Transfer to Whittier?

[Travel_Maven]

I posted this on the Princess page, but thought I'd ask here too.

 

We will be at Captain Cook the night before we are to transfer to Whittier to pick up the Diamond Princess. We'd love to take a PWS tour but are concerned about luggage transfer. Right now we are scheduled to take the Princess Bus but that won't get us to Whittier in time for the PWS cruise and Princess says the train is booked. Will Princess take our bags from the hotel so we can go to Whittier on our own? Does anyone have any suggestions? We will have been to Seward the day before for a Kenai Cruise and back late on the train. Thanks for any suggestions about getting to Whittier and getting luggage to ship in time for a PWS cruise. :)

[CALMOM]

I am booked on Diamond Princess, 7/10/10 leaving out of Whittier.

 

Arriving into Anchorage on 7/09/10

Depart on the AKRR on 7/10/10 @ 10:00 a.m.

Arriving in Whittier @ 1:00 p.m.

Depart on Major Marine Prince William Sound Tour @ 1:15 p.m.

Arriving back at port @6:30 p.m.

Board Diamond Prince @6:30 p.m.

Sail Away @ 8:30 p.m.

 

Major Marine (website below) will take care of getting your train ticket when you purchase the PWS Tour. The train, AKRR will automatically take your luggage to the Diamond so you can go directly to the PWS boat.

 

http://www.majormarine.com/alaska-day-cruises/prince-william-sound-glacier-cruise/

[CruisingGoddess]

I'm doing the same thing as CALMOM. As for your luggage, take a taxi to the railroad station with your luggage. At the railroad station, there will be a tent for cruise passengers and the railroad will check your luggage and forward them to the ship so when you arrive in Whittier, you do not need to worth about your luggage.

[Travel_Maven]

I'm doing the same thing as CALMOM. As for your luggage, take a taxi to the railroad station with your luggage. At the railroad station, there will be a tent for cruise passengers and the railroad will check your luggage and forward them to the ship so when you arrive in Whittier, you do not need to worth about your luggage.

 

 

I hope this is true. I just got off the phone with Princess and they wouldn't confirm that any representative will be at the Train Depot. Just curious, where did you get your information? Just FYI, my husband says he does not want to be shlepping luggage all over Alaska, especially on Cruise Boarding day. Thanks! :rolleyes:

[CruisingGoddess]

I hope this is true. I just got off the phone with Princess and they wouldn't confirm that any representative will be at the Train Depot. Just curious, where did you get your information? Just FYI, my husband says he does not want to be shlepping luggage all over Alaska, especially on Cruise Boarding day. Thanks! :rolleyes:

 

Got this info on this board from people who have done this before. I don't have the exact threads handy but you can try searching.

 

Backup plans:

 

1. Leave the luggage at the PWS cruise office. Major Marine said they had no problem storing it for us while we're on the cruise. Also, Whittier is tiny. The railroad station is across from the dock. The PWS cruise is right next to where your Princess cruise ship will dock.

 

2. Before boarding PWS cruise, walk over to Diamond Princess and drop off your luggage with the porters.

 

So you won't be "shlepping luggage all over Alaska", maybe just several yards. :D

[Travel_Maven]

Got this info on this board from people who have done this before. I don't have the exact threads handy but you can try searching.

 

Backup plans:

 

1. Leave the luggage at the PWS cruise office. Major Marine said they had no problem storing it for us while we're on the cruise. Also, Whittier is tiny. The railroad station is across from the dock. The PWS cruise is right next to where your Princess cruise ship will dock.

 

2. Before boarding PWS cruise, walk over to Diamond Princess and drop off your luggage with the porters.

 

So you won't be "shlepping luggage all over Alaska", maybe just several yards. :D

 

Thanks!!

 

Just got off phone with RR and the girl I talked to was quite informative! She worked for Princess for the last 4 years before working for the RR. She checked with her Supervisor who confirmed that the cruise lines pick up their respective cruise's baggage from the Rail Depot and transfer it by truck to the ships, so in fact, you do not have to see it again until it is in your cabin - and no one has informed them that the passenger has to stay with the baggage to the ship. or that anything will be different for 2010 than it was last year.

 

If something changes between now and then, I guess we will let the PWS tour folks keep the luggage until the tour is over in Whittier and they said they will help us get it to the cruise terminal.

 

Whew! What confusion! If anyone knows anything different, please let me know! :) Thanks!

[CALMOM]

I'm doing the same thing as CALMOM. As for your luggage, take a taxi to the railroad station with your luggage. At the railroad station, there will be a tent for cruise passengers and the railroad will check your luggage and forward them to the ship so when you arrive in Whittier, you do not need to worth about your luggage.

 

We are staying at the Comfort Inn which is right next to the Train Station, but thanks for letting me know about the tent for cruise passengers. I was wondering how they would keep the Cruise Passengers luggage separate. Of course, I am sure 99% on that train to Whittier is a cruise passenger:D

[CruisingGoddess]

Thanks!!

 

Just got off phone with RR and the girl I talked to was quite informative! She worked for Princess for the last 4 years before working for the RR. She checked with her Supervisor who confirmed that the cruise lines pick up their respective cruise's baggage from the Rail Depot and transfer it by truck to the ships, so in fact, you do not have to see it again until it is in your cabin - and no one has informed them that the passenger has to stay with the baggage to the ship. or that anything will be different for 2010 than it was last year.

 

If something changes between now and then, I guess we will let the PWS tour folks keep the luggage until the tour is over in Whittier and they said they will help us get it to the cruise terminal.

 

Whew! What confusion! If anyone knows anything different, please let me know! :) Thanks!

 

Glad you were able to get someone to confirm it!

[c-cruise]

We are staying at the Comfort Inn which is right next to the Train Station, but thanks for letting me know about the tent for cruise passengers. I was wondering how they would keep the Cruise Passengers luggage separate. Of course, I am sure 99% on that train to Whittier is a cruise passenger:D

 

Just another confirmation. We did this exact thing last Summer. Stayed at the Comfort Inn, walked over to the Train Station and they took our bags (at the tent) and loaded them on a truck for the journey to Whittier. We didn't see them again until they arrived in our cabin. It was very convenient to hop off the train and get right on the ship without having to worry about our bags. The one thing I would caution though is it did take longer than usual for the bags to arrive in our cabin. We didn't get them until shortly before diner.

[Travel_Maven]

Just another confirmation. We did this exact thing last Summer. Stayed at the Comfort Inn, walked over to the Train Station and they took our bags (at the tent) and loaded them on a truck for the journey to Whittier. We didn't see them again until they arrived in our cabin. It was very convenient to hop off the train and get right on the ship without having to worry about our bags. The one thing I would caution though is it did take longer than usual for the bags to arrive in our cabin. We didn't get them until shortly before diner.

 

 

Thanks! Great to know this! Now just trying to decide if we want to do the PWS cruise that day. We will have just done 6-hr Kenai the day before with late train back to Anchorage. Are we trying to do too much?? Will we be SeaSick from Kenai the day before?? :p