Help! NHT refund request declined

[Pearl64]

Question to mksmcada who said they did the NHT the day before they took the Eielson shuttle--What time did you get to Denali in the afternoon? We get to Denali at 3:15 the end of August. We are scheduled to go on the NHT the following morning but we have booked the Eielson shuttle. Were you on a Princess tour and how did you get them to allow you to do the NHT the day you arrived? Also, would we have the time to do that tour the afternoon we arrive? Just curious. Thanks.

 

Pearl

[mksmcada]

We just got lucky I guess. We got into Denali around 12:30 and we initially were scheduled for the 2pm tour however when we arrived at the lodge our tour time had changed to the 3pm tour.

[mksmcada]

Yes we were on a Princess cruise/tour.

[MercedMike]

Yes, thousands of Princess customers are satisfied with the DNHT because they don't know what they're missing and Princess deliberately doesn't inform them. They save millions of dollars a year because they sell the DNHT instead of the TWT to their passengers. The people who are satisfied are totally ignorant of what they are missing. Even many drivers in Denali don't like to do the DNHT because they know these people are getting ripped off.

 

The main reason to do a land tour is to go to Denali. Granted, some people could care less about seeing animals, but then why do the cruisetour? You spend all your time focused around getting to Denali and then you leave....

 

HMMM ... clearly you are living in a different world than I am.

 

My experience, with touring all over the world, is that tour companies can't stay in business if they rip off the customers. Princess is not interested in maximizing their profit on one tiny part of one of their many tours. Princess is interested in satisfying customers so that they return and recomend the tour to their friends!

 

Denali is the focus of a tour for some people, but many (like us) are touring for the sweep of history and scenery, not just one spot.

 

"Why do the cruisetour" if you don't care much about seeing animals? Goodness, the mind boggles. Scenery, history, natural history, experiences, food ... so many things to do besides watch a moose out the bus window.

 

From all my research, IF ... IF your principal reason for touring is to see wildlife through your binoculars, THEN the NHT is probably not the tour you want at Denali. You should book a tour that spends more time at Denali and does the TWT. But to say that thousands are ripped off because they do not see as much wildlife is ridiculous. It leads to posts like the OP on this board where people are freaking out because they have the "wrong" tour and want to "challenge" Princess.

 

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

[vbmom87]

HMMM ... clearly you are living in a different world than I am.

 

My experience, with touring all over the world, is that tour companies can't stay in business if they rip off the customers. Princess is not interested in maximizing their profit on one tiny part of one of their many tours. Princess is interested in satisfying customers so that they return and recomend the tour to their friends!

 

Denali is the focus of a tour for some people, but many (like us) are touring for the sweep of history and scenery, not just one spot.

 

"Why do the cruisetour" if you don't care much about seeing animals? Goodness, the mind boggles. Scenery, history, natural history, experiences, food ... so many things to do besides watch a moose out the bus window.

 

From all my research, IF ... IF your principal reason for touring is to see wildlife through your binoculars, THEN the NHT is probably not the tour you want at Denali. You should book a tour that spends more time at Denali and does the TWT. But to say that thousands are ripped off because they do not see as much wildlife is ridiculous. It leads to posts like the OP on this board where people are freaking out because they have the "wrong" tour and want to "challenge" Princess.

 

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

 

You make some good points. Not everyone is after the same experience. As I said, we went on the Wonder Lake shuttle, but the highlight for me was not seeing wildlife, but rather the vastness of the wilderness I was experiencing. Some on this board assume that everyone going to Denali is after seeing wildlife. Not sure how much of an exception I am, but as much as it is interesting to see wildlife, the scenery is more what I am after. SO many on this board also rave about the Kenai Fjords boat tours; again, it was a good tour, but not on the top of my list of must dos. We all have different interests. People need to read these forums with some sense of what their personal interests are and not feel they must do whatever other people say is "the best." "Know thyself"!!!!

[mksmcada]

Totally agree with last post as I too freaked out before our vacation but then decided to go with the what had already been booked as part of the tour. My focus was seeing wildlife so I hedged my bets and booked the shuttle. I really enjoyed both the NHT and the Eileson shuttle would not have done it any other way.

[Budget Queen]

HMMM ... clearly you are living in a different world than I am.

 

My experience, with touring all over the world, is that tour companies can't stay in business if they rip off the customers. Princess is not interested in maximizing their profit on one tiny part of one of their many tours. Princess is interested in satisfying customers so that they return and recomend the tour to their friends!

 

Denali is the focus of a tour for some people, but many (like us) are touring for the sweep of history and scenery, not just one spot.

 

"Why do the cruisetour" if you don't care much about seeing animals? Goodness, the mind boggles. Scenery, history, natural history, experiences, food ... so many things to do besides watch a moose out the bus window.

 

From all my research, IF ... IF your principal reason for touring is to see wildlife through your binoculars, THEN the NHT is probably not the tour you want at Denali. You should book a tour that spends more time at Denali and does the TWT. But to say that thousands are ripped off because they do not see as much wildlife is ridiculous. It leads to posts like the OP on this board where people are freaking out because they have the "wrong" tour and want to "challenge" Princess.

 

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

 

You know what, you haven't even been here, so I don't know how you are qualified in making this "NHT" is great talk, because "Princess" sells it??

 

The differences in the two tours is significant. IF it make people feel better to think their NHT tour choice is great, all for the good. And this post seems to be heading in that direction.

 

The bottom line is to be informed, and do what you came to Alaska for. Which, with these tour choices I will still say, there is a big population that doesn't know the differences. That should be the focus here. Decide for yourself. :)

[kittyspite]

I did a land tour in Alaska in 2002. We took the NHT and it was wonderful. We went late in the afternoon and saw beautiful scenery and our driver was wonderful.. We also saw a lot of wild life. Wolves, Bear and lots of Moose. In fact we had stopped and a harem of females and babies came through and crossed the road. Dave, our driver said, that daddy probably wasn't far behind. Well low and behold, there was Daddy. The biggest thing I have ever seen in my life! Daddy decided he didn't like the bus and thought it was a threat, so he challenged us. Dave took off and Daddy chased after us for over a mile. At one point we thought that he was going to ram the bus. :eek: What an adventure that was. And what stories to tell.

 

I am going again this September. This time we are taking a 9 day land tour with Princess. This time, as it is an upgraded escorted tour, we will be taking the TWT at the Denali Wilderness Lodge. If it goes further in the park than the NHT then that is great, but I don't think we will surpass a Daddy Moose Chase! Unless we get chased by a bear!:eek:

 

I have never been disappointed in a Princess land tour be it in Europe or Alaska!

 

Kitty

[vbmom87]

I did a land tour in Alaska in 2002. We took the NHT and it was wonderful. We went late in the afternoon and saw beautiful scenery and our driver was wonderful.. We also saw a lot of wilfe life. Wolves, Bear and lots of Moose. In fact we had had stopped and a harem of females and babies came through and crossed the road. Dave, our driver said, well that daddy probably wasn't far behind. Well low and behold, there was Daddy. The biggest thing I have ever seen in my life! Daddy decided he didn't like the bus and thought it was a threat, so he challenged us. Dave took off and Daddy chased after us for over a mile. At one point we that he would going to ram the bus. :eek: What an adventure that was. And what stories to tell.

 

I am going again this September. This time we are taking a 9 day land tour with Princess. This time, as it is an upgraded escorted tour, we will be taking the TWT in at the Denali Wilderness Lodge. If it goes further in the park than the NHT then that is great, but I don't think we will surpass a Daddy Moose Chase! Unless we get chased by a bear!:eek:

 

I have never been disappointed in a Princess land tour be it in Europe or Alaska!

 

Kitty

 

You, as well as others, seem to have been lucky seeing wildlife on the NHT. I was on a longer tour, but all we saw the first 17 miles (the length of the NHT) was one lonely caribou at Savage River. For someone after wildlife sightings, I imagine they would have been disappointed. That is why many say you need to get further into the park if you are after wildlife. As I have said many times, it was the vastness of the wilderness that I found most satisfying. Driving 85 miles into wilderness was quite an experience. I just wish we could have done it without all the other buses on the road. We seemed to spend so much time pulling over to let other buses pass in the opposite direction. I think it would great to win the lottery and be able to drive into the park yourself, but even then, I wonder if the other cars would detract from the experience. Anyway you look at it, it is a very worthwile trip going well into the park. One thing you don't see mentioned much on these boards is that this ride deep into the park can be very scary for some people. The dropoffs, without guard rails can be a bit intimidating. This longer trips are not for the faint of heart.

[PennyAgain]

I've spent so much time in Denali that I can say I've walked the route of the NHT and much, much more. However, must people do not have that much time, interest or opportunity.

 

Listen to BudgetQueen and Yukon. They know their way around. I have my own way of traveling Alaska which is not a cruise tour and won't be until I am too feeble to walk on my own.

[kittyspite]

I've spent so much time in Denali that I can say I've walked the route of the NHT and much, much more. However, must people do not have that much time, interest or opportunity.

 

Listen to BudgetQueen and Yukon. They know their way around. I have my own way of traveling Alaska which is not a cruise tour and won't be until I am too feeble to walk on my own.

 

You are lucky to have the time and stamina to do that.

 

Smiles......Kitty (Nan)

[PennyAgain]

You are lucky to have the time and stamina to do that.

 

Smiles......Kitty (Nan)

 

Well, it is a long story. We started out a very long time ago and did a lot of car camping before things got so fancy at Denali. I kept telling myself that a bear couldn't bust up a Subaru! I am not the walker I used to be but I still get around, but slower. Several members of my family have waled all the way to Wonder Lake and also have done it on a bike.

 

If you see an old woman walking alone in Alaska, call my name! I'll be glad to see you.

 

Some day I'll tell the folks here what grief Annie and I got into at Exit Glacier when we were hiking severly off season. That's a story for a long cold night. We survived, but not because we were smart or clever.

[kittyspite]

Well, it is a long story. We started out a very long time ago and did a lot of car camping before things got so fancy at Denali. I kept telling myself that a bear couldn't bust up a Subaru! I am not the walker I used to be but I still get around, but slower. Several members of my family have waled all the way to Wonder Lake and also have done it on a bike.

 

If you see an old woman walking alone in Alaska, call my name! I'll be glad to see you.

 

Some day I'll tell the folks here what grief Annie and I got into at Exit Glacier when we were hiking severly off season. That's a story for a long cold night. We survived, but not because we were smart or clever.

 

Thanks for sharing! I love to walk, but Mr. Artheritis has taken care of that. I went on the Eastern Med last year and did all the walking in Greece and Italy for 12 days straight, climbed the wall in Dubronic and the Acropolis. Was amaizing. But this time I will be just content to take the Cruise Tour and do the bus thing. Will do some hiking at the Roberts Tram Way in Juneau, do some flight seeing, etc. I do as much as I can. I hate being restricted!

 

Smiles.........Kitty (Nan)