Anchorage to Whittier Transportation!
 

We will be on a cruise out of Whittier to Vancouver in June. What is the best and most economical way to get from Anchorage to Whittier preferably leaving in the a.m. in order to be at the port by before 1:00 p.m.

There is one train in each direction each day. When we took a Princess cruise last summer the train did not match the cruiseline schedule, so we ended up on the Princess-arranged bus. Probably not the most economical, but it allowed us to drop luggage in AM at bus departure point, spend the day in Anchorage, and not deal with luggage until it arrived on the ship. Our bus driver was good - pointing out sites and history along the way and took slight detour to allow us good photo op.

Thank you Gail. What time did you finally get to the ship? We were hoping to be there by 1 p.m. My understanding is that the transit through the cruise line is lst come lst serve type of thing, you sign in and wait to be assigned a bus. Is this how it works. I was also checking out Alaskan Leopard which offers transportation. Has anyone used them?
Thanks all!

Not sure about the "cruiseline schedule" that the train did not match. But it leaves at 10 am every day. And certainly will get you on the ship. BUT, I also suggest people may want to consider other options rather than rushing to get on a ship. There is plenty to see and do in Alaska, and especially if you are not returning soon, you may want to take advantage of being there.

A Prince William sound boat tour is fantastic, WAY superior to anything seen from your cruise ship.
Anchorage, also has plenty to see and do.

You have the option for transfer- Alaska RR, mentioned above, cruise contracted buses, one way rental car with Avis, independent buses, listings www.anchorage.net

If going soon, be aware of the rock slide and access restrictions.

Thanks Budget Queen. We are getting in late afternoon the day prior to the cruise so do not think we will have time to do any touring in Anchorage. We just got back from a 10 day Panama Canal cruise with the same ship in April so unfortunately we could not allow any longer for this cruise other than the cruise days but if you have suggestions I am certainly willing to look into them.

I do not remember exact times but problem was that the train got us to Whittier too early - and we would be stuck with luggage and no place to go - and Whittier is not the hub of excitement. Our cruise did not leave Whittier until the evening.

We let our luggage at some convention center around 10 AM and they told us to return at 2 or 3 - that time was fine with us, so not sure if we had a choice.

Don't know about cruise ship connections, but back in mid-90s drove to Portage & took train to Whittier (no road tunnel then); then took a daytrip catamaran cruise in Prince William Sound (Phillip's I think); it was worth every penny, covered a lot of ground as catamarans are fast, in rainy sleety weather(September), lots of glaciers, Orca, seals, eagles, one of the best day trips I've ever taken.

I will continue to state, the Prince William sound boat tours are an excellent use of time for Whittier cruises. Do NOT expect wildlife, like above. But loaded with endless beauty of the glaciers.

I am also cruising out of Whittier in June and have similar questions. The cruise ship doesn't leave until 9 pm. What's the best time to plan on checking in and getting aboard. I see that the local Prince Williams Sound day excursions are in the afternoon. Is there time for one of those before going aboard the cruise ship? Also, is there a secure place to store our luggage if we get to Whittier early and take a day excursion? I am a bit dissapointed that I haven't found better information on this aspect of the trip. Any advice from those that have gone before would be much appreciated.
Thank you

Absolutely, an excellent use of your time is getting on a boat tour of PWS. The vendors will store your bags and shuttle you back to the ship.

If leaving in AM and need to get to Anchorage early afternoon - these guys provide a solid option for a simple transfer http://alaskacruisetransfer.com/shut...ttle-transfer/ page above is just an example of direct bus shuttle but they seem to offer quite a bit more if you have the time.

Here are a few transportation options:
Train: alaskarailroad.com
Bus: alaskacoach.com
Independent operators: akcruiseshuttle.com
akcruiseconnect.com

And this trip was originally posted in 09. I can see your new on here, just wanted you to know about the dates. It is ok to post on older stuff, but just wanted you to be aware.

Any updates for Summer 2013 options?