Alaska Cruisetour 7/10/06

[mom j]

;) Any one doing the land tour then cruising southbound on

Radiance of the Seas on July 15, 2006. Don't see any names on the roll call, but maybe just overlooking.

[Bruin Steve]

No, I'm not going...

But, I thought I'd share one thing here...

We took a Southbound Cruisetour on the Celebrity Summit July 3, 2004 (Great cruisetour, by the way--13 nights-hope yours is a long one as well)...

Anyway, we started out in Fairbanks...

 

BE PREPARED MENTALLY: In Fairbanks, in early July, there is NO NIGHTTIME...Zero...The Sun dips slightly below the horizon and comes right back up!! It never gets dark...

 

We did get lovely photos of the sunset over Mt McKinley from the hotel (Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge--I hope that's one of your hotels--it was outstanding) at about 1 am...Of course at 1:45 we got some great photos of sunrise over Mt McKinley!!! Of course, I don't know what to label the photos we took around 1:22-1:23 am!!

 

Have fun...

[Aprille]

;) Any one doing the land tour then cruising southbound on

Radiance of the Seas on July 15, 2006.

Which land tour? There are several. We did #12 last year. Had 2 nights in Denali which is why we picked it. Got the long tour of the park that way. It was awesome!

[cruisin'couple]

Which land tour? There are several. We did #12 last year. Had 2 nights in Denali which is why we picked it. Got the long tour of the park that way. It was awesome!

 

Aprille--Thanks for sharing your pictures of Alaska. We're doing the 13 day (#15) southbound land tour/cruise in Sept, and can hardly wait!!

 

Quick question for you, please. How much money should we allot for food on the 6-day land portion? I realize a lot of the lodges/hotels they put us up in will be rather isolated, and we'll be limited to THEIR restaurants, and the meal services on the train. We're just wondering how much actual cash we should take. Thanks--Fran (l/2 of this "cruisin'couple")

[Barbee524]

Figure about $30 to $40 per day per person on the tour portion. We saved money by taking granola bars for breakfast as we really aren't big breakfast eaters and all of the hotels had coffemakers in the rooms. You can use a credit card if you don't want to carry cash.

 

Also I recommend a sleep mask. I didn't have one and really wished I had one. The only hotel we stayed in that had blackout shades was in Anchorage. I really didn't think it being light all night would be a problem for me. Boy was I wrong! Though of course my DH had no problem sleeping, he never does.

[Bruin Steve]

Quick question for you' date=' please. How much money should we allot for food on the 6-day land portion? I realize a lot of the lodges/hotels they put us up in will be rather isolated, and we'll be limited to THEIR restaurants, and the meal services on the train. We're just wondering how much actual cash we should take.[/quote']

First...the question is the actual tour, which hotels they put you in, etc. We did the 13 night Southbound with Celebrity in 2004...but Royal Caribbean/Celebrity runs the land portion as one operation, so things should be similar...But they do change the itineraries/hotels from time to time, so yours could be different than ours was a couple of years ago...

 

We found we were seldom limited in choices and we could eat anything from fast food to sit down luxury dinners in most places...

 

The hotels they used for us were:

Fairbanks: Sophie Station

Denali: McKinley Village

Talkeetna: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Anchorage: Anchorage Marriott

Alyeska/Girdwood: Alyeska Prince Resort

 

In Fairbanks, it was a very short walk (2 or 3 blocks) from Sophie Station to a number of eateries...We ate one very nice dinner ($20-30 per Entree) at the "Castle"--Crab, Salmon, Shrimp, Seafood...and another meal at a "Quizno's" in a small strip center...we also saw a cheap pizza place and a cheap taco joint nearby...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60826-d330913-Reviews-Castle_Restaurant_Lounge-Fairbanks_Alaska.html

 

In Denali, there was really nothing nearby...so you have the hotel restaurant...They dropped us off for lunch at another hotel (McKinley Chalets) and the hotel had two restaurants...one had items like Burger and fries for around $10.95 pr person, the other was more expensive...We started our 7 hour Wilderness Tour in the mid afternoon, so we never really got to dinner at all--just ate the snack box provided us on the bus...

 

In Talkeetna, the hotel seems remote, but they offer a free shuttle into town...where there are a few small restaurants...we ate at a pizza joint for well less than $10 apiece...

 

In Anchorage, the hotel was within walking distance to Downtown...and you could find anything you'd want to eat in any price range...We went into a local minibrewery/restaurant --The Glacier BrewHouse...

Find the menu on this site:

 

http://www.glacierbrewhouse.com/home.htm

 

In Alyeska, there's a very expensive restaurant at the top of the chair lift...but there are also a couple restaurants in town...The hotel provided a free shuttle and we went to the highly recommended "Chair 5" Restaurant...There is info and even a menu with prices on this site:

 

http://www.chairfive.com/

 

Altogether, walking in some places, using free shuttles in others, you can eat reasonably...or even cheap throughout...

 

Almost everyplace takes credit cards...but, of course, cash comes in handy at the really cheap places...

 

Figure your budget based on what you like to eat...and you can find places that fit your budget...of course, I do recommend the places I've mentioned here...

[Barbee524]

Figure your budget based on what you like to eat...and you can find places that fit your budget...of course, I do recommend the places I've mentioned here...

I agree with Steve. I did post a long review of the tour portion only last year. Here's a link to it if you want to read it

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=225514

 

There is a lot of detailed information you may be interested in.

 

I can also recommend the Glacier Brewhouse the food was great.

[cruisin'couple]

Many thanks, Barbee 524 and Bruin Steve--Your information is very helpful. And back in Feb, Barbee524, I printed out your very detailed and informative review. Even sent it to a friend who will be joining us on the trip of a lifetime!! Thanks to all of you.

[Barbee524]

Glad you found my review helpful. I recommend you take a journal with and at least jot down where you are on which day and what you did that day. I had never used one before this trip and found it to be one of the best souvenirs from our trip. I plan on continuing to use it for each cruse we take from now on.

[tinkerme1]

Bruin Steve: Thank you so much for posting this wonderful information. I've been trying to figure out how to include additional excursions in Denali/Alyeska. Did you do any of the extra excursions or did you have just enough to keep you busy on the tour itself? We'll be on the #15 Southbound cruisetour this June and can't wait for the adventure to begin. Many of your comments gave us answers to some of our questions, but the excursion thing has me confused, since we don't have much to go on from RCCL about allotted timing:eek: .

[Bruin Steve]

Bruin Steve: Thank you so much for posting this wonderful information. I've been trying to figure out how to include additional excursions in Denali/Alyeska. Did you do any of the extra excursions or did you have just enough to keep you busy on the tour itself? We'll be on the #15 Southbound cruisetour this June and can't wait for the adventure to begin. Many of your comments gave us answers to some of our questions, but the excursion thing has me confused, since we don't have much to go on from RCCL about allotted timing:eek: .

Each individual tour varies a little in what they do and don't include...For example, some include the 7 hour Denali Wilderness tour, some include the shorter tour...

 

Ours seemed to be "jam-packed" with included activities...

...and when we actually saw the times for those "Extra" excursions, many were just a little too much...like "white water rafting" at 7:00 am!!!

 

We found the "included" excursions to be just about right for us--and it's not like we're elderly or "no fun"...At the time of the trip, my wife and I were 45 and 50 and we were traveling with our thenm 18 and 20 year old daughters...and none of us would have had the energy to do additional 7 am excursions...

 

By the way, here's the link to my detailed review posted right after the cruise:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=11132

[NancyIL]

Each individual tour varies a little in what they do and don't include...For example, some include the 7 hour Denali Wilderness tour, some include the shorter tour...

 

Ours seemed to be "jam-packed" with included activities...

...and when we actually saw the times for those "Extra" excursions, many were just a little too much...like "white water rafting" at 7:00 am!!!

 

We found the "included" excursions to be just about right for us--and it's not like we're elderly or "no fun"...At the time of the trip, my wife and I were 45 and 50 and we were traveling with our thenm 18 and 20 year old daughters...and none of us would have had the energy to do additional 7 am excursions...

 

By the way, here's the link to my detailed review posted right after the cruise:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=11132

 

Wonderful review, Steve! Thanks!

[tinkerme1]

Steve,

 

Thank you so much for giving us additional comments that will help me to make a more knowledgeable choice about add-on excursions. I think we'll just stick with the tour this time around. We do have the long tour in Denali, which we are looking forward to very much. Again, thank you.

[cruisin'couple]

Steve, Since you've already been on the 15-day southbound Alaska trip, I have a question for you about pocket knives. My hubby is one of those guys who feels it's necessary to always have a small pocket knife to take care of emergencies. Last year he had put one in his checked baggage on a cruise to Hawaii. No problem until he unpacked aboard ship, put it in his pocket and we went ashore at one of the ports. Upon going through security at the dock, they told him he couldn't have it. The security guy finally walked him up to the ship entrance and gave the pocket knife to the ship's security to hold until our disembarkment in Honolulu. My question to you is do you know if the port security in Alaska have similar policies? I know most women don't think a pocket knife is a "necessity", but I'm finding a lot of men do. I'm not talking about a machetti here, but rather a small pen knife. HELP!! Thanks--Fran

[Bruin Steve]

Fran,

I wouldn't know...

I have a small "Leatherman Micra" which I keep on my keychain at home...

For those of you who don't know, it's a great tool...

It's incredibly small but folds out to a very good scissors...also has a tweezers, a nail file, 3 screwdrivers including a mini-screwdriver that's great for eyeglass screws, a bottle opener ...and, yes, a very small knife blade.

 

Why it's indispensible? Just think of all the times you need a scissors--to cut a loose thread or to clip a coupon or whatever...or a nail file if you break a nail...or screwdrivers to fix something, etc.

 

HOWEVER, since 9/11, every time I travel, I remove it from my keychain before I leave for the airport.

 

I'll often take it with me on the cruise...by packing it away in my luggage--it comes in handy at times around the cabin...

But, I don't think I've ever carried it with me on and off the ship into port--largely because I don't carry my keys either...

 

I certainly didn't in Alaska...

 

Tell your husband to just skip having his in port...Of course, you could always ask the security guys onboard...

 

I do know the stores in Alaska have a big business selling "Ulu knives"--those Alaskan chopping knives for the kitchen...But I didn't buy any so I didn't notice whether the ship temporarilly confiscates those either...

 

Good luck...

[cruisin'couple]

Fran,

I wouldn't know...

I have a small "Leatherman Micra" which I keep on my keychain at home...

For those of you who don't know, it's a great tool...

It's incredibly small but folds out to a very good scissors...also has a tweezers, a nail file, 3 screwdrivers including a mini-screwdriver that's great for eyeglass screws, a bottle opener ...and, yes, a very small knife blade.

 

Why it's indispensible? Just think of all the times you need a scissors--to cut a loose thread or to clip a coupon or whatever...or a nail file if you break a nail...or screwdrivers to fix something, etc.

 

HOWEVER, since 9/11, every time I travel, I remove it from my keychain before I leave for the airport.

 

I'll often take it with me on the cruise...by packing it away in my luggage--it comes in handy at times around the cabin...

But, I don't think I've ever carried it with me on and off the ship into port--largely because I don't carry my keys either...

 

I certainly didn't in Alaska...

 

Tell your husband to just skip having his in port...Of course, you could always ask the security guys onboard...

 

I do know the stores in Alaska have a big business selling "Ulu knives"--those Alaskan chopping knives for the kitchen...But I didn't buy any so I didn't notice whether the ship temporarilly confiscates those either...

 

Good luck...

 

Thanks, Steve--Appreciate the information. Now I'll just have to convince Hubby to leave it aboard ship.