My head is spinning with options!

[LisaLeone]

Please share your opinions between Princess and Holland America cruise tours! I have it narrowed down to a 14 day south bound (land first and 7/7 split between land and sea) on each with  very similar intineraries. We have never sailed Holland but have enjoyed Princess. The price is about the same and both are inclusive. 
This is our first time to Alaska so I would love to hear from experienced travelers of what to look for, the things not to miss and what can be a pass.

Thank you for any insight you can offer!

[PACD_JG]

If you've already sailed with Princess and liked it...why would you assume the grass is greener on the other side?

[wolfie11]

Princess excels in Alaska with an onboard naturalist, talks by the first woman to win the Iditarod, Deadliest Catch captains, Native Alaskans, music programs, and sled dog puppies in the Piazza.  Otherwise Princess and Holland America are very similar.

[LisaLeone]

5 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

If you've already sailed with Princess and liked it...why would you assume the grass is greener on the other side?

I don't. I'm simply open to other's experiences. My line of choice is Celebrity but Holland and Princess are the only two lines that offer Glacier Bay. I have sailed with Princess once many years ago and am seeking fresh perspectives. Please feel free to share if you are so inclined.

[Coral]

Princess and Holland America are run by the same group and their Alaska operations are run by the same office. They share quite a bit of resources. 

 

I have sailed Princess since COVID and there are many cutbacks but IMO - all lines are experiencing similar cut backs. Not unique to Princess.

 

I would go with the line with longest times in port on the cruise and the itinerary you want in land. Realize that Denali had a rock slide and you probably can't go far into the park until 2025. Maybe considering renting a car and doing the land portion on your own? Look at where the land tours are going and see if that is where you want to spend your time. For example - I really like Seward and neither line spends time there. RCCL/Celebrity put people on buses and trains quickly so even if they dock there - most people miss this gem of a town.

[Coral]

18 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

Princess excels in Alaska with an onboard naturalist, talks by the first woman to win the Iditarod, Deadliest Catch captains, Native Alaskans, music programs, and sled dog puppies in the Piazza.  Otherwise Princess and Holland America are very similar.

I do have to say Princess has excellent onboard info/edutainment for Alaskan experience onboard. I love Libby Riddles talk in Juneau (first female to win Iditarod). I have attended several times. Their naturalists are generally good. I don't know what HAL offers.

[Gardyloo]

41 minutes ago, Coral said:

Realize that Denali had a rock slide and you probably can't go far into the park until 2025. Maybe considering renting a car and doing the land portion on your own? Look at where the land tours are going and see if that is where you want to spend your time. 

With access to the interior of Denali National Park curtailed due to roadworks within the park, you need to look at the cruise tour itinerary and decide if it's worth the investment.  Because many of the hotels and lodgings near Denali are controlled by, or dependent on cruise tours for their occupancy, it appears that the cruise lines haven't reduced the number of nights around Denali despite the limitations on actually visiting the park.  Instead, they've added tours and activities (all for high fees) to "justify" keeping you near Denali.  With those same dollars and days you could probably rent a car and find your own accommodations elsewhere, and have a better time of it, or at least a different one.  It might be worth some number crunching.

[AKStafford]

The cruise lines doe a great job of cruising Southeast Alaska. Their cruisetours on land in Southcentral Alaska are lacking... Would you be opening to renting a car and putting together your own great trip on land?

[Northern Aurora]

Just to slightly expand on @Gardyloo's comments -- at times through the years some posters have thought that the fact that Princess and Holland own their own lodges at Denali was a positive.  But it also means that they are tied to those lodges.  From what I have read neither company has modified their cruise tour offerings.  They are still pushing cruise tours which include Denali.  But now the single road in to Denali National Park was closed in August 2021 at the Pretty Rocks section.  So interesting areas such as the Polychrome Overlook, Toklat River rest stop, Stony Hill Overlook and Eielson Visitor's Center are not accessible.  The National Park Service announced in January 2023 that they have finalized a contract and hope to have at the road fully open in 2025.   My perspective, as someone who lives about a two hour and fifteen minute drive north of the park entrance, is that it really isn't worth to visit until the road can be accessed as far as Eielson Visitor's Center.

 

I would suggest investigating the Wrangell -- St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

[LisaLeone]

4 hours ago, AKStafford said:

The cruise lines doe a great job of cruising Southeast Alaska. Their cruisetours on land in Southcentral Alaska are lacking... Would you be opening to renting a car and putting together your own great trip on land?

That sounds like a fabulous option, if a little daunting. Certainly worth a serious consideration. Thank you!

[AKStafford]

19 minutes ago, LisaLeone said:

if a little daunting

The TripAdvisor Forum for Alaska Travel can be a big help: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[LisaLeone]

10 hours ago, AKStafford said:

The TripAdvisor Forum for Alaska Travel can be a big help: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

This is incredibly helpful…thank you!

[islandchick]

I would not take any tour going to Denali right now. You would be better off touring the Kenai peninsula by staying in Anchorage, Seward,  and Homer. Lots of beautiful sights to see.  Go back another year to see Denali.

[tamsocal]

agree with other posts- abort mission.

Do not include Denali in a land tour until the road is repaired. Forego land tour altogether or change over to Wrangell. I have done about 6 land tours and Denali road being closed would be a complete no for me

[LisaLeone]

2 minutes ago, tamsocal said:

agree with other posts- abort mission.

Do not include Denali in a land tour until the road is repaired. Forego land tour altogether or change over to Wrangell. I have done about 6 land tours and Denali road being closed would be a complete no for me

That is the plan. We’ve booked a southbound sailing and will fly out a week prior to do our own thing. The folks on this board have been so helpful. Thank you!

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, LisaLeone said:

That is the plan. We’ve booked a southbound sailing and will fly out a week prior to do our own thing. The folks on this board have been so helpful. Thank you!

Glad to hear it!  We booked our Alaskan cruise last minute (6 weeks out) so the cruise line tour was sold out.  We were able to duplicate nearly the identical tour for a whole lot less (this was 13 years ago, so we did an independent tour to Denali, and it all worked out great.)  Best of luck to you - Alaska is amazing.   

[LisaLeone]

9 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

Glad to hear it!  We booked our Alaskan cruise last minute (6 weeks out) so the cruise line tour was sold out.  We were able to duplicate nearly the identical tour for a whole lot less (this was 13 years ago, so we did an independent tour to Denali, and it all worked out great.)  Best of luck to you - Alaska is amazing.   

Any suggestions, please pass on! We will be foregoing Danali and hope for another opportunity.

[libtrek]

Good plan, you would be very disappointed with the short Denali tour. We’ve done tours and DIY. A couple thoughts. If you rent a car, don’t count on distance/ time calculations. It will take longer than you think. You will see roads on the map that will turn out to be very rough. Read your rental car agreement, they usually don’t cover you on rough roads. Wrangle Elias area is gorgeous.

Edited April 19, 2023 by libtrek

[Sail away MK]

3 hours ago, LisaLeone said:

Any suggestions, please pass on! We will be foregoing Danali and hope for another opportunity.

Hi LisaLeone, I am planning a pre cruise on our own tour for May 2024. Hope my early planning gives you some ideas.

Day 1 -We will fly in and rent a car in Juneau. Hotel.

Day 2 - Drive south toward Soldotna, Tours: Stop at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Cooper Landing River Float, Dinner at Kenai Princess Lodge( if I was not meeting friends in Soldotna I would probably stay there), Drive in to Soldotna. Motel.

Day 3 - Hubby fishes, others visit Homer. ( if my timeline was not so tight I would stay in Homer) Continue lodging in Soldotna (visiting friends there)

Day 4 - Drive to Seward - Tours:Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjiords cruise. Hotel ( this would be a good spot to have an extra day)

Day 5 - Drive to Whittier - Portage Glacier or 26 Glacier Cruise Drop off car (there is a hefty fee for this) 

[dd57]

We did a salmon fishing/bear viewing floatplane trip out of Soldotna several years back.  It was fantastic.  We went to a place called Wolverine Creek.  I don't know if the company is still around after Covid, but I highly recommend doing something similar. Our friends wanted to fish and I wanted to see bears.  A good time was had by all.

[wolfie11]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:00 AM, Sail away MK said:

Hi LisaLeone, I am planning a pre cruise on our own tour for May 2024. Hope my early planning gives you some ideas.

Day 1 -We will fly in and rent a car in Juneau. Hotel.

Day 2 - Drive south toward Soldotna, Tours: Stop at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Cooper Landing River Float, Dinner at Kenai Princess Lodge( if I was not meeting friends in Soldotna I would probably stay there), Drive in to Soldotna. Motel.

Day 3 - Hubby fishes, others visit Homer. ( if my timeline was not so tight I would stay in Homer) Continue lodging in Soldotna (visiting friends there)

Day 4 - Drive to Seward - Tours:Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjiords cruise. Hotel ( this would be a good spot to have an extra day)

Day 5 - Drive to Whittier - Portage Glacier or 26 Glacier Cruise Drop off car (there is a hefty fee for this) 

May is early for salmon fishing.  The runs don't really get started until mid-June.  I'd you want to go out in the ocean, there's halibut fishing charters out of Homer and Nikiski.

[donaldsc]

35 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

May is early for salmon fishing.  The runs don't really get started until mid-June.  I'd you want to go out in the ocean, there's halibut fishing charters out of Homer and Nikiski.

 

We did a halibut charter out of Homer.  It was great fun.  We caught halibut and had it shipped home.  It was delicious but also the most expensive fish we have ever eaten.

 

DON