Kenai Fjords Cruise on day cruise ends in Whittier?

[PCruiser22]

So Princess is allowing me to book a Kenai Fjords Cruise (below), that leaves at 8AM on the same day I get into Whittier after my northbound cruise (this is through the cruise personalizer). I get in to Whittier at 12:30AM. Could it be that the bus going from Anchorage to Seward for the cruise is stopping by Whittier for a few passengers on the way? How else could they be making this work? I would appreciate any advice as I'm worried this might be a mistake?

 

I'm on a cruise tour that continues the next day out of anchorage so Princess has me booked at the Captain Cook the day I come in to Whittier.

 

This is what my itinerary shows after I made the excursion booking:

 

ANCHORAGE (WHITTIER), ALASKA, USA

WHITTIER CRUISE TERMINAL

ARRIVE 12:30AM

...

 

600 KENAI FJORDS CRUISE NAT'L PK CRUISE

 

Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise Travel from Anchorage to Seward by motorcoach via Turnagain Arm. Step aboard a comfortable 90-foot cruising vessel and sail through Resurrection Bay to the breathtaking 300-foot Holgate Glacier. Your captain pauses at the glacier while you watch and listen for calving monoliths of ice to break away. Look for thousands of exotic birds at the Chiswell Island Marine Wildlife Refuge as well as Steller sea lions, sea otters, humpback whales and porpoises as you cruise along the rugged coastline of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Tour: 6 hours (Transfer: 5 1/2 hours roundtrip) Note(s): This tour is only available to guests with an additional overnight stay in Anchorage before or after their cruisetour. Bring your camera and binoculars. Dress in warm layers so you can spend time on the outdoor deck. Lunch is served. Cruise will spend some time in open waters getting to the Glacier. Taking motion sickness pills the night before is encouraged.

 

8:00AM - 8:30PM

HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK

 

Hotel Captain Cook 939 W. 5th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 276-6000 Check-in time is 3:00 p.m.

[frugaltravel]

Not a mistake. You take the 8am tunnel from Whittier (you really don't disembark in Whittier until maybe 7am). Into Seward by bus as they say (by about 10am). 11.30-5.30pm Kenai Fjords tour, then bus to Anchorage. Figure 3 hours to Anchorage and arrival at 8.30pm as they said.

 

What is Princess charging for this tour? My guess is a good $250-$300/person since it includes transportation. How many of you are considering taking this tour?

[PCruiser22]

Hi frugaltravel,

 

That's really helpful! Thanks so much. I've been searching everywhere (unsuccessfully) for someone else with the same experience.

 

They are charging a lot, $264 a person (for a group of 3). Initially, I was trying to see if I can arrange transport myself with maybe a car rental with Avis, but they didn't have anything that worked for me and I couldn't figure out any other way to get to Seward on time to catch one of the independent operators. I think the cruise alone usually costs ~$150. The cost princess is charging is in line with what others are charging for their "transportation packages" that include the transfer from Anchorage to Seward.

 

After all of the glacier activities on the cruise, I really wanted to see Kenai Fjords which I believe is considered better for wildlife spotting (and different) than PWS cruises.

 

However, if anyone knows a cheaper way to do this while still getting back to Anchorage that night, I'm all ears!

 

Thanks again!

 

Praneeth

[frugaltravel]

You are correct that the tour itself costs $150. So you are paying $114/person x 3 = $342 to get you from Whittier to Seward to Anchorage. That is pretty reasonable in my opinion. A one-way rental from Whittier to Anchorage with Avis is about $250. But then you have over 200 miles of driving, so that is $50 or so in gas. The biggest advantage of the rental car is that you can make stops on the way from Seward to Anchorage after the KF tour. Plus, if you had a discount coupon for the KF tour, that would at least pay for the gas.

 

The only other question is what you will do for dinner that day. You might want to ask Princess in Whittier when you disembark. Lunch is on the boat, but you will need something after the KF tour.

[PCruiser22]

Thanks. Yeah, that makes me feel better about it.

Is the Kenai Fjords vs. Prince William Sound a good call you think?

 

I think food we have to figure out for the entire land tour portion including that night.

[Chenega]

Thanks. Yeah, that makes me feel better about it.

Is the Kenai Fjords vs. Prince William Sound a good call you think?

 

I think food we have to figure out for the entire land tour portion including that night.

 

Hmm. This sounds like a rather unusual arrangement that is not normally listed with the Princess excursions.

 

My wife works for one of the day cruise outfits in Whittier that also run tours of Kenai Fjords National Park out of Seward. In fact, they do excursions for the Princess ships that come to Whittier.

 

Her experience is that Princess passengers that arrive in Whittier are booked on a Prince William Sound trip. She has never heard of passengers being picked up in Whittier for a day cruise in Seward but that doesn't mean they aren't doing it this year (however, it is not listed on their excursions).

 

FYI - the cruises in Whittier are just as good as the cruises in Seward. My wife called today and said they've been seeing ten orca and several humpback whales right out of Whittier and the glaciers of Blackstone Bay have been rather active. A plus is that you get closer to the glaciers than anything the cruise ship does. They've also seen plenty of otters.

 

With that in mind, a Kenai Fjords trip is also one of the outstanding excursions in Alaska. The focus is more on the wildlife and you do visit fewer glaciers.

 

Either trip is great but your day would be a lot easier if you just took the trip from Whittier; they transfer you right to Anchorage when the day cruise returns.

 

Just an opinion.

[PCruiser22]

Not a mistake. You take the 8am tunnel from Whittier (you really don't disembark in Whittier until maybe 7am). Into Seward by bus as they say (by about 10am). 11.30-5.30pm Kenai Fjords tour, then bus to Anchorage. Figure 3 hours to Anchorage and arrival at 8.30pm as they said.

 

What is Princess charging for this tour? My guess is a good $250-$300/person since it includes transportation. How many of you are considering taking this tour?

 

Hi frugaltravel,

 

Do you know someone else who did this? I'm wondering why the excursion says leaving "Anchorage" in the description as well, which makes me again think maybe a mistake based on what Senega said? :eek:

[Budget Queen]

Hi frugaltravel,

 

Do you know someone else who did this? I'm wondering why the excursion says leaving "Anchorage" in the description as well, which makes me again think maybe a mistake based on what Senega said? :eek:

 

Many times cruiselines will state "Anchorage" as a general area. In this case, with a Kenai Fjords tour- confirmed, It has to be as stated above, getting out the 8am tunnel. They have to get out by the 9am tunnel to make this tour, so that could be also, with the added time, a line up time. This tour starts in Anchorage, must also be a pick up in Whittier?? But then the times would NOT be accurate??

 

It is odd though, that they got a cruisetour, that leaves the next day?? I'm thinking this is a cruisetour, most likely taken by southbound cruisers, since generally all cruisetours, have no "extra" days between the land and cruises.

[Chenega]

My wife has driven the bus from Anchorage to Seward and the Kenai Fjords tours and they have never done a pick-up in Whittier; they do pick-ups in Girdwood/Alyeska and that's it. A bus pick-up in Whittier easily adds an hour to the drive time to Seward and that assumes you can get through the tunnel given the usual traffic associated with an arrival day for a cruise ship.

 

This just doesn't sound right and it would be so much easier to take one of the trips into Prince William Sound (three companies do it and two leave right from the cruise ship pier). The sights are just as glorious as Kenai Fjords.

[PCruiser22]

My wife has driven the bus from Anchorage to Seward and the Kenai Fjords tours and they have never done a pick-up in Whittier; they do pick-ups in Girdwood/Alyeska and that's it. A bus pick-up in Whittier easily adds an hour to the drive time to Seward and that assumes you can get through the tunnel given the usual traffic associated with an arrival day for a cruise ship.

 

This just doesn't sound right and it would be so much easier to take one of the trips into Prince William Sound (three companies do it and two leave right from the cruise ship pier). The sights are just as glorious as Kenai Fjords.

 

Much appreciated. I think you're right. I haven't heard anyone else talk about doing a similar pick-up from Whittier. That sucks. I was really looking forward to seeing more wildlife at Kenai Fjords, but maybe the difference is not all that its made up to be. Thanks again!

[vbmom87]

Much appreciated. I think you're right. I haven't heard anyone else talk about doing a similar pick-up from Whittier. That sucks. I was really looking forward to seeing more wildlife at Kenai Fjords, but maybe the difference is not all that its made up to be. Thanks again!

 

Or maybe it is a new offering by Princess this year? With the 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. time frame it lists for the tour, it seems very feasible to me. The cost also seems in line for this type of trip with the transportation involved. Thing is if they don't get enough to sign up for this tour, it could end up cancelled.

[Chenega]

Or maybe it is a new offering by Princess this year? With the 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. time frame it lists for the tour, it seems very feasible to me. The cost also seems in line for this type of trip with the transportation involved. Thing is if they don't get enough to sign up for this tour, it could end up cancelled.

 

I don't see anything like it listed in the Princess listing for Anchorage excursions for those ships that come into Whittier. They do run a daily trip from Anchorage to Seward for the Kenai Fjords trips through the respective companies but none make the extra trip to Whittier.

 

Other than many more birds, I've had great wildlife sightings on countless trips into Prince William Sound including whales, black bear, and lots of eagles and otters. The best of the trips is one that includes an excursion into Esther Passage and the glaciers of Barry Arm.

[frugaltravel]

Or maybe it is a new offering by Princess this year? With the 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. time frame it lists for the tour, it seems very feasible to me. The cost also seems in line for this type of trip with the transportation involved. Thing is if they don't get enough to sign up for this tour, it could end up cancelled.

 

I wonder the same thing. And it doesn't seem to work for passenger embarking in Whittier anyway, so it really would have to be solely for disembarking passengers.

 

If I were the OP, and I wanted to do it, I would certainly try. And as I said earlier, if nothing else, why not a car? In fact, if it were me, I would reserve the car now anyway. No prepayment, no penalty to cancel at the last minute.

[vbmom87]

I don't see anything like it listed in the Princess listing for Anchorage excursions for those ships that come into Whittier. They do run a daily trip from Anchorage to Seward for the Kenai Fjords trips through the respective companies but none make the extra trip to Whittier.

 

But the OP did post a description that she received after she booked the tour. How could she book it, if it is not offered? Very confusing indeed!!

[PCruiser22]

But the OP did post a description that she received after she booked the tour. How could she book it, if it is not offered? Very confusing indeed!!

 

On the day that the ship gets into Whittier at 12:30AM, I see both Whittier and Anchorage as excursion options. I booked this by following Anchorage, but looking at what's been said, I think I'm probably not supposed to do that. :confused:

 

I could wait and see what happens as I'm sure they would refund if they can't get us on the tour, however, I think I'd like to do PWS if Kenai Fjords isn't happening or at least try the car rental option one more time. Both would require some planning ahead.

 

Again, thanks everyone! :)

[Budget Queen]

On the day that the ship gets into Whittier at 12:30AM, I see both Whittier and Anchorage as excursion options. I booked this by following Anchorage, but looking at what's been said, I think I'm probably not supposed to do that. :confused:

 

I could wait and see what happens as I'm sure they would refund if they can't get us on the tour, however, I think I'd like to do PWS if Kenai Fjords isn't happening or at least try the car rental option one more time. Both would require some planning ahead.

 

Again, thanks everyone! :)

 

You can not do this tour. It is clear, now that you have fully explained "how" you booked. You can NOT book a tour, that is labeled as "Anchorage" with you being in Whittier. There are cut offs for tours where they become nonrefundable. I would NOT wait and "see".

 

If you are considering a car rental, you need to get that reserved NOW. It requires no deposit.

[PCruiser22]

You can not do this tour. It is clear, now that you have fully explained "how" you booked. You can NOT book a tour, that is labeled as "Anchorage" with you being in Whittier. There are cut offs for tours where they become nonrefundable. I would NOT wait and "see".

 

If you are considering a car rental, you need to get that reserved NOW. It requires no deposit.

 

So, I talked to Princess and they confirmed that yes, this is only for cruisetour passengers with an extra day in Anchorage, just the one day before cruisetour doesn't work (i.e. is not extra!).

 

I've booked a car rental with Avis to go to Seward and come back to Whittier, but have one more question.

 

Once I get back to Whittier in the afternoon/evening on that day, does Princess still provide transport at that time to the cruisetour hotel in Anchorage? Or are those transfers just in the morning, so I'm on my own if I spend all day in Whittier?

Thanks!

[Chenega]

I believe that morning Princess transfers to Anchorage are available for arriving ships in Whittier with transfers into Whittier for departing cruise ships in the evening.

 

You could still take your car back to Whittier and return to Anchorage by one of the several bus lines/transfer companies that run the route. You can do a search for Whittier Alaska Shuttle service on the web.

 

If you were taking a Prince William Sound trip, all the companies provide a transfer option by bus or the Alaska Railroad for those who have booked their trips. Otherwise, since Kenai Fjords is a priority, you might check into what the drop charge is in Seward and return by bus or train.

[PCruiser22]

I believe that morning Princess transfers to Anchorage are available for arriving ships in Whittier with transfers into Whittier for departing cruise ships in the evening.

 

You could still take your car back to Whittier and return to Anchorage by one of the several bus lines/transfer companies that run the route. You can do a search for Whittier Alaska Shuttle service on the web.

 

If you were taking a Prince William Sound trip, all the companies provide a transfer option by bus or the Alaska Railroad for those who have booked their trips. Otherwise, since Kenai Fjords is a priority, you might check into what the drop charge is in Seward and return by bus or train.

 

 

Hi Chenega,

 

Thank you. I guess my question is whether I can take the car back to Whittier (say at 7-8pm) and still catch the "included" transfer to Anchorage (the transfer to get me to the Captain cook that is part of my cruisetour), not options that are available to purchase.

 

I thought it could be possible because I'm assuming there are cruisetour passengers who do the PWS cruises who are also done later in the day?

[Chenega]

The Prince William Sound cruises return between 5 and 6pm and provide immediate bus transit to downtown Anchorage. Those transfers are usually provided by the day cruise lines themselves although it wouldn't hurt to call Princess and check. The Alaska Railroad leaves Whittier at 6:45pm and puts you into Anchorage in a few hours (downtown train depot).

[frugaltravel]

The only way you could take the Kenai Fjords tour is if you rented a car in Whittier one way and dropped it off in Anchorage.

 

See my post #4. It would cost you about $250 for this.

 

There is no way that you can get back from the KF tour to Whittier and get any sort of transportation to Anchorage.

[Budget Queen]

Your "included" transfer, will be time specific in the MORNING. It is not an open transfer.

 

I also doubt there are many, if any "transfers" running, in the time you need. ADD to the mix, it is NOT likely you are going to make the 7:30pm tunnel anyway- which means the 8:30pm tunnel, and dropping the car off after the office is long closed. Hopefully you can see, that the ONLY way to do this is to rent a ONE way Whittier/Anchorage car.

[Chenega]

Your "included" transfer, will be time specific in the MORNING. It is not an open transfer.

 

I also doubt there are many, if any "transfers" running, in the time you need. ADD to the mix, it is NOT likely you are going to make the 7:30pm tunnel anyway- which means the 8:30pm tunnel, and dropping the car off after the office is long closed. Hopefully you can see, that the ONLY way to do this is to rent a ONE way Whittier/Anchorage car.

 

Exactly. To be honest, doing what you want to do with a Kenai Fjords trip from Whittier really makes things complicated (and expensive). What many people don't understand is that transportation options up here are severely limited. Whittier has the added problem of making a tunnel that runs on a specific schedule.

 

Again, given that your ship comes into Whittier. I really don't understand why you don't take one of the excellent trips into Prince William Sound. Would sure make things much easier.

[PCruiser22]

Exactly. To be honest, doing what you want to do with a Kenai Fjords trip from Whittier really makes things complicated (and expensive). What many people don't understand is that transportation options up here are severely limited. Whittier has the added problem of making a tunnel that runs on a specific schedule.

 

Again, given that your ship comes into Whittier. I really don't understand why you don't take one of the excellent trips into Prince William Sound. Would sure make things much easier.

 

Thanks everyone. My decision was based on wanting to see wildlife which based on posts like this one: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=403692, seems to suggest a clear advantage to Kenai Fjords over PWS for this purpose. After being to Glacier bay, College Fjord and walking on the glacier in Juneau, we wanted this to be a way to see more ocean wildlife, whales, puffins, etc..

 

I do understand that the PWS cruise is easier, but I thought Kenai would be more in line with what we were looking for, but since I have done neither, maybe this is a flawed assumption and both provide a similar experience?

[PCruiser22]

The only way you could take the Kenai Fjords tour is if you rented a car in Whittier one way and dropped it off in Anchorage.

 

See my post #4. It would cost you about $250 for this.

 

There is no way that you can get back from the KF tour to Whittier and get any sort of transportation to Anchorage.

 

Thanks!