Best way to get to the star princess ship in whittier?

i'm trying to figure out the best way to get to my ship in Whittier (star princess leaving 6/24). There seems to be a lot of half day tour options. Any thoughts on that - is the tour worth it? Is one tour company better than the other? Or would I be better off taking the railroad?

I'm flying in friday night, and the cruise starts on saturday. Appreciate all your help and guidance!

Your options include Alaska Railroad, Park Connection Bus, cruiseline transfer, or independent transfer such as Alaska Cruise Transfer (https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/). AVIS rental car is another option but pricey and probably sold out at this late date.

The advantage to the train is that your luggage will go directly to your cabin, so if you wanted to a Prince William Sound day cruise, you could hop off the train and go for it.

Several transfer companies offer an hour or so visit to the Wildlife Conservation Center. That would be nice way to view bear, bison. moose, caribou, musk ox, etc

Depends on how you want to spend your day. Best is whatever works best for you.

If it was me: my first choice would be a one way rental car. Avis is the only operator in Whittier. Take your time driving along the Turnagain Arm. You could do the tram at Alyeska Resort and stop by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. You could also include the 1 hour Portage Lake glacier cruise. Or get to Whittier in time for a Prince William Sound glacier cruise.

My 2nd choice would be the Alaska Railroad to Whittier and a Prince William Sound glacier cruise.

A follow-up, since I have a similar question. Our Princess cruise leaves Whittier on a Saturday at 8:30 pm. This is our very first cruise.

From what we understand, Princess will provide shuttles from Anchorage to Whittier on that Saturday, and then everyone departs the shuttles and checks in. Other forums noted how hectic and crowded this can be.

So we wanted to plan our own transports on the night before, Friday. We'd spend the night relaxing in Whittier, and then check in for embarkment as soon as it's open Saturday, well ahead of the Princess shuttle crowds.

Does this sound reasonable? And also, I see that many of the transport companies offer their services the day of the cruises only, so will we have difficulty getting a bus/shuttle the day before?

Thank you!.

Whittier is not Seward. There are few hotel and restaurant options. I did not find the Princess shuttle crowds to be a problem at all, and the narration during the trip was educational. EM

Whittier is not Seward. There are few hotel and restaurant options. I did not find the Princess shuttle crowds to be a problem at all, and the narration during the trip was educational. EM

Thank you for your advice. Very good to know. Some people probably did have a bad experience on this shuttle, and they wrote negative posts that got us nervous for nothing!

A follow-up, since I have a similar question. Our Princess cruise leaves Whittier on a Saturday at 8:30 pm. This is our very first cruise.

From what we understand, Princess will provide shuttles from Anchorage to Whittier on that Saturday, and then everyone departs the shuttles and checks in. Other forums noted how hectic and crowded this can be.

So we wanted to plan our own transports on the night before, Friday. We'd spend the night relaxing in Whittier, and then check in for embarkment as soon as it's open Saturday, well ahead of the Princess shuttle crowds.

Does this sound reasonable? And also, I see that many of the transport companies offer their services the day of the cruises only, so will we have difficulty getting a bus/shuttle the day before?

Thank you!.

Yes the crowds can be an issue is Anchorage with a cruise transfer, not as much in Whittier. And I strongly discourage you from "rushing" to get on the ship. Especially with a limited, infrequent Alaska visit. Why not take advantage of being in Alaska and the many opportunities there?

Here is where the "cost" of a rental car is insignificant compared to what you can see and do. My "time" and experiences are far more valuable than my money. :)

Another superb option to consider is a Prince William Sound boat tour, far superior to any wildlife and glacier viewing you get from a cruise ship. (just repeated a Surprise Glacier trip) :)

A follow-up, since I have a similar question. Our Princess cruise leaves Whittier on a Saturday at 8:30 pm. This is our very first cruise.

From what we understand, Princess will provide shuttles from Anchorage to Whittier on that Saturday, and then everyone departs the shuttles and checks in. Other forums noted how hectic and crowded this can be.

So we wanted to plan our own transports on the night before, Friday. We'd spend the night relaxing in Whittier, and then check in for embarkment as soon as it's open Saturday, well ahead of the Princess shuttle crowds.

Does this sound reasonable? And also, I see that many of the transport companies offer their services the day of the cruises only, so will we have difficulty getting a bus/shuttle the day before?

Thank you!.

We are leaving out of Whittier the same day and time as you are. We went through the same process of trying to find a way to do all of the sightseeing along with boarding the ship fairly early. That would give us a chance to settle in, do some laundry and get our bearings before sailing. I absolutely despise unpacking as the ship is leaving port. We looked into a one way car rental from Anchorage to Whittier. It would have made planning soooo much easier. We just couldn't justify the over $350 fee for one day! So we decided to take the train from Anchorage to Whittier the day before the cruise and then take the 26 Glacier Cruise. We are spending the night at The Inn at Whittier and will walk over and drop off our luggage the next morning. We can walk around the docks awhile if we want or just board and enjoy the ship. To me there is nothing worse than starting a cruise exhausted from trying to do too much. That is just my humble opinion. It you decide to stay at The Inn you will need to reserve early as it is small and fills up quickly.

Dawn

If it was me: my first choice would be a one way rental car. Avis is the only operator in Whittier. Take your time driving along the Turnagain Arm. You could do the tram at Alyeska Resort and stop by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. You could also include the 1 hour Portage Lake glacier cruise. Or get to Whittier in time for a Prince William Sound glacier cruise.

My 2nd choice would be the Alaska Railroad to Whittier and a Prince William Sound glacier cruise.

+1 on the car. However, those of you who have read my posts on CC know that I hate trains and buses.

DON