Don’t just cruise:
cruısetour!
By T. Foster Jones
WHAT, YOU MAY ASK, is a cruisetour?
A cruisetour is a land-sea combination
that allows travelers to experience a destination’s most exciting areas that are best accessed
by ship as well as those inland sights that
would otherwise be missed on a cruise.
Typically, a cruisetour includes lodging,
transportation and a host of activities. It can
be arranged with either the cruise portion
prior to the multi-night land adventure or the
land portion first and then the cruise.
To introduce travelers to the enormous
Alaskan interior (more than twice the size of
Texas)—from the wildlife and glaciers of the
Kenai Peninsula to the soaring peak of
Mount McKinley and all the way up to
Fairbanks—several cruise lines have developed multi-night land extensions, with
coach-and-rail tours that let cruisers go
places ships cannot take them.
For instance, the two highlights that get
mentioned the most are viewing glaciers and
Denali National Park. You can get to glaciers
on a cruise ship, but if you want to get to
Denali, you have to get there on land. Cruise
lines offer various cruisetours that include
train trips to Denali; overnight stays in lodges
with convenient access to the park; and treks
to look out for inhabitants of the park,
including grizzly bears, moose, caribou,
wolves and Dall sheep.
“Cruisetours are a great way for first tim-
ers or really anyone to travel to Alaska without
giving up any of their creature comforts,” says
Shannon Parker of Costco Travel. “They offer
a unique opportunity to see the highlights,
which can take people a lot of time trying to
craft into an itinerary themselves. And they
appeal to a broad range of travelers by offering
a lot of choices, so the key is qualifying the
best options for your travel pace and style.”
Cruisetours offer combinations of shor-
ter or longer cruises and shorter or longer
multi-night land tours, so you can choose
CELEBRI T Y CRUISES®
2012 BUYER’S CHOICE
ALASKA CRUISE TOURS
13-Night Cruise Tours #13 or #16
Rail travel is one mode of a cruisetour’s
access to Alaska’s expansive interior.
FROM $2,529 PER PERSON* UP TO $545 SHIPBOARD CREDIT† Savings and values: $630 per person. Valid on select June, July and August 2012 departures.
which (land or sea) has the greatest appeal on
any particular trip.
In regard to the land portion, each line
handles it differently—larger or smaller
groups, meals included or not, the services of
a dedicated tour director or just a driver-guide, and different offshore activities.
And the land tour itineraries can vary
widely, with each offering a different combination of inland destinations and amounts of
time spent in each place.
Some cruisetours offer an escort or guide
for part or all of your cruisetour experience.
This can make the difference between just
seeing the area and really understanding
what you’re looking at.
“Our tour directors serve as guide, histo-
rian and concierge for the entire trip,” says
Aimee Price, who represents Celebrity
Cruises. “They help create a memorable
vacation that will live on for years.”
To truly get the most out of your cruise-
tour experience, “do your homework,”
advises Lauren Andersen, senior buyer for
Costco Travel. “And, of course, Costco Travel
is here to make it as easy as possible.” C
COSTCO MEMBER VALUES:
• Complimentary upgrade from 2C Balcony to
C3 Concierge Class Balcony (re;ected in price)
• Wine & martini tasting seminars (1st and 2nd passengers)
• Four-course dinner in RMS Olympic Restaurant
(1st and 2nd passengers)
• Bottle of wine & chocolate-covered strawberries
(per stateroom)
• Meal aboard Wilderness Express® train (per person)
• Talkeetna lodge meal voucher (per person)
• $200 off third and fourth guest rates (per person,
sharing the stateroom)
• Celebrity onboard coupon book (perstateroom)
• Alaska land tour coupon book (perroom)
*Price shown is per person based on double occupancy, is valid for select
stateroom categories only, and does not include government taxes/fees and
gratuities. Prices are in U.S. dollars, are true and accurate at time of printing,
are valid for travel as speci;ed, are valid for ne w bookings only and are available
to Costco members residing in the United States. All offers and inclusions are
subject to availability and may change or be terminated without notice. Seasonal
surcharges, availability, blackout dates and restrictions may apply. Any unused
portion(s) of inclusions are nontransferable, nonrefundable and not redeemable for
cash. Cancellation and change fees may apply. Unless other wise noted, offers are
not combinable with select rate codes, coupons or other offers. Travel purchases
are not included in the Executive Membership annual 2% Reward program. Offer
shown is cruise tour-only. Costco Travel disclaims liability for any inaccuracies or
typographical errors. Ship’s registry: Bahamas. †Shipboard credit is per stateroom
based on double occupancy. For bookings made within three weeks of departure,
shipboard credit is not guaranteed. Costco Travel is registered as a seller of
travel in each of the states listed: California registration number: CS T
2054248-50 • Florida registration number: ST 32555 • Hawaii registration
number: TAR 5595 • Iowa registration number: TA 620 • Nevada Seller
of Travel registration number: 2007-0060 • Washington registration
number: WST 602042600. Registration as a California Seller of Travel
doesnotconstituteapprovalbythestate. 11TR1302 8/11
The Costco Connection
Costco Travel offers a wide selection of cruisetours featuring a variety of options. Click on
“Travel” at Costco.com or call 1-877-849-2730.
