3 itinerary changes

British

Tauck notified us today that there are three changes to our July trip. One is a big one, we are no longer docking at Ketchikan to see the native peoples, the village, totem poles etc and I think there was a talk, instead, we are going to Victoria Canada for a tour and to go to Butchart Gardens, we love gardens but have been to them before on a previous Tauck Canada tour. This has really disappointed my husband, but of course it is Princess who have made the change. So this involves a different day at sea too. In addition, we can’t go too far into Denali on day 5 because the road is closed for repairs.
Has anyone else been notified of the changes?

Sealord

On our first trip to Alaska the ship was given a totem pole. They strapped it on deck above the swimming pool. My wife and I were in the hot tub when a news crew came aboard and interviewed us about the pole. We of course never saw the interview on TV.

Barb Richardson

Late last year, we received notification that the ship we had booked for Grand Alaska had changed. I specifically wanted the smaller ship and had selected a certain cabin. I asked Tauck if we could get our money back, but because Princess made the change, the only thing that they would let us do is switch to another cruise. We did not want another cruise, so we're on the larger ship which does not go in the Inside Passage, which is a change. We were also notified about the Denali changes. I am more concerned about the fact that Princess Cruises is the cruise line with the most publicity about their incidence of Covid cases and lack of resources to adequately deal with it.

kfnknfzk

Tauck has a small ship cruise of the Inside Passage, details of which can be found on their website.

British

Grand Alaska is land and sea, we would not want just the cruise part. We’ve never been on a big cruise ship, it’s not really our thing but realized it was the best way to see most of Alaska. Hopefully the ship will not be full. It’s all paid for now, we can’t really think about yet another fully paid trip we have to wait for, we already have our next year Israel and Jordan fully paid for and three other tours booked.

Lee_Milovich1

British, What is the date of your trip, Our itinerary shows no change to docking in Ketchikan. Day 5 does show the change you mentioned since the road is closed for repairs from landslides.

British

Hello Lee, our tour is July 9th. Our final documents show the change but the map for the tour still shows us docking in Ketchikan not Victoria. When I looked at the general tour itineraries on the web page, it still had the original itinerary that we booked, but Tauck frequently does not correct every part of a tour components if there are changes, they spell destinations wrongly, tell you to pack shorts when you are going somewhere Im winter, things like that.
When is your date? We were never offered another date to take the tour with the original tour. We assumed it was a Covid thing.

Lee_Milovich1

British, we're on the 7/2 tour. I don't go by the map. I look at the day by day itinerary and day 13 (July 14 for us) shows we arrive in Ketchikan and visit a Tlingit village. Also, my experience with Tauck is that when it comes to packing lists, etc. they generalize and don't offer specific, trip related information.

British

Lee, so did you receive your final paperwork? Hummm!

Lee_Milovich1

Yes, we received our papers about 10 days ago.

British

Thanks Lee, our bad luck I guess.

Packerfan41215

Yes, we received notification of changes in the itinerary. Day 5, Denali because of the road closure but we have not heard anything about not stopping in Ketchikan. I'm sorry they are not stopping there on your tour. I would be so disappointed if we didn't get to stop there.

Lee_Milovich1

Hey Packer, what’s the date of your tour? Go, Niners!

carolv

For those traveling in 2022 and arriving a day early in Anchorage, wanted to provide some info on something to do in downtown.

1. https://www.furrondy.net/mushing-district/mushing-district/ I think the visitor center might have a self-guided walking tour of this area. Not sure where I got this: Anchorage mushing district: statue of Balto 4th Ave bet C and F St. signage describes the history of sled dog use in Alaska. Banners and plaques celebrate famous sled dogs and mushers such as George Attla, Joe Reddington. Mushing Hall of Fame in the Fur Rondy shop on 4th Ave. Located at the start line of the Iditarod and the World Championship Sled Dog Races, the focal point of the District is a steel truss arch with the silhouette of a dog team and musher racing across the arch. Detour north to visit the Small Boat Harbor and a statue honoring Grandma Olga Ezi, a Dena’ina Athabascan matriarch of the Upper Cook Inlet region. Take time to read the educational signs to learn more about the area’s Dena’ina heritage. Nearby Ship Creek, originally called Dgheyay Kaq', was a popular fishing location long before Anchorage existed, and it remains in use today. Stop by the fish viewing platforms at King’s Landing to see local anglers. Head back to busy 6th Ave to see the work of local muralists displayed prominently on the SEED Lab exterior. A few blocks west, Town Square Park is a popular destination in all seasons: Catch live music and outdoor exercise classes in the summer, and ice skating and holiday lights displays in the winter. Continue the tour of downtown green spaces at the Centennial Rose Garden, a lush enclave near the western end of the Delaney Park Strip. In the summer months, the garden blooms with dozens of flourishing rose bushes, offering an oasis of shade on the sunny park strip. Stroll north along L Street to see some of Anchorage’s early architecture and reach Resolution Park, home to sweeping views of Cook Inlet and a statue of its namesake, British explorer Captain James Cook.
2. Tony Knowles Coastal Trail: 11-mi along coastline (can obviously just do part if walking). Access is available at the extreme NE end of West 2nd Ave. near the RR depot? Elderberry Park: This quaint downtown park is named after the delicious fruiting shrub. Enjoy romantic views of Cook Inlet from the swing set and tour Anchorage's oldest standing home, the Oscar Anderson House (9-5 sat. $5 sr.) 907-929-9870 OscarAndersonHouse@gmail.com. reserve on line . constructed in 1915, is one of the oldest homes in Anchorage. Oscar Anderson, by his own account, was the 18th person to arrive in the “Tent City” at Ship Creek in early 1915. Anderson was an early, active business leader with interests in meat packing, coal production, air transportation, and newspaper publishing. Hannahcove Garden: Stop and reflect at this memorial rock garden to Alaskan children lost before their time. Enjoy the wildflowers and trees, including a flex pine from interior Alaska and a sculpted larch. Rest on boulders brought in from the Chugiak Range (to the east) while viewing the immense mountains of the Alaska Range (to the north). Wooden Bridge: Over Marsh Look for tall, furry cattail plants, and listen for the mating call of the northern wood frog which sounds like the quacking of a duck. Westchester Lagoon: Burn some calories on the public outdoor workout station. Spot waterfowl, such as Red—necked Grebes with their large floating nests and Canada geese, which feed on the open lawns. Fish Creek Bridge: This short wooden bridge crosses a popular salmon fishing creek. Downriver you'll see deep channels that the creek has carved into the mud flats. In late summer, salmon migrate up to the estuary to spawn.Beach: Jump off the trail and comb the beaches of Anchorage. At low tide you can touch the dense glacial silt of the mudflats (but do not walk on them). Unlike sandy beaches of the south, pebbles and gravel left by glaciers coat the shoreline. Lynn Ary Park: Enjoy the baseball fields, tennis courts, and playground. This is also a perfect spot to view Mt. Susitna, or Sleeping Lady, named after a native Alaskan legend, which says the mountain lady will awaken when her lover returns from battle with news of peace. Benches: With Downtown View Catch your breath and soak in the city views as you prepare to enter the more forested section of the trail. Earthquake Park Exhibits: Describing how the 1964 earthquake shelved off a huge swath of land here. Take a short side trek on the spur trail to distinguish between thick white spruce on one side of the trail and scraggly black spruce on the other. Old—Growth: Grove Undisturbed by the earthquake or development, the old—growth trees in this location are more knotted than in other parts of the trail where the vegetation is more recent. Notice the heavily armored cottonwood trees and birches with enormous burls. Volcano Vantage: Breaks in the trees along the trail reveal views of some of Alaska's living volcanoes, including Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Spurr. The latter blanketed Anchorage in ash during an eruption in 1992. features a portion of The Anchorage Light Speed Planet Walk, which is a scale model of our solar system. navigate the planet stations along 5th Ave and the Coastal Trail to experience the scale of our solar system and unique features of each planet.
   Taking the walk, you experience the relative size of the planets and their distance from the Sun. The scale was chosen so that a leisurely walking pace mimics the speed of light. On this scale, each step equals the distance light travels in one second (186,000 miles). It should take you about 8 minutes to walk from the Sun station at 5th and G (a tiled representation of the Sun, weighing close to 6,000 pounds. learn about the evolution of our solar system and discover interesting facts about our star, the Sun) to the Earth station almost at 5th and L, just as it takes 8 minutes for a light beam to travel from the real Sun to the real Earth. Similarly, it takes a light beam 5 1/2 hours to reach Pluto at Kincaid Park. On your way to Mercury, stop at The Imaginarium and see their indoor exhibit of the solar system. If you're lucky, arrive for lecture about the solar system.
   https://anchoragecoastaltrail.com/
3. I probably obsess for no reason as the hotel will have ideas.
4. Safe travels British. Look forward to your report!

British

Thanks Carol, I just pasted your post onto my notes. Three more days!

TEF

The 1 1/2 hour Red Trolley Ride in Anchorage is very nice and informative. Great overview of the city. Most stores in the city do not open until 11 am. It was upsetting to see the amount of homeless individuals that are all over the town lawns and parks.

PureLuxury

Tauck notified us today that there are three changes to our July trip

British: Not the best news (sucks!). I'm sure you'll make the best of it as it appears you and Mr. B are not going to cancel at this point.

British

Nope, packed and ready and just paid In full for our next tour in September.
Thanks for the tips on Anchorage everyone.