Need Help ASAP! Booking Cruise: TA recommends Anchorage Depart. Instead of Fairbanks

[NCFleur]

Hello Alaska Cruise Folks:

 

Really need your help. We are first time cruisers so we're total newbies and have no experience to rely one! Thank God I found this board!

 

We're planning a May 09 cruise on Princess northbound with a 3 day land tour to follow. We're going to get married on board which is why we decided to do the cruise first then land.

 

I picked up last year's tour books from Princess to look at about 3 months ago since Princess hadn't released 09 itineraries that early. We liked the 7 day cruise departing from Vancouver. I met with a TA about 3 weeks ago (just when Princess released the 09 itineraries.) We looked at a 3 day land tour that included Mt. McKinley and departed from Fairbanks.

 

Now my TA is suggesting we take a different 3 day land tour that departs out of Anchorage because we would avoid taking a red-eye flight out of Fairbanks. The trouble is, it appears that if we take that tour, we'll miss Mt. McKinley.

 

We're only going to Alaska once so I want to make sure we have no regrets. I think we should see Mt. McKinley and deal with the red-eye flight. Is that a good decision? Is Fairbanks that hard to fly out of that you have to go at night? Or is this just because we're trying to fly all the way back to North Carolina?

 

The other difference is the ship with the Fairbanks departure is Coral and the ship with the Anchorage Departure is Island. I know they are "sister" ships so I don't think one is that much better than the other. Am I wrong?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've already learned so much from reading this board so thanks in advance for your help! :)

[Pssunshinegal]

Well I have a 6 AM Fairbanks flight and I don't consider that a red-eye so I don't quite know what your TA is talking about. There ARE definitely more red eye, night time leaving flights from Fairbanks, but so from Alaska in general.

 

But I really don't think three days is enough to do any of it justice so that is the part that I would look at to see if you can possibly add a few more days.

 

Janice

[lalawgirl]

you have to remember, too, that Mt. McKinley (Denali) is more often than not covered in clouds. Even going to the park itself you aren't going to see the mountain per se. What does your 3 day land tour cover?

[ARRTrain]

Either Airport is easy to fly out of.

[NancyIL]

Three days isn't very long for a land trip. If you go to Denali National Park at all, you are likely to have only enough time for the Natural History Tour - which doesn't go very far into the park. On the other hand, depending on when you cruise in May - there may not be much of Denali open.

 

It isn't difficult to rent a car when the cruise ends and explore on your own, rather than spend most of your 3 days on a bus or train. If your cruise is in early to mid-May - I'd skip Denali entirely and spend your time on the Kenai Peninsula.

 

As an FYI - the McKinley Princess is between Talkeetna and Denali National Park, and is in the middle of nowhere. You have to stay at the Denali Princess to go to Denali National Park on a cruisetour.

[Cosmic Rays]

As an FYI - the McKinley Princess is between Talkeetna and Denali National Park, and is in the middle of nowhere. You have to stay at the Denali Princess to go to Denali National Park on a cruisetour.

 

 

If you stay a couple of nights here at McKinley Lodge are there plenty of day tours into the Park?

 

Colin:) :)

[NancyIL]

If you stay a couple of nights here at McKinley Lodge are there plenty of day tours into the Park?

 

Colin:) :)

 

I don't know. I'm not aware of Princess tours of Denali Park that leave from the McKinley Princess. It's possible to do a day trip by flying from Talkeetna - 50 miles away.

[wallingf]

We are also from the East Coast and did an Alaska cruise and cruisetour last year. I suspect that regardless of where you are flying out of (Anchorage or Fairbanks) you will be on a red-eye at some point to get home. It's a long flight. Don't plan your Alaska vacation on that. Plan your Alaska vacation for what you want to do - and take whatever flights fit in.

 

Also, you will hear all sorts of pros and cons to cruisetours in general. We, personally, loved ours and wouldn't have changed a thing - but we did 5 days and I researched each option thoroughly before we chose. With only 3 days, though, I would also recommend you rent a car, book a hotel around Denali, and do it yourself. Denali is not to be missed - you really want a full day there. As far as seeing the mountain itself, if $$ allows, you should consider a McKinley flight. We did and I can assure the view from the top is even more amazing than the view from the ground.

 

Best wishes!

[greatam]

Three days-JMHO-FORGET FAIRBANKS. You don't have enough time.

 

Fly to ANC, rent a car or take the train or bus. Go to Denali-stay two nights. Go back to Anchorage, enjoy the scenery and fly home.

 

But as others have posted, if you go tooo early in May, you will NOT get very far into Denali, so that may be a bust. The best trips and the road open all the way into Denali usually happens after Memorial Day.

[Budget Queen]

I agree, a three day cruisetour is a very poor choice. ALL the time is in transit and you will essentially will see little of Alaska. IF that is all the time you have, you will be FAR better off, just going on your own and spending 2 nights in Seward and the last in Anchorage, then home. Forget Denali park with this short time, not enough. There are NO National park- Denali options from the McKinley Lodge, unless you book the single day fly ins out of Talkeetna. However, may not be available to you, since you have a 50 mile transit and totally dependent on the Princess shuttle schedules.

[Cosmic Rays]

We are also from the East Coast and did an Alaska cruise and cruisetour last year. I suspect that regardless of where you are flying out of (Anchorage or Fairbanks) you will be on a red-eye at some point to get home. It's a long flight. Don't plan your Alaska vacation on that. Plan your Alaska vacation for what you want to do - and take whatever flights fit in.

 

Also, you will hear all sorts of pros and cons to cruisetours in general. We, personally, loved ours and wouldn't have changed a thing - but we did 5 days and I researched each option thoroughly before we chose. With only 3 days, though, I would also recommend you rent a car, book a hotel around Denali, and do it yourself. Denali is not to be missed - you really want a full day there. As far as seeing the mountain itself, if $$ allows, you should consider a McKinley flight. We did and I can assure the view from the top is even more amazing than the view from the ground.

 

Best wishes!

 

That sounds good - can you give me more info on your tour ie where from and to please?

 

Colin:) :) colinwolfendaleathotmaildotcodotuk

[thinfool]

We're only going to Alaska once so I want to make sure we have no regrets. I think we should see Mt. McKinley and deal with the red-eye flight. Is that a good decision?

 

Not a good decision. Reason is, you spend a lot of time in-transit with Princess.

 

I would suggest at least one more day for your land tour. Research deeply the access you would have in Denali that early.

 

As mentioned, you cannot get to Denali Park from the McKinley Princess lodge. You have to be at the Denali Princess lodge to do so.

 

Or you can rent a car and stay at one of the other Denali lodges, book your own tour (twt) into the park or use a shuttle. This might yield some information for you. http://www.reservedenali.com

 

The idea to ditch Denali and go to Kenai would yield some wonderful places, too.

 

 

WARNING!

You may have to revise your 'only going to Alaska once' idea...and you wouldn't be the first!! :D

[NCFleur]

Thanks to everyone for all the information and suggestions. There really is so much to consider and research. We're still sifting through all the details. Your suggestions are most appreciated.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Dear NC Fleur,

 

We are on a CruiseTour with Princess, flying from Raleigh and our aie (did it through Princess) did not have any red-eye flights. We fly into Anchorage (Raleigh/Atlanta/Anchorage) and home out of Vancouver as the cruise is one-way Southbound (Vancouver/Toronto/Raleigh). Our cruisetour is five nights and going through the brochures I can tell you that it is hardly enough time. Three nights is definitely not enough!

 

Good luck. Where are you from in NC? We live between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington.

 

Carole

[NCFleur]

 

Good luck. Where are you from in NC? We live between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington.

 

Hey Carole:

 

We're from Greensboro. Nice to see another NC gal here. :)

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Now the TA says we can get a 9 am flight out which gets us back to Greensboro about 10 pm. That sounds better to me.