Anchorage Hotel to airport advice please

[mrsgoggins]

We are doing our first Princess cruise to Alaska in May, followed by a 4-day tour which will end at the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage. I believe that airport shuttles are offered from 4 am and Delta has just moved our flight from 6.00 am to 5.30 am. A couple of questions please:

 

• My research suggests it takes around 20 minutes to reach the airport. Would we be advised to take an earlier taxi? We have arranged our own flights as we are heading down to Florida for a few days before returning to the UK.
   
  
• Do we notify Princess of our flight arrangements? I am sure I have read it somewhere that I should, but if so, is this done by phone in advance, on the ship or the tour?
  

I can't imagine they would concern themselves with our flight arrangements since we booked them ourselves (and we are arriving in Vancouver the day before we sail ;)) but I would like to be better informed since I am new to all of this. Thanks.

[caribill]

• Do we notify Princess of our flight arrangements? I am sure I have read it somewhere that I should, but if so, is this done by phone in advance, on the ship or the tour?
  

 

Princess asks to know about flight arrangements for two reasons:

 

a) To be sure they are within Princess guidelines for embarking or disembarking the ship. They want to warn you when the flight times may mean missing your ship at the start of the cruise or making your plane at the end of the cruise.

 

b) If you have booked a Princess Xfer from or to the airport they need to know when to expect you.

 

If these do not apply to you, there is no need to notify Princess.

 

In the USA we can do that notification on the Princess web site.

[mrsgoggins]

Thank you for that information. I just didn't want to contact them with the information and be told 'you didn't book with us, so we don't need to know'. I haven't seen anywhere on the website to input this information - but that doesn't mean it isn't there! I will look again.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I would put it at more like 15 min to the airport, and there will be absolutely no traffic at that time of day. I doubt Delta will be open before 4:00, so you might be Ok taking the first Princess shuttle. If you feel concerned, though, ask Princess when you're here if they could make a recommendation. Maybe they'll pay for a taxi for you or maybe run an earlier shuttle if enough people are on that flight. Princess reps are awesome here! I know the Captain Cook offered their own shuttle last summer, so that's another option you could check into. Whatever you choose, you're going to love Alaska!!

[mrsgoggins]

Thank you so much cruisequeen4ever, that was just the sort of information I was looking for, and I'm sure I will love Alaska; I'm looking forward to it so much.

[azbirdmom]

Check your travel summary as it will have the information you need. I did lots of research and just ended up booking the Princess hotel / rail transfer in Anchorage yesterday. I've pasted the info below and if you have similar verbiage in your travel summary, you may need to take a taxi.

 

CAPTAIN COOK W/RAIL

Set in downtown Anchorage, this hotel is 3 blocks west of the convention center and 3 blocks east of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along Cook Inlet. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is 6 miles away. The pier in Whittier is approximately 2 1/2 hours by rail. Hotel Captain Cook (5 stars) 4th and K Street Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 276-6000 Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 noon.

 

Arrival in Anchorage: A Princess Guest Service Host will meet you in the baggage claim area to assist with your transfer to the hotel. Transfers to the hotels are provided between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. If you arrive outside of these hours, please take a taxi to your hotel. Information: A Princess Representative will be at the hotel during scheduled hours to assist you during your stay.

[Nancyquilts]

And if you are there on a weekend, there is a great craft market across the street.

[alaskagirl2010]

And if you are there on a weekend, there is a great craft market across the street.

 

The craft market is a few blocks from the Cook. It's across from the Hilton.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Check your travel summary as it will have the information you need. I did lots of research and just ended up booking the Princess hotel / rail transfer in Anchorage yesterday. I've pasted the info below and if you have similar verbiage in your travel summary, you may need to take a taxi.

 

CAPTAIN COOK W/RAIL

Set in downtown Anchorage, this hotel is 3 blocks west of the convention center and 3 blocks east of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along Cook Inlet. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is 6 miles away. The pier in Whittier is approximately 2 1/2 hours by rail. Hotel Captain Cook (5 stars) 4th and K Street Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 276-6000 Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 noon.

 

Arrival in Anchorage: A Princess Guest Service Host will meet you in the baggage claim area to assist with your transfer to the hotel. Transfers to the hotels are provided between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. If you arrive outside of these hours, please take a taxi to your hotel. Information: A Princess Representative will be at the hotel during scheduled hours to assist you during your stay.

 

This unfortunately doesn't apply as the OP is asking about departure not arrivals....

[mrsgoggins]

Check your travel summary as it will have the information you need. I did lots of research and just ended up booking the Princess hotel / rail transfer in Anchorage yesterday. I've pasted the info below and if you have similar verbiage in your travel summary, you may need to take a taxi.

 

 

Thank you for taking the trouble to find your information for me, but as another poster said, my questions are about departure and I know I've read (somewhere ..... what a lot there is to read!) that the airport transfers run from 4-10 am. I also didn't book this separately; it's included in the rail tour we are doing after our cruise.

[mrsgoggins]

Alas no quilt market for us either. We arrive in Anchorage on Tuesday and leave at silly-o'clock on Wednesday. As my husband (a very early riser) keeps pointing out, 3 am, the time we will need to get up, will still be 12 noon in the UK!

[hrrsamrovk]

I would put it at more like 15 min to the airport, and there will be absolutely no traffic at that time of day.

[mrsgoggins]

The 'no traffic' bit is the only thing that appeals to me about 4 am!

Edited March 11, 2015 by mrsgoggins

[J-D]

Personally, I would not plan to take a 4 am shuttle from any downtown Anchorage hotel for a 5:30 am flight, even though it is only an ~15 min drive to ANC from the Capt. Cook Hotel at that time of day. For me, that would be too little margin for anything that might go awry. (I say this as someone who has flown out of ANC dozens of times over the years.) And if forced to consider taking the shuttle, I would want to know for sure that it goes directly from the Capt. Cook to the airport without stopping at other hotels en route. Personally, I would try to change the flight to a more civilized hour or, failing that, take a taxi to the airport no later than 03:30.

 

John

[mrsgoggins]

Thanks for your input John. I must confess that your view fits with my natural inclination, ie that a taxi would be the safer option. I will speak to a Princess rep in Anchorage about it before taking a final decision. It could be that there are going to be a few of us on our flight as someone else said. Useful to hear from someone who has flown out of ANC often.

[Rancher Dave]

Having flown out of domestic terminal early in the morning at ANC several times I will add that the lines for security were fairly long for those without PreCheck or First class tickets. So it depends if you want to be at the gate ahead of boarding or just in time for the gate to close behind you.

 

I'd probably take a taxi a bit earlier to be safe.

 

Thankfully these days unless flying around within Alaska, our non-stop home leaves late in the evening so it's less hassle.

[AKman2495]

Well, I can tell you that at 4 am it will be quiet especially heading to the airport from downtown.

 

I suggest the taxi as being the best option. You may want to check out options at the cook for getting a taxi at 4 am because I know they can be sometimes scarce.

 

As for Delta, if they have a flight at 5:30 that will probably open at least by 4 am.

[Nancyquilts]

The craft market is a few blocks from the Cook. It's across from the Hilton.

 

Thanks for the correction. :D

[cruisequeen4ever]

I just looked up the Delta ticket counter hours for Anchorage, and they're open all night, so I do think you should take a taxi or the Captain Cook hotel shuttle at 3:30 to be safe.

[mrsgoggins]

Thanks to each of you who has offered their advice and knowledge. I'm a bit of a worrier whereas DH is content to arrive last minute (he spent many years flying off to somewhere in Europe every Monday and back on a Friday and so doesn't care too much for airports!). Fortunately he does care that I don't get stressed and so will do what I 'request' :D. We will be at ANC in good time and I'm pleased to know that check-in will be open :).

[J-D]

Having flown out of domestic terminal early in the morning at ANC several times I will add that the lines for security were fairly long for those without PreCheck or First class tickets. So it depends if you want to be at the gate ahead of boarding or just in time for the gate to close behind you...

 

Right, I also meant to say something like that. And during the summer tourist season, in particular, I have often seen long lines at the ANC check-in counters early in the morning. People trying to get from ANC to the east coast of N. Am. without flying overnight have to depart ANC early, resulting in a lot of activity at ANC relatively early in the morning. A further reason not to "cut it close".

 

Incidentally, for anyone interested in exploration history or Capt. Cook in particular, there are interesting exhibits around the lobby of the Capt. Cook Hotel. And Resolution Park, looking out over the head of Cook Inlet, is a short walk away. Cook's HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery were there in early June 1778. There is a statue of Cook in Resolution Park. The Anchorage Museum has a special exhibition about Cook this spring and summer:

https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/arctic-ambitions-captain-cook-and-the-northwest-passage/

 

John

Edited March 13, 2015 by J-D

[mrsgoggins]

Funnily enough, last night I was looking at Frommer's Easy Guide to Alaskan Cruises and Ports of Call and regretted that I hadn't arranged to have an extra night in Anchorage. As it is, we arrive at Captain Cook hotel around 5.30 pm and leave 3.30 am the next day.

 

The date for the ANC flight is Wednesday, 20 May, so thinking definitely not peak tourist time, but still will be leaving ample time for check-in. Thanks John for those suggestions and Brits, we'll definitely take an interest in the Captain Cook exhibits.

[sweetsleep]

I just found out that Princess will not provide an airport to hotel transfer for us unless we pay extra and we are on their most costly tour!! That really ticked me off.

So, I demanded they refund the transfer andwe will arrange our own cab fare from the ANC airport to the hotel-that way we can collect our bags,meet the "representative" who will presumably provide our room keys and luggage tags for our tour and we can get on our way without waiting for other passengers and the Princess bus. Our time is more important than their schedule which is inflexible

Our cost for a cab is a bit less too.

I am not going to wait to fill THEIR bus with other arriving passengers coming in on later flights.

[thinfool]

I just found out that Princess will not provide an airport to hotel transfer for us unless we pay extra and we are on their most costly tour!! That really ticked me off.

 

So, I demanded they refund the transfer andwe will arrange our own cab fare from the ANC airport to the hotel-that way we can collect our bags,meet the "representative" who will presumably provide our room keys and luggage tags for our tour and we can get on our way without waiting for other passengers and the Princess bus. Our time is more important than their schedule which is inflexible

 

Our cost for a cab is a bit less too.

 

I am not going to wait to fill THEIR bus with other arriving passengers coming in on later flights.

 

 

That's it...keep demanding. Things will only get better.

[mrsgoggins]

I just found out that Princess will not provide an airport to hotel transfer for us unless we pay extra and we are on their most costly tour!!

 

That's interesting. I assume that our transfer (other way around - from hotel to ANC) is included, so I just dug out the paperwork and it specifically mentions 'Transfer hotel to ANC airport'. What's more, it says 'If your flight requires you to depart before or after these hours of operation (4 am-10 pm), the hospitality desk at the hotel can provide a taxi voucher for your ride to the airport'. I had missed this before.

 

I just need to find out now how I provide them with the information about flights at least 15 days before as the paperwork requests. I've been into my cruise planner and I cannot find anywhere for me to input details. I'll give them a ring today.