Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > United States
Reload this Page >

Alaska- cruise or land? and most scenic areas?

Alaska- cruise or land? and most scenic areas?

Old Apr 17th, 2014, 05:49 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Alaska- cruise or land? and most scenic areas?

Debating whether to take a cruise or just fly to alaska and tour: For first time trip, what do you recommend if we want to see the most scenic places? We're not really interested in wildlife, sea life or animals, but rather beautiful lakes, mountains, glaciers, national parks etc
If we didn't take a cruise any tours that you can recommend there? I don't think we want to go on those flightseeing tours on the tiny planes.
How do we keep this trip from getting too expensive?
zxcvbnm is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 03:01 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 30,915
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think your choice also depends on how much you like the idea of being on a ship with hundreds of other people. We "cruised" to AK the first time on the Alaska Marine Ferry departing (with car) in Skagway. Skagway was wonderful until the cruise boats came into town and then it was wall to wall people who all disappeared about 5pm. We passed some beautiful places on our way to Anchorage but I think the most beautiful section is between Anchorage and the turnoff to Seward on the Seward Highway. You can visit Alyeska and ride the tram to the top. We saw snow in early August. We also loved visiting Independence Mine State Park north of Anchorage. In mid-June you will see wonderful wildflowers. We stopped at one stream just because the color was incredibly blue.

You don't need to take a tour. Do some research to find cheapest places to stay. We don't care about a fancy hotel just clean. B&B included breakfasts can range from juice and cold bagel to cooked to order gourmet breakfasts.

Know where you are going and what's on the way. The drive between Anchorage and Talkeetna has very little in terms of places to eat and gas stations once you leave Wasilla. Bring picnic supplies with you. Eating out is expensive but you can take care of your own breakfasts. If you are in a large town like Soldotna, the supermarket is huge and you can buy sandwiches and salads less expensively than eating in a restaurant. You might plan on eating in a restaurant only once per day. But in Talkeetna (on the way to Denali) the market is very small. With an insulated cooler you can take some meal fixings with you. We always had a bottles of water in the car.

The Mile book that tells you mile by mile what's available is an important tool.

I would recommend the glacier cruise out of Seward if you aren't nervous about seasickness. It's an amazing trip and quite an experience when they shut the boat engines off and you listen to the ice crunching against the boat as you view a glacier and listen to the eerie groans as it moves toward to sea.

I loved Homer because it seemed artsy (as well as being famous for fishing trips). Just before town there's a pull off where you can see the view of the Homer Spit. If you go in June, you could also walk the beach to watch net fisherman which is something you probably don't do on an organized tour.
dfrostnh is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 07:31 AM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
thanks for replying. Is it hard to drive in Alaska, are there lots of people on the highways?
zxcvbnm is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 08:08 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 19,736
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Pretty good advice from dfrost.

I wouldn't call it "hard" to drive in AK. Anchorage has moderate traffic. If you land there, you can rent a vehicle and drive fairly tension-free to spots like Denali, Talkeetna, Seward, Whittier, Alyeska.
vincenzo32951 is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 09:26 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 82,680
Received 46 Likes on 17 Posts
It's not hard to drive in AK.
starrs is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 10:08 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,358
Received 79 Likes on 8 Posts
A lot depends on how much time you have. The cruises cover Southeast Alaska (the "panhandle") and call at places that are only accessible by air or water, such as Juneau. The SE Alaska environment and "inside passage" are very beautiful but very different from the sorts of scenery and landscapes you'd see if you flew to, say, Anchorage and did a road- or rail-based tour from there.

If you have a minimum of two weeks you could do both - cruise from Vancouver BC to either Seward or Whittier (both connected by road or rail to Anchorage) and then do a "land" portion from there before flying home. (Or you could do the trip in reverse - fly north then cruise south.) That way you'd have the option of seeing places like Denali or the Kenai Peninsula, or even fly (in a regular jet) to a bush village in the arctic, for example; and have the cruise scenery, inside passage, etc.

But much depends on when you come, how long you have, and whether you're comfortable driving yourselves and making your own land arrangements. Or, of course, you could join a tour, of which there are many.
Gardyloo is online now  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 10:09 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,358
Received 79 Likes on 8 Posts
Meant to add, the cruises - either round trips from Seattle or Vancouver, or one-ways to/from Vancouver - are all 7 days in length.
Gardyloo is online now  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 12:26 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I want to make it shorter than 2 weeks if possible and keep prices low, so I would choose either cruise or land this time, just not sure which is nicer or which more people enjoy
zxcvbnm is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 12:43 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,477
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you want to do this affordably,you may want to plan this visit for the summer of 2015--especially if you plan a driving tour. If you put your 2014 dates in a car rental search engine,like kayak, you will be surprised at what they charge for car rentals in Alaska. The farther out you can book a car,the cheaper the rate.

The Kenai Peninsula includes fabulous scenery and unbelievably beautiful drives. Click on my name above for my trip report from last year. There are other good trip reports here and on Tripadvisor. Reading trip reports is a great way to get ideas for an itinerary. Our trip was wonderful. We didn't get to Valdez, which was on my list, but we hope to return.

We also hope to cruise one day. A one way cruise and one week drive is a popular way to see Alaska.
LindainOhio is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 12:57 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What is your vacation "style"? Do you like to go to an all inclusive resort and rest and relax in a lovely setting or do you like to have a new experience every day, hike a bit, see things at your own pace, stay longer or leave sooner as your mood/interests move you?

We did the cruise and DH was ready to fly home from the first stop (I had the credit cards so he couldn't arrange that) He was not happy not being in control of the pace of the trip and also feeling that he was trapped with their schedule. Fortunately we did do the trip up to Denali which he loved, so all was not lost. In retrospect, we should have flown into ANC and rented a car and driven up to Denali and down the Kenai for much less money and we both would have been happy. We were traveling with family and that would not work for them.

The state is huge, so you really only get a tiny taste of the south coast which is very different from the inland portions.

Do read some TRs here and decide what suits you best.
emalloy is offline  
Old Apr 18th, 2014, 02:05 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,358
Received 79 Likes on 8 Posts
I want to make it shorter than 2 weeks if possible and keep prices low, so I would choose either cruise or land this time, just not sure which is nicer or which more people enjoy

Which is nicer? Both. Neither. Pick 'em.

Which more people enjoy? Both. Neither. Pick 'em.

You haven't said (a) when this will be or (b) how many people are traveling, or (c) where you're coming from, or (d) what "low prices" means to you. That leaves us groping around in the dark - throwing out ideas, then "no," then "how about this?" then "no" again.

My suggestion. Make it easy. Do a round-trip cruise from Vancouver (not Seattle) and include an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Try for a cruise price under $200 pppd, and then make a blood oath NOT to fall prey to overpriced "excursions," gambling in the ship's casino, or overdoing the "specialty" restaurants or alcohol.

Airfare will be cheaper to Vancouver than to Anchorage, you won't have to fuss with an expensive Alaska rental car, or overpriced hotels, or mosquito repellant, and if the trip doesn't meet the "nicer" criteria, at least you'll be well fed. If you haven't seen enough "beautiful lakes, mountains, glaciers, national parks etc" then add a couple of days to the end of the trip and go visit Whistler, 90 min. up the road from Vancouver.

(The reason for sailing from Vancouver rather than Seattle is that the Vancouver boats travel to the east of Vancouver Island through sheltered water, while the Seattle boats travel to the west of the island, on open ocean, with nothing to see and lots more bumpy seas.)
Gardyloo is online now  
Old Apr 20th, 2014, 05:58 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,763
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OP,

Alaska has soooooooooooo much scenery around almost every corner that you can very easily create your own itinerary with a fly and drive vacation beginning in Anchorage and lasting for a duration of your choosing.

With your emphasis on scenery, and not animals and other living things, you will have lots of choices in terms of directions of travel, by car, once you get there.

Driving in Alaska during tourist season isn't especially different than in most U.S. states. Once you get away from Anchorage, there just aren't many people anywhere around. Consider that Alaska has but 3 cities with more than 10,000 people and one of those you can't even drive to!

The trip won't get too expensive if you put it together all by yourself.
NorthwestMale is offline  
Old Apr 21st, 2014, 05:21 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think you can get a taste of interior and coastline by taking boat tours out of Seward/Homer or Valdez and heading up via car to Denali/Fairbanks. Ten days is possible but distances are lengthy.
edjim is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 09:40 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We've done land twice and a cruise once. I just don't think you really see Alaska just from a cruise ship. You stop at a few ports that are set up mostly for tourist with a bunch of jewelry shops and little of real Alaska.

There are few roads you can drive on (in a rental) and they are normal roads as you would see in the lower 48.

Seward (all day cruise to see wildlife and glaciers), Talkeetna (flightseeing--one of the most awesome things we have ever done) and Denali (full day bus ride in the park) are my top three areas to visit.

We've done the land tour in 10 days and had plenty of time and that was in a slow moving RV.
Connie is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 08:27 PM
  #15  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for all your help.
We're leaning towards fly and tour ourselves rather than cruise.

Here's our itinerary so far:
from Anchorage drive to seward. take the kenai fjords cruise there. which company cruise tour do you suggest? OR from anchorage just drive to Whittier and take the prince william sound cruise. is the drive from whittier to Seward nice?
then from seward drive to Palmer to matanuska glacier. what to do here besides walk on the glacier? would you recommend it?
then from matanuska to valdez (possibly if we have time) to the keystone canyon falls. would you recommend it?
then from valdez to denali np
from denali back to anchorage.

A few questions:
is matanuska glacier a worthwhile stop considering the itinerary below, or is it just another glacier? (we plan on seeing other glaciers too)

Is there what to do in Valdez besides keystone canyon falls- is it worth making the 6 hour round trip from matanuska glacier in palmer, alaska, just to see the falls?

are the roads all paved to valdez, is there a ferry i need to take? or can we just drive the whole way?

Are all the roads paved on this itinerary? I know that in denali np at a certain point you have to take the shuttle bus because they dont allow cars.

if we're short on time, is there anything we can cut out of our itinerary that is either similar to something else on our itinerary or is not necessary and not a "must see?"
The most important thing we're interested in is scenery not wildlife and animals.
We're trying to keep this as least expensive as possible. any hotel/motel recommendations with private bathrooms along the route would be appreciated.

any tips on keeping this as least expensive as possbile? thanks in advance
zxcvbnm is offline  
Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 04:41 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,477
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My trip report from last summer is below. It is not the perfect itinerary but we had a fabulous time and saw fantastic scenery. You don't have to see everything and go everywhere, even if you think this will be your only visit.

If you are only going for a week, you may just want to concentrate on the Kenai Peninsula. The scenery there is beautiful. I hate to add anything to your itinerary or confuse you any further, but we loved, loved, loved Homer. Seeing the moonrise over Kachemak Bay while we sat around a campfire with soem new friends was a highlight. It is a beautiful city.

We hated to miss Valdez--possibly should have gone there and skipped Matanuska---except we loved the Matanuska Lodge, loved canoeing on the little lake, loved sitting on the deck.

People rave about the Matanuska Glacier. If you want to walk on a glacier, this is an easy one to get to. The area is gorgeous. We were there on a beautiful day but it was not my favorite activity. We actually called and booked it that day since the weather was so gorgeous. I think with your schedule, you would go there after Valdez and then head to Denali.

The problem with going to Denali and only spending one day, is that McKinley may be covered in clouds. I would have been so disappointed if that had happened. I debated about going there but then do you go to Alaska and not go to Denali??

Hope these thoughts help you. Have you priced car rentals? Do that first thing. You may decide you want to cruise. If you do cruise, take a cruise that goes from Vancouver to Alaska as recommended above.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...30-2013.cfm?13
LindainOhio is offline  
Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 08:31 PM
  #17  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
thanks linda
zxcvbnm is offline  
Old Apr 24th, 2014, 03:56 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
wanderlustguru, not everyone enjoys cruise, DH felt trapped with the ship's schedule. He enjoys controlling the pace of the trip and being able to stop for as long or short as he wants and not being tied to the cruise stops. He was ready to jump ship when we got to Ketchican (our first stop), but we had others in our group so that was vetoed. He had no seasickness and has been on the water often.

When we did the land portion he was much happier, loved Denali.
emalloy is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 12:11 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The very best to see the wildlife in its natural setting is not to have your cameras or smart phones up to your face the entire time. It is ok to take pictures for the first couple of minutes then after that just stand there and watch all the wildlife around you. Keep you conversations to a soft voice level and let nature do its thing. I was up there a few years ago and what you see openly will stay with you forever. Nothing can out do seeing the otters, sea lions, whales and bears going about their daily routines while you stay still at a safe distance (especially for the bears) and just watch. The time is just unbelievably unforgettable. Always keep one eye above for the glorious bald eagle. They are regal looking in flight.
PJBITTNER is offline  
Old May 13th, 2014, 02:52 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cruises are just nasty! But land is awesome, to my opinion.

Scenic areas are the Kenai Peninsula(Homer,Kachemak Bay, Kenai Fjords Nat. Park,etc.),Denali State/Nat. Parks,Lake Clark+Katmai, Southeast AK(Misty Fiords, Mendenhall Glacier,etc.). Those are just some! You could also try fishing, camping, sightseeing,wild life viewing, hiking, and maybe take a ferry to see whales n' stuff.
FishSaysMOO is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jz166
United States
7
Jun 5th, 2012 07:28 AM
kenman
United States
7
Mar 21st, 2011 12:12 PM
Sapphire
United States
11
Feb 20th, 2009 04:00 PM
knuk
United States
8
Mar 1st, 2007 10:47 AM
Reda
United States
7
Jun 8th, 2003 01:34 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -