I would like some help  in planning an all inclusive tour of Alaska 
for the end of June beginning of July 2002. The trip is for two 
people and we'd like to begin in Vancouver BC. We would like to see
Victoria, then a cruise ship  up the Straights of Alaska then by rail
to a few of the national parks. Then back to Vancouver. We will be
starting our trip from Cleveland, Ohio. Any suggestions on other
sights along the way are welcome. Our ages are 55 and 65 female and
male.

The accomodations should be first class all the way. We would like to
spend  10 to 14 days.

Is there anyone who has been on this trip or what is the best way to
plan this.  What is the best blend of all the different modes of
transport  at a reasonable price.

Dear Enlightened,

Thank you for your travel inquiry!

The best way to plan a trip this detailed to with a professional
travel agent!  Here are some other good recommendations:

To glide past dramatic glaciers while sailing to the historic town of
Skagway, the charming city of Juneau and the tradition of Ketchikan,
check out Celebrity Cruise Lines Alaska packages.  They also allow you
to explore the beauty with Flightseeing tours, raft adventures and
gold panning expeditions.  They offer a cruise from Vancouver to
Alaska from May-Sept, 2002:

Celebrity Cruise Lines
http://www.royalcaribbean4me.com/celebrity_cruises/cruise_destinations/celebrity_cruises_destinations.htm
http://travelback.com/7alask.htm

Carnival:
http://www.carnival.com/default.asp

For travel agents specializing in Alaskan tours, contact:

Alaska trips by World Express Tours
http://www.worldexpresstour.com/

Alaska Tours
http://alaskatours.com/

More Alaska Tours
http://www.alaska-tour.com/

Good air fair, and often cheaper than the travel agents, can be found
at:

Hotwire
http://www.hotwire.com

Orbitz
http://www.orbitz.com

Alaska Air
http://www.alaskaair.com/

While there, be sure to try out some river rafting!  This is fun for
all ages and levels, from new-comers to experience rafters.  Some
recommended river tour guides are:

Kenai River Trips
http://www.alaskarivertrips.com/

Copper Oar
http://www.copperoar.com/cocharter.html

Another fun suggestion might be dog mushing!

Alaska dog sledding:
http://www.alaskadogsledding.com/index.html

If you enjoy photography, consider an Alaskan Photo Tour:
http://sederquist.com/ak2002.html

For something a little more adventurous, check out Wild land
Adventures:
Alaska Explorer
http://www.wildland.com/trips/Details/AKX.asp

Also, on a personal note, having been to Vancouver, BC, and thinking
it was the most beautiful place in the world, I would highly encourage
you to spend a few days there.  There’s a lot to do and see and it’s a
great city.  For some more tourist info on Vancouver, see:

Visit Vancouver
http://www.tourism-vancouver.org/docs/visit/
Vancouver Travel
http://www.vancouver.worldweb.com/

Search terms used:
Alaska
Alaska travel
Cruises
Vancouver
Alaska tours

Thank you and have a wonderful trip!

Best Regards,
Skis4JC

My family and I have been going to a great fishing lodge in
Southeastern Alaska for the past two years.  This lodge (McFarland's
Floatel) is located in Thorne Bay, AK and is run by a very friendly
couple who teach you how to catch crabs, fish for salmon, filet the
salmon, etc.  We live in Los Angeles, so we got to the Floatel by
first flying to Seattle-Tacoma, then taking Alaska Airlines to
Ketchikan, Alaska.  From there the McFarlands arrange for a float
plane to take you on a roughly thirty-minute ride from Ketchikan up
the Clarence Strait to the Floatel. However, if you are taking a
cruise I know that cruise ships pass very close to the Floatel and you
might be able to work something out, or just disembark at the cruise
ship dock in Ketchikan.  Go to
http://www.geocities.com/floatel_travel/index.html for more
information and photos about the Floatel. There are only three cabins
available, so you should contact them ASAP if you're interested.

I work for a tourism company in Alaska, and see a lot of very happy
guests who've done a great job in defining their Alaska dream. Your
choice of cruise ship might first be based on whether you want to be
on a large ship (emphasis on ports-of-call, shore excursions, crowds,
and lower price) or a small ship (emphasis on natural history,
intimate setting, activities, higher price). Then think about what
Alaska means to you (glaciers, Native culture, fishing, bears, cuisine
and people, unspoiled wilderness, Denali, etc.). These activities and
sights can be blended into your shore excursions and your visits to
national parks. For the basic package, I suggest cruising on a small
ship around Southeast Alaska (Lindblad, Cruise West, Glacier Bay,
Clipper). Then fly to Fairbanks and take the train to Denali. Stay
inside Denali National Park at one of the lodges in Kantishna. They
are expensive, but you get a true Alaska wilderness experience (and
not the crowds at the Park entrance). Want more? Then go to the Kenai
Peninsula and go rafting or fishing in the charming and scenic town of
Cooper Landing, or go on the Kenai Fjords National Park marine
wildlife and glacier day cruise. Many of the big cruise ships
disembark at Seward on the Kenai, so you can do the fjords and Cooper
Landing right from there.

My family has been going to Alaska for the past 5 consecutive summers
and there is more to see than you can do in 14 days.  The first trip
took 7 weeks and was just about the right amount of time to see a
major portion of the state.  My advice is to go over two summers or
maybe three.  The first you could spend in Southeast Alaska with an
itinerary something like:
1) 2 days in Ketchikan
2) 2 days in Wrangel where you take a powerboat up the Stikine River
3) 2 days in Petersburg
4) 3 days in Sitka (best place to fish)
5) 3 days in Gustavus visiting Glacier Bay and whale watching
6) 2 days in Skagway
7) 1-2 days in Juneau
8) 1 week at McFarland's Floatel to rest up and catch even more fish

You could have a great time especially if you researched all of this
yourself and made your own itinerary.  It's like a great adventure!