Post cruise question

[Cruisefanatic71]

We will be on Royal Carribbean Radiance of the Seas in May 2024 ending our Northbound cruise. Being that we end the cruise in Seward, I was looking at a couple different options for our 1st day off the ship. We are going to stay in Alaska for a few extra days. My 2 options for Seward are as follows:

Option 1: stay in Seward for the whole day and see the sights before boarding the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage the next day.

Option 2: Do some sight seeing in Seward for the day and then catch the Coastal Classic out of Seward to Anchorage that same day.

We are looking at options since our ultimate goal is to get to Danali Park and return back to Anchorage for our flight out of Alaska. I am looking for suggestions on which option could give us the best ability to enjoy our time in Seward. Thanks in advance  

[AKStafford]

Don't underestimate your travel time in Southcentral Alaska. If you only have a few days and you want to include Denali, I would get to Anchorage that first morning, either by bus or the cruise line chartered train. Get your rental car and drive at as far as Talkeetna that afternoon.

[Cruisefanatic71]

8 hours ago, AKStafford said:

Don't underestimate your travel time in Southcentral Alaska. If you only have a few days and you want to include Denali, I would get to Anchorage that first morning, either by bus or the cruise line chartered train. Get your rental car and drive at as far as Talkeetna that afternoon.

Thanks...I probably misstated the amount of time we will be in Alaska. We are looking at least 4 days in Alaska after the cruise but I was of the thinking to at least get to Anchorage the 1st day post cruise. 

[Coral]

I would spend the night in Seward. Seward is amazing gem and has more options than Anchorage in my opinion for Alaska activities.

 

I would look at more than four days in Alaska after your cruise if you're going to Denali.

[Gardyloo]

I'd suggest you do your homework on access to Denali NP while the park road is still closed past MP 43 and also in May, when things have barely begun in the park even in "normal" years.  

[Coral]

44 minutes ago, Gardyloo said:

I'd suggest you do your homework on access to Denali NP while the park road is still closed past MP 43 and also in May, when things have barely begun in the park even in "normal" years.  

Good advice, especially May. They may be better off spending time elsewhere in Alaska.

[Cruisefanatic71]

Thanks for the input...will be looking at the logistics of what we would like to do and visit versus what may be feasible.  

[SirTomster]

I am doing a southbound trip out of Whittier.  But we will be flying to Anchorage 2 days before the cruise and traveling to Seward for two nights.  We will be taking a one-day cruise to the Kenai Fjords.  I recommend you look into it.

 

My research shows that it is very popular and can be the trip's highlight.  

 

I am not sure when the ship arrives and if you could take the Kenai Fjords cruise the same day or not.  But something to consider.

[roupa]

Do consider the Kenai Fjords!

[spedrson]

We are planning on spending one night in Seward. We're doing a Kenai Fjords tour and will enjoy the town before heading to Anchorage via bus. Some of us will fly home from Anchorage and the rest of us will spend a few nights in Anchorage before getting the train to Denali for a few nights. 

[Cruisefanatic71]

4 minutes ago, spedrson said:

We are planning on spending one night in Seward. We're doing a Kenai Fjords tour and will enjoy the town before heading to Anchorage via bus. Some of us will fly home from Anchorage and the rest of us will spend a few nights in Anchorage before getting the train to Denali for a few nights. 

This what we were looking at doing at first and then we thought about spending the day in Seward and then catching the train up to either Girdwood or Anchorage that evening and spending a day in one of these areas and then possibly a round trip to Denali with a night in Denali. Still working logistics of it though. 

[spedrson]

1 minute ago, Cruisefanatic71 said:

This what we were looking at doing at first and then we thought about spending the day in Seward and then catching the train up to either Girdwood or Anchorage that evening and spending a day in one of these areas and then possibly a round trip to Denali with a night in Denali. Still working logistics of it though. 

Just keep in mind only about 30% of people who visit Denali National Park actually get a clear enough day to see the mountain and know it's about 3 hours on bus from Seward to Anchorage and then another 7.5 hours via train from Anchorage to Denail. We're spending a few nights in Denali to increase our chances of getting a clear day. 

[LeeW]

On 10/21/2023 at 12:24 PM, spedrson said:

Just keep in mind only about 30% of people who visit Denali National Park actually get a clear enough day to see the mountain and know it's about 3 hours on bus from Seward to Anchorage and then another 7.5 hours via train from Anchorage to Denail. We're spending a few nights in Denali to increase our chances of getting a clear day. 

Everybody says that about visibility.  Our two trips in September had tiny clouds near Denali both times, although it was clouding up when we came back the second time - later tours did NOT see the mountain (moral: take first tour in the morning).  Both of these were before the road closure. 

 

Two stops at McKinley Lodge in Talkeetna and one had zero visibility of mountain.  Not a great place to stay since it is a 45 minute ride into town for activities.

[libtrek]

On 10/21/2023 at 2:10 PM, spedrson said:

We are planning on spending one night in Seward. We're doing a Kenai Fjords tour and will enjoy the town before heading to Anchorage via bus. Some of us will fly home from Anchorage and the rest of us will spend a few nights in Anchorage before getting the train to Denali for a few nights. 

We had planned the same thing last June. I was surprised when I double checked transportation from Seward to Anchorage. The options every day were different. Not as many choices on non-cruise days.