Mona

I've never been a cruise before, and am currently planning a cruise for next June/July with my 9 year old son. I'd like to take the &quot;one way&quot; cruise on Princess (either Vancouver to Seward or Seward to Vancouver), as I'd like to tack on a few days either before or after the cruise for some exploring. I have a couple of questions:<BR>- would you recommend doing the excursions before or after the cruise?<BR>- is it worth going to Denali (especially with a 9 year old?)? Or would you recommend the Kenai peninsula? I'd like to see some preserves/parks/mountains while in Alaska, bu I'm not sure it's worth the long trip from Seward to Denali.<BR><BR>Thanks for your help!<BR>Mona

Paul Therault

Hi Mona,<BR><BR>Definitely stay a few days in Seward. Walk on a glacier, visit a sled dog camp and pet the puppies, visit the wonderful Sealife Pavilion, eat home-made Alaskan meals, view the massive snow capped mountains and best of all take the 6 hour boat trip through the Kenai Fjords where you will get up close to calving glaciers and see wildlife you never knew existed in one place.<BR><BR>Paul

Mona

Paul,<BR>Thanks for your response. Do you think it matters whether I stay in Seward before the cruise or afterwards? <BR><BR>Any recommendations on lodging? How are the Alaska State Park cabins? <BR><BR>Does Kenai have the &quot;big game&quot; that can be found in Deenali?<BR><BR>Thanks again,<BR>Mona

Dave

I would suggest going southbound, going from the cold to the warm. And we usually like visiting a city before a cruise. At the end of the cruise we are ready to go home.

Paul Therault

I agree with Dave. The cruise experience is secondary after you have seen it all in Seward. It is a place to relax and enjoy the ship.<BR><BR>When you arrive in Anchorage you can stay a night there and enjoy that large city and then rent a car and take a leisurely ride down the scenic Seward Highway and stop for lunch, take pictures, have an ice-cream cone. You can visit the Portage Glacier and stop at Crow Creek Mine and pan for gold. If you find the car rental too expensive you can take a train or a van but they do not run continuously.<BR><BR>Most people like the Edgewater Hotel (expensive) since is new and directly on Resurrection Bay with wonderful sights and across the street from the Chugach Heritage Center and Sealife Center. They also have complimentary transportation to all the sights. Other hotels are old and rustic and with the majority of hotels in Alaska but you can save some money (maybe).<BR><BR>Big game is not to be found in Seward proper and as a matter of fact is not guaranteed to be found in Denali. Kenai is all bird and sea life. You can go farther West and vist Kodiak Island (ferry from Seward) where you can stay at a bear camp and see tons of big game. Gridwood is where you can see moose and black bear. Captain Cook State Park and the National Wildlife Refuge in Kenai. Bear Lake Air and Guide Service out of Seward will take you to see game by seaplane.<BR><BR>Have fun,<BR><BR>Paul