Questions about Denali land tour

[Ronsie]

Hello,

We’re booked on a triple Denali cruise tour for next spring. We have the land portion first. 

Can someone please share with me how the land portion works? I can’t find this information on my itinerary, just where we’ll be each day. 

Is there a page or link with detailed information about where we’ll be staying in each town and approximate time of bus trips and tours?

Does Holland America have reps to meet us in first city (Fairbanks)?

Any tips or advice would be very much appreciated. 

Thank you!

[oaktreerb]

HAL has reps in each location.  They will even meet you at the airport in Fairbanks if you book the transfer from the airport to the hotel.  Your tour will begin at  the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks.  You will be assigned a travel group number and will travel with your group until you meet the ship in Whittier.  There are many groups with different itineraries and your departure times depend on what activities are included in your cruisetour.  Some include the Riverboat tour and/or the Gold Dredge and Pipeline.  

 

You will travel by bus with your group to the McKinley Chalet Resort at Denali arriving in the afternoon where you will be given your room keys and taken directly to your cabin.  Your luggage will be in your room or will arrive shortly after.  Your three days in Denali will include a Tundra Wilderness Tour which is prescheduled for your group.  You may get that time before arriving but if you want to preschedule private tours you will be able to schedule optional activities anytime that is offered for excursions.   HAL will not offer  you excursions for the TWT time scheduled for your group.  

 

Your time in Denali is free time to hike, visit the visitor’s center, raft, fly over Denali, etc. There are plenty of places to eat at the resort and nearby that you can walk to.  There is a free shuttle throughout the resort property and to the visitor’s center.

 

On the day that you leave Denali you will either meet the train at the station near the visitor’s center or take the bus to the train station.  Your seats on the train will be preassigned (all good).  When you arrive in Anchorage you will travel with your group to your hotel (maybe the Westmark but others are also possible).  The hotel will be centrally located in the central tourist area.  You will be given your room key and your luggage will be delivered to your room.  

 

On the day you go to the ship you will either go by bus or train with your group depending on your itinerary.  Again, you will travel with your group and your bags will meet you at the ship.  You will always have with you a small bag or backpack with personal items like passport, identification, camera, binoculars, raingear, etc.

 

At each location when you receive your room keys you will also be given your schedule with the times to meet your group and “bags out” time.  

 

HAL only uses “journey hosts” on the Yukon adventures.  The Denali adventures are so well organized that they just work!  In every location there are HAL reps if you have questions.  At the airport you may be taken care of by a Princess rep since HAL and Princess work together when necessary.

[oaktreerb]

I hope the above info is helpful.  Have you looked at the Alaska brochure on the Holland America website?

Sometimes hotels may change if there are too many bookings but this has been our experience.  We have been placed at the Hilton and at the Captain Cook in Anchorage as well as the Westmark but the hotels are all in the same general area and your group will travel together.

3 hours ago, Ronsie said:

Hello,

We’re booked on a triple Denali cruise tour for next spring. We have the land portion first. 

Can someone please share with me how the land portion works? I can’t find this information on my itinerary, just where we’ll be each day. 

 

 

[quack2]

Minor thing:  The Westmark in Anchorage appeared to be closed when I was there last month.

[oaktreerb]

18 minutes ago, quack2 said:

Minor thing:  The Westmark in Anchorage appeared to be closed when I was there last month.

Covid.  No cruisetours are operating for 2021.  Princess and HAL consolidated the land tours and did not use the Westmark.

[CRu1853!!]

42 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

HAL has reps in each location.  They will even meet you at the airport in Fairbanks if you book the transfer from the airport to the hotel.  Your tour will begin at  the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks.  You will be assigned a travel group number and will travel with your group until you meet the ship in Whittier.  There are many groups with different itineraries and your departure times depend on what activities are included in your cruisetour.  Some include the Riverboat tour and/or the Gold Dredge and Pipeline.  

 

You will travel by bus with your group to the McKinley Chalet Resort at Denali arriving in the afternoon where you will be given your room keys and taken directly to your cabin.  Your luggage will be in your room or will arrive shortly after.  Your three days in Denali will include a Tundra Wilderness Tour which is prescheduled for your group.  You may get that time before arriving but if you want to preschedule private tours you will be able to schedule optional activities anytime that is offered for excursions.   HAL will not offer  you excursions for the TWT time scheduled for your group.  

 

Your time in Denali is free time to hike, visit the visitor’s center, raft, fly over Denali, etc. There are plenty of places to eat at the resort and nearby that you can walk to.  There is a free shuttle throughout the resort property and to the visitor’s center.

 

On the day that you leave Denali you will either meet the train at the station near the visitor’s center or take the bus to the train station.  Your seats on the train will be preassigned (all good).  When you arrive in Anchorage you will travel with your group to your hotel (maybe the Westmark but others are also possible).  The hotel will be centrally located in the central tourist area.  You will be given your room key and your luggage will be delivered to your room.  

 

On the day you go to the ship you will either go by bus or train with your group depending on your itinerary.  Again, you will travel with your group and your bags will meet you at the ship.  You will always have with you a small bag or backpack with personal items like passport, identification, camera, binoculars, raingear, etc.

 

At each location when you receive your room keys you will also be given your schedule with the times to meet your group and “bags out” time.  

 

HAL only uses “journey hosts” on the Yukon adventures.  The Denali adventures are so well organized that they just work!  In every location there are HAL reps if you have questions.  At the airport you may be taken care of by a Princess rep since HAL and Princess work together when necessary.

Oaktreeb, this is so right on. My husband and I have done a Cruise and Denali and a Yukon/Denali/Cruise in the past. Your information is very accurate 👍🏻😃

[Ronsie]

Thank you Oaktreerb! Your information was just what I was looking for. 

I did read the HAL Alaska brochure but it was the details that you provided that I was hoping for. Much appreciated!

 

Thanks also CRu1853 for your input. 

 

Looking forward to seeing this part of Alaska!

[ann1bell]

Ronsie, there was a problem on our 2015 Denali land tour. We took all of our own luggage from the land portion to the ship. People who used the HAL luggage transport did not get their bags for a few days.
 

I seem to remember that the luggage truck sat somewhere and the ship left without the bags. There were many unhappy folks. I am sure this is a rare problem. 
 

Handling your own luggage can be a problem, but we were happy we had ours. We really enjoyed the trip! 

[Ronsie]

4 hours ago, ann1bell said:

Ronsie, there was a problem on our 2015 Denali land tour. We took all of our own luggage from the land portion to the ship. People who used the HAL luggage transport did not get their bags for a few days.
 

I seem to remember that the luggage truck sat somewhere and the ship left without the bags. There were many unhappy folks. I am sure this is a rare problem. 
 

Handling your own luggage can be a problem, but we were happy we had ours. We really enjoyed the trip! 

Thanks ann1bell for your comment. Hopefully this doesn’t happen very often, but it may be a good idea to have something with us that could be used if baggage is delayed. Always good to be prepared.  

 

-Nancy