DIY Alaska adventure Cruise/Landtrip/Cruise

[Norwaylady]

Hello Fellow cruisers 

 

We have sailed a 11n cruise on X to Alaska. Vancouver/Vancouver. We did visit Hubbard and Dawn Glacier as scenic cruising. 

 

It was a taste of Alaska for us. And we enjoyed it!

We want to go a little further north and stay for a while. Since we need to travel far from home. 

 

So we have decided that a 7/n cruise from Vancouver to Seward/Whittier northbound - a land based tour in Anchorage/Denali for 7/8.days- and 7/n cruise back to Vancouver is perfect. YES we have time off from work to do this!

We dont want to book a cruise tour via the cruise line. We want to take control by our self. 

 

Our options for cruise lines are

HAL to Whittier Noordam north, Glacier Bay & College Fjord and Nieuew Amsterdam south Hubbard & Glacier Bay

Princess to Whittier Caribbien Princess north, Glacier Bay & College Fjord and Sapphire Princess south, Yakutat Bay & Glacier Bay

 

mixed options will be X and Rcl to Seward 

Or NCL to or from Whittier, Hubbard and something.

 

We maily sail X but are open of trying a new cruise line. 

We have never tried HAL, Princess or NCL. 

 

Recommendations of what to except? Why choose HAL or Princess over X and RCL?

Are the ships okey? We prefer balcony. 

 

[AKStafford]

For the land portion, I think DIY is the way to go. You can get help planning on that on the TripAdvisor forum for Alaska travel: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, AKStafford said:

For the land portion, I think DIY is the way to go.

That's my style as well. I want to be able to do those things appealing to me, and not those things for which I am indifferent. Yet I also recognize that there are many who do not want to take on the responsibility of planning . . . it does require time and effort. For those people who are satisfied with the tourist circuit that consists of the usual sights, then a packaged tour can save quite a bit of time and effort, and all one has to do sit back. For this reason I cannot say that one size fits all.

[oaktreerb]

Glacier Bay is a National Park, will be narrated by park rangers who will come onboard, and Holland America opens the bow of the ship for outside viewing as the ship turns to starboard and to port so that everybody gets a long viewing.  You can view from your balcony or from many outside and inside areas of the ship.  Hubbard Glacier is a huge glacier and you may have an opportunity to board a smaller vessel for an up close experience.  College Fjord is a fjord just outside of Whittier with several glaciers to view.  The most “sure thing” glacier experience is Glacier Bay.  Sometimes Hubbard can be cancelled due to conditions.

 

I have been to Alaska on several Holland America ships.  HAL and Princess usually get the best docking locations in the major ports.    NCL is docked outside of town in Ketchikan and in Juneau may have a  half day docking with a bus ride or long walk to town.  Check out how long you will be in each port.

 

  Seward is definitely worth visiting on your land segment.  There is a lot to do between Seward and Anchorage, stop at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, beautiful views of Turnagain Arm.  Denali is worth a visit but check nps.gov for activities and the construction progress on the road into the park

 

There is a lot of tourist information online.

[Alaska05]

X and RCL do not include Glacier Bay in their Alaska itineraries which is a must for me.
 

 

[Tippyton]

Do the train to Denali, and reserve a place on a dome car.  When we went it was called "Gold Star" and included a meal and a couple of cocktails.  Alaska Tour and Travel helped getting us reservations at the lodges and the train, and had recommendations for other lodging.  https://www.alaskatravel.com/

 

[sambamama]

Book a Princess or HAL cruise and make sure you go to Glacier Bay- the highlight of your  cruise! They have been doing Alaska longer and they do it best. You don't need a balcony, although its nice. You can see everything by going out on deck. Don't feel obligated to book ship excursions either. Realize all Alaska tours are expensive. You have options for DIY if you want. If you want to go to Denali, and you should, then book for a cruise no earlier than late May. 

[karatemom2]

This is a dream of ours when we have the time to do a similar trip. We have cruised many times to Alaska but never done a land itinerary and a back to back cruise with land tour in between has been something we have talked about for years. We will definitely plan the land portion on our own with a rental car for transportation and setting up our own schedule and lodging. We are more independent travelers and almost always do our own shore excursions in Alaska which is so easy to do. I’m sure you’ll be able to plan a fantastic land itinerary that encompasses what you want to see and do with some planning which is half the fun. Please be sure to share your experience so we can learn from what you choose to do!

[spedrson]

This is our 2nd time taking an Alaskan cruise and then doing the land portion on our own. The 1st time we stayed in Anchorage and did day trips while we stayed in an Air B&B. In 2024 we have a bit more time to work with. We will stay at an Air B&B in Anchorage for 4 nights and rent a car while we're there and then we will spend 3 nights in Denali and 1 in Talkeetna. We will take the train/bus for that portion and stay in hotels that offer easy shuttles to different activities. We are using alaskatravel.com to book the train, bus, hotels, and excursions. Don't get hung up on their packages. Everything is 100% customizable. Their packages gave me a good place to start thinking about options and then I made our own itinerary. 

[cynt]

@Norwaylady this sounds amazing. I don't have anything to add but when I grow up I want to be like you. 😁 11 years and 8 months before I retire and can travel like that. 

[donaldsc]

On 10/8/2023 at 1:47 PM, spedrson said:

This is our 2nd time taking an Alaskan cruise and then doing the land portion on our own. The 1st time we stayed in Anchorage and did day trips while we stayed in an Air B&B. In 2024 we have a bit more time to work with. We will stay at an Air B&B in Anchorage for 4 nights and rent a car while we're there and then we will spend 3 nights in Denali and 1 in Talkeetna. We will take the train/bus for that portion and stay in hotels that offer easy shuttles to different activities. We are using alaskatravel.com to book the train, bus, hotels, and excursions. Don't get hung up on their packages. Everything is 100% customizable. Their packages gave me a good place to start thinking about options and then I made our own itinerary. 

 

Several thoughts on your plans in no particular order of importance.  I have done maybe 6 or 7 AK cruises as well as extended land trip so I have some things that I liked and some that I didn't.

 

1) You didn't say where your cruise started or ended in AK.  You have a choice of either Seward or Whittier.  I would pick Seward.  There is a lot to see in Seward and the Kenai.  You could easily spend several days there.  In fact if I had a choice of spending time in Seward and the Kenai or in Anchorage I would pick Seward.  

 

2) Unless you have some very specific things you want to see in Anchorage I do not think that Anchorage is worth 4 days.  

 

3) I assume that you know that the road into Denali is closed at mile 43.  The best parts of Denali are further in.  Unless I knew that I was never going to get to AK ever again I wouldn't even bother to go to Denali.  I certainly would not spend 3 night there right now.

 

4) Talkeeetna. I know that lots of people love Talkeetna.  When we did our extended 3 month driving land tour in AK we drove to Talkeetna off the Parks Highway as it was only a 15 mile detour.  This is purely a personal opinion but it just looked like a tourist trap to me.  We stayed for lunch and then left.

 

5) Based on your post it sounds as if you are allowing 8 days for your land tour.  If this is true allowing 4 night for Anchorage and 3 nights for Denali considering the road closure seems like a bad usage of the days you have in AK.  

 

Hope that this gives you some ideas to think about.

 

DON

[spedrson]

5 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Several thoughts on your plans in no particular order of importance.  I have done maybe 6 or 7 AK cruises as well as extended land trip so I have some things that I liked and some that I didn't.

 

1) You didn't say where your cruise started or ended in AK.  You have a choice of either Seward or Whittier.  I would pick Seward.  There is a lot to see in Seward and the Kenai.  You could easily spend several days there.  In fact if I had a choice of spending time in Seward and the Kenai or in Anchorage I would pick Seward.  

 

2) Unless you have some very specific things you want to see in Anchorage I do not think that Anchorage is worth 4 days.  

 

3) I assume that you know that the road into Denali is closed at mile 43.  The best parts of Denali are further in.  Unless I knew that I was never going to get to AK ever again I wouldn't even bother to go to Denali.  I certainly would not spend 3 night there right now.

 

4) Talkeeetna. I know that lots of people love Talkeetna.  When we did our extended 3 month driving land tour in AK we drove to Talkeetna off the Parks Highway as it was only a 15 mile detour.  This is purely a personal opinion but it just looked like a tourist trap to me.  We stayed for lunch and then left.

 

5) Based on your post it sounds as if you are allowing 8 days for your land tour.  If this is true allowing 4 night for Anchorage and 3 nights for Denali considering the road closure seems like a bad usage of the days you have in AK.  

 

Hope that this gives you some ideas to think about.

 

DON

Don,

 

We are starting in Vancouver and ending in Seward. We are spending one night there with a private Kenai Fjords excursion. This trip is primarily for my father-in-law with the idea that this will be his only opportunity to go to Alaska so we are prioritizing his wish list. Denali is very important to him as is hiking on a glacier. One day in Anchorage will be spent going to Matanuska Glacier to hike and then making some stops on the way back. Any recommendations that you have for stops on the way would be appreciated! Anchorage is a home base for us. One day will be spent in Anchorage to go to an Orthodox church and visit a museum or two and the last day we will go to Independence Mine State Park. We are spending 3 days in Denali with the hopes that one of those days will be clear with a good view of the mountain, we will hike another day and on the 3rd day we will do the Tundra Wilderness Tour. We'll spend 1 night in Talkeetna before heading home to take a scenic flight tour with the backup of going the next morning if the weather is bad.   

[Crazy planning mom]

1 hour ago, spedrson said:

Don,

 

We are starting in Vancouver and ending in Seward. We are spending one night there with a private Kenai Fjords excursion. This trip is primarily for my father-in-law with the idea that this will be his only opportunity to go to Alaska so we are prioritizing his wish list. Denali is very important to him as is hiking on a glacier. One day in Anchorage will be spent going to Matanuska Glacier to hike and then making some stops on the way back. Any recommendations that you have for stops on the way would be appreciated! Anchorage is a home base for us. One day will be spent in Anchorage to go to an Orthodox church and visit a museum or two and the last day we will go to Independence Mine State Park. We are spending 3 days in Denali with the hopes that one of those days will be clear with a good view of the mountain, we will hike another day and on the 3rd day we will do the Tundra Wilderness Tour. We'll spend 1 night in Talkeetna before heading home to take a scenic flight tour with the backup of going the next morning if the weather is bad.   

My husband and son used Mica Guides for Matanuska Glacier and recommend them.  You definitely need crampons for this walk but this was a highlight.  It was a glacier you would walk on without a helicopter. Although, your helicopter idea from Talkeetna is an excellent idea because the mountain is out very often.  We enjoyed the Brewing Company in Denali.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Crazy planning mom

[Crazy planning mom]

We did a diy land tour during covid.  It is definitely doable.  You can use the Alaska Railroad if you want to do this.  We rented a car and found it easy driving for the most part.   The Kenai Fjords cruise was definitely a highlight.  McKinley View Lodge was a good place to stop for lunch and souvenirs on the way to Denali.   My husband and son ziplined outside Denali and loved the views.

[Crazy planning mom]

Why not do Celebrity one way and Princess or HAL (with Glacier Bay) the other way?

[disneyochem]

2 hours ago, spedrson said:

Don,

 

We are starting in Vancouver and ending in Seward. We are spending one night there with a private Kenai Fjords excursion. This trip is primarily for my father-in-law with the idea that this will be his only opportunity to go to Alaska so we are prioritizing his wish list. Denali is very important to him as is hiking on a glacier. One day in Anchorage will be spent going to Matanuska Glacier to hike and then making some stops on the way back. Any recommendations that you have for stops on the way would be appreciated! Anchorage is a home base for us. One day will be spent in Anchorage to go to an Orthodox church and visit a museum or two and the last day we will go to Independence Mine State Park. We are spending 3 days in Denali with the hopes that one of those days will be clear with a good view of the mountain, we will hike another day and on the 3rd day we will do the Tundra Wilderness Tour. We'll spend 1 night in Talkeetna before heading home to take a scenic flight tour with the backup of going the next morning if the weather is bad.   

Sounds like a great trip.  I do have a couple of suggestions but I’m not sure about how you’re getting around Alaska.  Are you renting a car for your travels?  There’s generally a pretty hefty price tag for one-way rentals but it sounds like that is what you are planning.

 

A Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise is a must in Seward!  If you are heading to Anchorage afterwards via car, I would suggest a stop at Exit Glacier as well as the Alaska Wildlife Center.  With a car, you can make vista stops along the Turnagain Arm.  Another suggestion would be to take the train to Anchorage if you don’t have a car—it’s a very scenic route!

 

I second a previous poster not to make Anchorage a base for four nights.  After your visit to the church in Anchorage (?), I would stay near Hatcher Pass for a couple of nights for your Independence Mine visit and Matanuska Glacier.  Both places are north of Anchorage and are on your way to Denali.  I don’t see much point in driving up and back from Anchorage to the same place.  Staying closer would minimize your driving.  Then after your stay in Talkeetna, drive back to Anchorage stopping along the way at some spots for lunch/hiking (Thunderbird Falls).

 

 

[spedrson]

5 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

Sounds like a great trip.  I do have a couple of suggestions but I’m not sure about how you’re getting around Alaska.  Are you renting a car for your travels?  There’s generally a pretty hefty price tag for one-way rentals but it sounds like that is what you are planning.

 

A Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise is a must in Seward!  If you are heading to Anchorage afterwards via car, I would suggest a stop at Exit Glacier as well as the Alaska Wildlife Center.  With a car, you can make vista stops along the Turnagain Arm.  Another suggestion would be to take the train to Anchorage if you don’t have a car—it’s a very scenic route!

 

I second a previous poster not to make Anchorage a base for four nights.  After your visit to the church in Anchorage (?), I would stay near Hatcher Pass for a couple of nights for your Independence Mine visit and Matanuska Glacier.  Both places are north of Anchorage and are on your way to Denali.  I don’t see much point in driving up and back from Anchorage to the same place.  Staying closer would minimize your driving.  Then after your stay in Talkeetna, drive back to Anchorage stopping along the way at some spots for lunch/hiking (Thunderbird Falls).

 

 

We are renting a car while we're in Anchorage. Taking the bus from Seward to Anchorage. And then we're taking the train from Anchorage to Denali and back.

[disneyochem]

On 9/14/2023 at 10:19 AM, Norwaylady said:

Hello Fellow cruisers 

 

We have sailed a 11n cruise on X to Alaska. Vancouver/Vancouver. We did visit Hubbard and Dawn Glacier as scenic cruising. 

 

It was a taste of Alaska for us. And we enjoyed it!

We want to go a little further north and stay for a while. Since we need to travel far from home. 

 

So we have decided that a 7/n cruise from Vancouver to Seward/Whittier northbound - a land based tour in Anchorage/Denali for 7/8.days- and 7/n cruise back to Vancouver is perfect. YES we have time off from work to do this!

We dont want to book a cruise tour via the cruise line. We want to take control by our self. 

 

Our options for cruise lines are

HAL to Whittier Noordam north, Glacier Bay & College Fjord and Nieuew Amsterdam south Hubbard & Glacier Bay

Princess to Whittier Caribbien Princess north, Glacier Bay & College Fjord and Sapphire Princess south, Yakutat Bay & Glacier Bay

 

mixed options will be X and Rcl to Seward 

Or NCL to or from Whittier, Hubbard and something.

 

We maily sail X but are open of trying a new cruise line. 

We have never tried HAL, Princess or NCL. 

 

Recommendations of what to except? Why choose HAL or Princess over X and RCL?

Are the ships okey? We prefer balcony. 

 

We do this quite often (cruise north, DIY, cruise south).  Last summer we cruised to Whittier, took the cruise transfer to Anchorage airport, rented a car, DIYed for about a week, returned rental, took the train to Seward, stayed a few nights in Seward and then hopped on a southbound cruise.  (And the did a B2B out of Vancouve but that’s a different story!)

 

My suggestion is to do that—include a visit to Seward in your itinerary.  I would look at Princess or HAL as your cruise line for the northbound voyage.  They both do a wonderful job with Alaskan cruises.  I would not take a NCL cruise southbound.  We’ve cruised quite a bit on NCL but will not do another Alaskan cruise with them.  There was a lack of any Alaskan enrichment on the cruise and the stop at Ward Cove in Ketchikan was a waste (port is about 7 miles from downtown).  Never again!

[disneyochem]

3 minutes ago, spedrson said:

We are renting a car while we're in Anchorage. Taking the bus from Seward to Anchorage. And then we're taking the train from Anchorage to Denali and back.

Then I would still stay near Hatcher Pass for at least one night.  The drive to Independence Mine is about two hours each way as is the glacier from Anchorage.  Drive to the glacier for your hike, stay the night near Hatcher Pass, visit the Independence Mine and then drive back to Anchorage.

 

How are you getting to Talkeetna?  Train from Denali and then train from Talkeetna to Anchorage?  

 

BTW, we have done a couple of Matanuska glacier hikes as well as visiting the Independence Mine.  Both are fantastic.  I rate the glacier hikes as one of the best experiences we’ve had in Alaska.

[spedrson]

2 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

Then I would still stay near Hatcher Pass for at least one night.  The drive to Independence Mine is about two hours each way as is the glacier from Anchorage.  Drive to the glacier for your hike, stay the night near Hatcher Pass, visit the Independence Mine and then drive back to Anchorage.

 

How are you getting to Talkeetna?  Train from Denali and then train from Talkeetna to Anchorage?  

 

BTW, we have done a couple of Matanuska glacier hikes as well as visiting the Independence Mine.  Both are fantastic.  I rate the glacier hikes as one of the best experiences we’ve had in Alaska.

We got a very reasonably priced Air B&B in Anchorage that has 3 bedrooms ($200/night), which is part of the reason why we're staying in Anchorage for 4 nights and doing day trips. We wanted a place to spread for a while in the middle of the trip. We'll be in tight quarters during the cruise and when we're in Denali. We also wanted a place to do laundry after being on a cruise for a week.  

 

We are taking a bus from Denali to Talkeetna and then the train from Talkeetna back to Anchorage on the day we fly home. (We have a 10pm flight.)  It would be less expensive to rent a car the whole time since there are 4 of us traveling but no one wants to drive to Denali and back, so we figured we would spend a little more and take the scenic train and enjoy the ride. 

[disneyochem]

4 hours ago, spedrson said:

We got a very reasonably priced Air B&B in Anchorage that has 3 bedrooms ($200/night), which is part of the reason why we're staying in Anchorage for 4 nights and doing day trips. We wanted a place to spread for a while in the middle of the trip. We'll be in tight quarters during the cruise and when we're in Denali. We also wanted a place to do laundry after being on a cruise for a week.  

 

We are taking a bus from Denali to Talkeetna and then the train from Talkeetna back to Anchorage on the day we fly home. (We have a 10pm flight.)  It would be less expensive to rent a car the whole time since there are 4 of us traveling but no one wants to drive to Denali and back, so we figured we would spend a little more and take the scenic train and enjoy the ride. 

Sounds like a wonderful trip you've planned for your family!  Enjoy.