July 2007 Cruise

[Inline69]

Hello,

My husband and I are very close to booking a first Alaska cruise (Glacier Tour) on HAL in 7/2007. I am thrilled to have found so much information on your threads here. It has helped up plan our trip, tremendously. We are wondering if it makes sense to use an independant Alaska tour company to plan our 5-6 day post NB cruise, since HAL's full 12 day post cruise tour on this trip is strictly just the Kenai Peninnsula. We do plan to see that, but not for five days. We wish to also spend a few days touring the interior around Denali, etc. We'd appreciate your input. Many thanks and happy cruising.

:D

[Budget Queen]

Murray has listings of tour companies and recommendations, his information is very reliable. http://www.explorenorth.com You may want to email him, or put up a post for him- screen name Yukon.

 

But are you at all open to independent??

 

Extremely simple to arrange, can NOT get lost, only one major road. Most 2 lane, easy driving. AND most important, you make far better use of your time than being on a fixed group schedule. http://www.toursaver.com can offer significant savings.

 

This board is expert with completely accurate trip planning information if interested?

 

As a suggestion- on a northbound, I would overnight 1 night in Seward, take the train to Anchorage- overnight. 2 nights in Denali Park, 1 night Talkeetna, 1 night Anchorage.

[Inline69]

BudgetQueen, you live up to your name. I have been following your comments of this Board, and have learned a lot. FYI, while we are certainly open to an independent tour, my husband is 82 (healthy and hale, fortunately) and I am 70, in good health other than having had a knee replacement and back surgery in the last year or so; consequently have to lay back a bit from my usual dead-heat pace. So it seemed to me, planning a personalized rail/bus tour with the aid of an independent tour company might be the way to go. However, several people have recommended a rental car/ independent plan option, and I am certainly willing to entertain that potential. Fire away on ideas! I'm all ears, and have a year almost, to investigate and plan. Many thanks again for your info and links, all of which I will explore. I am reading everything I can in the meantime. Cheers,

Inline69

Greenville NC

[NancyIL]

A number of people have posted that they really liked the tour they booked with Alaska Tour and Travel. It seems to be in between doing your own independent tour and a cruisetour: http://www.alaskatravel.com/

[Budget Queen]

You may want to head to your library and take out Alaska travel books, Frommer's Alaska and Fodor's Alaska are especially good concise reading. Make a list of your priority areas and then plan your routing, if you want to consider independent, or arrange that tour with an independent.

 

As I have already suggested, with 5-6 days, Denali Park and Kenai Fjords are certainly highlights, doable in that timeframe.

[Inline69]

Thanks to both of you...excellent indeas, and I have already begun to research several Alaska tour agencies. Some have told me they will not have their '07 tours up on the Net until about October, as they are still so busy with '06. So, I've begun reading several books mentioned on these threads,(and of course, Michener's "Alaska"...going to the beach with it this week!) and am perusing the Web whenever I find time. But the end of the year (when we have a two week cruise booked with Princess to the Caribbean!) we'll be pretty clear on what to do and where to do it. I like BQ's ideas regarding both Kenai and Denali National Park. BTW, BudgetQueen, I note you're from close to my old stomping grounds; Syracuse is a hop down the Thruway to Rochester area where I lived and worked as an RN for about 18 years. Loved the cross-country skiing, but the long dark winters must be similar to winter in Alaska?! Or so it seemed to me at the time.

Again, thanks for the info. Cheers!

Inline 69:p