Embarkment timing and Whittier

[Ellen495]

Hi,

This will be our first cruise. We are taking the train from Anchorage and arrive Whittier at 12:30. What time can we embark? My husband and I have a Neptune suite, so I assume we will have more flexibility (though I have no clue) and our daughter/fiancé have a regular room. Can they embark with us?

 

If we have to wait until 5 or 6, what is there to do in Whittier and will the cruise line take our luggage?

 

THANK YOU.

Ellen 

[Torquer]

Since you are in a Neptune suite, in most cases you will be able to board as soon as boarding opens on embarkation.  For the other people in your group, Whittier is a special port since it is so far from airports and other transportation.  The vast majority of people come on HAL-supplied transportation.  I suspect they will stagger the arrivals so that people will be able to board soon after they arrive at the terminal.  Now the train does hold quite a few people compared to those arriving via buses, so there may be some boarding delay.

[Ellen495]

Thank you. How soon does it open? Do you think we can bring our kids?

 

Either way, can we leave our luggage with them and wander the town which will likely be more interesting than sitting on the boat?

[CruiserBruce]

Boarding will start at approximately the same it does at other ports...the sailing time rarely affects the start of boarding, only the end of boarding. Expect the start to be somewhere between 11:30 and noon.

[sherrerakacik]

Hi,

 

We embarked on Nieuw Amsterdam in Whittier last week.  We also took the train from Anchorage that arrived at 12:30pm.  It was a wonderful experience!  When you check in at the train depot, they take your luggage and you don’t see it again until it’s delivered to your cabin onboard!! Super convenient.  Once the train arrives in Whittier you go right into the cruise terminal and they check you into the cruise and you board immediately!   We were having lunch on the Lido by 1pm.  Our luggage was delivered to the stateroom an hour later.  Enjoy your cruise!!

[Tracey/Thom]

We disembarked Nieuw Amsterdam in Whittier May 15th, they took our luggage from our cabin and we didn't see it again until we arrived at Mt. Mckinley Chalet Resort. It was all very efficient, very organized. The 9 HOUR bus ride from Whittier to Mt Mckinley Chalet Resort was not fun, the "restroom" was a hole in the bottom of a toilet, no flushing handle, no running water in the sink. The driver drove, and said nothing. We took the train back from Mt McKinley to Anchorage and that was great.

[Ellen495]

Thank you!

My husband and I arrive in Anchorage a day before the "kids." We are taking a cab to Seward, sleeping there the night, doing the Fjord cruise, and then going back on the gold star train. I think it's nuts but my husband really wanted to do the cruise and the gold star train. 

 

The kids, more sensibly, fly in the next day and meet us in Anchorage. 

 

If we each have one bottle of wine in our bag, that's allowed, correct? If we choose to bring more, that's allowed with a charge, correct? How do they handle the cost we need to pay if they take the bags and send them to our rooms?

 

Thank you

Ellen

[CruiserBruce]

Cab from Anchorage to Seward? That is going to be expensive!!

 

Nope, all wine brought aboard must be in your possession, not in your checked bag, and is subject to corkage fees. From the website FAQ:

 

Guests may bring Wine and Champagne onboard, however a corkage fee of USD $20.00 (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to each bottle (max 750 ml in volume or less). Limitations apply. Wine brought in quantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel or security will be refused.

 

 

[Ellen495]

yes it's 375 for two people - similar to the train I guess. We tried everything to find another way - Uber would be cheaper but it might be hard to find someone willing to take us since they don't get paid for the ride back.

 

If they take our checked luggage, do we put the wine in carry on bags and just take them to our room ourselves? (That would be fine with me - just trying to figure out how this all works)

 

I thought one bottle per person was free and the rest were charged the fee? We aren't planning on excessive, but tend not to like the wine that is "free." Can you purchase wine on board that is somewhat reasonably priced?

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, you must carry on the wine. You pay the corkage and they might put a sticker on it to prove the corkage has been paid.

 

"Reasonably priced" is very subjective, and whether you will like it is even more subjective. Just like coffee. 

[seaoma]

1 hour ago, Ellen495 said:

yes it's 375 for two people - similar to the train I guess. We tried everything to find another way - Uber would be cheaper but it might be hard to find someone willing to take us since they don't get paid for the ride back.

 

If they take our checked luggage, do we put the wine in carry on bags and just take them to our room ourselves? (That would be fine with me - just trying to figure out how this all works)

 

I thought one bottle per person was free and the rest were charged the fee? We aren't planning on excessive, but tend not to like the wine that is "free." Can you purchase wine on board that is somewhat reasonably priced?

 

This is many, many years ago, but there was a motorcoach service between Seward and Anchorage that we used. I think this was it. Maybe it would work.

 

https://www.alaskatravel.com/park-connection-bus/

[Ellen495]

CruiseBruce - right you are. 

 

Seaoma - thanks for the link. Unfortunately our plane arrives at 8:30 pm so it doesn't work.

I just hope the fjord cruise and gold star train ride back is worth the hassle and the money. 

[seaoma]

Just now, Ellen495 said:

CruiseBruce - right you are. 

 

Seaoma - thanks for the link. Unfortunately our plane arrives at 8:30 pm so it doesn't work.

I just hope the fjord cruise and gold star train ride back is worth the hassle and the money. 

 

We thoroughly enjoyed both but it was our first trip to Alaska, so we thought everything was spectacular. We actually did this as part of a 2 week vacation that didn't involve a cruise. We liked the scenery so well that while we had our rental car, we drove back to Whittier before we flew out.

[Ellen495]

I think the cab ride to Seward will be okay. It will be late - but it will be light. Our other option is to stay in Anchorage and take the train and 6:30 am but I am awful with sleep and don't like waking that early. This way, yeah we'll be tired after flying from Philadelphia (we should have given ourselves an extra day, but it's too late to change the air without a huge price rise), but it will be pretty. Then we can sleep until 9 am and still make the Fjord cruise and train back to Anchorage.

[IPB4IGO]

On 5/29/2022 at 5:08 AM, Ellen495 said:

I thought one bottle per person was free and the rest were charged the fee? We aren't planning on excessive, but tend not to like the wine that is "free." Can you purchase wine on board that is somewhat reasonably priced?

In prior years they allowed one bottle per person, but no more. They have also disallowed bringing nonalcoholic beverages (e.g., soda) aboard. 

Wine purchased aboard is quite expensive, like any restaurant. For example, a bottle of Cakebread chardonnay is $123. It is somewhat cheaper if you buy a 3- or 6-bottle package.

[Ellen495]

But you can still bring one bottle pp for the 20 dollar charge, right?

[CruiserBruce]

17 minutes ago, Ellen495 said:

But you can still bring one bottle pp for the 20 dollar charge, right?

Yes. I quoted the HAL policy back in post #8, right off their website.

[Ellen495]

9 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Yes. I quoted the HAL policy back in post #8, right off their website.

THANKS!

[cccole]

I think post #8 indicates that you can each bring more than one bottle per person and each bottle will be charged $20.  So, you are not limited to one bottle per person.  Not sure what is "excessive" or what the "limitations" are.   So I think you can bring a case of wine on and it will be charged the same as if you split it between the members of your group.

 

Also, those who have cruised more recently than me can confirm, but I think that you can also bring bottles of wine on board when in ports and they will also be charged $20.  Not sure if they are held 'til the end of the cruise or you can enjoy them when you bring them on board.  Have a great time.  Cherie 

Edited May 31, 2022 by cccole

[CruiserBruce]

28 minutes ago, cccole said:

I think post #8 indicates that you can each bring more than one bottle per person and each bottle will be charged $20.  So, you are not limited to one bottle per person.  Not sure what is "excessive" or what the "limitations" are.   So I think you can bring a case of wine on and it will be charged the same as if you split it between the members of your group.

 

Also, those who have cruised more recently than me can confirm, but I think that you can also bring bottles of wine on board when in ports and they will also be charged $20.  Not sure if they are held 'til the end of the cruise or you can enjoy them when you bring them on board.  Have a great time.  Cherie 

The next paragraph of the policy I quoted in post #8 says wine from a winery tour is exempt from the fee. People have reported here they brought wine on board in ports without paying the fee even if they weren't on a winery tour.

[muffin]

Suppose it might be easier to claim wine tour in Italy or France than in Alaska!!!