 7 day itinerary that include denali. Depends on your interests and travel style. Adding 2 or 3 days would give you more flexibility. Or skip the cruise and cocentrate on land travel! Good luck.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

 

I understand what you are saying about driving times. I've mapped out these possible itineraries on Google Maps to get an idea of driving times. Hopefully that is reasonably accurate, though I know that obviously it doesn't include time stopping for meals, photos, or seeing any sights. I do think each of the three possible itineraries I have considered is do-able within a week, but perhaps I'm wrong.

 

I appreciate the links y'all have shared to other sources of information. Will definitely check them out.

 

I have looked at rental car prices and they look very reasonable. Will make sure to reserve one soon. I don't think we will go the RV route. It's a good idea but we are travelling with our 2 adult children, so we would want a pretty large RV. Never having driven one, I don't think we are up for that adventure!

 

Mapleleaves, you mentioned that you've done all three of these itineraries. Do you have an opinion as to which would be best for first-time visitors?

 

I think I'm leaning toward just doing denali and the peninsula with Kenai Fjords. (By the way, what is that peninsula called?) That itinerary has the least driving time so we could spend more time doing different activities and less time driving, though it also means we would see less of this enormous state.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help. I'll definitely check out the tripadvisor forum. I love tripadvisor. Can't wait for our trip!

 

Becky

 

Sorry, but google maps is a poor resource and inaccurate on driving times. You also are not considering the delays- you WILL encounter with construction. eg I've just missed a pilot car and had a hour wait. I had to turn back on the Sterling Highway because of a 4 hour closure due to blasting. etc

 

I'd suggest if you are going to use google maps, you only average 40mph for the distances. The necessary resource you need to obtain is THE MILEPOST. I'm still using my 2007 edition. :) Try your library. The used market is also a good option.

 

I have also driven all these areas- multiple times (I'm in Alaska every year for weeks), I still suggest, you get with your group and really detail, what you want to see and do. There are so many variations. All touring in Alaska- is worthwhile depending on interests, touring time and money.

 

http://www.kenaipeninsula.com

[rockdoctor]

I did a cost analysis on DIY versus HAL and found that if I used HAL's buses and left the tour, it was cheaper than renting a car and making my own hotel reservations. It takes some getting used to. The first time a waved good bye to the bus was on my own it was rather disconcerting.

[AKStafford]

(By the way, what is that peninsula called?)

It's the Kenai Peninsula. It can be a little confusing, because there's also the town of Kenai which is miles away from the Kenai Fjords National Park. Plus you also Kenai Lake & the Kenai River.

[Viv0828]

We did s week in Alaska precruise about 10 years ago. We bought a guidebook and followed a suggested one week itinerary. A guide book plus TripAdvisor should be all you really need to plan a great trip. Enjoy!

Edited October 6, 2016 by Viv0828

[Budget Queen]

I did a cost analysis on DIY versus HAL and found that if I used HAL's buses and left the tour, it was cheaper than renting a car and making my own hotel reservations. It takes some getting used to. The first time a waved good bye to the bus was on my own it was rather disconcerting.

 

Why not mention what you actually did? Could be of interest to someone else?

 

There are many alternatives- to also consider, I think it would be a rare case, that your suggestion would work out for many traveling itineraries. I never have any problem having lower costs- always, going independent compared to a cruise tour. Plus I am doing and seeing significantly more.

[Mitch2016]

We are sailing June 5-12 out of Vancouver next year (spending 2 1/2 days pre-cruise touring Vancouver) and have only have 5 days post cruise to do some land touring so have planned the following itinerary. This is not written in stone, but just a general idea of what we are wanting to do, and we love having the flexibility if things don't work out. The only thing we have for certain is our car rental and reservations where we will be staying. We decided we wanted to be centrally located and not make the trek to Denali Park, which allowed us to see and do more things on our first trip to Alaska.

 

Day 1) Disembark ship, take train to Anchorage (offered through cruise line), pick up rental car and then drive to Matanuska Glacier to trek. Spend the night at Hatcher's Pass Bed and Breakfast.

 

Day 2) Visit Independence Mine (if possible, pending open or not), swing by Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla, then drive to Talkeetna to spend the afternoon. Haven't decided yet, but may do a flightseeing trip with glacier landing or jetboat trip into the park. Spend night at Hatcher's Pass Bed and Breakfast.

 

Day3) Horseback riding Knik River area before we work our way down to Seward. Hike to Exit Glacier which is right by where we will spend night.... Seavey's Ididaride Cabin's.

 

Day 4) Explore Seward and the boat harbor prior to doing our Kenai Fjords Park Tour. Spend night at Seavey's Ididaride Cabin's.

 

Day 5) Visit Alaska Sea Life Center before leaving Seward and working out way back to Anchorage with a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Alyeska Tram....returning to Anchorage Airport in time to check in for our 12:20 am flight back to Iowa.

 

Again....all this is a rough sketch of our plans. I know that some people will think it is unheard of to go to Alaska and not see Denali Park....believe me, we struggled with this decision. However, we wanted to experience more of Alaska then just the park...and this gives us a reason then to return! :)

[camarodrivenrs]

Why not fly into Fairbanks and drive back down? You'll pay a little more for the car, but I would not want to drive Anchorage->Fairbanks->Anchorage in a small period of time. I went to school in Fairbanks and you can count on that drive taking at least 9 hours one way with only stopping for gas at Trapper Creek. Its less than an hour flight on Ravn and if you get a clear day you'll get a beautiful view of Denali on the port side flying north.

[zqvol]

We are booked on a Celebrity cruise in June 2017, southbound Seward to Vancouver. We are a family of four. Will have two staterooms (one for my husband and me, and one for our two adult children) on the cruise, but we don't mind all four sharing a hotel room during our pre-cruise land tour.

 

We want to spend about a week in Alaska pre-cruise. The Cruise Tours that are offered seem ridiculously expensive. I'm pretty certain that I can put together our own tour with a rental car that will be far cheaper and allow us to follow our own itinerary.

 

We have never been to Alaska so we want to make the most of it. I've put together a few possible itineraries. Want to know if anyone has any suggestions.

 

We could focus on national parks: Anchorage to Wrangell - St Elias Nat'l Park. Then to Denali, then back to Anchorage and on to Seward and Kenai Fjords Nat'l park before boarding our cruise. A big circle tour encompassing 3 national parks in one week.

 

Or, we could start from Anchorage, drive to Fairbanks and then work our way back. Enjoy Fairbanks, then Denali, then go South to Seward and Kenai Fjords.

 

Or, we could spend a couple of days in Denali and then focus on the peninsula including Seward, Whittier, Homer, etc. Hike the Exit Glacier, Spencer Lake iceberg float, etc. It looks like there are many wonderful tours here, and this would cut down on our driving time and leave us more time to DO stuff.

 

In any case, we are certainly going to do Denali Nat'l park. Beyond that, anyone have thoughts on our trip? Should we focus on seeing the national parks? Go to Fairbanks? Spend our time on the peninsula south of Anchorage?

 

This past summer we spent two weeks on land and our first week is basically what you suggest about the national parks. We also traveled with two adult children. We drive from Anchorage to Denali, (we left Anchorage around 8:30 and were at our hotel in Denali before 1:00 p.m.) and spent two nights there, including one day into the park. We then drove to Copper Center AK, via the Denali Highway (yes, it is gravel, but an easy breathtaking drive and you don't even realize that it is gravel for the most part. It takes about 6 hours from hotel to hotel.), for a couple of nights and included a day spent fishing. We then drove back to Anchorage via Palmer with a stop at the Manatuska glacier. (this took about 6 hours including the time spent at the glacier.) We then took the train to Whittier for the day for a glacier viewing cruise (we could have driven but wanted the kids to experience the train). Since you are going on a cruise out of Seward, I would drive to Whittier if you want to go that way.

 

I would return the rental car in Anchorage and take the train to Seward. If you don't go to Whittier that would give you two days to explore the Seward area, including a glacier/whale watching cruise to Kenai Fjoirds.

 

Yes, it is busy, and some that post here will tell you that you can't do it in the time allocated, that it is too much, etc., but unless you want to hike and spend a lot of time wandering around or camping in the parks, it is easy to and then after you board the ship you can spend the first day and a half recovering.

Edited October 7, 2016 by zqvol

[Budget Queen]

This past summer we spent two weeks on land and our first week is basically what you suggest about the national parks. We also traveled with two adult children. We drive from Anchorage to Denali, (we left Anchorage around 8:30 and were at our hotel in Denali before 1:00 p.m.) and spent two nights there, including one day into the park. We then drove to Copper Center AK, via the Denali Highway (yes, it is gravel, but an easy breathtaking drive and you don't even realize that it is gravel for the most part. It takes about 6 hours from hotel to hotel.), for a couple of nights and included a day spent fishing. We then drove back to Anchorage via Palmer with a stop at the Manatuska glacier. (this took about 6 hours including the time spent at the glacier.) We then took the train to Whittier for the day for a glacier viewing cruise (we could have driven but wanted the kids to experience the train). Since you are going on a cruise out of Seward, I would drive to Whittier if you want to go that way.

 

I would return the rental car in Anchorage and take the train to Seward. If you don't go to Whittier that would give you two days to explore the Seward area, including a glacier/whale watching cruise to Kenai Fjoirds.

 

Yes, it is busy, and some that post here will tell you that you can't do it in the time allocated, that it is too much, etc., but unless you want to hike and spend a lot of time wandering around or camping in the parks, it is easy to and then after you board the ship you can spend the first day and a half recovering.

 

You were VERY lucky with these transit times. Not sure how often you have been there- but as one of posters you claim above (I'll warn to be generous with transit times) , this can NOT be counted on. I've run into countless delays.

 

Also you fail to mention- the details of driving the Denali Highway. For those who wish to abide by their rental contracts and have compliant insurance coverage- it requires an approved, gravel car- which none of the major regular rental companies allow.

[Sequim88]

Because the cruise line land tours are per person then for four the costs could be substantially less on your own sharing vehicle and rooms. Besides nice not being hearded around like cattle. There is a lot of freedom doing your own thing.

 

We did a post cruise car rental (one way from Seward to Anchorage, turn in car and rented one there for a week). After a night in Anchorage we left early for Valdez and stayed at a really nice B&B. Thompson Pass was amazing. Then to Fairbanks via Delta Jct. (there was a little construction) for an overnight. Next day flew to Barrow on the Arctic Ocean for tour and stay at Top of the World hotel. A couple days past solstice to sun never went down. Next morning back to Fairbanks and drove down to a B&B in Healy. It was clear and had great views of Denali. Did not go into park. Headed back to Anchorage and had a great lunch on the big deck of the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge with view of Denali. Lucked out on weather. Night in Anchorage and turned car in at airport before flight to MN. I had driven Anchorage to Glenn Allen and back previously on a work trip and knew the roads and driving situation (in March) so was prepared for slower speeds.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Sequim88

[luckybecky]

More excellent information from all of you! Thanks so much for weighing in.

 

As for driving times, I'm glad it worked well for ZQvol. That is what we are hoping for. But it's good to also be aware of the limitations of Google maps and the possibility of significant delays. I've used that resource very often in the lower 48 but understand there may be unique situations in Alaska. Thank you all for the warnings about this. I have never heard of Milepost and will definitely check it out.

 

Also I had no idea about the gravel road problem, particularly as applies to rental cars, so thank you for that.

 

As far as cost analysis goes, it would cost many thousands of dollars more for the four of us to do a ship-sponsored cruise tour. I just can't imagine that it would cost us so much to do it on our own. We can get a full size rental car for under $300. Hotels will add hundreds, but not many thousands to our cost for a week.

 

And, as Sequim pointed out, I really don't like being herded around like cattle and want to have the flexibility to follow our own time schedule.

 

Mitch, thank you for sharing your detailed itinerary. It's a good guide to start thinking about how to plan our days.

 

Camarodriver, I thought about doing exactly what you suggested , flying to Fairbanks and driving south. I'm not sure about the car rates though. Haven't checked that route, but I did look at renting in Anchorage and dropping off in Seward. The rate went from roughly $250 for a weekly rental, to over $1000. Ouch! Round trip rentals seem much more affordable.

 

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I'm learning something from each one of you. I'll definitely keep checking here and also using TripAdvisor, and I'll post a detailed trip report once we finally decide what to do.

 

Becky

[Budget Queen]

 

 

 

Camarodriver, I thought about doing exactly what you suggested , flying to Fairbanks and driving south. I'm not sure about the car rates though. Haven't checked that route, but I did look at renting in Anchorage and dropping off in Seward. The rate went from roughly $250 for a weekly rental, to over $1000. Ouch! Round trip rentals seem much more affordable.

 

 

I'd suggest not being so quick to dismiss one way car rentals. They can have high drop fees, but "small" when you compare to transporting 4 people- AND most important, the "value" of the superior routing and time savings. For, me, my "time" is way more valuable than money. :)

 

But, you don't price out an Anchorage/Seward rental like you are. Savings can be significant- if you only rent the one way car for as long as you need it- a day or 2, keeping track of the 24 hour clock. Then turn it in when you pass through Anchorage for a cheaper round trip car rental. I do this and have always found significant savings ( I do get longer rentals usually, however).

 

There are a couple vendors who offer one way Fairbanks/Anchorage rental cars. IF this could save you a day, that you can use for other touring- frankly that has a lot of "value" you may want to consider?

 

Just random ideas, it's important to not rush an itinerary, keep reworking it, making changes and taking a hard look at what YOU want to see and do. But in Alaska- you need to be conservative with your transit times. Delays just can't be made up, there aren't alternative routes. Never a good idea to have reservations minimally made.

[OhJinkies]

I think I'm on the same cruise as Mitch. I've planned my own itinerary and started with one of the pre-packaged ones for a starting point, then made adjustments based on my own priorities and suggestions from people here on Cruise Critic. Here are my priorities:

1) Beautiful scenery. I'm from Florida, so snow-capped mountains are very appealing! I'm also hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Mt. Denali.

2) Glaciers. I want to see them and want to walk on one.

3) Flightseeing. I love flying over beautiful places so I wanted to do at least one flightseeing tour.

4) Smaller boat cruises. I love being out on the water and getting close to wildlife, seeing whales, dolphins, etc.

5) Spotting wildlife - not as high on my list but I'd like to get some nice photos.

 

So here's what I've come up with.

Sailing from Vancouver -- I've booked a nice mix of excursions for our ports (hiking around Mendenhall Glacier, flightseeing in Misty Fjords, train/van ride from Skagway).

We disembark in Seward. Now on to my land trip:

 

Day One - Drop off luggage at hotel in Seward, meet up with group in town to take a small boat excursion into Kenai Fjords. Stay overnight in Seward.

Day Two - Stay in/around Seward, possibly visit Exit Glacier or aquarium. May do some laundry! Take 6 PM train to Anchorage (Goldstar service class for best scenic options). Catch cab to hotel.

Day Three - Pick up rental car from Avis. Don't have to be anywhere definite until 5:30 PM. Plan to drive down to Portage to visit Alaska Wildlife Center (I can probably get some great close-up photos here). If time permits, I may head over to the Alyeska Lodge for lunch. Then I'll head into Wasilla to check into my hotel and drop off my luggage. I'm planning to then drive over to the Knik Glacier area for their late afternoon glacier photography tour (combination 4x4 offroad vehicle and jetboat). Back to Wasilla for my overnight.

Day Four - Drive up to Talkeetna to take a Denali Flightseeing Tour. This one flies over/around the mountain range, and lands on a glacier. Have lunch in town, check into my overnight accommodations. If I have any energy left, I may pick up the late afternoon jetboat tour in Talkeetna.

Day Five - Morning is open to take that jetboat tour or just hang around funky little Talkeetna. Then it's time to return to Anchorage and check into my hotel. Afternoon open to explore Anchorage or rest.

Day Six - Need to return my rental car before lunch and catch my afternoon flight back home.

 

So as you see, I'm not actually going all the way to Denali NP, except for my flightseeing tour. It's a long drive there, then even more hours (8-12) on a bus inside the park with limited stops. I think I can see enough beautiful scenery with multiple opportunities (Talkeetna and my Denali flightseeing) to see "the mountain." I can get my wildlife fix at the conservation center. I have more opportunities to see beautiful scenery, glaciers, and wildlife in Seward and at the Knik Glacier.

 

So rather than just tick off locations, really think about what is important to you -- where do you want to invest not just your money, but your time?

Edited October 9, 2016 by OhJinkies

[mapleleaves]

Sailing from Vancouver -- I've booked a nice mix of excursions for our ports (hiking around Mendenhall Glacier, flightseeing in Misty Fjords, train/van ride from Skagway).

We disembark in Seward. Now on to my land trip:

 

Day One - Drop off luggage at hotel in Seward, meet up with group in town to take a small boat excursion into Kenai Fjords. Stay overnight in Seward.

Day Two - Stay in/around Seward, possibly visit Exit Glacier or aquarium. May do some laundry! Take 6 PM train to Anchorage (Goldstar service class for best scenic options). Catch cab to hotel.

Day Three - Pick up rental car from Avis. Don't have to be anywhere definite until 5:30 PM. Plan to drive down to Portage to visit Alaska Wildlife Center (I can probably get some great close-up photos here). If time permits, I may head over to the Alyeska Lodge for lunch. Then I'll head into Wasilla to check into my hotel and drop off my luggage. I'm planning to then drive over to the Knik Glacier area for their late afternoon glacier photography tour (combination 4x4 offroad vehicle and jetboat). Back to Wasilla for my overnight.

Day Four - Drive up to Talkeetna to take a Denali Flightseeing Tour. This one flies over/around the mountain range, and lands on a glacier. Have lunch in town, check into my overnight accommodations. If I have any energy left, I may pick up the late afternoon jetboat tour in Talkeetna.

Day Five - Morning is open to take that jetboat tour or just hang around funky little Talkeetna. Then it's time to return to Anchorage and check into my hotel. Afternoon open to explore Anchorage or rest.

Day Six - Need to return my rental car before lunch and catch my afternoon flight back home.

 

?

 

Day 2 you can often see otters and bald eagles near the harbor in Seward. There's a mile long path that runs from the Harbor, past the campgrounds, and into downtown (it ends by the Sealife Center). I've camped there a few times and would often see otters and bald eagles from our camper or while walking along the shore.

 

Day 3 Consider a visit to Byron Glacier (Girdwood). It's a pretty short and easy hike to the foot of the glacier. Depending on when you travel you might be able to play in the snow.

Edited October 9, 2016 by mapleleaves

[OhJinkies]

Day 2 you can often see otters and bald eagles near the harbor in Seward. There's a mile long path that runs from the Harbor, past the campgrounds, and into downtown (it ends by the Sealife Center). I've camped there a few times and would often see otters and bald eagles from our camper or while walking along the shore.

 

Day 3 Consider a visit to Byron Glacier (Girdwood). It's a pretty short and easy hike to the foot of the glacier. Depending on when you travel you might be able to play in the snow.

Thanks for the suggestions!! My post-cruise days are June 12 - 17.