Cruise Land and Sea Tours to Alaska

[CAVE MAN]

Please tell me how you enjoyed your Land and sea tours with Celebrity. Trying to decide between Holland America and Celebrity. Many thanks for any recommendations!!!! Carlotta

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've done the land/sea package to Alaska twice with Celebrity. We enjoyed the land package because we did not have to think about renting a car. Both times they were well run with excellent tour guides and drivers. The only negative we had was the hotel in Denali the 1st time we did it. It was at the end of the season, a lot of the staff had already left and the hotel left a lot to be desired. The 2nd time in July the Denali hotel was much better.

[Jane2357]

I second CHEZMARYLOU. We did the 6 night up to Fairbanks land portion and it was amazing and stress free. Highly recommend.

 

 

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[CAVE MAN]

We've done the land/sea package to Alaska twice with Celebrity. We enjoyed the land package because we did not have to think about renting a car. Both times they were well run with excellent tour guides and drivers. The only negative we had was the hotel in Denali the 1st time we did it. It was at the end of the season, a lot of the staff had already left and the hotel left a lot to be desired. The 2nd time in July the Denali hotel was much better.

Many thanks for your reply, still trying to decide between Celebrity and Holland. Carlotta

[Hydrokitty]

Many thanks for your reply, still trying to decide between Celebrity and Holland. Carlotta

 

We did the 6 night extension followed by the cruise from Seward to Vancouver on HAL. The land portion with HAL was fantastic... saw the pipe line; panned for gold (very touristy but fun); did a cruise on the Chena River with a stop at an Athabascan Village; an all day tour and o'nite at Denali; took the McKinley Explorer train from Denali to Anchorage; visited a Native People's Heritage center in Anchorage; stopped at Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier; hiked to Exit Glacier in Seward and took a half-day boat trip on Kenai Fjord where I actually got a picture of a glacier calving! But then we boarded the Staatendam (it's last season apparently) and while everything OFF the ship was wonderful...what was ON the ship was disappointing.

[CAVE MAN]

We did the 6 night extension followed by the cruise from Seward to Vancouver on HAL. The land portion with HAL was fantastic... saw the pipe line; panned for gold (very touristy but fun); did a cruise on the Chena River with a stop at an Athabascan Village; an all day tour and o'nite at Denali; took the McKinley Explorer train from Denali to Anchorage; visited a Native People's Heritage center in Anchorage; stopped at Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier; hiked to Exit Glacier in Seward and took a half-day boat trip on Kenai Fjord where I actually got a picture of a glacier calving! But then we boarded the Staatendam (it's last season apparently) and while everything OFF the ship was wonderful...what was ON the ship was disappointing.

Hydrokitty, What was so disappointing on the ship, and which ship was it ????? Thank you for your ideas for tours. Carlotta

[Hydrokitty]

Hydrokitty, What was so disappointing on the ship, and which ship was it ????? Thank you for your ideas for tours. Carlotta

 

We were on the Statendaam. In fairness to HAL, we discovered the ship was being retired after that season. What was disappointing:

 

1. Our balcony cabin on one of the upper decks vibrated so badly that you had to hold on to the wall when taking a shower.

2. The first morning DH announced "there's only 1 bath towel" ..."No worry, I'll call for one"...I called our cabin stewerd....45 minutes later I called guest services...30 minutes after that I presented myself to guest services in my jammies and told them I wasn't leaving without a towel!

3. Got food poisoning from shrimp at Farewell dinner..HAL was only interested in my getting off the ship and not talking to anyone. Fortunately we were staying in Vancouver for several days and a very kind Customs/Immigration offi7cer used her own cel phone to arrange an early room for us the Pan Pacific where we were staying.

 

In the interest of fairness....I have just booked another cruise on HAL on the Oosterdam but it's a new ship and a fantastic itinerary. For Alaska, I would recommend Celebrity...done several cruises with them and if I had my druthers wouldn't cruise with anyone else.

[BSinPNS]

The land portion is pretty much the same between HAL and Celebrity. Check the ships and which glacier you will visit. Most (if not all) will stop at Ketchican, Juneau and Skagway. We enjoyed doing the land portion first as we met about 40 others (in our group/coach) touring, so we already "knew" some people before boarding. Plus the ship was relaxation after several hotels and intensive touring. It's great either way, so have fun.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

"saw the pipe line; panned for gold (very touristy but fun); did a cruise on the Chena River with a stop at an Athabascan Village; an all day tour and o'nite at Denali; took the McKinley Explorer train from Denali to Anchorage; visited a Native People's Heritage center in Anchorage"

 

These are the same excursions we did with Celebrity. Except for the coach from Anchorage to Seward, all of our travel was on Celebrity's car on the Alaska Rail Road from Fairbanks to Anchorage"

[ROYALBOY]

We had a super time with Celebrity all the way from Fairbanks to Vancouver... Great tour director and driver, loved the train, very nice hotels and of course the Millennium. We had a wonderful trip, and would redo it again tomorrow.

 

 

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