Land travel to Alaska in 2021

[PSR]

This was just posted on the Princess forum; hope the link works. If not, check out the Princess forum on CC.

Experience Alaska Land Vacations This Summer with Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.pdf

[Andi Land]

This is a really interesting idea. They get to keep business going but in a slightly different way. 

[Cruising-along]

I love it.  We did a sea/land tour a couple years ago and loved it, I wouldn't mind booking an all-land tour at all!

[wolfie11]

I'm not a fan of the land tours offered by the cruise lines.  I prefer to rent a car and do it myself (which I'm actually planning to do this summer if I have any free time).  Of course I've been isolated for so long now, I'm pretty sure I can't integrate back into polite society, so I'd be quite happy to run wild in the Alaska wilderness rather than be crowded onto a bus with 50 other people.

[kwb101]

My wife got this today from her financial advisors. Note that Gray Line is selling the tours. 

 

Experience Alaska Land Vacations This Summer with Holland America Line and Princess Cruises

BY PR Newswire

— 12:35 PM ET 03/04/2021

 

SEATTLE, March 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For those ready to travel again, there's no better place to start than Alaska, offering opportunities for travelers to see glaciers up close, spot bucket-list wildlife, explore national parks and see Denali – North America's tallest mountain. This summer, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises offer many ways for travelers to experience Alaska through Gray Line Alaska, Princess Alaska Lodges and Holland America Line's Westmark Hotels, giving travelers a combination of tours, lodging and sightseeing options on land.

 

"We love Alaska, and we love that we get to share it with visitors from all over the world. We're committed to helping locals and visitors alike experience all the best parts of Alaska in a safe way," said Dave McGlothlin, Vice President, Tour Operations. "For the last year, many people stayed close to home, so this summer, as we're able to reopen some of these land offerings, we are more ready than ever to welcome visitors back through our doors."

 

This year's tours highlight the best of Alaska's interior with COVID-19 health and safety precautions top of mind, both for the well-being of employees and guests. For travelers who want to take the legwork out of planning their Alaska vacation, a tour is a great option. For travelers who want to go at their own pace and make their own itinerary, hotel and sightseeing options make for a custom experience.

 

Among the highlights for escorted tours will be the full eight-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali, where guests have opportunities to see the big five – grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep. Other included tours are the Portage Glacier Cruise near Anchorage and Riverboat Discovery excursion in Fairbanks. In addition, optional tours such as flightseeing around the mountain, river rafting, and more will be available to book at each hotel property.

 

Options this summer include the following:

 

    Escorted and Explorer tours

        Variations between Kenai, Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks are available.

        Escorted tours include a tour director and range from six to seven nights.

        Explorer tours do not include a tour director, but helpful staff members are available along the way. Tours range from five to six nights.

        Rail travel on GoldStar service on Alaska Railroad rail cars.

        Most meals and some sightseeing included.

    Denali Rail tours

        Trip variations range from one to six nights with up to four nights at Denali National Park.

        Options include travel by rail or a combination of rail and deluxe motor coach. Rail travel is hosted in Adventure Class on Alaska Railroad rail cars with the option to upgrade to GoldStar. 

        Tour choices include round trip from Anchorage to Denali, Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks, or Fairbanks to Denali to Anchorage.

        No meals or sightseeing included. Guests may customize their experience with optional tours.

    Hotel only and sightseeing

        The Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center is currently open. Additional properties will open for guests, May 28- September 6, including Holland America Line's McKinley Chalet Resort at Denali National Park and Preserve and the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge overlooking the world-famous Kenai River.

        Portage Glacier Cruises will operate, May 28-September 6. Portage Glacier Cruises will run five daily departures of its one-hour cruise to see the face of Portage Glacier, including one departure at 1:30 p.m. that includes round trip transportation from Anchorage with a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

 

Princess and Holland America Line are working to create new health and safety protocols to address COVID-19, to ensure the well-being of guests, team members and the greater community. Information and advisories about traveling to Alaska from the Lower 48 or an international destination is available at the State of Alaska Safe Travels website. Anyone booking with Gray Line Alaska, Princess Alaska Lodges or Holland America Line's Westmark Hotels is encouraged to review and follow the advisories put in place to help people travel responsibly.

 

2022 Alaska Season

After getting a taste of "The Last Frontier" this summer, set sail for new experiences onboard either Holland America Line or Princess Cruises.

 

In 2022, Holland America Line will celebrate 75 years of Alaska exploration — longer than any other cruise line — and bookings are now open for its award-winning cruises and Land+Sea Journeys. From April through October 2022, guests can embark on Holland America Line's cruises to Alaska aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam. For explorers who want to travel farther into the Great Land, 16 different Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day Alaska cruise with an inland exploration of Denali National Park. Holland America Line is the only cruise line that extends land tour options up to the unspoiled reaches of Canada's Yukon Territory. Visit www.hollandamerica.com for more information.

 

More guests choose Princess in Alaska than any other cruise line, exclusive Direct to the Wilderness rail service on custom built rail cars and Princess Wilderness Lodges. The newly announced 2022 Alaska cruise and cruisetour program offers six ships, including the line's newest ship, Discovery Princess. Guests can choose from 12 cruise itineraries, plus 25 seamless cruisetour options. Cruisetour guests see even more of Alaska by combining a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with multiple nights on land in the heart of Alaska. Every cruisetour features Alaska's top two attractions Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park, with options ranging from 10 to 17 nights. Princess owns and operates five wilderness lodges, located on the doorsteps of legendary national parks. Visit www.princess.com for more information.

 

For more details and to book a tour visit www.GrayLineAlaska.com or call 1-800-544-2206. To book room stays, visit www.WestmarkHotels.com and www.PrincessLodges.com.

 

About Holland America Line and Princess Cruises Select Alaska Land Offerings

 

Westmark Hotels, a division of Holland America Line, has been the leader in full-service Alaska and Yukon hotels since 1987. Each of the six properties is designed to reflect the personality of the communities they call home to ensure that every Westmark guest can experience the essence of each distinct town. With extensive facilities and full-service catering, Westmark Hotels are top destinations for conferences, meetings and events.

 

Princess Lodges, a division of Princess Cruises, is responsible for the operation of Alaska Land Tours and the land portion of Cruisetours. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company offers a wide variety of Alaska land tours and Alaska train tours as well as owning and operating five wilderness lodge properties and several luxury railcars.

 

For over 70 years, Gray Line Alaska has been helping travelers explore Alaska and the Yukon, offering an extensive array of Alaska tour packages from multi-day and escorted itineraries to Denali rail tours and sightseeing trips. Gray Line has the knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure for one-stop shopping to create a memorable Alaska vacation.  Gray Line Alaska is a division of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

These packages, and lodges/hotels, have been bookable this way for years. In fact the 2021 offering is slimmed down considerably from years past. What’s new here is Princess & HAL actively promoting the product to their cruise consumers. In the past they have kept it quiet so as to not cannibalise the HIGHLY profitable cruisetours they sell.

[kwb101]

If HAL's interested in promoting these trips, they're remarkably quiet about it: no sign of it on their home page right now, but lots of blather about awards, "stunning" ships (at least a little better than their "elegant" fleet), and more. 

One wonders if there's anyone at the helm for promotion.

[Aardvaark]

12 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I'm not a fan of the land tours offered by the cruise lines.  I prefer to rent a car and do it myself (which I'm actually planning to do this summer if I have any free time).  Of course I've been isolated for so long now, I'm pretty sure I can't integrate back into polite society, so I'd be quite happy to run wild in the Alaska wilderness rather than be crowded onto a bus with 50 other people.

We concur.  It's much more fun to interact with local businesses on a personal basis as you travel.  Our last Aussie trip was plane_in, rental, train, rental, plane_out.  Great little hotels & inns, loveley pubs, and people.  But cruises have their place - driving up the Norwegian coast just doesn't work.

 

[wolfie11]

43 minutes ago, Aardvaark said:

We concur.  It's much more fun to interact with local businesses on a personal basis as you travel.  Our last Aussie trip was plane_in, rental, train, rental, plane_out.  Great little hotels & inns, loveley pubs, and people.  But cruises have their place - driving up the Norwegian coast just doesn't work.

 

I love being on the water and spend as much time on boats as possible, but I also enjoy exploring places in greater depth.  I try to take 2-3 weeks every year and explore a new place on my own.  Last year was Tasmania, and prior years Japan, Ireland, Iceland, and Cuba.  As for Alaska, Alaska Airlines often has good deals for using miles to fly to remote areas of the state, such as Nome, Kodiak, Utqiavik (Barrow), and Adak, and they are now part of the One World alliance.  This is a good add-on to a land tour if you have the time.

[JeffElizabeth]

We loved the train trip from Fairbanks to Anchorage.  It would be fun to do a round trip combined with overnights in Denali, Fairbanks,  and Anchorage.  

[Aquahound]

15 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I'm not a fan of the land tours offered by the cruise lines.  I prefer to rent a car and do it myself (which I'm actually planning to do this summer if I have any free time).  Of course I've been isolated for so long now, I'm pretty sure I can't integrate back into polite society, so I'd be quite happy to run wild in the Alaska wilderness rather than be crowded onto a bus with 50 other people.

 

I totally agree.  I can't imagine going to Alaska for a tour sponsored by a cruise line, all the while having to stay in their crappy Westmark hotel.  I'm also a do-it-myselfer.  I have about 3 trips planned to Alaska this year.  They're for work, but I always add a few days for getting out there.  

[Mary229]

I hope they can find enough to book so they can keep their experienced employees employed.  They are already losing so many experienced employees I am glad to see something that might keep some employed.