An entire day in Anchorage - what to do with luggage?

[4Beverley]

We will end our Holland America sea/land trip about 8:00 am and cannot fly home until 8:00 PM.  We will have two large pieces of luggage and have no idea what to do with them all day long.  I'm really surprised that Holland America has no solutions for us -- and I'm even considering cancelling the cruise due to this concern and the late flights to the east coast.  I'd be grateful for any suggestions you might have.

 

[catl331]

For most cruises HAL offers post-cruise excursions which end at the airport. Are there none for your cruise?

 

We would probably rent a car and drive out along Turnagain Arm or see some other local attractions.

[4Beverley]

Yes, I also thought of renting a car but it's about $125 a day PLUS $150 drop-off charge at the airport.

[catl331]

If you took a HAL shuttle or cab to the airport and rented the car there you would eliminate the drop charge.

 

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by catl331

[leerathje]

We got off the Koningsdam yesterday, My brother, father and sister in law opted to have their luggage forwarded to their home airport.  I believe it was $19. per person. The option was given to them (and us) the day before disembarkation. We didn't use it as we stayed an extra day in Ft Lauderdale.

 

[terrydtx]

You might check with your airline to see if you can check your luggage early the day you leave. Most flights back to the states from Alaska are red eye flights that leave late in the day or early morning like 1am, so the airlines should be use to situations like yours.

[catl331]

32 minutes ago, leerathje said:

We got off the Koningsdam yesterday, My brother, father and sister in law opted to have their luggage forwarded to their home airport.

Luggage Direct is only available in Ft Lauderdale and Seattle

[Essiesmom]

Granted, this was on Princess, but I took the Princess post cruise tour and transfer to Anchorage and they dropped us off at the Egan Center, right downtown, where you could check your luggage at a table and go out and wander around, and catch another shuttle to the airport.  HAL passengers/buses were also there.  The second time we were on a B2B and took the tour for in transit passengers to Anchorage.  they dropped us off and picked up again at a different convention center, but there were luggage drop centers there, too.  Yo might ask on the Alaska board under Ports of Call.  EM

[4Beverley]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

Granted, this was on Princess, but I took the Princess post cruise tour and transfer to Anchorage and they dropped us off at the Egan Center, right downtown, where you could check your luggage at a table and go out and wander around, and catch another shuttle to the airport.  HAL passengers/buses were also there.  The second time we were on a B2B and took the tour for in transit passengers to Anchorage.  they dropped us off and picked up again at a different convention center, but there were luggage drop centers there, too.  Yo might ask on the Alaska board under Ports of Call.  EM

 

[4Beverley]

Thanks so much!

[rafinmd]

You might also look at Luggage Forward.  Prices might be a bit high but it is very convenient to have your bags taken straight from the ship to your home.

 

Roy

[1ANGELCAT]

Are you ending your sea portion or land portion of your time in the Great Land ?

If its the sea leg , you will end in Seward which is about a 3 hour transfer to Anchorage. If this is the land portion , is your last hotel night in Anchorage, I believe you should be able to make luggage storage arrangements with the hotel and enjoy the day touring the city.

Have a wonderful time in the Great Land.

 

 

 

 

[CRu1853!!]

My husband and I had an overnight stay in Anchorage after our Denali/Yukon cruise tour in August 2018. 

Don’t know if this is your situation. We left our luggage at the hotel, used a car rental company that picked us up at the hotel and drove us to their office site.

We then drove along the Seward Highway to see the sights. We drove back to hotel to pick up luggage, back to car rental company, then they drove us to the airport. Thrifty car rental on Spenard. 

Hope this may help.

[MikeD4134]

Whenever I have been in this situation, sometimes I get a room at hotel near the airport, even if you cannot check early they will hold your bags, other times I go to a hotel near the airport and tell the bell captain I will be checking in later and they hold the bags.

[4Beverley]

Thanks.  That's what I ended up doing -- booking a hotel with the hope we can have an early check-in, a nap and shower for a few hours before we fly out in the evening.

 

[terrydtx]

13 hours ago, 4Beverley said:

Thanks.  That's what I ended up doing -- booking a hotel with the hope we can have an early check-in, a nap and shower for a few hours before we fly out in the evening.

 

You should also check out early morning flights from Anchorage and fly out the next morning since you are going to book a hotel anyway. This would get you back to the east coast in the evening instead of flying a redeye flight.