Disembarking in Seward - how long does this take?

[OhJinkies]

I'm cruising into Seward on the NCL Sun on June 12 -- the ship is scheduled to dock at 5 AM. I'm not sure what time they actually start disembarking passengers.

I have booked a small boat cruise of the Kenai Fjords and need to meet up with the group at 7:45 at a location near the Seward Boat Harbor.

If I choose to carry my luggage off the ship, how long on average does it take to fully disembark? Do I need to go through Customs if our ship departed from Vancouver?

By the time I exit the terminal, is the small boat harbor area within walking distance, or should I take a cab?

Thanks!

[jgmc]

We have done the Kenai Fjords excursion upon arrival in Seward. The vendor we used picked us up at the ship when we called them. You will not go through customs as this was done when you boarded - for us, anyway since we boarded in Vancouver. We don't schedule this ahead of time....we wait to check the weather when we arrive in Seward - it can be really bumpy in the Gulf if the weather is windy or rainy.

[OhJinkies]

We have done the Kenai Fjords excursion upon arrival in Seward. The vendor we used picked us up at the ship when we called them. You will not go through customs as this was done when you boarded - for us, anyway since we boarded in Vancouver. We don't schedule this ahead of time....we wait to check the weather when we arrive in Seward - it can be really bumpy in the Gulf if the weather is windy or rainy.

Thanks -- what ship were you on? How long did it take for you to disembark?

I'm not doing the tour with one of the big operators -- it's a smaller craft (15 pp max) via Alaska Saltwater Lodge. I handpicked this for the more intimate experience, and there's too much risk of the boat reaching capacity if I don't reserve! We have a meeting place not far from my hotel, so I'll need to drop off my luggage first, then walk down to the bakery where we're meeting.

[Northern Aurora]

We have also disembarked in Seward, but we have never cruised on NCL so I have no idea regarding their self-disembarkation procedures. We have always just "dinged out" our sea pass cards, walked to the luggage hall to pick up our luggage and left the ship.

 

Seward is not as touristy as ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway. I haven't looked at their 2017 cruise terminal schedule, but in the past they have never had more than one ship in port at a time and don't even receive a ship a day.

 

If you look at Google Earth you will see the small boat harbor. The cruise terminal is one one side and part of the town on the other (the town is rather long and narrow). From a docked ship you can look across the small boat harbor and see the Harbor 360 hotel in addition to both Ray's Waterfront and Chinooks restaurants.

[OhJinkies]

We have also disembarked in Seward, but we have never cruised on NCL so I have no idea regarding their self-disembarkation procedures. We have always just "dinged out" our sea pass cards, walked to the luggage hall to pick up our luggage and left the ship.

 

Seward is not as touristy as ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway. I haven't looked at their 2017 cruise terminal schedule, but in the past they have never had more than one ship in port at a time and don't even receive a ship a day.

 

If you look at Google Earth you will see the small boat harbor. The cruise terminal is one one side and part of the town on the other (the town is rather long and narrow). From a docked ship you can look across the small boat harbor and see the Harbor 360 hotel in addition to both Ray's Waterfront and Chinooks restaurants.

Thanks, I pulled up Google street view to find my hotel and the bakery meeting place. There is one other ship in port that day -- the Seabourn Sojourn, but they arrive at 7 AM and only have 450 passengers. I'm hoping to be off the ship close to 7 AM. Thanks for the info, it really helps that I don't have to wait in a line to go through Customs!!