Princess Alaska Cruise Tour HELP!!!

[BearsBeetsBattlestar]

Hello Everyone!

 

I am planning a Princess Alaska Cruise Tour for my parents for their 40th wedding anniversary, and I must say, the options are a little overwhelming. Neither my parents nor I have cruised before. Any advice or experience you have to offer on choosing a cruise tour would be amazing! What I know I'm looking for so far:

 

*Suite Cabin (preferably mid-ship, mid-aft, or mid-forward)

* I'm afraid that with their being first-time cruisers, anything too forward or aft would be too much movement.

* Northbound Cruise first

* Either Denali Explorer of On Your Own tour part of the cruise tour

* They enjoy doing things at their own pace, but I'm afraid the On Your Own would be way too much on their own.

Anyone with specific advice or experience about this portion, please sing out!

* The biggest bang for my buck

* I'm aware of the costs for this kind of trip, and more than willing to pay them, but I don't want to spring for something like a grand suite or the Connoisseur tour if it's really not worth it.

 

I hope I'm not sounding like too much of a control freak on this. But this has been a dream of my parents' for a long time, and I want to make it as special and perfect as possible for them! Any advice or thoughts you wonderful cruise gurus have would be so very much appreciated!!!

 

 

Thank you!

:)

[Lewaina]

Lewaina

We did Alaska last year on golden princess,booked a couple of trips through via tour we got bus approx 20 seater from Skagway 3-4 hours we went further than the white pass train,loads of picture opportunities,we even saw three bears the guide J J was great.Our cruise was southboundQ The tour price was much better than ships.Sure tours would be just as good northbound.Alaska is the best cruise we have taken.

 

 

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[diane.in.ny]

Conventional wisdom is tour first, then cruise.

 

A mini suite mid ship would be very nice.

 

What ship are you looking at?

 

We took the Connoisseur tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Almost all meals were included and food in Alaska is expensive. Dinner was a multi course meal and breakfast was the buffet or anything off the menu. However, if they are not big eaters, this might not be important so you could consider a step down.

 

An advantage of this tour is that at all accommodations, our rooms faced the scenic side.

[Hotdog 52]

Land tour first, then cruise. We did the Denali Explorer, it was fine. Marv and Harvs whale tour in Juneau.

[nukesubsailor]

We have done an Alaskan land tour on our own in a rental car. We have done a Princess 3 day land tour followed by a 7 day cruise. We have done a 15 day connoisseur tour/cruise. We have another 15 day connoisseur tour/cruise booked for next year. That is the only option we will consider as it gives us the most bang for the buck----especially when you realize that it takes all the stress and hassle out of the vacation. Take the cruise portion last as it is more relaxing than the land tour.

[pkamison]

Hi,

I have done Alaska cruise tour twice (last time was August 2017).

I would tour first and then cruise south to Vancouver. On both cruise trips we got mid ship regular cabins (which are perfectly nice and comfortable) on Caribe deck as they have larger private balcony area (and this is a trip where the balcony is a must in my opinion).

We did not go the connoisseur option but I would say that it has nice features and food is expensive in Alaska. Have them fly in 1 to 2 days before to Anchorage as its well worth while. Princess often uses the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage and its nice and well located.

On the trip last year we went to Mckinely Lodge, Denali lodge and then to Copper River which was a great treat. I am very glad we did it as Copper River is beautiful and the long jet catamaram trip they use to take you from Copper River/Valdez to the ship is fabulous.

 

Use a travel agent that does lots of business with Princess and is familiar with the ships.

 

Good luck.

[Sea Hag]

Everybody always says "land first, then cruise" but that's not what I think. I'm a person who likes to save the best for last, so I'd say cruise first then land tour. The cruise portion gets better and better as you travel North. The land tour has to be, in my opinion at least, the highlight of the trip, so my prefence is that this be last.

[JF - retired RRT]

A mini suite mid ship would be very nice.

It sounds like you're willing to really splurge for your parents (they must be really special people).

Don't even consider a mini, if your intention is to "bust the budget" for Mom & Dad.

Suite is part of the name, but it's not a suite, not even close.

The amenities for a mini is a larger cabin than a balcony and a glass of really bad wine.

The amenities for a SUITE include: bottled water every day, breakfast in a special restaurant (usually Sabatini's), Club Class dining area for lunch & dinner, a spa pass, priority boarding, priority tendering and more (!!).

Google "The Princess Suite Experience" for all the perks.

[azbirdmom]

What a wonderful gift you are giving your parents! Alaska is an amazing experience and Princess does it best.

 

We've done two cruise tours to Alaska, both before with the southbound itinerary, and have done five cruises to Alaska. We like the cruise first option because you have better and shorter travel options at the end of the cruise, and also love Hubbard Glacier which isn't visited on the northbound itineraries.

 

Our cruise tours have both been the "regular" Denali Explorer tours which I would recommend at a minimum. The "On Your Own" version includes all coach travel vs. the regular and connoisseur options which will have some coaches but have the train too which is a can't miss experience. It's a glass domed double decker train and your comfortable reserved seats are on the second deck. For both of our cruise tours, the train leg was from Denali to the ship in Whittier and it was nine hours. Sounds long but you can move around, dine in the dining car or be served at your seat. The train leg may be of different durations or between lodges depending on the tour you purchase. Also, the regular tours will include the Natural History tour at Denali. Make sure you upgrade them immediately to the Tundra Wilderness or Kantishna tour both of which go further into the park and afford more chances at seeing wildlife and "the mountain" if she isn't hiding.

 

We have cruised four times in mini suites and once in a full suite, the latter an aft suite last year on the Star Princess. The aft suite was incredible and I spent so much time on our balcony, stretched out on the chaise reading and staring at the panorama behind us. With a suite we also were able to order from room service off the main dining room menu which we did while we were in Glacier Bay, enjoying a nice lunch on our private balcony while gazing at glaciers and stunning scenery. The fully covered balcony also kept us dry while in Glacier Bay where it's been rainy or misty for three of our four visits there.

 

The Coral is a nice ship and has "secret" viewing areas aft on pretty much every passenger deck. If you book a suite on Caribe deck, the door to the aft viewing area is very close (we used it when cruising on the Coral in a suite through the Panama Canal). The Island doesn't have the wraparound Promenade deck as they put cabins back there and they also eliminated one of the lounges leaving fewer entertainment options. So of the two I'd go with the Coral. The Royal is also cruising there next year and it's bigger and newer but without the wraparound covered Promenade deck it will be a different experience.

 

Good luck with your cruise planning!

[Thrak]

We have done an Alaskan land tour on our own in a rental car. We have done a Princess 3 day land tour followed by a 7 day cruise. We have done a 15 day connoisseur tour/cruise. We have another 15 day connoisseur tour/cruise booked for next year. That is the only option we will consider as it gives us the most bang for the buck----especially when you realize that it takes all the stress and hassle out of the vacation. Take the cruise portion last as it is more relaxing than the land tour.

 

Sounds a bit like us! We did a 7 week camping trip that included a fair amount of time in Alaska. Awesome way to see the place. We did a 10 day round trip from SF (our first cruise). We did a connoisseur tour with 6 days on land. Hit Denali Lodge and McKinley Lodge. Joined the small percentage of folks who actually got to see Denali come out completely from behind the clouds. Awesome.

 

We are booked for another connoisseur tour next May. It's 8 days on land and will visit Copper River Lodge, Kenai Lodge, and also Denali Lodge which we have done before. Of course a visit to Talkeetna will be in order so we can have some of that great Denali Brewing Company beer. :D

 

We found the connoisseur tour to be the way to go for us. Yes, it's more expensive but everything is taken care of for you and almost all meals are included. We are sold on doing the land tour first and the cruise afterward to relax and unwind after the land portion.

[Potstech]

We did the cruise first and then the land. Seemed all 5 of us were worn out fly the time it was time to catch the plane back from Anchorage. Other relatives did the tour first and said they felt well rested for their flight back from Vancouver. If we do it again it will be tour then cruise.

[BearsBeetsBattlestar]

I've heard from some people that on the North Bound cruise there is less wind making it easier to be on your balcony during the sailing days. Can anyone speak to this? I am a little concerned with them being worn out if they do the tour last.

[LeeW]

I've heard from some people that on the North Bound cruise there is less wind making it easier to be on your balcony during the sailing days. Can anyone speak to this? I am a little concerned with them being worn out if they do the tour last.

 

 

Wind can come from any direction, so no logic to this. Most of the "wind" is due to ship motion, and the ship mostly goes only around 10 kt in the Inside Passage. The bigger issue of being outside is rain. On Coral/Island we prefer the non-bumpout cabins on Aloha since these are covered by the deck above. This allows use of the balcony. In reality you don't use balcony much because you move around the ship. All ships but Roya/Regal have large promenade decks which are fairly sheltered. We also like Coral/Island because of the indoor pool. Nice soft loungers and you step outside to take pictures. In four trips we have always had rain on one day and Glacier Bay is usually windy and very cold with wind coming off the glaciers. Even with waterproof windbreaker it was still cold taking pictures and hands froze.

 

Both our cruise-tours were Northbound, plus one B2B from Vancouver. We never bought special land packages other than modding the booking for Tundra Wilderness Tour - and you need two days in Denali for that. If we go back we will avoid the McKinley Lodge - 45 minute ride out by itself with ONLY a mountain view to do there (although aurora look great). One trip had so much fog couldn't see off property and while mountain view is spectacular it isn't worth staying there. Dinner was pricey - $130 for two casino-style prime rib dinners with cheapest wine. Burger at Denali Lodge sports bar was $24, but so big the two of us didn't finish it.

 

The big positive of the cruise-tours is that Princess takes care of all the hotel, transportation and luggage issues. The downside is you spend a lot of time waiting for a train or bus. And the restaurants really fill up when the train arrives. Highly recommend doing the last trip or so in September - far fewer people everywhere and lots of sales in the shops.

[FineAsFrogsHair]

Lee W has a great view point on this trip. We did the last cruise of the year and loved it. I recommend Southbound with the land first on the Coral. Get a covered cabin toward the aft, but not all the way aft. Let you mom and dad have about 7 days on land. There is a wonderful car museum in Fairbanks, a little hard to find, but well worth it. Both Jules and I enjoyed it a lot; something for both of us. Denali and the train ride is worth it! The Island Wings float plane tour was epic, we recommend it. This is a trip Jules and I will do again. Hope you are successful.

[Cairn Mom]

I've heard from some people that on the North Bound cruise there is less wind making it easier to be on your balcony during the sailing days. Can anyone speak to this? I am a little concerned with them being worn out if they do the tour last.

 

 

 

This is a great cruise because you are on the inside passage. Most of this trip should be like sailing on glass. It was like that for us on both our sailings. We did this itinerary in mid-July 2010. We spent lots of time on our balcony both times we went to Alaska. I don’t remember wind being a big problem except when we were docked in Skagway. It a very scenic cruise. Going out of or into Vancouver might be choppy because you’re in open ocean. Definitely, bring something for seasickness and take it the second you feel ill. It’s too late once you’re really sick. Have them speak to their doctors about remedies. A mid-ship location is best. My DH and I both get seasick and we always take a mid-aft cabin on a lower deck.

 

The land tour is tiring. We did the Denali explorer and cruised southbound. We were happy to relax on the ship after the tour . Alaska is a great family trip. We did it for the second time;round trip Seattle last September with our 30+ year old kids for my husband’s big birthday. Everyone loved it! It was my daughter in law’s first cruise and she was fine. She and my son even went on a small boat to whale watch and the water was calm. Of course, there is no guarantee it will be that way for you so you must be prepared. When you make your reservation,ask which side of the ship is more scenic -port or starboard. Also check out the “ports of call “ section on CC. It’s a great source of information. Have a great time.

 

 

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Edited September 4, 2018 by Cairn Mom

[caribill]

a) I would not do the "on your own" option. Take the stress and planning out of that by having Princess handle all the little details.

b) I also recommend the Connoisseur tour for the reasons others have stated. You can read the description of the Connoisseur tour we had at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1727858

c) Whatever land option you pick, I suggest two nights at each lodge, not just one. When you spend one night there you will spend more time going between lodges than enjoying Alaska when you reach the lodge. A two night stay means there is a full day for excursions/activities.

[JupiterTwo]

Count me in for tour first, then cruise.

 

I found it more enjoyable to do the "hard" part first, with changing lodges twice, bus and train rides, etc. Then, spend the week luxuriating on the ship.

 

Steve S

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

What about a Princess Cruise to Whittier then switching to one of Alaska Railroad’s Tours. They offer a lot of options. https://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel-planning/packages/summer-packages

 

 

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[fishin' musician]

I've done north and south and I've done one cruise line land package and two times planned the land itinerary. Personally, I like the northbound as each day the scenery gets more spectacular. This year I took my mobility challenged father-in-law, renting a wheelchair for the cruise portion. We were on HAL, so upon arriving in Seward we did a 6 hour Major Marine wildlife/glacier cruise, then took Goldstar service on the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage. Major Marine also does similar excursions in Whittier and you can get a bus to Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage and rent a car... drive 3.5 hours north to Denali. Get to the park in time to catch the 4pm sled dog demonstration. Overnight at one of the Denali area hotels. Next day drive into the park and do the Tundra Wilderness tour (this should be reserved a few months in advance). Either stay in Denali for a second night or head a couple hours north to Fairbanks. Overnight in Fairbanks. Next day do either the morning or afternoon Riverboat Discovery... a little kitchy, but a lot of fun with a bit of education. You could do another day in Fairbanks or fly home that evening. Some car rental joints charge a premium to pick up in Anchorage and drop off in Fairbanks, some are actually less. Do some shopping.

 

Of course this is merely what I know to work and the nice thing is that you can adopt it to your style. The cruise line programs are run on very tight schedules. I like the flexibility doing my own program brings... Designed by me for me! If you choose a southbound, just run it in reverse.

 

This does not cover my favorite part of the state which is the west side of the Kenai down to Homer... but it does give you a good taste of the most popular attractions.

[Mibele]

Apologies if any of this is repeated information - I didn't read any of the replies! I went on a northbound cruise earlier this Alaska season (May 30th) and arrived in Whittier on June 6. Then we did Denali all on our own. Here is exactly what we did (this is from an email I sent to a friend of mine, so I haven't gone through it to edit it at all) The day long tour we took in Denali was my favorite thing about the land portion of the trip. They only do that tour starting on June 8 each year, so there will be less snow. We saw 9 different bear that day!

 

Rentalcar – the rental car prices at the airport are insane, because of more taxesthey need to charge – I found this Hertz not far from the airport. Theyare not open on Saturdays or Sundays (you can just drop the key off), and they(somehow) allowed us to both add a second driver and return the car to theairport at no extra cost – Sara is a AAA member – I am not.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/location/unitedstates/alaska/anchorage/ANCC12

HertzCar Rental – 414 K Street

SewardInformation: http://www.seward.com/- We did not stay here, but I wish I had!

KenaiFjords National Park: https://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm

Seward– Whale Watching/Fjord viewing tours:

https://www.viator.com/tours/Seward/Kenai-Fjords-and-Resurrection-Bay-Half-Day-Cruise/d4368-7166P4

https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/northwestern-fjord-tour/

https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/

DenaliNational Park: https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

ParkRanger Programs and Field Seminars - https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/ranger-programs.htm

Hereis the tour you should take – it is all day, but you get a great sense of thepark and unless you want to go back and do a bunch of hiking in bear territory,this is what I would recommend you do: https://www.reservedenali.com/tours-transits/the-denali-tour-experience/kantishna-experience-tour/- you go through the entire 92.5 mile road and make stops along the way forbathroom breaks and wildlife viewing. It includes lunch (eating on thebus) and snacks, but you probably would want to bring a few of your own snacksas well).

Eatingin Denali area – we ate at two different restaurants – Totem and The Bake –

http://www.alaska.org/detail/denali-park-salmon-bake

http://www.alaska.org/destination/denali-national-park/dining-and-nightlife

Whereto stay – I don’t know how much you want to spend . . . there are hotels withinthe park property which are insanely expensive – http://www.alaska.org/destination/denali-national-park/wilderness-lodges- they are privately owned places within the park on land that was theirsbefore the park was the park. I think they are all inclusive, meals,activities, tours, you can look into those if you want.

Westayed in Healy, which was about 10 minutes from the park entrance. https://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g31007-Healy_Denali_National_Park_and_Preserve_Alaska-Hotel-Deals.html

Westayed at Denali Park Hotel - https://www.denaliparkhotel.com/