Help! Travel Agent Called-Whittier Tunnel

[fakegrandmother]

Travel agent was canceling our transfers through Princess since we are renting a large vehicle to drive pre-cruise and to Whittier. Daughter (Denali resident) will drive back to anchorage and return vehicle to airport.

 

Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?

 

I know about tunnel being one way on a schedule.

Told TA I would check with CC posters because I know you will have the correct info.

[katrina915]

I will let experts chime in, but I booked glacier cruise in Whittier for July and will be driving rental from Anchorage. Based on info from glacier cruise website and CC posts, I feel confident that I can do this on my own.

 

See link for times, etc.

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

[huskyguy]

Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?

 

The Princess agent should be ashamed of herself - that's simply nonsense. The opening/directional schedules are online.

[Nancyquilts]

Our Anchorage family has a boat in Whittier. Never had a problem getting there or back.

[Budget Queen]

In rare cases, you can get stuck in line an extra hour. The tunnel is open 15 minutes, on the half hour going toward Whittier, on the hour leaving. The key is to allow extra time.

 

This has personally happened to me.

[peety3]

Effectively, I think the key is to say your goodbyes quickly, as your chauffeur will have 15 minutes to get from the tunnel to the ship, drop you off, and return to the queue. Or, say wonderful goodbyes calmly and expect to wait for an hour. :)

[bottom-dragger]

i got to go through the tunnel the last year that vehicles were loaded on railway flatcars and hauled to Whittier via the train. i could have ridden in one of the passenger cars but to pass up riding the rails in my pickup, nfw. roll down the windows and turn up the music.

[donaldsc]

Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?

 

 

Do you think that Princess makes a ton of money providing overpriced transfers has any relationship to the fact that they are totally lying.

 

Assume that 25% at most of whatever a cruise company tells you might actually be true.

 

DON

[Chenega]

The travel agent is wrong. My wife works part-time for one of the boat companies in Whittier during the summer and she drives her own vehicle to and from the town through the tunnel. $12.00 to get in and no charge to leave. She even bought a book of tunnel passes to save some money.

[frugaltravel]

The travel agent is wrong. My wife works part-time for one of the boat companies in Whittier during the summer and she drives her own vehicle to and from the town through the tunnel. $12.00 to get in and no charge to leave. She even bought a book of tunnel passes to save some money.

 

It is PRINCESS, not the travel agent, that is feeding the OP this BS.

[Chenega]

It is PRINCESS, not the travel agent, that is feeding the OP this BS.

 

My error;)

[donaldsc]

It is PRINCESS, not the travel agent, that is feeding the OP this BS.

 

This is a quote from the OP's original post -

 

"Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?"

 

Princess is lying about the supposed Whittier Tunnel problems, not the TA.

 

DON

[frugaltravel]

This is a quote from the OP's original post -

 

"Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?"

 

Princess is lying about the supposed Whittier Tunnel problems, not the TA.

 

DON

 

That is exactly what I said :confused::confused:

[PandRBarry]

As part of our post-cruise land tour, we'll be coming into Whittier from Valdez on the alaska marine ferry. We hope to get the next tunnel out but if not, we'll just wait for the next one. That makes me mad that Princess did that and any TA with Alaska knowledge should also know better

[Budget Queen]

As part of our post-cruise land tour, we'll be coming into Whittier from Valdez on the alaska marine ferry. We hope to get the next tunnel out but if not, we'll just wait for the next one. That makes me mad that Princess did that and any TA with Alaska knowledge should also know better

 

Actually very few TA's are up on Alaska, like the experts on this and Trip Advisor boards. Invaluable resources.

[DrivesLikeMario]

It's not "difficult" to get there as you were told. There is a timing issue but as long as you prepare for the worst-case scenario with the tunnel directional timing, you'll be fine. ;)

[LEtue]

Travel agent was canceling our transfers through Princess since we are renting a large vehicle to drive pre-cruise and to Whittier. Daughter (Denali resident) will drive back to anchorage and return vehicle to airport.

 

Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport. Really???? Is that just hype or true?

 

I know about tunnel being one way on a schedule.

Told TA I would check with CC posters because I know you will have the correct info.

 

I took this totally different. The Princess agent was trying to be helpful and didn't know that you were aware. If you didn't know about the tunnel it would have been helpful to be told - so you could prepare.

 

Have a great cruise :)

[wolfie11]

Be aware that the traffic can get backed up and they have been known to "skip" a car opening if train traffic requires it. It's a railroad tunnel first and a car tunnel second.

[huskyguy]

I took this totally different. The Princess agent was trying to be helpful and didn't know that you were aware.

 

The Princess agent gave bogus information designed to get them to book a Princess shuttle - "Princess asked TA to caution us that it was difficult to get there if not on chartered transport." It is NOT difficult.

[laughing husky]

it certainly is not difficult to get through the tunnel, however it can be expensive to rent a car in Anchorage and drive it yourself as a one way drop off....drop off fees can be exorbitant....Check that out.....There are several private van services that do it as well as the railroad which is a beautiful ride...lets you off at the dock, but again, it is not cheap....check all of the options....

[EagleRocker]

We took the tunnel today: the 10:30 to Whittier; and the 6:00 return. Painless: very uncrowded.

[mytime53]

Probably in the past people who didn't research it complained "you didn't tell us".

[garycarla]

..we are renting a large vehicle to drive pre-cruise and to Whittier. Daughter (Denali resident) will drive back to anchorage and return vehicle to airport....

 

The people RENTING the vehicle to you will know what is reasonable and what is not.

 

By the way, but "large vehicle", what you referring to?