geanster

I have been researching for a couple of months but it just gets more and more overwhelming. There are so many details to figure out! I'm planning to book for June but would love feedback or guidance/recommendations on the following.

Cruise line/ship: Holland America (Noordam or Nieuw Amsterdam), Princess (Sapphire, Majestic or Grand), NCL Jewel or Celebrity Millennium? I think Celebrity is only option that doesn't go to Glacier Bay.

Northbound (I've read the waters are rougher in the open waters up north and it's helpful to have your sea legs before you hit that portion) OR do we go Southbound so that we can have adventure and then relax on a cruise before we fly home. Assuming it's best to look at land vs open water? re: Starboard or port side. And down to availability at this point.

Land by cruise line, or do it on our own?

Fly into Vancouver or Fairbanks or Anchorage... Rental car looks to be around $2,000 for the week. I've read about gravel roads, etc. and not sure where that becomes a problem.

Cruise with balcony around $5,000 across the board and that's before excursions and airbnbs or other accommodations for the land portion.

Does anyone have recommendations for accommodations on land portion?

Train tickets: Between Anchorage and Denali. Seward to Anchorage. Skagway to Whitehorse? Train options seem across the board too with levels of views or comforts?

The flight seeing opportunities with a stop on a glacier seems cool, but $500ish per person so figuring out which location offers the best experience for this investment.

Matanuska Glacier sounds like a nice option for walking on a glacier?

Kenai Fjords boat trip.

And I thought it would be very cool to fly to Barrow and experience the land of the midnight sun for at least one night... flight options seem fine. Has anyone done this? Limited accommodations, but what else is fun to see or do there?

Is this the time to visit Denali if we're so limited with the closed road due to the landslide project?

In the other direction, but the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City sounds like a neat experience..

26 glacier tour.

Misty Fjords.

I'd love to know if anyone has done any of these things, suggestions? Thanks in advance for any of your help!

Gardyloo

Well, my response(s) are going to be colored by personal preferences; hopefully others will chime in.

Northbound v. southbound cruise: The one-way cruises from/to Vancouver travel on protected "Inside Passage" waters for a (much) longer period of time than the round-trip cruises out of Seattle. Aside from crossing Dixon Entrance (the gap between the north end of Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) and the south end of Prince of Wales Island (near Ketchikan) you won't have much in the way of rough seas (hopefully.) The big water on the one-way cruises is the Gulf of Alaska crossing, which is usually done at night (in both directions) the same night as one leaves Seward or Whittier, or the night before you arrive in those places northbound. If you're prone to motion sickness, those are the nights to load up on the candied ginger or anti-nausea meds before heading to bed. As for which way to cruise, to me it would depend on where you're coming from. If you're coming from, say, the US eastern time zone and aren't spending a coupe of days pre-cruise in Vancouver, then I'd advocate the northbound cruise. The "sea day" and two nights will be ideal times to get your body clocks adjusted; if you fly to Alaska and start touring right off the bat, the 4-hour time change coupled with near-constant daylight can play havoc with some people's circadian rhythms.

Which cruise line/itinerary: One thing I'd weigh heavily is how much company I'd have at the various ports of call. Although presently challenged by landslides and dock problems, having 4 or 5 2000-4000 passenger ships calling the same day at Skagway, population 800 counting dogs, can make for a very touristy and intense scene. I'd consult the ship calendar and port times listed in the CLIA's calendar - 2023 Port schedule | CLIA Alaska (akcruise.org) to see how long, and how crowded, your port times would be.

Denali or no: Always a tough call. Personally, with the early timing of your trip and the road issues in Denali, I'd probably forego the trip north and instead focus on destinations in the Anchorage/Kenai Peninsula area. In my view there's more than enough to hold your interest in that area, although I would, if funds permit, go on a flightseeing tour of Denali from Anchorage. I say Anchorage rather than the more popular flightseeing services out of Talkeetna, because in June the weather around Denali can be iffy, and if the mountain is socked in the (tedious) drive to Talkeetna and back is kind of wasted. However, by flying out of Anchorage (maybe on a floatplane from Lake Hood) the operators can substitute some other destination in the event the Denali weather is punk - maybe over the Chugach mountains and Knik Glacier, or over Prince William Sound and the local icefields, or across Cook Inlet to volcano country, whatever.

Cruise tour v. rental car and DIY: no contest. Get the car. The cruise tours will be regimented compared to traveling on your own, and because they own or control many of the hotels used in the cruise tours, the cruise lines don't work too hard at amending their itineraries, so they allocate more time to Denali, where there's less fo do because of the road issue, than you would on your own. Hope that makes sense. As for where to go, google the places on this map just as a starting point. https://goo.gl/maps/Z7kuGVyArWfzQmho7

Midnight sun: I'd fly to Kotzebue rather than Barrow/Utqiagvik. It's smaller, located right on Kotzebue Sound (an arm of the Arctic Ocean) and you can stay at the comfortable Native-owned Nullagvik hotel - Nullaġvik Hotel :: Home (nullagvikhotel.com) . If interested, the same Alaska Airlines jets that serve Kotzebue also stop in Nome, a fascinating old goldrush town on the Bering Sea. Unlike Kotzebue, Nome isn't above the arctic circle (still daylight 24h in June) but unlike most bush communities, Nome has a decent road system that radiates out into the Seward Peninsula boonies, where there's a lot of wildlife to be seen - moose, muskoxen, caribou, etc., and a gazillion birds.

Top of the World/Dawson. The major rental car companies won't allow their cars on gravel roads, of which the TOTW highway is one, plus it's a very long drive from Anchorage or Fairbanks. In June you'd also be eaten alive by mosquitoes. Hard pass on a first Alaska trip.

I'll stop here. Hopefully others will contribute, maybe with different opinions.

geanster

Gardyloo I can't thank you enough for your insights! It was exactly what I needed. The idea of all of the ships converging on these ports hadn't crossed my mind for Alaska. I talked some of this through with my husband and it got us on the same page for which direction we're heading in and other details. The map, so helpful! And the information on Kotzebue — I'll be researching that option. I'm also very excited about the idea of a floatplane (on bucket list so I'm really looking forward to this) to see Denali with backup options if that doesn't work out. I feel good about saving TOTW for another time. Thank you again.

mlgb

Plenty of trip reports here. Also look at Cruise Critic for ship and port excursion options. In addition many YouTubers vlog about cruises.

My preference for Alaska would be Holland America. I liked Noordam. Southbound if possible. Glacier Bay would be a priority. Also look at port timings.

Be careful with NCL. They have gone back to in person muster. Although leaving from Seward instead of Whittier is a bonus. Regular class in train is fine.

Don't worry about mosquitoes. They make insect repellent for a reason. Early season in Alaska is better for moose, grizzly in Denali. And less rain than later.

Alaska is going to be ridiculously crowded. Another reason to go early.
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dfrostnh

My info is old but still valid. We traveled north on the Alaska Marine ferry to Skagway where we had to spend an extra night because cruise ships were in port and I could get train tickets until they were gone. So we saw Skagway flooded with cruise passengers and also the streets empty because cruise passengers go back to the ship for dinner. The locals do whatever they can to make money including putting on a gold rush show. corny but fun if they are still doing it. I happened to find a quilt shop in Skagway and enjoyed chatting with the owner.
Major Marine Kenai Fjords boat trip was great. We lucked out with perfectly calm water. Otherwise I understand ne prepared with sea bands and ginger candy.
Most things to do and sights to see Anchorage to Seward. The Seward highway is beautiful. But we also enjoyed visiting independence Mine north of Anchorage. You'll see moose around Kenai and Soldotna and lots of eagles of you go to Homer.
Subscribe to Anchorage Daily newspaper or Kenai news to find out what's going on that cruise passengers don't know about. My husband likes old cars and trucks so we also liked the transportation museum near Wasilla.
We drove an old used Buick wagon. Major roads in Anchorage and Kenai area are paved. There's not a lot of roads except for major roads.
We took a short flight seeing trip out of Homer that went over a glacier. A small plane ride is always fun.

You are probably too early for salmon runs. One year we went late June early July. Easy to tell when salmon are running in Russian River. Traffic southbound on Seward hwy increases dramatically. I'm also a fan of the Forest Fair in Girdwood. If they are still having it it is craft fair, music and food combined. Few tourists and fun to talk with vendors and a great place to buy souveniers.

mlgb

Photos from a land-based trip in June 2021 (June 6 to June 19) including Nome. I do think it's worth going as soon as you can find space whether it be in a cruise ship or a hotel. If you fly into Fairbanks you may have better luck with car rentals. I still think it is worth going to Denali (assuming they have plowed the road) and yes, do it on your own. You still have to take the bus beyond Mile 13, but having a car lets you stop at other places. Get a copy of The Milepost if you will be driving. You can order them in advance eBay, Amazon etc.

Alaska Trip June 2021

And a Southbound cruise on Noordam in 2018 (from Seward, they leave from Whittier now).

Alaska Trip June 2021

tomfuller

The Eilson visitor Center is at Mile Post 66 in Denali NP. It will not be open until late 2024 (if then). I would skip Denali until the landslide has been cleared and the buses go to Eilson. There are a few things to see in Fairbanks including the University of Alaska Fairbanks museum and Pioneer Park. I drove a few miles north of Fairbanks to a place where I stood under the Alaska Pipeline.
I had reserved and economy car at the Anchorage airport. When we got there we found that they had rented out the last of the economy cars the day before. I was offered a Subaru Outback (4WD) at the same price. I was very happy with that car and I did drive it on a dirt road for about 20 miles at about 20-25MPH. It was on the paved road on the Kenai Peninsula that my wife came close to hitting a moose that stepped over the guard rail in front of us. At the B&B on the hill above Homer a mom moose and yearling walked past the window while we were having a great breakfast. I did walk up to the toe of the Exit Glacier near Seward. There were signs along the trail that indicated where the toe of the glacier was over the past 100 years.

geanster

Thanks for the additional information and recommendations. I'm still sifting through each sentence. I'd dodged Caribbean cruises for many years and finally went over the holidays. I was surprised at how many ships were at those ports as none of the cruises I've taken in the past have included places that cater to so many ships! I find it overwhelming and had no ideas the Alaska ports were this large. Just curious, is there a better time of year to dodge this or is it just a matter of people are going to visit when the weather is more welcoming?

Example, 5 ships in Juneau on 6/14 with 11,733 potential tourists.

mlgb

Maybe May?

geanster

Gardyloo Thanks again to everyone who has replied to my questions. I've had a wild few weeks and I'm still planning to book this trip. At this point, I'm looking at the Holland America Noordam towards end of June, going North from Vancouver to Whittier. I'd considered NCL for a more familiar experience as I have no idea what to expect with Holland America but we do like the idea of trying something new. We will not be bringing our fine attire for fancy dining or anything and hopefully that's fine. Having looked at who is in ports, they're so busy and there wasn't an obvious option for a less crowded port experience. I'd still like to rent a car for the following week to explore on our own but as the price is so high, I'm here to ask for more information about other travel options. I had ruled out Fairbanks, but the return flights home is better from there and it might be interesting to see. So I'm wondering if there are parts of an itinerary to use buses/trains for a couple of days along the way before or after the rental car. To rent an SUV 5 nights, picking up in Anchorage and dropping off at Fairbanks is around $2,500 (no options for pick up in Whittier and same drop off in Anchorage wasn't much less. And if the trip to Fairbanks is really that much of a pain, we can make anchorage return flight work if that makes more sense. I need to look at Gardyloo's map again (LOVE that map) but hoping you'll let me know if there is a usual approach that may work better. Thank you!

geanster

Also, I should point out I have a hold on that cruise with my travel agent. And I've ordered the 2023 Milepost that drops in a couple of weeks. Thanks for that recommendation.
Actually, is a regular compact car fine for Alaska? I figured with terrain and mention of dirt roads, that an SUV would be the wise choice and I know that's what my husband would prefer. It is $1,000 more. Just wondering if this assumption is true.

mlgb

If you are not going on long stretches of gravel or rough driveways I don't think it matters what you drive, as long as you don't hit a moose!

I have a one day rental for a Kia Soul from Budget via Priceline picking up from the airport in mid-May. They were much less expensive than even Costco rentals. But I am not going in peak season like you are. I am just using on my last day to visit a few places around Anchorage for birdwatching if it isn't raining. If it's raining I probably will just go to the museum in downtown Anchorage.

The Noordam is a very nice ship and smaller than the big NCL jobs and with less "nickle and diming". I think you will like it. Even on the "Gala Nights", dinner dress is long pants and a collared shirt for men. For ladies pants and a nice shirt is all that's required. You don't have to dress up in cocktail dresses or wear a jacket/tie.

The train from Anchorage to Seward is nice, and there is lodging in Seward there. But by the time you pay for two people on the train you might as well just do it by car. (You can also do train one way and the ACT shuttle back.) The train is comfortable and you don't have to go in the top class to be able to get nice views.

In Skagway there are private tour companies including Chilkoot Charters. You can see if their prices are better than HAL's. Their minivans are smaller than the cruise line ones.

In Ketchikan there is a public bus that runs up to Totem Bight, but just once an hour. There are also sights in Ketchikan that you can visit without a tour. But Ketchikan gets super crowded. If you want to see Creek Street, do that first before it gets too crazy.

In Juneau I usually get one of the bus transfer to Mendenhall Glacier. They should be selling them near where the ships dock. There is also a nice museum in Juneau. It can rain a LOT in Juneau.

When you get the Milepost you will see that there are place to view the mountain ranges without taking the Denali buses. I personally would still go even if it is not the entire way.

tomfuller

We had an economy/compact car rented at the ANC airport. When we got there (morning) all of the compacts had been rented the day before. We were offered a Subaru Outback (4WD) at the same price. No argument there! I drove about 10 miles out the Skilak dirt road and 10 miles back in hopes of seeing some wildlife. I did see some butterflies but that's about it. The close encounter with the moose was later that day on the way from Homer to Seward. Your best chance of seeing Denali this year is to fly in a small plane in good weather.

dfrostnh

We probably took our borrowed old Buick station wagon on a dirt road to some cabins when we couldn't find lodging in Talkeetna. No problem. Sorryto diss a town in Alaska but Whittier is the only one we would probably never revisit. It's a former military base with a couple ugly concrete high rises. We stayed in former officers barracks that was an air b&b. DH had to experience the engineering marvel of a one way tunnel to and from town. The only entrance. We were first in line to leave the next morning. Things may have improved but because of mountains no reception.

In late June moose were easy to spot including one grazing next door to the house where we were staying in Kenai.

the roads to and from major town are in excellent condition. Kenai and Soldotna reminded me of any large suburban town except you could find interesting things on the outskirts like watching net fishermen on the river hauling in salmon. Fun to chat with and were gifted with a freshly caught and cleaned salmon.

Gardyloo

One-way rentals are always punishingly expensive in Alaska, compounded by the fact that there's often just one branch of the major rental companies in the smaller towns, e.g. Avis in Whittier, Hertz in Seward, etc. They run out of cars quickly, and having some vanish for one-way rentals makes the situation worse.

Honestly, if you want to go to Fairbanks you're probably better off just flying. There are typically several daily flights from Anchorage to Fairbanks on Alaska Airlines that cost under $100 one way, much cheaper (even for two people) than the one-way rental surcharge. The train is also an option, of course, but it's not as scenic as you might hope, and costs more than double the airfare. The trains between Whittier and Anchorage and Seward and Anchorage are far, far more scenic, and if your cruise arrives in Whittier, I'd take the train into town, then rent a car for local exploring and possibly a drive down to Seward (and back) for a couple of days.

mlgb

The idea that you should fly to Fairbanks at the end of a cruise, doesn't factor that you still need to get from Whittier to Anchorage. One of the big issues with the Carnival Corp lines (which include Princess and Holland America) is that they all use the Whittier cruise port now. Car rental really isn't a cost effective option, nor are flights from Whittier to Fairbanks. So you will have to get from Whittier to Anchorage first.

If you think you'd like to drive the Denali Highway (gorgeous!) then there are local car rental outfits in Anchorage that allow travel on unpaved roads. You would have to monitor road conditions if going that route though. Alaska 511 has a link for that.

There are two options to get from Whittier to Anchorage other than using the cruise line's add-on transfer. From there I would just rent a car at ANC airport with the drop off in Fairbanks if you don't want to drive back to Anchorage.

1) ACT has bus transfers from Whittier to Anchorage in the mornings on port days and you can arrange to stop at the airport or one of several hotels when booking. Cost is $49 pp or $69 if you want to include a stop at the Wildlife Center. Then either pick up the car that morning if that works, or the next day. The bus is one of those large charter buses. https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/

2) The Glacier Discovery train runs at 6:45 PM and ends in downtown Anchorage. This costs you a day but gives time to possibly do one of the Whittier glacier cruises with Phillips. To take the train all the way to Fairbanks requires a train change in Anchorage and in my opinion isn't worthwhile. The leg from Whittier to Anchorage is more scenic.

Most likely HAL offers package transfer excursions that duplicate the above. I personally think that these cruises are not really necessary for someone who's just been to Glacier Bay.

Anchorage to Fairbanks is a 6 hour drive on a paved road (Parks Hwy which also bypasses the turnoff to Denali). I'd recommend breaking it up with an overnight between Cantwell and Healy which allows you to see some of the Denali sights and is only a 3 hour drive, barring bear or moose jams. In 2021 I did a land tour, you can see my trip report with lodging recommendations. There are viewpoints of Denali Mountain along the way from Anchorage to Fairbanks as you will see when you get the Milepost. If you are short on time and don't plan to do a circle route, then I'd probably spring for the one way drop charge. You don't need a bigger car and as mentioned above, who knows what they will give you when you arrive?

PS Honestly I think the SOUTHBOUND cruises are easier to manage from a transfer standpoint depending on what kind of flights and hotels you can get at each end. But that's just me, who lives on the west coast and never gets seasick. Either direction gives you a sea day with nothing to do but adjust. Unless you are very susceptible or there is a huge storm, I doubt you will have any issues with being seasick. You probably need to pull the trigger one way or the other now!

As far as itinerary if adding on to a cruise, you will have been exposed to SE coastal Alaska forests glaciers and totem poles already and I think getting into the interior will be more interesting and not as repetitive as spending time on the Kenai Peninsula. You would be able to see whales and wildlife along the way often from the cruise ship itself and there are small charter options in the ports.

A lot of Fodorites are either anti-cruise or have never actually done an Alaska Cruise so allow for that bias. There is less flexiblility for sure but if you pick a good itinerary it is much more cost effective than a land tour as you have discovered from pricing car rentals (and that doesn't factor in that grub and lodging is also expensive). My land tour during the lockdown was about 3X what I pay for a cruise of the same length, even sharing vans and rooms. There is so much traffic out and back to Seward or Whittier that I would likely avoid that other than as part of your transfer from the port.

geanster

Hi all!
With your help, I ended up booking Northbound and we'll be starting our own land tour in Seward. I'm trying to figure out how we're going to approach this. I've rented a car and the new Milepost arrived yesterday but it's so big! I've marked a few pages but I thought I'd come back to you all again with a few new questions.
I'd prefer to be able to stay only 2-3 places over the week.
I'm disappointed not to do the Seward to Anchorage train and wondering if I should change plans to make that happen.
I'm just going to share some thoughts and see if you have any ideas or clarity.
Do we spend a night in Seward and see the Exit glacier?
Do we go around to Homer? Ferry somewhere? Come back around and head towards Anchorage? Call Anchorage home for a few nights?
I've connected with a couple of lake hood floatplane companies for a Denali trip.I'm also open to just driving that way and staying somewhere for a couple of nights if it works out.
I'm not planning for Fairbanks and I'm not as sure the Midnight sun is worth the time commitment.
I'd love to see something like bears at Brooks Falls, but wondering if there's some similar experiences less remote? Maybe not?
Also, we're not fisher people but a few hours of fishing sounds fun if there's a good place to stay that would offer up that opportunity too. Will we just be fighting mosquitos anytime we're outside?

Looking at Skagway, wondering if the full day trip to Whitehorse and back with portion on the train is just too much for a day or worth it for an opportunity to see a bit of the Yukon.
And that's as far as I can go tonight.

Thanks for any recommendations. Same for accommodations or specific companies for anything. Thanks to Gardyloo for the map and the dock schedule where I'm prepared for the crowds.

dfrostnh

Whether train or car, scenery between Anchorage and Seward is spectacular. I enjoyed visit to Portage, visitors center had interesting audio of earthquake experiencs. Do longest Major Marine trip to see glaciers out of Seward. Small boat beats seeing orcas and hump backs from cruise ship. We were close enough to humpback to smell whale breath.
The small towns in Alaska have their own personalities. I liked Homer beginning with spectacular view overlooking spit from roadside rest area. It's artsy craftsy as well as popular for fishing trips. Time a visit to a farmers market. You might only be able to buy pastries but you're around locals. We liked tram ride up Alyeska. Salmon start running late June in Russian River which we passed on way to Kenai. You'll know if they are running because there will be lots of traffic. It's fun to stop and watch.

We did the train ride from Skagway but it was foggy so scenery view wasn't the best. Since we drove from Skagway to Wasilla with an overnight in Tok we did see plenty of Yukon but there is plenty to see other places. I liked the tourist tram ride in Anchorage since it included a visit to Lake Hood where the marina is full of sea planes not boats.

I liked Pratt Museum in Homer and also the narrow switchback road up to the area with a good overlook. Also prior to trip read local newspapers online to see what was happening. I even liked small sealife center better than larger one in Boston. Thanks to newspapers found some events tourists probably miss like a garden tour of an Anchorage neighborhood.

The bookstore in Anchorage is good source of books about Alaska. Tisha was my favorite.
Check if Independence Mine can be a day trip from Anchorage. We may have been staying in Palmer for a local event when we went there.

mlgb

I'm a bit confused. You are starting your trip by cruising northbound, ending in which port? What are your port stops? From ether Whittier or Seward you can take the train back to Anchorage then rent a vehicle in Anchorage. What is the issue with "missing the train ride". If you want to do it, do it. If it is too expensive, don't do it. Alaska is expensive. There isn't much way around it. Alaska is also crowded in summer. Also not much way around it.

I don't understand the Skagway question. No one can answer what "too long a day" is for you. Chilkoot Charters is just one company based in Skagway. They have multiple packages which combine train and bus and are of various lengths. Examples https://chilkootcharters.com/white-p...it-rail-bus-2/. It looks like there are still rockslide issues in Skagway so there may be some ships diverted from there or times may be altered. Be sure to check your schedule closer to your trip. Chilkoot does have a good cancel policy.

If you are still going in June there will be plenty light in the middle of the night. The sun won't be overhead but it won't be dark.
https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/anchorage?month=6

I think someone's advice may have led you to have a misconception about how far it is to Denali and Fairbanks. It is a 6 hour drive from Anchorage. Is that too far? If so, I wonder if you are really cut out for a DIY driving tour?.

I was relatively underwhelmed with Exit Glacier. You will see plenty of glaciers on your cruise. I think some of the confusion lies with people suggesting things based on a land only tour, and not factoring in what you will have done already from the cruise ship.

I wouldn't spend much time in Anchorage. Maybe a full day. The downtown is kind of sketchy. Anchorage and Los Angeles seem to have similar issues with the "unhoused" population which can make walking around unpleasant. Seward had more interest for me and enough to make a night there worthwhile. Major Marine is my preferred company if you decide to overnight in Seward and do a whale/glacier cruise there.

I don't know about Homer. Why? Ferry? Why? Where? You are getting off of a 7 day cruise that takes you to the same places that the ferries would. I would not add in too much more time in the same kinds of coastal forests that you are going to see in Juneau and Ketchikan. I still think you should include the drive along Park Hwy on to the entrance to Denali.

Unfortunately you got a mish mash of advice from people who probably have different interests and biases than you might. It may be that you haven't really allowed enough time to plan this trip. I would spend more time with that book, have a think about what you want to see and how long you can drive each day.

geanster

Hi! Thanks for the response. Yes, Northbound, starting land portion from Seward with a rental car. So we were debating staying in Seward a couple days, seeing exit glacier and going towards homer and back. If we have the car, we will be missing the allegedly gorgeous train ride from Seward to anchorage. I could still change it to pick up the car in Anchorage.

I've looked at all of the accommodations around to Homer and saw the ferry that goes to smaller communities. Wouldn't be opposed to staying in one place for a few days if it offered great wildlife, or short fishing experience, etc. Or do we stay in Anchorage and do an overnight trip to Brooks Falls.

We have what appear to be the usual stops, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. It shows the Yukon trip to be 8.5 hours. I was wondering if anyone has done that trip and if it's just sitting in a van most of the day, I'd rather my use our time in a different way. So a 2-3 hour ride on the train OR, go all the way to Whitehorse is the conundrum. I'll look at chilkoot Charters and thanks for the heads up about the rockslide/potential itinerary change.

I thought the drive to Fairbanks seemed short enough but a number of people have mentioned flying there instead of driving or breaking the drive into two days. I also haven't found anything compelling enough to make it a must-see for this trip, but I could easily be swayed.

And yes, your'e right, who knows what will still appeal the most after what do on excursions. That's why I'm not as interested in whale watching, etc. I'd better see whales from my balcony.

Also, thanks for sharing about Anchorage. That's helpful.