Meals on tour portion of Cruisetours

[PapaBear]

On a Princess Cruisetour in Alaska, starting on the tour first, are meals included?
I know meals are included on the cruise portion. If meals are not provided, what do the meals cost? Where do you eat?

[Donna]

I have heard that the meals are not included. I believe they do serve meals in the lodge, as for the cost, have no idea....I know that can certainly add up.

[Mike M]

On most cruise tours you can purchase a meal plan. It works out to about $50/day/pp.

If you do a pay as you go for an Alaskan cruise tour you can figure that you will pay, for two people, around $15 for breakfast, lunches around $20-25 and dinners $25-35.

If you are in a city/town you can go out on your own and find a different restaurant then the ones at the hotel but often they can be hard to find. At places like Denali you basically have to eat at the lodge.

Take care,
Mike

[nmnita]

Unless stated meals are not included on the tour portion of the trip.

Nita

[MercedMike]

You need to read the description of the cruisetour VERY carefully. EACH day will spefcify exactly what meals are included and which you pay for. As noted above, you can purchase a meal plan for the whole tour and that siimplifies everything. However it is less expensive and more flexible to do it yourself.

Most times you will get breakfast at the hotel for speed and ease. Prices in Alaska might be 50% more than in the States. Actually it worked very well for us to get some fruit bars and juice concentrate and grab a quick bite in our hotel room.

In some instances lunch will be included, especially in the more "out of the way" places. Otherwise they will stop at a small restaurant or road house and you will buy your own lunch. Usually a couple of snack stops are made along the way.

There is a very good dining room on the train for breakfast or lunch depending on your schedule.

In Denali there are good restaurants and coffee shops at the hotel and others along the road, even a Subway!

Certain meals may be offered as special options, such as the Log Cabin Dinner or the Covered Wagon breakfast.

Check out our trip report and pictures at Alaska Cruiestour – The Cruise for some ideas.

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Donna]

Ok, I am thinking, these meals are something to budget for and include in your vacation fund...Now, the big question, how is the food at the lodge?

[MercedMike]

Originally Posted by Donna

Ok, I am thinking, these meals are something to budget for and include in your vacation fund...Now, the big question, how is the food at the lodge?

The food on the cruise tour is NOT cruise line food. The restaurants at the Lodge are as good as most routine hotel restaurants anyplace. The Cabin Night Dinner serves up a big mess of ribs, salmon, potatoes, and beans, all you can eat. The Log Cabin Breakfast has scrambled eggs with salmon, reindeer sausage and blueberry pancakes.

You won't have any problem with the food, but you will miss the MDR on the ship!

[Donna]

That does sound good, but what is the reindeer sausage???

[RichC]

When we went to Alaska we did the land portion first & then the cruise. I recall all the food prices as being extremely high so it's something you should prepare yourself for. In the larger cities you can find some decent prices in order to conserve but it was still high compared to what we find at home.

[DougR.]

Originally Posted by Donna

That does sound good, but what is the reindeer sausage???

Where do you think Santa sends his retired reindeer?

Seriously it is simply sausage made with reindeer meat. When I was stationed up there I had it occasionally and liked it.

[Snoozeman]

I would NOT do the food plan. Limits your options. I don't recall any breakfasts included although some lunches were included on travel days. I just did an extended HAP land tour...review on my blog.

HAP = Holland America Princess