Nana,

Prior to our July '05 Mariner Alaska cruise, we debated doing the Banff/Lake Louise etc. pre-cruise. Last year, I believe it was only 4 nights, 2 of which were in Vancouver, which we had been to at least twice, albeit 25? yrs. ago, we later realized. Vancouver was a totally different BOOMING city from our memory; still beautiful because of its natural setting and we enjoyed (arrived day before cruise.) So we opted for the Denali post-cruise, 4 nights,recommended by friends, which was enjoyable , except that DH got sick with ? (infection, high fever, respiratory, etc., evidently day before we got off ship but he didn't tell me.) I did go on the Denali tour, which he insisted on, and the scope/vistas/animal sightings were most impressive. Did NOT see the mountain but that is such a luck of the draw, I don't know how you calculate that, except to get an analysis from Anchorage/Talkeetna the day of and go for it! (flightseeing.) The RSSC tour operator, Premier Alaska Tours, was excellent.

Hubbard Glacier will be seen on the cruise - awesome! The SCALE of everything in Alaska is really beyond my descriptive capabilities, compared to Switzerland, Italian Dolomites, US Rockies, etc.

Just my experience, hope it's helpful.

If you read through the MUSH posts, you'll see that some previous Alaska cruisers (ChatKat and Masaki and others,) are doing a Denali extension on their own so as to experience the inland country.