My partner and I did the HAL E2S cruisetour from August 23 thru Sept. 4. This cruisetour allowed us to stay in Denali National Park at the end of the park road at the Denali Backcountry Lodge. I can't say how happy we were that we selected this option, as staying in the park was exceptional. The Denali Backcountry Lodge was clean and comfortable. The food was quite good and the staff was very accommodating and helpful. We saw lots of wildlife on the way in and on the way out; got to see the big 5 (yes even a wolf). The highlight of the land tour was being able to hike inside Denali. We did guided hikes each morning with staff from the Backcountry Lodge, and hikes on our own each afternoon. We had exceptional weather that allowed us to see Mt. McKinley out in full view on two separate days! To get to the Denali Backcountry Lodge, we took the train from Fairbanks and then a bus (just like the park buses) into the Lodge. The train was very comfortable and the food (which you buy) was very good. The bus ride was long, but because you're looking for wildlife, and because the scenery is breathtaking, the time passes quickly. The bus ride in is very similar to the Tundra Wilderness tour, except it goes further into the park (right to the end) and you don't pay extra for it. The driver stops for all wildlife sightings and makes extra stops for bathroom and snack breaks. Again, I would highly recommend doing the land portion of your cruisetour this way if you're booking through HAL.

Leaving the Backcountry Lodge, you take the bus out (which gives you another chance to view wildlife) and then we took the train to Anchorage. Again, train was comfortable and food was good. Stayed overnight at the Anchorage in Hilton which was fine. Next day took a bus to Seward and did the Kenai Fjord cruise as an excursion. This was a fun excursion. The weather was good and we saw whales, puffins, sea lions, porpoises and calving glaciers. The excursion ended and we were bussed less than a mile to the Zaandam.

Boarding the Zaandam was quick and easy. We were on board in less than ten minutes. Went to our room, a veranda room and our bags were waiting for us. Because it was after 6:00 pm, we went up to the Lido deck for dinner. We set sail at 8:00 pm. Read more