HAL just canceled our June 14th 2022 Triple Denali trip

[denmor428]

Our paddle wheel trip in Dawson was cancelled because the boat was not operating. Our city tram tour in Skate at was cancelled. We rebooked through Victor and their first stop was our ship. Definitely pack snacks and any off meds you may need. We paid $15 for 3 oz of robot us din at Denali

[julia]

3 hours ago, TheLizardHouse said:

 At least we know to have suitably low expectations.
 

@denmor428 

And how sad is that??!

[shuyak]

51 minutes ago, denmor428 said:

Our paddle wheel trip in Dawson was cancelled because the boat was not operating. Our city tram tour in Skate at was cancelled. We rebooked through Victor and their first stop was our ship. Definitely pack snacks and any off meds you may need. We paid $15 for 3 oz of robot us din at Denali

 @denmor428, thank you for the heads up.  I then find this in Klondike Spirit's facebook - May 26, 2022 posted the reason and status.  Our excursion may be impacted accordingly but at least we are mentally prepared.  Thought HAL should have informed impacted individuals ahead though.

 

 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3271156306462153&id=1609952815915852&m_entstream_source=timeline&__tn__=*s*s-R

[Guest ldtr]

10 hours ago, denmor428 said:

We are on the last day of the triple Denali trip that started with the 7 day cruise out of Vancouver May 22. The cruise was wonderful and it has been downhill since we got off the ship. The HAL hotels are understaffed and the food ranges from ok to awful.We have been served a salad   greens turning yellow, old, dry meat and cold rubbery eggs. Excursions on and off the ship have been cancelled incl one of the "included" excursions.Whoever designed this itinerary never worked it. We had too much dead time, too much time in one place, not enough in another, etc..  I feel totally ripped off.  HAL took my money and failed to deliver the promised vacation experience. If your trip was cancelled, count yourself lucky. You dodged a bullet.

Too be perfectly honest the land tours have always had lots of dead time.  Many of the cruise Lodges (Princess and HAL, a bit more so with Princess since they have more lodges) are in somewhat isolated areas so one is pretty much dependent upon excursions or just hanging around the lodge. 

 

While the food is usually better than what you described, it is usually ok, kind of like a very expensive Denny's

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by ldtr

[Guest ldtr]

3 hours ago, TheLizardHouse said:

Following this closely, as we are in the same position. I don’t want to cancel the land portion of our D3C double Denali, leaving from Vancouver next Month. This trip was about using FCC, not accumulating more!  Looks like packing snacks is a good idea, also maybe the excursions from Denali that include dining. At least we know to have suitably low expectations.
 

@denmor428 thanks for the heads up, and yes, it would be great to know what excursions were cancelled, and why.

There is a coffee shop (the Black Bear) across the highway from the lodge in Denali that is usually pretty good when it comes to breakfast and lunch.

Edited June 8, 2022 by ldtr

[Lalof]

This whole situation is driving me nuts! If HAL is short-staffed to the point that service is this bad at their resort, they should just cancel until they can get it resolved. It is not fair to customers to pay full price for a very subpar experience. The staff shortage is not their fault. How they respond to it, and a lack of communication regarding the situation is on them. 

[Guest ldtr]

One of the staffing issues is that any locals that used to work the lodges during the summer season, had to find other work last year when they were closed.  Many of those workers did not come back this season.

[Mary229]

.   I do think if anyone is expecting a 2019 experience at airports, hotels, cruise ships, etc…  will be disappointed.  I understand peoples’ disappointment but going forward consider yourself forewarned.  I do think the cruise line should refund for excursions that were part of the package deal and if I were in that group I would press HAL for a refund.  You can easily look up the cost and demand that payment 

[TheLizardHouse]

8 hours ago, ldtr said:

There is a coffee shop (the Black Bear) across the highway from the lodge in Denali that is usually pretty good when it comes to breakfast and lunch.

 Thanks Idtr The menu looks tops. https://www.theblackbeardenali.com/

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by TheLizardHouse

[indychillin]

On 6/5/2022 at 4:22 PM, cruisingteachers4 said:

Our Double Denali leaves the day after yours should have, June 15th. So far we've heard nothing about a cancellation, so our fingers are crossed. We are starting with the 3 day on the Z-Dam, then the land portion, and finally southbound on the NA.

 

I wonder how HAL is choosing which tours get cancelled and which are allowed to continue? I'll be holding my breath!

@cruisingteachers4, I am curious if your trip was cancelled or not?  Sounds like we are on possibly same itinerary, just later dates. We start on Z-Dam on June 29th and off at Skagway to do our land tour which is Whitehorse, Dawson, Fairbanks, Double Denali and then Anchorage and then southbound on NA on July 10th at Whittier.

 

[cruisingteachers4]

1 hour ago, indychillin said:

@cruisingteachers4, I am curious if your trip was cancelled or not?  Sounds like we are on possibly same itinerary, just later dates. We start on Z-Dam on June 29th and off at Skagway to do our land tour which is Whitehorse, Dawson, Fairbanks, Double Denali and then Anchorage and then southbound on NA on July 10th at Whittier.

 

We are currently driving to LAX for our flight tomorrow morning to Vancouver! We’ve completed our VeriFLY, ArriveCAN, and checked in to our flight with negative Covid tests in hand. We’re very excited, but still a bit worried after another cruiser posted that only 17 out of 33 on their land portion tested negative and were able to join the southbound NA. So, fingers crossed!!

[Gray Lady]

15 minutes ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

We are currently driving to LAX for our flight tomorrow morning to Vancouver! We’ve completed our VeriFLY, ArriveCAN, and checked in to our flight with negative Covid tests in hand. We’re very excited, but still a bit worried after another cruiser posted that only 17 out of 33 on their land portion tested negative and were able to join the southbound NA. So, fingers crossed!!

Please let us know how your trip goes! We leave Saturday for Fairbanks. Looks like we will be masking up the entire way so we can make our actual cruise.

[cccole]

59 minutes ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

We are currently driving to LAX for our flight tomorrow morning to Vancouver! We’ve completed our VeriFLY, ArriveCAN, and checked in to our flight with negative Covid tests in hand. We’re very excited, but still a bit worried after another cruiser posted that only 17 out of 33 on their land portion tested negative and were able to join the southbound NA. So, fingers crossed!!

It may not be that all of those that stayed behind tested positive, some may have been traveling partners.  So instead of 16, possibly just 8 positive tests.  Wishing you a great cruise.  Cherie

[indychillin]

22 hours ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

We are currently driving to LAX for our flight tomorrow morning to Vancouver! We’ve completed our VeriFLY, ArriveCAN, and checked in to our flight with negative Covid tests in hand. We’re very excited, but still a bit worried after another cruiser posted that only 17 out of 33 on their land portion tested negative and were able to join the southbound NA. So, fingers crossed!!

Glad to hear your trip was not cancelled. Hope all goes well and eager to get some posts from you on the trip!  

 

[Sebbiesgrammy]

Citing staffing issues, HAL just cancelled our Y1L 18 day which was scheduled to depart on June 29.  While the refund and FCC terms are very reasonable, disappointing 10 and 11 year old grandsons hurts me more than them.  Be ready, no land tours are likely to go to Denali or Yukon until late July and how likely will staffers be willing to make the commitment for such a short season?  After HAL cancelling 2 years in a row, we hope we are able to do it next year.

[eggemon]

1 hour ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

Citing staffing issues, HAL just cancelled our Y1L 18 day which was scheduled to depart on June 29.  While the refund and FCC terms are very reasonable, disappointing 10 and 11 year old grandsons hurts me more than them.  Be ready, no land tours are likely to go to Denali or Yukon until late July and how likely will staffers be willing to make the commitment for such a short season?  After HAL cancelling 2 years in a row, we hope we are able to do it next year.

So sorry to hear... We are supposed to do Y1L starting July 6 - wonder if we will be next? (And, yes, we were originally booked for 2020, too.)

[LJProk]

18 hours ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

Citing staffing issues, HAL just cancelled our Y1L 18 day which was scheduled to depart on June 29.  While the refund and FCC terms are very reasonable, disappointing 10 and 11 year old grandsons hurts me more than them.  Be ready, no land tours are likely to go to Denali or Yukon until late July and how likely will staffers be willing to make the commitment for such a short season?  After HAL cancelling 2 years in a row, we hope we are able to do it next year.

I know when we were there the HAL hotel in Denali was open to book separate from HAL cruises. We met a couple that were doing the Denali part on their own and a family that was staying there for 2 weeks separate from a cruise. So still people there, just not as many. I do wonder if Princess is doing the same as the resorts in Denali are side by side. Or are they moving most staff to Princess to fullfill those cruise land tours over HAL?

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, LJProk said:

I know when we were there the HAL hotel in Denali was open to book separate from HAL cruises. We met a couple that were doing the Denali part on their own and a family that was staying there for 2 weeks separate from a cruise. So still people there, just not as many. I do wonder if Princess is doing the same as the resorts in Denali are side by side. Or are they moving most staff to Princess to fullfill those cruise land tours over HAL?

The  Lodge announced weeks ago that they were taking no more reservations for summer 2022.  Princess has closed one of their lodges for the summer, they have a number in different locations throughout the area

[oaktreerb]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The  Lodge announced weeks ago that they were taking no more reservations for summer 2022.  Princess has closed one of their lodges for the summer, they have a number in different locations throughout the area

Are you referring to the Princess Lodge at Denali NP that will not take more reservations?  The Chalets is large enough to accommodate a lot of travelers.

[Mary229]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Are you referring to the Princess Lodge at Denali NP that will not take more reservations?  The Chalets is large enough to accommodate a lot of travelers.

I do not recall which of Princess’s lodges were closed.  It was likely one of the ones at a less traveled location.  It is not a traveler issue, it is a staffing issue .  The Holland lodge announced no more reservations

Edited June 17, 2022 by Mary229

[oaktreerb]

2 hours ago, LJProk said:

I know when we were there the HAL hotel in Denali was open to book separate from HAL cruises. We met a couple that were doing the Denali part on their own and a family that was staying there for 2 weeks separate from a cruise. So still people there, just not as many. I do wonder if Princess is doing the same as the resorts in Denali are side by side. Or are they moving most staff to Princess to fullfill those cruise land tours over HAL?

I would expect the Chalets would remain open since they remained open last year and they accommodate the Gray Line and Alaska Railroad tours.   

[Mary229]

Princess has numerous Alaska lodges in the Denali vicinity 

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Princess has numerous Alaska lodges in the Denali vicinity 

Depends upon how you define the Denali Vicinity.  There is only one close by the park. (Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge).  The next closest is the Mt McKinley Wilderness Lodge,   which is 109 miles from the park visitor center, closer to Talkeetna.

 

As far as Carnival affiliated properties other than the Princess Lodge, there is the McKinley Chalet Resort which is a Westmark hotel, (a subsidiary of Holland America).  There is another hotel just south of the Princess property that HAL used to use.  Not sure what its status has been for the last few years (maybe overflow) Does not appear to be anyone using it at this time  

 

Not sure what Celebrity is using for their tours.

 

There are a number of properties not affiliated with the cruise lines close to the park.  I have stayed at a few of them.  These include Denali Bluffs, and Grande Denali Lodge (stayed there last year).

 

About 6 miles south of the park entrance there is also Denali Grizzly Bear Resort,

[Mary229]

Ok, I guess I have to do the footwork so we don’t have to argue.  Here are the links to lodges

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/alaska-land-sea-journey-cruise-tours/denali-square.html

Edited June 17, 2022 by Mary229

[indychillin]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:05 PM, Sebbiesgrammy said:

Citing staffing issues, HAL just cancelled our Y1L 18 day which was scheduled to depart on June 29.  While the refund and FCC terms are very reasonable, disappointing 10 and 11 year old grandsons hurts me more than them.  Be ready, no land tours are likely to go to Denali or Yukon until late July and how likely will staffers be willing to make the commitment for such a short season?  After HAL cancelling 2 years in a row, we hope we are able to do it next year.

Wow @Sebbiesgrammy I am sorry to hear your trip was cancelled, especially for your grandsons!  We start on June 29th a Y5z 19 day trip with double Denali and Yukon and haven't been notified of a cancellation yet. I keep eyeing my email and hold my breath as I open each email they are sending with adjustments to our boarding time or masking policy info etc. wondering if our tour will get canceled as well.