Quick Answer
This is where Alaska planning gets interesting, because you start out thinking you're choosing a cruise and pretty soon somebody tells you, “Well, if you're going all the way to Alaska, you HAVE to see Denali.” And now you're looking at trains and lodges and Fairbanks and Interior Alaska, and your Alaska cruise has turned into something much bigger.
And honestly, that can be fantastic. Some of my favorite Alaska experiences have happened because I went beyond the cruise. But adding land changes the whole shape of the trip. You're going to see a different part of Alaska, travel differently, sleep in different places, and experience the state in a completely different way.
I'd start with the trip you're picturing in your head, because once I know what you really want to see and how you like to travel, this decision gets a whole lot easier.
What Are You Actually Adding?
When people say they want to “add Denali” to an Alaska cruise, it almost sounds like we're adding another port. Denali is inland, so you're actually heading into a completely different part of Alaska.
The cruise gives you coastal Alaska: glaciers, fjords, whales, mountains and towns like Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. Head inland and everything starts opening up. Now we're talking about Denali, Talkeetna, maybe Fairbanks, huge stretches of wilderness and some pretty spectacular travel in between.
And for a lot of people, that journey is part of why they add land in the first place. Riding through Alaska on a train isn't simply transportation. That's part of the trip.
Is a Seven-Night Alaska Cruise Enough?
Absolutely. There is a LOT of Alaska in a seven-night cruise.
Depending on the itinerary, you may visit several Southeast Alaska ports, experience Glacier Bay or another major glacier area, whale watch, take a helicopter onto a glacier, ride the White Pass railway, fish, hike or just spend a ridiculous amount of time staring outside because Alaska does that to you.
My mother's first cruise was a seven-night round-trip Alaska sailing from Vancouver, and that was exactly the right trip for her. She could go experience Alaska during the day and come back to the same cabin and familiar surroundings every evening.
So when someone comes to me with a week, I am perfectly comfortable planning an incredible cruise-only Alaska trip.
When Does Land Start Making Sense?
Denali usually gives me the answer pretty quickly.
If you've always wanted to see Denali National Park, ride the Alaska Railroad or experience Interior Alaska, then yes, we need to start looking beyond the cruise. And if you've wanted to go to Alaska forever, have 10 to 14 days and aren't sure when you'll be back, I completely understand wanting to experience both.
This is where I start looking at how the land itinerary actually flows. How much time are you spending in Denali? Where else are you going? What are you doing once you get there?
Cruise line cruisetours can make all of this pretty easy because the hotels, transportation and cruise are already connected. There can also be several different cruisetours within the same cruise line, and they aren't necessarily interchangeable. One might spend more time in Denali, another might include Fairbanks, and another may give you more independent time.
That's why I look beyond the big number of days on the itinerary.
Land First or Cruise First?
Ahhh, this question.
A lot of people like doing land first because it tends to be the more active part of the trip. Then you board the ship, unpack for the last time, order a drink and cruise south.
I get the appeal.
That graphic shows one example of how beautifully that can flow. You begin inland, experience Fairbanks and Denali, work your way toward the coast and then continue south by ship.
But flights, dates, cruise direction and the rest of the itinerary all matter, so this is one of those decisions I make after I can see the whole trip.
So, Should You Add Land?
Here's the question I usually come back to: What would you be really disappointed to come home from Alaska without seeing?
If the answer is Denali, well, now we're getting somewhere.
If you've been dreaming about glaciers, whales, coastal towns, amazing excursions and waking up with Alaska outside your balcony every morning, a cruise may be exactly what you want.
And if you tell me, “Christine, I want all of it,” that's fine too.
Now we have a trip to plan.
Deciding on the route itself? Read How to Choose the Best Alaska Cruise Itinerary.
