Whittier to Denali post cruise?

[brainerdgal]

We're thinking about the Northbound Vancouver-Whittier cruise on Sapphire Princess in late August, 2013.

 

The ship docks at 12:30 a.m. in Whittier at the end of the cruise. Does debarkation really start at that hour, or can we stay on the ship until a little later in the morning?

 

Also, we would like to go to Denali that same day to meet our son from Portland, OR. He will be flying to Fairbanks late on Friday night and driving to Denali from Fairbanks on the same day we'd arrive in Whittier. We would fly home from Fairbanks after our time in Denali.

 

We're trying to decide if it's feasible to cruise or just fly to/from Fairbanks for our Denali meet-up..

 

Thanks!

[mapleleaves]

No, you don't disembark at that time; you spend the night on the ship, have breakfast and leave in the morning.

Whittier is about an hour from Anchorage. You could pick up a rental car from Avis in Whittier at 8am or whenever the office opens. Be mindful of the Tunnel hours to leave Whittier; it's only open on the hour.

http://www.dot.alaska.gov/creg/whittiertunnel/schedule.shtml

 

There are some great stops along the Turnagain Arm between Whittier and Anchorage. Allow some time to take full advantage of your visit to Alaska. http://alaska.org/driving/portage-valley-whittier-spur-drive.htm

 

From Anchorage, it's about a 5 hr drive to Denali. An easy drive, 2 lane hwy most of the way.

[Budget Queen]

You can be out the 9am tunnel with an Avis rental car. With your urgency to get to Denali, this would be my only suggestion. IF you go with a cruisetour- the train leaves either by the 7 or 8am tunnel and is 10 hours. then you would have an included Denali Park "tour". Even with 2 nights there with a cruisetour, it is too short of time.