Cruise Talk: Anchorage/Denali

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»	Cruise Talk » Ports of Call and Destinations » Anchorage/Denali

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Topic: Anchorage/Denali

Jenny
First Class Passenger
Member # 209

posted 07-31-1999 11:06 AM

Does any one have an idea how long the train trip is from Anchorage to Denali? Also, I have heard about the 7 or 8 hr. bus trip through the park. Is this bus trip worth taking or would our time and money be better spent doing something else? Any suggestions what to do in Denali?

Posts: 10 | From: Valley Lee, MD | Registered: Jul 99

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 08-03-1999 06:20 PM

Hi Jenny -
I've done the train trip and the tour to Denali so could perhaps answer your questions. Howeve, more info. is needed. How are you getting to Anchorage? As to whether a trip to Denali National Park is worth the time and money depends entirely on you - I'd say that to appreciate and enjoy it you should be interested in the enviornment and sympathetic to wild life. I was fortunate to see three bear cubs on their first outing with Mother bear - she was teaching them a thing or two. In Denali, wildlife has the right of way - cars and buses stop and wait.

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99

Jenny
First Class Passenger
Member # 209

posted 08-03-1999 10:31 PM

Mr. Green - To answer your question, we will be flying to Anchorage to take the southbound Mercury Cruise next June. We were thinking of taking a pre-cruise trip and thought of Denali. We are in our early 50's and like nature and wildlife. However, I've read that some people taking the bus trip through Denali did not see as much as one animal. We thought if there was a better or different way to see some of the wildlife, we would be interested in hearing about it.
We probably will take the train and wondered how long the trip was. By car, I understand it is about 5 hours.

Posts: 10 | From: Valley Lee, MD | Registered: Jul 99

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 08-04-1999 05:13 PM

Hi Jenny - I've just found this information otherwise I would have suggested it before - it's a fabulous site Ð really interesting and informative!
Bring up Ô travelpage.comÕ - click Destinations - click North America - click Denali National Park - theyÕve covered everything Ð think I was on-line for an hour.
It's true that you can tour the park and never see any animals - it's also true that Mt. McKinley is not always visible Ð itÕs frequently shrouded in mist - Mother Nature makes no guarantees. I talked with people who had had no sightings - they were disappointed but did not regret making the trip.
First off I would suggest that you check with Celebrity re any pre-cruise packages Ð failing that, the suggested site has lots of information. I did my tour and cruise as a package with Holland America Line.
Happy planning...

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99

Jo Ann Mancuso
Just Boarded
Member # 220

posted 08-06-1999 01:38 PM

We did the Fairbanks-Denali-Anchorage trip by train last year.....Denali was wonderful. I agree with the person who said Mother Nature makes no guarantees but we saw so much and were so excited by it. We saw Eagles, bears, Dahl sheep, two or three moose, and to top it all off, we saw Denali itself, also known as Mount McKinley. What a beautiful sight. Consider asking your travel agent about a pre-cruise package. It will be less of a hassle for you to have it planned rather than planning it yourself. Have a great time. We loved it so much we're doing it again in July of 2000. And I think the train trip was all of 8 hours but is so scenic that it passed all too quickly.

Posts: 9 | From: Dunkirk, New York | Registered: Mar 99

cncservo
First Class Passenger
Member # 532

posted 08-08-1999 04:48 AM

Jenny
We also took a southbond cruise and wanted to see more of Alaska so we rented a car at the Anchorage air port at drove to Denali. It is a 5 hour trip and well worth the experience, but then I love to drive. Another advantage of driving is being able to enter the park early in the morning and drive the first 14 miles of the park road and enjoy the quiet and beautiful country on your own. There is a Tundra Life Tour that takes several hours round trip and does venture deep into the park. While on this narriated tour we were lucky enough to see plenty of wildlife; Grizzly Bears, Moose, Caribou and Dall Sheep. We went the last 2 days of May when things were just starting to turn green so they had much less cover. That is probably the reason we spotted all the animals. If 6 to 7 hours are to many you can take the Natural History Tour that ventures 17 miles into the park or you can opt to hop on a shuttle and spend as much time as you like in the park. We also hiked a couple of trails and enjoyed the quiet and peaseful time spent in this vast wilderness.
3 days were just enough time for us to spend in Denali National Park.
Driving back to Anchorage on perfectly clear day we were lucky enough to view Mount McKinley. Only 20% of the people that visit Denali get to see this site. The sun was shining bright and reflecting off the snow cover of this enormous mountain.
We also wanted to ride on the Alaskan Railroad so the morning of our sailing day we road the train from Anchorage to Seward which took about 4 hours. Our cruise had included a bus trip from Anchorage to Seward
but we opted to ride the train on our own.
I know this is long winded but we loved our experience in Denali.

Posts: 170 | Registered: May 99

sabine
First Class Passenger
Member # 759

posted 08-20-1999 10:43 AM

You have to take potluck if you go to Denali. I did Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks and found it well worth it though, especially Fairbanks which really gives you the feel of Alaska. We had lousy weather (in June) in Denali and saw mostly Dahl sheep and a few antlers behind rocks, suggesting there was someone there who didn't care about tourists. Take some binoculars with large zooms - you might spot a bear far far away. The best way to see Mt. McKinley was from the air flying from Fairbanks to Seattle - this was the most magnificent experience - endless snowfields and glaciers. Treat the whole trip as an adventure and enjoy it - even if the wildlife doesn't feel very social !

Posts: 32 | From: Bella Vista NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 99

PFopma
First Class Passenger
Member # 356

posted 08-26-1999 12:54 PM

This trip will be an adventure no matter what you get to see! Everyone's experience will be different. I read a newspaper review recently about Glacier Bay Tours Cruise. I had taken the exact same trip last summer. The writer panned the trip saying they didn't see many animals . If I had read this review before my trip I might never have had the experience. We saw plenty of animals - whales, bear, seals, eagles, puffin. Don't worry about seeing wildlife. It is out of your control. Just go and have a good time!!

Posts: 14 | From: Fair Lawn, NJ | Registered: Aug 99

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 07-20-2007 07:08 PM

any more words of wisdom here?

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

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