Interior Alaska and Southbound Cruise to Vancouver
28 June 2009 - 10 July

Read my review on Cruise Critic and check out some of the pictures.

Contacts:

• Alaska Airlines
• Days Inn Anchorage request airport shuttle at baggage claim (907)276-7226
• Denali Backcountry Lodge Brandy (800)841-0692 x202, Erica x226
• Alaska Railroad (907)265-2494 through Grey Line Tours and Denali Backcountry Lodge
• Comfort Inn Ship Creek (907)277-6887 complimentary airport and Egan Center shuttles
• Park Connections
• Renown Cruises luggage storage available in the office, #4 Boardwalk Seward Small Boat Harbor (907)224-3806,
  but not necessary as bags were checked through to the ship at the Anchorage Train Depot.
  Free shuttle from Alaska Rail Depot in Seward
• Celebrity Cruise Lines
  (800)256-6649 customer service 
• America's Vacation Center
  travel agent: Ilona Krukova
  1890 Hacienda Drive
  Vista, CA  92081
  800-680-5924 direct
  877-413-9500 customer service
• TravelSafe insurance via tripinsurancestore.com
  (800)555-9095 (603)894-4710 Emergency contact
  (888)411-5378 claims
• Tour Saver Coupon Book
• Sockeye Cycle Co
• SE Sea Kayaks
• Avis Car Rental Downtown Vancouver office (604)606-2869 location 757 Hornby Street
• Port Canada Vancouver (604)665-9000

Links

• AARP real Alaska
• Tongass NF
• Denali National Park

Itinerary

Sunday:  Fly into Anchorage take hotel shuttle to Days Inn.  Check in or store luggage until room is ready, explore downtown Anchorage.  Next time I would stay at the Copper Whale Inn, right on the 5th Street access to the Coastal Trail, and closer to most of the activities listed below.

• Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (PDF map)
• Native Heritage Center
• Saturday Market
• Lucky Grocery & Deli to buy snacks for tomorrow 326 W 4th Ave 907-258-4877
• dinner at Glacier Brewhouse 737 W 5th (907)274-2739 .6 mi. from Days Inn.

Monday:  Somehow get to Egan Center (directions from Days Inn) in time to catch the 7:30am Denali Motorcoach arriving Denali Cabins noon.  Transfer to Kantishna bus departing 1:00 arriving Denali Backcountry Lodge 7:30.  Snacks and beverages on the bus and dinner upon arrival.  Check out this review and the pictures.

Tuesday, Wednesday:  Denali Backcountry Lodge activities including McKinley Bar Trail, Friday Creek Hikes, and Wonder Lake sunsets.

Thursday:  Kantishna bus departs 6:00am back to NP Entrance Railroad Depot for 12:35pm Denali Star departure arriving Anchorage 8:00pm.  Check into Ship Creek Comfort Inn.  This facility was very convenient for the trains, but not much else nearby.  Laundry machines are popular here, so try to get there first thing.  Front desk seemed to have an ample supply of quarters.

Friday (July 3):  Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic departs Anchorage across street from hotel 6:45am arrives Seward 11:05.  Apparently the July 4 activities in Seward are not to be missed, but we did by one day.  Renown Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise departs 11:30 (shuttle from train depot) and returns 5:30.  Shop for Diet Coke at Safeway and last chance to do laundry.  It was a bit of a hike from Safeway to the ship with our contraban soda, but worth it to avoid the $6/day extortion from the ship.  Thorn's is here too (not likely to have time).  Celebrity Millennium departs 9:00pm from Railroad Dock West.  Docking assignments here.  Early boarding requirements specified on Cruise docs were to ensure attendance at muster drill. This is not necessary, as an alternative muster presentation is scheduled for the first sea day.  Confirmed, Graham Sunderland is the naturalist.

Shore excursions and Cruise Highlights:

• Hubbard Glacier (Saturday 2-6p)
• Juneau (Sunday 8a-9p South Franklin Street Dock)
• Mendenhall Glacier hiking via MGT shuttle
• Perseverance Trail
• maybe Mt. Roberts Tram
• Last Chance Mine (taxi)
• get soap at Glacier Smoothie
• eat at Twisted Fish
• Skagway (Monday 7a-8:30p Railroad Dock Aft)
• National Park Visitors Center 45 minute ranger guided tour of town
• another Skagway page with walking tours and maps
• In the Skagway cemetery, read about the bank robber with the bomb
• Smugglers Cove / Yakutania Point trail
• White Pass & Yukon Railroad to Frasier then bicycle back 12:30p.  Check out this review and this video.
• Icy Strait Point (Tuesday 7a-4p tendered)
• Ketchikan (Wednesday 9a-6p Dock 1 - Salmon Landing)
• Kayak Orcas Cove 10:00am meet at rain gauge with SE Sea Kayaks
• walking tour... pick up a map at the visitor center, and stop in at the Alaska Discovery Center, and Totem Heritage Museum.  A routing I recommend is to go down Mission, to the Fox Lodge funicular, take that up and go out the back, beautiful totems in the entry.  Walk back down the Married Man's Trail, turn right on Park.  If salmon running, take a look at the ladder.  If not turn right to the Totem Heritage Museum and Hatchery - if of interest get a combo ticket.  Continue through the city park and down Deermont.  Gets you a nice look at residential life.  Go to end, turn right.  Walk back to Creek St. consider a tour of Dolly's House- keep an eye on the shower curtain (THIS WAS COPIED FROM ANOTHER POST)
• look for the van with the sign "Native Tours $15"
• blue bus to Totem Bight SP ... allow 3 hours per BudgetQueen... bus also stops at Walmart... catch at the Eagle totem... details in the CruiseCritic perspective and here...
• Deer Creek hike (requires transport)
• Inside Passage (Thursday)
• Track lighthouses by GPS
• 8:20pm Slack tide at Seymour Narrows

Friday (July 10):  Dock Vancouver Ballantyne Terminal East 7:00am.  Flight home departs 6:20pm.  According to this, ship should be empty by 10:30.  Here are some options...

• US Direct to YVR and hang out for 8 hours
• Putterdude's suggestions from Cruise Critic
• Bayshore Bicycle Rentals see here for rides.
• Store Luggage at CDS Baggage Service (604)303-4500, who will deliver to YVR.  Unfortunately, as they are located at Canada Place, taxi service from Ballantyne and to YVR is prohibitively expensive.
• Rent car from Avis (about C$65).  Confirmed with local Vancouver Office (604)606-2869, despite instructions from national call center, no need to call for pickup as Avis staff is at the Ballantyne Pier for cruise ship arrival.

Legend:

Denali Lodges

Celebrity Cruises

Tour Saver Coupon Book

Independently arranged