smssowo

Hello!!
We are leaving for Anchorage on June 24th for a 12 day Princess land/cruise...Denali, McKinley, Whittier to Vancouver. I've been to Alaska before but my partner has not nor has he cruised before. We were looking at excursions sponsored by Princess and had a couple of questions I would rather ask you folks or Cruise Critics.
When staying at the Princess owned lodges, are there other opportunities for excursions not sponsored by Princess? Are the lodges located in or near small towns? I really, really want to fly to the Arctic Circle and perhaps see some of the Dalton Highway...a day trip. Just wondering if something like this might be available by a tour group near these lodges.
Thanks for any help or suggestions you folks might have.
Janice

Gardyloo

I'd assume the only Princess lodge that would have reasonable access to non-Princess vendors would be the one in Fairbanks. Are you staying there? It's located very close to Fairbanks airport, where there are charter and flightseeing operators that could take you on day flights over the Arctic Circle. Of course being that close to the airport, I'd be pretty certain Princess itself would offer these too, but no idea on pricing.

The others - Kenai, Denali (2), Copper River - wouldn't be very close to such services.

Don't know how many days (if any) you'd have in Anchorage before the cruise tour starts, but I recently checked on prices and have found that - if you're willing possibly to move outside your comfort zone just a little - you can fly commercially to the arctic round trip from ANC for about the same cost as the "excursion" people charge for their day trips from Fairbanks, but to places that are way, way more interesting than some sign stuck in the ground next to the Haul Road (Dalton - I still use the "old" name.)

For example, a "fly drive" excursion (like you're describing) out of Fairbanks costs around $400 per person. For $470 (late this month) you can fly from Anchorage to Kotzebue on Alaska Airlines. Kotzebue is an Eskimo village located above the arctic circle on the Arctic Ocean. There's a new and (reportedly) very comfortable hotel close to the beach - http://www.nullagvikhotel.com/ - where you'd be able to see the "midnight sun" - up 24h in late June - right from the dining room. The hotel cost and food would be comparable (or probably less) than what you'd pay for the same time in Anchorage or Fairbanks, so the total cost differential would be the seventy bucks (or less) for the airfare.

But the difference in interest and value? OMG. Stick your toe in the Arctic Ocean; learn about Inupiat culture and traditions. Walk into the shops and see how life is lived. Kick a ball with the kids at 1 in the morning with the sun in your eyes. (This is ideal, incidentally, for jet-lagged folks from the east, for whom 3 AM is really 7 anyway.)

99% (I'm guessing) of visitors to Alaska never see this gorgeous, fascinating, wholly unique side to the state. It's all moose and mountains, but meanwhile the human quilt of Alaska goes unnoticed. I can't recommend such an excursion highly enough - it would be a real eye-opener.

(Sermon ends.)

smssowo

Oh, Gardyloo!!!
This is exactly the experience I want, unfortunately we are not staying near Fairbanks and there isn't enough time prior to the cruise to do this trip. When we made reservations for the trip I was quite pre-occupied with work issues and allowed my partner and a travel agent to handle the details. The Arctic Circle has been on my bucket list for years and I dropped the ball last spring.....dang.
Perhaps folks will learn from my mistake. Your description of village life north of the circle is captivating. The hotel looks wonderful and as a Mainer I would love to play outside at 1:00 in daylight!!
Thanks for your response. I'm still wondering though.....
Janice

china_cat

I want to add that Princess is notorious for not allowing non-Princess vendors on the property. So if you sign up for an independent excursion, you may have to take the princess shuttle into town. The Kenai and McKinley lodges are both quite a distance from anywhere.

I love your description Gardyloo. I wish I'd made time to do that excursion whenI went to Alaska. Oh well, I need to go again.

Gardyloo

Well of course I don't know your time or financial constraints, but a $150 change fee for your Maine > ANC airfare to leave a day earlier might be worth considering. If you're flying on Alaska Airlines anyway, they might waive the change fee if you book the connection through ANC to OTZ as just a modification to your existing ticket.

It could be an easy "thought experiment" that you could ponder between now and when you travel.