Let me start saying Alaska is a wonderful place, truly a must-see for anyone. The scenery is unparalleled, and the entire experience not to be missed in a lifetime. This is also a combo-review. I am reviewing the land tour as well as it was integral to our overall experience.

DW and I are seasoned travelers, both in our late-50s. Little bumps in the road are generally part of the fun. We were traveling with a group of nine, who were all family members ranging from mid-twenties to eighty. All have been around, and have cruised happily before. In full disclosure, for most, including myself, this was our first with Princess, and first booked through a major cruise agency.

We arranged our travel to Alaska through Princess, staying one night in Seattle prior to flying into Anchorage. We arrived there at 9:30 a.m. Princess agents at the airport check-in desk told us we'd be leaving on our bus soon, and to be back by 11:30. They distributed our boarding passes and then we sat until 2:30. Why? Turns out waiting for more passengers to arrive on later flights. Okay...here's how it works...I'm the customer on a time-limited visit with unlimited curiosity and anticipation. Princess, you're hired to help me use my time efficiently for the purposes of vacationing and sightseeing. Instead of having customers waiting hours (for more passengers), with Princess certainly knowing exactly the passenger transfer demand...ADJUST! A smaller "turtle bus" would have been welcome...or some straight-up information on a departure time so we might grab a cab and see the town a bit instead of cooling heels in the luggage pick-up hall. Read more