Please HELP me choose 5 or 9 Hour Princess Rail Service

[NewCruiser10]

Hi! I am so excited :D that I am finally planning my trip to Alaska!!! I have been talking about it for years.

 

I have decided to take a Princess Cruisetour, touring first and than cruising.

 

I am trying to choose between Tour HB5, which includes Anchorage, Mt. McKinley and Denali and has the 9 hour ride on the Princess Direct to the Wilderness Rail Service (double decker) and Tour JB6, which includes Fairbanks, Denali and Mt. McKinley and has a 5 hour ride on Princess Rail Service (not double decker). The obvious difference is that JB6 has an extra day.

 

What will I be missing if I do the 5 hour ride instead of the 9 hour ride? While I can't be disappointed because I am in Alaska, will I be sorry :( if I don't do the 9 hour?

 

Any thoughts about Anchorage vs Fairbanks?

 

Thanks, thanks, thanks in advance!

[alwaysfrantic]

Which leg is the train ride on the tour including Fairbanks? Is it Fairbanks to Denali?

[alwaysfrantic]

And how do you do the reverse of the 9 hour train? Is it the bus from Denali to the port? I would always try to avoid that.

[NewCruiser10]

Which leg is the train ride on the tour including Fairbanks? Is it Fairbanks to Denali?

 

Both cruise portions are southbound.

 

Tour HB5 starts in Anchorage (1 night), then Mt. McKinley (2 nights), then Denali National Park (2 nights). From Denali the 9 hour rail trip to the cruise ship.

 

OR

 

Tour JB6 starts in Fairbanks (2 nights), then Denali National Park (2 nights), then Mt. McKinley (2 nights). From Mt. McKinley the 5 hour rail trip to the cruise ship.

 

Which is better?

Anchorage or Fairbanks

5 hour or 9 hour rail trip

[AKStafford]

Both cruise portions are southbound.

 

Tour HB5 starts in Anchorage (1 night), then Mt. McKinley (2 nights), then Denali National Park (2 nights). From Denali the 9 hour rail trip to the cruise ship.

 

OR

 

Tour JB6 starts in Fairbanks (2 nights), then Denali National Park (2 nights), then Mt. McKinley (2 nights). From Mt. McKinley the 5 hour rail trip to the cruise ship.

Just so you have the proper expectations: you won't be at "Mt. McKinley". You'll be at Princess' McKinley Lodge. This lodge has a great view of Denali (the mountain) when it's not covered in clouds. Otherwise it's pretty much in the middle of no where. It's an hour shuttle ride into the town of Talkeetna, where you have some options like a Denali flight seeing trip or a jet boat ride on the river.

So honestly, I'm not a fan of either of these itineraries.... But of the two, I think 9 hours on the train from Denali to the port is an awfully long time to be stuck on the train. So I guess I'd go with the shorter train ride.

[donaldsc]

Just so you have the proper expectations: you won't be at "Mt. McKinley". You'll be at Princess' McKinley Lodge. This lodge has a great view of Denali (the mountain) when it's not covered in clouds. Otherwise it's pretty much in the middle of no where. It's an hour shuttle ride into the town of Talkeetna, where you have some options like a Denali flight seeing trip or a jet boat ride on the river.

So honestly, I'm not a fan of either of these itineraries.... But of the two, I think 9 hours on the train from Denali to the port is an awfully long time to be stuck on the train. So I guess I'd go with the shorter train ride.

 

I think it is interesting and the way cruise companies consistently lie to you by calling the lodge Mt. McKinley Lodge instead of "Middle of Nowhere" lodge.. I wonder what percentage of the people who book a CruiseTour are surprised that it is in the middle of nowhere and 96 miles from Denali National Park. It isn't even that close to Talkeetna although I can't imagine why anyone would go to Talkeetna.

 

DON

[alwaysfrantic]

So it trains between all segments, no motor coaches?

[alwaysfrantic]

Have you considered any itineraries with Holland America? Three nights in Denali and none in the remote area.

[wolfie11]

The only interesting spots on the train are Whittier to Anchorage and talkeetna to Denali. Otherwise it's mostly trees...

[txwriter]

It looks like the primary differences in the two are the length of cruisetour, starting point, and the length of train portion.

 

So, Anchorage vs Fairbanks (this is also where the extra day comes in -- one in Anchorage and two in Fairbanks). Flights to Anchorage are generally less expensive, and they might also have more convienient arrival times. However, there are some included activities in Fairbanks; no activities in Anchorage are included. If the activities in Fairbanks are of no interest to you, then Anchorage might be the better choice. The other big difference between these two will be that you will physically see more of Alaska if you choose starting in Fairbanks.

 

 

That leaves the question of longer train trip or shorter one. That is entirely a personal preference. Do you like train travel? Personally, I'd rather have the shorter trip to get to the ship. You may want to see if you can find some trip reports to see what time they get to the ship in case that makes a difference.

 

 

I think either cruisetour could be a good choice, so it's mostly just a matter of what you want. It could also be a matter of budget. Pick the best one for you.