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John Hall's Alaska: Current News
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Release Date: 6/23/10
2011 Tour Dates Announced!
23 Day Fall Colors of Alaska & the Canadian Rockies - Aug 26
21 Day Cordova, Kennicott & the Arctic Circle - July 9
20 Day Alaska & the Klondike Gold Rush - June 12 & Aug 7
15 Day Grand Slam Alaska- June 3, July 1, July 8, July 29, Aug 5, Aug 19 & Aug 26
14 Day Denali Explorer - June 4, June 11, June 25, July 16, July 23, Aug 13, Aug 20, Aug 27 & Sept 3
13 Day Wild Alaska-- June 19, June 26 & July 24 |
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Release Date: 10/27/09
Alaska Cruise Tax Consequences- UPDATE: Cruise Tax Has Since Been Reduced as Alaska Govenor Sean Parnell Gets Busy Working For Alaska's Tourism.
The Alaska Cruise Tax has charged Alaska visitors an extra $50 per head since 2006 when it was implemented as a way to raise state revenues. Recently, major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Princess and Holland America announced that they would be reducing the number of ships sailing Alaskan waters come 2010. The reason? It costs more for people to travel to Alaska now and their inventory could be better used elsewhere.
This way of thinking has many Alaskans worried. The reduction in cruise passengers is sure to have a entirely negative effect on hotel, restaurant and tour attraction business for 2010. As a result the First Things First Alaska Foundation, an organization that works to promote Alaska's economic development, sponsored a summit in Juneau on July 24th, 2009. All businesses were invited to come speak out against this Cruise Tax. Alternatives to the Cruise Tax were discussed with the objective of making Alaska a more affordable destination. Nothing definitive was decided but the seed has been planted.
"It's a long shot, but if we act now, we might be able to draw some of the cruise ships back for 2011," Peggy McConnochie, First Things First Alaska Foundation executive director explains. "I would tell them [state government] to look very carefully at the unintended consequences of what they do," McConnochie says. "Are they really helping or hurting themselves? When you start taxing people who don't live there, where are you going to get that money if they leave?"
A second summit took place August 20th in Anchorage, Alaska and a third summit in Fairbanks as well. This is a hot button issue at the moment in Alaskan politics and we will continue to follow its developments.
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Release Date: 9/2/09
The Truth About Alaska Travel
Alaska will see approximately 1.4 million visitors in 2010. Of those, 74% will take a cruise but only 18% will visit Fairbanks and only 4% will see Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. John Hall's Alaska visits both of these destinations with two days in Fairbanks and either visits to the park or overnights there.
About 400,000 people will travel to Denali National Park each summer but only 20,000 of those people will get the chance to overnight at Kantishna. Kantishna is at the end of the Denali Park road and a trip back here allows for about 40% more wildlife viewing than the 6-8 hour Tundra Wilderness Tour. John Hall's Alaska is one of only a few major tour operators taking guests back to Kantishna.
Last year the Alaska Railroad transported over 500,000 visitors between Fairbanks, Denali and their cruise ships. It takes over 16 hours to travel this route! John Halls Alaska includes only a four hour trip on the Alaska Railroad because this is an important experience to have while in Alaska but its not something that should take 16 hours. The train is historic and provides excellent scenery, however, it cannot stop for every animal you come across and you may find that Alaska just passes you by when you travel the entire distance by train.
Other fun facts:
1). John Halls Alaska has chosen to partner with Celebrity Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as they are the highest rated cruise lines in Alaska today.
2).John Halls Alaska guests have rated the small boat cruise across Prince William Sound as their favorite attraction for three consecutive years. The wildlife 10-12 hour Kantishna trip into Denali National Park rated a close second.
3). John Hall's Alaska is one of the few major tour operators in Alaska to maintain an "A" Better Business Bureau rating. We are a customer service based company specializing in a value-added approach to visiting Alaska.
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Release Date: 8/28/09
New for 2010- What You Can Expect!
Viewers As 2010 approaches guests will see some changes from previous years past. By far the largest change will come in the cruise lines partnered with us. Celebrity Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International have now outranked Princess and Holland America in Alaska cruise ratings so we will be swithcing gears and bringing you itineraries featuring these two superior cruise lines. In addition, those of your who have been following the John Hall's Alaska tour family may notice that pricing seem lower this year. What tou see is correct! Alaska has once again become a more affordable destination for retirees, friends and familes. We haven't seem these prices since right after 9/11. Please remenber to book early to take advantage of any discounts offered! |
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Release Date: 6/18/09
Alaska Featured Subject on Ace of Cakes TV Show
Viewers may notice that master cake decorator "Duff" from the hit TV show Ace of Cakes will take a trip to Alaska on the July 19th episode of his show. The Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) sent Duff on a winter trip to Alaska to have some fun and get inspired. Duff found his inspiration on the snow covered slopes outside of the Alyeska Resort and used that inspiration to design an incredible cake.
You can catch re-runs of this episode on the Food Network channel. |
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Release Date: 6/10/09
2009 Marks 50th Anniversary for Alaska Statehood- Marks 25th Year of Alaska Touring for John Hall's Alaska!
We invite you to explore Alaska's majestic landscapes, witness its wild rivers and marvel in its abundant wildlife in celebration of John Hall's Alaska's 25th year of touring! Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 but it remained a territory until President Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill in 1959.
The best part about enjoying Alaska's 50th year of statehood is knowing that much of the state remains virtually untouched and unchanging. Where else in the nation can you proclaim this to be true? Alaska is truly North America's last remaining frontier. |
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Release Date: 3/31/09
Mount Redoubt Eruption Will NOT Effect 2009 Tours
We would like to let our 2009 guests know that there is no need to worry about your upcoming Alaska vacation. John Halls Alaska has taken the appropriate steps to ensure that all tour itineraries will not be effected by the Mount Redoubt volcanic eruptions. In the unlikely event that an activity is effected, an equivalent attraction will be substituted or guests will be fully compensated for that small portion of their tour.
The best way for guests to follow along with these fantastic natural events is to watch streaming video and pictures posted on the Alaska Volcano Observatory web site. |
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Release Date: 11/21/08
New Pictures of Tour Manager Caryn's Baby Sedona
Tour Manager Caryn would like her past guests to know that she delivered a beautiful baby girl in mid-October. Caryn named her Sedona and the two of them are living happily in Fairbanks, Alaska! Caryn will not be back as a John Hall's Alaska tour manager next year as she is a very busy new mommy now but we wish her the absolute best in the future! |
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Release Date: 11/15/08
12 Day 1898 tour now includes 2 nights stay at Kantishna!
12 Day 1898 Gold Trail guests have another reason to get excited for this summer. They will be taking the 12-hour wildlife tour into Denali National Park but instead of lunch at Kantishna, guests will be staying there for two night at the Backcountry Lodge. Kantishna can only take about 80 guests a day and accommodations there are among the most coveted in Alaska. John Hall Sr. says, "we were given the permission for additional overnights and decided to pass this on to our12 day travelers at no additional cost. We believe it will prove to be one of the biggest highlights of the trip due to the genuine wilderness setting and potential for viewing wildlife while there."
John Hall's Alaska now has 6 different tours that allow visitors the opportunity to stay two nights at Kantishna. For more information please check out the tour highlights at the top of each Alaska tour package page! |
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Release Date: 11/11/08
John Hall's Alaska featured on "On The Road" KSTP TV show!
John Hall's Alaska had the pleasure of hosting the film crew of "On The Road with Jason Davis" on their whirl wind tour of Alaska featuring Minnesotans working in Alaska. This30-minute show will give viewers a look at John Hall's Alaska guests on tour and includes a private interview with John Hall Sr. himself! Stan Stephens, owner of Stan Stephens Cruises out of Valdez, Alaska and preferred vendor of John Hall's Alaska will also be featured in Mr. Davis' show.
John Hall's Alaska would like to thank Mr. Davis for thinking of us and for taking the time to entertain us while in Alaska last summer. Thank you also to KSTP TV! |
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Release Date: 2/3/08
2009 John Hall's Alaska Cruisetours Now All-Inclusive!!!
Over the past few years travelers to Alaska have seen rising prices in everything from meals to hotel stays, fuel cost supplements to everyday attractions. In an effort to ease visitors worries about where to invest time and finances when planning an Alaska vacation, John Hall's Alaska announces that they have done all of the work for you! For the 2009 tour season all meals, attractions, accommodations, motorcoach travel, rail travel, cruise travel, baggage handling, port charges, taxes and fees have been included in every package.The very highest quality accommodations and attractions have been chosen in every location and as always the special touches that we are famous for will still be there for 2009.
Guests always have access to unlimited bottled water and other beverages. They will still have unlimited access to custom DVD's for burning vacation photos. The best part about the all-inclusive nature of these tours is that you can see the value included in each tour from the start of the trip. You can also avoid the unexpectedly large credit card bills that so many of us come home to after vacations.
John Hall's Alaska renegotiates vendor contracts every year to ensure that our A+ service standard is followed. Any vendor( hotel, restaurant or attraction) that does not live up to the John Hall's Alaska A+ standard will not have a renewed contract for the following year. This is how we ensure our guests that they will experience and A+ Alaskan vacation!
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