Planning an Alaska Cruisetour? Effectively, we simply returned from our first land-and-sea adventure and realized fairly a bit alongside the best way. This complete information covers the whole lot that you must know for a profitable cruisetour, from selecting the best itinerary to maximizing your expertise. These insider ideas will allow you to navigate the complexities of cruisetours and take advantage of your Alaskan journey. Even for those who’re a seasoned cruiser, you won’t absolutely know what to anticipate throughout the land portion. That’s why we’re sharing what we want we knew earlier than taking our first Princess Alaska cruisetour.
Earlier than You Guide
1. There Are A number of Cruisetour Choices – Select Properly
Princess Cruises gives over 40 completely different cruisetour combos, all together with three important parts: stays at wilderness lodges, Direct-to-the Wilderness scenic rail service, and a 7-night cruise between Whittier, Alaska and Vancouver, BC.
Nevertheless, a number of variations exist. These embody course (northbound vs. southbound routes), size (10-17 days in whole), begin/finish factors (Fairbanks vs. Anchorage), variety of lodges visited, which particular lodges you’ll expertise, and even which cruise ship you’ll sail on. So, make sure you overview them rigorously and select the itinerary that greatest aligns to your journey targets.
Key concerns:
- “Denali Explorer” excursions are the most well-liked
- “On Your Personal” choices can be found for impartial vacationers however embody much less
- “Connoisseur” excursions are escorted for premium experiences
- “Off the Crushed Path” choices enterprise deeper into the wilderness for distinctive adventures
2. Most Logistics Are Dealt with for You
One of many largest benefits of a Princess cruisetour is the seamless group. With most cruisetours, Princess handles all transportation together with from the airport, between lodges, from lodges to the prepare, and from the prepare to the ship. This contains motorcoach transfers, baggage dealing with, and coordination between completely different parts of your journey.
When reserving a cruisetour, you may merely take pleasure in your self and never have to fret about arranging lodge lodging or the way you’ll get from one vacation spot to the following. Princess even coordinates the whole lot for the included excursions. If you happen to guide extra excursions, these are dealt with very like shore excursions on a cruise.
3. Decide a Southbound Route
Whereas cruisetours run in each northbound and southbound instructions, we propose you select a southbound cruisetour (land portion first, then cruise).
The land portion entails appreciable packing/unpacking, early mornings, and fixed motion between areas. Getting this extra demanding section out of the best way first means you may really calm down as soon as aboard the ship. As seasoned cruisers know, probably the greatest elements of cruising is unpacking as soon as and visiting a number of locations.
4. Use a Journey Advisor
Given all of the transferring elements of cruisetours, itineraries, and logistics, working with an skilled journey advisor who’s aware of Princess Alaska merchandise can save time and guarantee you choose the best choice on your preferences and finances.
Even for those who’ve cruised earlier than, we suggest utilizing an advisor as they will help with any particular requests, add-ons, and/or wants you might have.
MEI-Travel is our preferred travel partner, they usually’d be completely happy that can assist you examine your Princess Alaska Cruisetour together with present a free no-obligation quote.
Planning Your Land Portion
5. It’s a Nice Strategy to Go to Denali Nationwide Park
Denali Nationwide Park & Protect is over 6 million acres and is house to North America’s highest peak. And fortunately, each Princess cruisetour contains time at Denali Nationwide Park. In truth, Princess introduces extra folks to this unbelievable vacation spot than another cruise line.
When reserving a Princess cruisetour, you’ll keep at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge that’s simply minutes from the park entrance. To not point out, Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, situated within the state park, gives a number of the greatest views of the mountain.
As a Princess visitor, you gained’t have to fret about driving from the closest airport, securing lodging, paying entrance charges, or reserving excursions within the park.
6. You’ll Meet Fewer Individuals on Your Actual Schedule Than You Assume
Whereas we knew there have been numerous completely different cruisetour choices, one factor that shocked us essentially the most was the complexity of all of the transferring elements. At every lodge, visitors are consistently coming and going. We encountered surprisingly few vacationers following our equivalent itinerary.
Some visitors had been touring in the other way, some had been boarding a distinct cruise ship, some had a distinct sequence of lodges, and a few had fewer days in every lodge.
Regardless of this fixed move of tourists, Princess manages arrivals and departures easily.
7. Plan for Restricted Time at Every Lodge
Relying on the particular cruisetour you select, you doubtless gained’t spend a lot time at every location. Most stays are simply 1-2 nights per lodge. Whereas this is likely to be superb for some folks, it’s actually not sufficient time to make the most of the whole lot the resorts and surrounding areas have to supply.
Based mostly on our expertise, we suggest selecting itineraries with no less than two nights at every lodge. We really would have most popular three nights on the spectacular Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge to totally take pleasure in its facilities and actions. Subsequent time, we’d go for fewer lodges to afford extra time at every one and fewer transfers.
8. Don’t Overschedule Your self
Whereas there’s loads to see and do, keep away from the temptation of reserving too many excursions. The land portion already entails vital journey time, early mornings, and bodily exercise. So, tempo your self to keep away from exhaustion.
Along with the included excursions, we’d suggest solely reserving one or two extra excursions if you would like any time to expertise the lodges. They’re not simply accommodations– they characteristic eating places, actions, fireplace pits, climbing trails and nature walks, remark decks, and extra.
9. Some Excursions Are Included, Others Value Additional
Your cruisetour contains choose excursions (usually in Fairbanks and Denali), however many extra excursions can be found for buy. In Fairbanks, most visitors will expertise the included Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise. Some itineraries additionally embody a Gold Dredge 8 Tour. In Denali, most visitors will expertise the Pure Historical past Tour; Connoisseur cruisetours get the Tundra Wilderness tour as an alternative.
In style add-ons embody flightseeing excursions, ATV adventures, ziplining, jet boating, and extra. Funds accordingly and prioritize based mostly in your pursuits.
Visitors may also select to improve their Pure Historical past Tour in Denali Nationwide Park to the Tundra Wilderness tour for someplace round $50 per individual. We positively suggest doing in order this may get you additional into the park (mile 43 vs. mile 17) and enormously improve your probability of seeing wildlife.
10. Count on Appreciable Journey Distances
Alaska is huge, and the distances between lodges are substantial. You’ll spend vital time on motorcoaches touring between locations throughout your Princess Alaska Cruisetour.
For instance, the journey from Fairbanks to Denali takes about 3 hours by bus, and Denali to Mt. McKinley Lodge is roughly 2 hours. The rail service from McKinley to Whittier is roughly 5.5 hours and the rail service from Denali to Whittier is roughly 9.5 hours.
Make sure you carry leisure, snacks, bottled water, and cozy clothes for these transfers.
Lodge Life and Logistics
11. Lodges Are Not All-Inclusive Like Cruises
Not like cruise ships, meals, espresso, and all different drinks on the Princess wilderness lodges value further. We suggest bringing snacks on your room and finances for meals starting from $15-40 per individual per entree. Most lodges have a espresso store, an off-the-cuff restaurant, and a sit-down restaurant, with costs similar to what you’d pay on land.
You possibly can pre-purchase meal plans for added comfort, and we did see many visitors utilizing these vouchers. The plans differ as to what number of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals are included based mostly on the lenght of the tour. For instance, our cruisetour (IB5) for 2026 contains 10 meals (5 breakfast, 1 lunch, 4 dinner) and prices $412.
12. WiFi Could Be Spotty
Don’t anticipate constant web connectivity all through your voyage in inside Alaska. WiFi could also be restricted, gradual, or unavailable completely. Embrace this digital detox alternative and give attention to the pure environment and actions.
Our cell service and lodge WiFi did work fairly nicely in Fairbanks and Denali however was spotty at Mt. McKinley. Additional, cell service is commonly nonexistent throughout the transfers through bus and prepare and there’s no WiFi accessible on both.
13. Test Every Lodge’s Every day Exercise Schedule
These Princess wilderness lodges aren’t only a place to sleep. Each lodge gives a wide range of facilities and actions. They’ll embody naturalist talks, guided walks, wildlife or Northern Lights displays, cultural demonstrations, climbing trails, and interactive packages which might be included in your keep.
You’ll need to examine every lodge’s every day exercise schedule, normally displayed within the foyer, for an entire checklist. Throughout our keep at Mt. McKinley, we attended a presentation by a mountain climber who has scaled Denali a number of instances in his decades-long profession.
14. Lodge Apparel Is Informal
Whilst you would possibly wish to dress up while you cruise, there’s no must pack any fancy apparel for the land portion of your cruisetour. The Alaska lodges keep a relaxed ambiance all through the day, even on the extra upscale eating venues.
Informal, comfy apparel is acceptable for outside daytime actions in addition to lodge eating and nighttime actions. We did change most nights for dinner, however that normally simply meant placing on a pair of denims and a nicer shirt.
15. Most Lodges Provide Shuttle Service for a Payment
Between the included excursions and all of the non-obligatory actions, you won’t have a lot free time to discover by yourself. However for those who decide to forego the extra organized excursions, most lodges do supply shuttle service.
The Fairbanks Lodge gives a shuttle into downtown for $10, whereas the Mt. McKinley Lodge gives a shuttle to Talkeetna for $10 (roughly 1 hour drive). Equally, the Denali Lodge gives shuttle service to and from the Nationwide Park vistor heart.
16. Make Dinner Reservations Forward of Time
At most lodges, there may be one restaurant that requires reservations. That is King Salmon at Denali Lodge, North Fork at Mt. McKinley Lodge, and The Edgewater at Fairbanks Riverside Lodge. Particularly throughout peak season, it’s advisable to make these reservations forward of time to safe your excellent time.
What we didn’t know previous to our cruisetour was which you can make these reservations on the OpenTable restaurant reserving platform. As an added tip, Holland America‘s Denali Lodge is correct subsequent door so you may even make a reservation there for those who’d like.
17. Wildlife Is Plentiful However Sightings Aren’t Assured
Whereas Alaska teems with wildlife, animal encounters rely upon components like season, climate, location, and timing. Don’t be disillusioned for those who don’t see the “Huge 5” (moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears) throughout your go to to the inside of the state.
Some visitors noticed moose and bears in Denali Nationwide Park, some even reported seeing moose alongside the highway throughout transfers. But, we didn’t see any of those “large 5” except for distant white dots on a hillside. I assume meaning a return go to is a should!
18. Solely 30% of Guests Truly See Denali
Similar to recognizing wildlife, catching a glimpse of Denali might be on the high of your agenda. Nevertheless, there’s even much less of an opportunity at checking this one off the checklist. The mountain is notoriously shy, typically shrouded in clouds. Don’t base your whole journey satisfaction on seeing the height. Benefit from the unbelievable wilderness, fall colours, and total Denali expertise no matter mountain visibility.
19. Shoulder Season Visits Have Professionals and Cons
Early and late season cruisetours have their benefits, like cheaper costs and fewer crowds. Late season visits even supply stunning fall colours and an opportunity at seeing the Northern Lights. Nevertheless, visitors can face extra unpredictable climate, together with early snow, which may affect excursions.
Since we had been the final cruisetour of the season, the lodges had been operating out of provides too. Each restaurant had no less than one or two menu gadgets that had been now not accessible.
Thus, weigh these components rigorously when selecting your journey dates.
20. Put together for A number of Early Mornings
One of many reasons we prefer cruising to land-based journey is the benefit of visiting a number of locations in a single journey. Performing as a floating lodge (with loads of different advantages), there’s no must pack and unpack a number of instances throughout the journey. Sadly although, that’s not the case with a cruisetour.
Every time we had been departing for a brand new vacation spot, we would have liked to position our baggage outdoors our room normally between 6:30 and seven AM. This didn’t solely forestall us from “settling in”, it additionally meant numerous early mornings. Transfers and tour departures will be early too.
21. Southbound Routes Imply Late Ship Boarding
If you happen to select a southbound cruisetour, you’ll arrive on the ship a lot in a while embarkation day than you normally do (probably not till round 7:30 PM) because of the 5+ hour prepare journey.
This implies lacking a lot of the typical embarkation day actions and exploration, together with these early dinner seatings. Nevertheless, you may head immediately onto the ship and to your cabin when you arrive in Whittier as your complete check-in course of is accomplished on the prepare. Simply keep in mind to complete your muster drill instantly upon boarding.
22. Rail Service Differs From Denali and Mt. McKinley
The most important distinction within the rail service from Denali and Mt. McKinley lodges is the period. The transit to/from Denali is roughly 9.5 hours, whereas it’s solely 5.5 hours to/from Talkeetna (Mt. McKinley space).
The opposite large distinction although is the prepare itself. Whereas each characteristic enclosed glass-domed vehicles, the Denali switch is a double-decker rail automotive with outside viewing platforms and the Mt. McKinley switch is a single-level rail automotive with no open-air entry. So, set your images and viewing expectations accordingly.
Additional, we’re undecided if that is true of all McKinley rail service, however seats on our prepare had been organized in teams of 4 round a desk. This implies you’ll sit with others AND half the seats can be touring backwards. We all know this isn’t excellent for these with movement sensitivity.
What to Pack and Put together
23. Know What to Pack and Be Climate-Prepared
Alaska’s climate is unpredictable, with temperature swings as much as 40 levels relying on location, time of 12 months, and time of day. Pack in layers with waterproof outer shells, heat base layers, and cozy climbing footwear. Don’t overlook solar safety and bug spray both.
Important gadgets:
- Waterproof rain jacket
- Heat fleece or wool layers
- Comfy, light-weight footwear (ideally waterproof)
- Gloves and a hat
- Binoculars for wildlife viewing
- Digicam
- Additional energy banks and charging cords for all gadgets
- Sun shades and sunscreen
- Bugspray
- Light-weight, waterproof daybag
- Informal night put on for lodges
- Refillable water bottle
- Drugs
- Small first-aid equipment
24. Perceive Baggage Tag Methods
Much like the bags tags that that you must print out for a cruise, Princess makes use of completely different baggage tags throughout the land portion which might be issued while you arrive on the lodges. Take note of the tags and directions.
At your first lodge, you’ll obtain “Be a part of Me Onboard” tags. These point out that the bags can go on to your cruise cabin. This could solely embody gadgets that you just gained’t want till you board the ship, like cocktail attire, sports activities coats, and the like. “Be a part of Me Tonight” tags ought to be positioned on the rest of your suitcases. This baggage can be left outdoors your room the morning of departure and transported individually to your subsequent lodge. Make sure you hold any necessities in a small carry-on backpack that you just’ll tackle the bus with you.
25. Lodging Are Auto-Assigned
Not like cruises, you can’t choose particular room areas inside the lodges. In some situations, you don’t also have a say in your lodge project. For example, Princess companions with Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks for overflow lodging.
Whilst you can specify your most popular mattress configurations, room assignments are computerized by the lodge. Remember that these accommodations will be fairly unfold out so that you is likely to be positioned in a constructing fairly removed from the principle lodge’s amenities. Most lodges do supply on-property shuttle service for visitors although.
26. Resort Rooms Could Not Be Prepared Upon Arrival
Very like different accommodations on land, lodge check-in instances are usually 3-4 PM, however cruisetour schedules are set by the cruise line and will have you ever arriving earlier. Be ready for potential delays in room availability and plan actions accordingly. Use this time to discover frequent areas, seize espresso, or take orientation excursions.
With our particular tour schedule, we did have to attend slightly over an hour for our Mt. McKinley room to be prepared. Arriving on the different lodges within the afternoon or night, this wasn’t a difficulty.
27. Lodges Have Water Refill Stations
Inside Alaska is a subarctic local weather that has low precipitation. This implies which you can dehydrate fairly simply. That’s why it’s crucial to drink numerous water particularly throughout outside, bodily actions even for those who don’t really feel heat or thirsty.
Fortunately, you may keep hydrated by utilizing water refill stations accessible on the Princess wilderness lodges. This protects cash on bottled water purchases and is environmentally pleasant. So, make sure you pack that refillable water bottle and take it to the principle lodge constructing for refills.
28. Contact Princess for Accessibility Wants
As we’ve already touched upon, the Princess wilderness lodges are distant, and the buildings are sometimes unfold out throughout the property. Which means your room might be a substantial distance from the principle lodge and its facilities. Additional, many lodge buildings are two-stories (or extra) and infrequently don’t have elevator entry.
Thus, when you’ve got mobility issues or require accessible lodging, contact Princess nicely upfront. Elevate-equipped motorcoaches, accessible lodge rooms, and different specialised tools are restricted and should be secured earlier than departure. That is the place a journey advisor can turn out to be useful.
29. Laundry Amenities Are Obtainable for a Payment
That can assist you keep away from overpacking, the Princess lodges have self-service laundry amenities accessible for an extra value. There are usually a number of laundry rooms all through the property, so simply check with a resort map to search out the closest location. This is likely to be vital if it’s excessively wet or muddy throughout your journey.
Nevertheless, we propose you pack ample clothes for your complete land portion that method you don’t waste any valuable time. Princess cruise ships even have self-service laundry amenities, so attempt to do laundry on the ship as an alternative. Of be aware, the price is roughly the identical.
Maximizing Your Cruise Expertise
30. All Cruises Comply with the Voyage of the Glaciers Itinerary
Each Princess cruisetour contains the identical 7-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise, usually that includes stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, plus glacier viewing in Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier. This implies the one resolution you’ll should make on the subject of the cruise portion is the ship.
In 2026, Princess will have four cruise ships providing Alaska cruisetours. We propose you overview the ships’ choices and deck plans to see which can fit your journey social gathering greatest. It’s vital to notice that not all ships sailing in Alaska supply cruisetours– as an example, the brand-new Star Princess will sail roundtrip from Seattle.
31. Know Precisely What’s Included in Your Cruise Fare
If you happen to’re new to cruising or new to Princess Cruises, it’s vital to know what’s included in the standard cruise fare. It does differ from the land portion.
Your cruise contains lodging, fundamental eating room meals and a buffet open a lot of the day, most leisure and onboard actions, fundamental drinks, and transportation between ports. Specialty eating, alcoholic drinks, web, gratuities, and shore excursions value further except you buy packages.
32. Don’t Miss the North to Alaska Programming
A part of what makes Princess Cruises a leader in Alaska is its North to Alaska program. Enrichment alternatives embody displays from Iditarod champions, lumberjacks, storytellers, and cultural consultants sharing genuine Alaska experiences. These talks present invaluable insights which might be typically lacking on different cruise strains. And the spotlight for a lot of is Puppies within the Piazza throughout the ship’s go to to Skagway.
Moreover, all Princess ships crusing in Alaska characteristic a naturalist who will give lectures on wildlife, glaciers, and extra. The naturalist will typically narrate scenic cruising as nicely, mentioning wildlife sightings for all visitors to take pleasure in.
If that’s not sufficient, the North to Alaska program additionally options recent Alaska seafood on the menu, together with domestically sourced substances and native beer, wine, and spirits.
33. Go All-Inclusive With Princess Plus or Premier Packages
Whereas visitors can definitely have an awesome Princess Alaska Cruisetour with out paying for onboard extras, Princess does supply the Plus and Premier packages. These packages bundle add-ons to supply a extra all-inclusive expertise.
These extras embody advantages like WiFi, beverage packages, pay as you go gratuities, specialty eating, and upcharge informal eating credit. The Princess Premier bundle even provides in shore tour credit score, a photograph bundle, and reserved seating within the theater.
If you happen to had been serious about buying a beverage bundle and even simply one of many different add-ons, upgrading to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier bundle might be value it. However we at all times suggest crunching the numbers first.
34. Think about Upgrading to a Balcony Cabin
Alaska’s scenic cruising via glacier-filled waters, wildlife viewing alternatives, and gorgeous landscapes make balcony cabins particularly worthwhile. You’ll have personal outside area for images, wildlife watching, and having fun with recent air with out competing for deck area.
Whether or not upgrading to a balcony cabin is value it or not is an ongoing debate amongst cruisers. It’s true that it’ll value extra and that Princess ships have a wide range of indoor lounges and outside rail area to soak up the scenic vistas, however when you’ve got the flexibility we positively suggest the improve…particularly in Alaska.
35. Obtain and Get Accustomed to the Princess App
The Princess Cruises app is important for a seamless cruise expertise, so ensure that to obtain it and familarize your self with it earlier than the cruise. The app means that you can navigate the ship, make eating reservations, order drinks to your actual location, talk with journey companions, and entry the every day schedule.
Even for those who don’t buy a WiFi package, you may nonetheless use the app’s options.
36. Perceive Your Ocean Medallion
The Medallion is Princess Cruises’ wearable machine that serves as your key card throughout the cruise. It’s issued with a lanyard or you should buy different equipment like belt clips, wristbands, or bracelets. This implies your lifeline on the ship is at all times accessible with out having to fumble round on your room key.
The Medallion allows keyless stateroom entry, is used for scanning on and off the ship, and means that you can make purchases with ease. If you happen to stay within the US and guide upfront, it’s mailed to your house. In any other case, you’ll obtain it at embarkation.
37. Put together Your Cabin With Good Equipment
Once we cruise, we have now some tried-and-true accessories that we at all times carry to maximise area in our cruise cabin. We really useful buying some magnetic hooks and an over-the-door shoe organizer on your journey.
For the reason that partitions of the cabin are metallic, the hooks can be utilized to hold baggage, rain coats, and the like. We really use the magnets to hold our shoe organizer as nicely. We don’t use this for footwear however reasonably to retailer small gadgets like toiletries, chargers, and sun shades. This helps to maintain the whole lot organized and frees up some invaluable space for storing.
38. Make Cruise Eating Reservations Early
Whereas it’s not required, we extremely suggest pre-booking all of your eating reservations earlier than your cruise. In style eating instances on the specialty eating places do refill shortly. If you happen to overlook to take action, make them instantly upon boarding the ship.
For the principle eating room, you’ll must resolve if you would like conventional eating or versatile eating. With conventional eating, you’ll have a set desk and meal time every evening (early seating or late seating). If you happen to desire extra flexibility, you may dine at completely different instances every night. Although, making a reservation on your desired time continues to be advisable so that you don’t have to attend while you arrive.
39. Put Your Cellphone in Airplane Mode
Avoid unexpected roaming charges whereas out to sea by preserving your telephone in airplane mode and counting on the ship’s WiFi when wanted. In case your cell service covers you in Alaska and Canada, you may take your telephone out of airplane mode whereas on land; nevertheless, it gained’t work whereas at sea.
If you happen to overlook, some carriers will ship a “heads up” textual content message informing you of the costs. For example, T-Cellular fees $5.99/minute for speak and $0.50/textual content (and no knowledge) whereas on the cruise ship’s cell community.
40. Discover the Ship for Prime Glacier Viewing Spots
Alaska cruises are all about surroundings, so scout the very best viewing areas early in your cruise. In style spots embody forward-facing remark lounges, open-air promenade decks, and the pool/solar decks. Many cruise strains additionally open up the bow of the ship throughout glacier-viewing.
Not solely in Alaska, however we always recommend taking some time to explore the ship early within the cruise. It will allow you to get your bearings, find your favourite venues, and perhaps even discover some hidden gems.
Backside Line
Princess Alaska Cruisetours supply an unparalleled strategy to expertise the Nice Land’s unbelievable wilderness, combining cruise facilities with genuine lodge experiences and scenic rail journey. By following the following pointers, you’ll be prepared for the journey of a lifetime.
Whether or not you’re watching glaciers calve into the ocean, recognizing wildlife in Denali Nationwide Park, or having fun with recent Alaska seafood aboard your ship, a Princess Alaska Cruisetour delivers recollections that can final perpetually. The secret is correct preparation, sensible expectations, flexibility, and embracing each the deliberate actions and spontaneous moments that make Alaska really magical.
After six Alaska cruises, we’re glad we lastly skilled our first cruisetour!
Feedback
Have you ever taken an Alaska land-and-sea journey? Do you could have another ideas, methods, or useful recommendation so as to add to this checklist? Drop us an anchor beneath to share your Alaska cruisetour evaluations.
The submit Princess Alaska Cruisetour Guide: Tips, Tricks & What to Expect appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.
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