Timing in Seward - cutting it too close?

[pug85747]

This is my plan for Seward, if you could please give me feedback about my approximate timing. Am I cutting things too close? Am I giving enough time to enjoy the Sealife Center, and Exit Glacier?

I am anticipating we are going to disembark our cruise ship by 8:30am, and try to check in our luggage at the depot.

Visit the Sealife Center and have lunch from 9am to noon.

Shuttle to Kenai Fjords National Park at 12:30pm.

Hike Exit Glacier, spend time at the visitor’s center (1pm to 4pm)

Head back to the depot.

???

THANK YOU!

[Budget Queen]

This is my plan for Seward, if you could please give me feedback about my approximate timing. Am I cutting things too close? Am I giving enough time to enjoy the Sealife Center, and Exit Glacier?

I am anticipating we are going to disembark our cruise ship by 8:30am, and try to check in our luggage at the depot.

Visit the Sealife Center and have lunch from 9am to noon.

Shuttle to Kenai Fjords National Park at 12:30pm.

Hike Exit Glacier, spend time at the visitor’s center (1pm to 4pm)

Head back to the depot.

???

THANK YOU!

 

Yes, this is doable. IF you are taking the Exit Glacier shuttle, you are either going to have to cab it, take a shuttle bus (if running this year??) or a long walk from the Sealife Center. IF walking, can not have any mobility limitations. It's a nice walk with time, but you may want to get there sooner.

[pug85747]

Exit Glacier Guides says on their website that they run a $10 shuttle from the small boat harbor to the national park every hour from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and are even allowing booking online for specific time spots. Anybody use this company in the past?

 

Also, I just had a revelation that perhaps it would be better to do Exit Galcier first, and the Sealife Center second, so that if we are cutting things close, we'll be closer to the depot. So, maybe...

 

Book a 10:30 shuttle to Exit Glacier (allow wiggle room getting off the ship and over to the depot).

Upon returning, have lunch and go to the Sealife Center until it is time to go to the train station.

[paylady]

As BQ said, both are quite doable.

 

We used Exit Glacier Guides and they were quite reliable. The Exit Glacier hike is not all even ground. There is some amount of climbing up and down the paths.

 

The walk from the depot to the Sea Life Center is a long one. I didn't attempt this walk the same day as Exit Glacier but if you are real hikers, you may be fine with that.

 

Otherwise, take a taxi to/from the Sea Life Center. Enjoy!

[pug85747]

Thanks to both of you for your help! Trying to iron out minor details, and this was very helpful.

[Budget Queen]

Exit Glacier Guides says on their website that they run a $10 shuttle from the small boat harbor to the national park every hour from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and are even allowing booking online for specific time spots. Anybody use this company in the past?

 

Also, I just had a revelation that perhaps it would be better to do Exit Galcier first, and the Sealife Center second, so that if we are cutting things close, we'll be closer to the depot. So, maybe...

 

Book a 10:30 shuttle to Exit Glacier (allow wiggle room getting off the ship and over to the depot).

Upon returning, have lunch and go to the Sealife Center until it is time to go to the train station.

 

Exit glacier shuttles have been running for several years, predictably. As for your time, frankly you can be on your "touring" way earlier than that IF you choose to? You can drop off your bags by 9am, I've often dropped off by 8:30am, they have always seemed to open early. Exit shuttle is across the street. You could possibility be on a 9am shuttle bus, IF you wish to to consider this? I would not book anything in advance, if it is pouring early morning, then you are going to want to go to the Sealife Center and wait it out I would think?

[pug85747]

If we could be on our "touring" way sooner, we absolutely will be. This is my husband's and my first cruise, and I'm not entirely sure how the debarkation process works with the cruise ship. However, it was m understanding that we will be assigned to groups that exit the ship in intervals all the way to 9:30am. So, doesn't it all depend on when they let us exit the ship?

[vbmom87]

If we could be on our "touring" way sooner, we absolutely will be. This is my husband's and my first cruise, and I'm not entirely sure how the debarkation process works with the cruise ship. However, it was m understanding that we will be assigned to groups that exit the ship in intervals all the way to 9:30am. So, doesn't it all depend on when they let us exit the ship?

 

You will get a paper to fill out about your needs on disembarking day. I am not sure how other cruiseships work, but we were on a HAL ship. (I do believe they are all similar though...we did the same on an NCL ship.) We signed up for SELF-DISEMBARKING. This meant we had to carry off all of our own luggage. We were told we could leave the ship anytime we wanted AFTER they made the first call for disembarking. Worked like a charm for us!!!! We did not have to wait for any special time. When we were ready to leave, we simply took the elevators up to the floor with the gangplank, rolled our suitcases along with us, left the ship and got ready to enjoy our day in Seward.