Transportation to Seward from Anchorage.

[shadowmeboy]

Hope this information helps anyone is trying to determine how to get to Seward, Alaska for embarkation on the southbound Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian Sun. I am not sure about what other cruise lines offer sailing out of Seward, but I am sure they have something similar.

 

If you are considering the train to Seward, you have two options:

 

1. Norwegian offers a "shore excursion" traveling from Anchorage to Seward leaving from the Anchorage International Airport arriving at Seward for embarkation on the Sun. This train leaves early afternoon from Anchorage. Norwegian transfers you bags when you check in at the airport.

 

2. The Alaska Railroad has a regularly scheduled train early in the morning leaving Anchorage at approximately 730am. The train gets into Seward at about 1130am. When you get to the train station in Anchorage, you can check your bags through to the ship by visiting the Norwegian kiosk in the train station. The bags will then be transferred to the cruise ship and your stateroom aboard the Sun.

 

Of course their are other travel options to get to Seward as well.

 

My wife and I are travelling to Seward on the early train and appreciate we won't have to transfer our bags when getting to Seward, meaning more time to explore!

 

Note: originally posted in the NCL forum.

[shadowmeboy]

bumping this up.

[island lady]

Our Coastal Classic train on 8/5 to Seward from Anchorage train terminal leaves at 6:45, with check in required one hour earlier. If we were to assume the train leaves at 7:30, we would probably miss it. :eek:

Edited May 27, 2016 by island lady

[biker1972]

2016 cost: Adventure class $92 and Goldstar $181. Difference would be an included breakfast and a reserved seat in a dome car. Adventure class dome cars are available but they ask that you rotate your time in them so all can use them. The Alaska Railroad train to Seward (Coastal Classic) leaves at 6:45, as noted above, from the downtown depot (411 West 1st Avenue). Later in the morning and early afternoon there are private charters that leave from the summer airport depot with available transfers from the various Anchorage hotels that the cruise lines use. The cost and services are determined by the cruise lines who provide the individual cars.

[island lady]

2016 cost: Adventure class $92 and Goldstar $181. Difference would be an included breakfast and a reserved seat in a dome car. Adventure class dome cars are available but they ask that you rotate your time in them so all can use them. The Alaska Railroad train to Seward (Coastal Classic) leaves at 6:45, as noted above, from the downtown depot (411 West 1st Avenue). Later in the morning and early afternoon there are private charters that leave from the summer airport depot with available transfers from the various Anchorage hotels that the cruise lines use. The cost and services are determined by the cruise lines who provide the individual cars.

 

Your information is right on totally! Have done the Coastal Classic in the past and loved

it as part of the joy of the trip. Great views, nice breakfast (we did Goldstar). Booked it

again a few months ago for our August trip this year, but doing round trip since we are

doing B2B. Will enjoy the dinner train on the way back up. :) We booked once again on

our own, (online) with free shuttle to the train depot early morning from our hotel in Anchorage.

[3Fluffies]

I definitely enjoyed the cruise train through NCL from Seward to Anchorage. We had priority disembarkation (one drawback, however is the 5:50 am meeting time to catch the 7 am train) - good if pricey food, stunning views and informative narration by our carriage attendant, wildlife (a moose and a mother brown bear leading three cubs) and several glaciers I hadn't expected to see), hassle-free handling of our luggage.

 

Not sure how the Coastal Classic's schedule compares on flexibility, but it passed us twice in both directions so it seems reliable, and runs the same beautiful route through the mountains and along the inlet.

[JHCruiser123]

Your information is right on totally! Have done the Coastal Classic in the past and loved

it as part of the joy of the trip. Great views, nice breakfast (we did Goldstar). Booked it

again a few months ago for our August trip this year, but doing round trip since we are

doing B2B. Will enjoy the dinner train on the way back up. :) We booked once again on

our own, (online) with free shuttle to the train depot early morning from our hotel in Anchorage.

 

 

Just curious - which hotel are you staying at that offers a free shuttle to the train station in the morning?

[island lady]

Just curious - which hotel are you staying at that offers a free shuttle to the train station in the morning?

 

Homewood Suites by Hilton. Last time we did the Hilton up the street. Same deal.

Free airport AND free train shuttle. Very nice service. :)