Siteseeing in Seward vs. Anchorage - What would you do?

[JimP1903]

*DW here using DH’s login with a detailed question*

 

NCL cruise disembarks early a.m. in Seward. We have a flight out of Anchorage the next day at 2pm. We are trying to figure out if it’s better to take the 6am cruise offered train and head directly to Anchorage for the day (staying at a downtown hotel close to siteseeing) OR spend the day siteseeing in Seward and take the 6pm train (staying at an airport hotel in Anchorage) . I understand the 2 trains drop in the exact opposite location for either scenario, but that’s the least of my worries at the moment.

 

We have never been to Alaska so we have no point of reference. All of our research as been online and we’re torn. For you seasoned Alaska travelers which scenario would you recommend? Do we disembark, drop our bags (where?), spend the day in Seward and take the later 6pm train to stay at an airport hotel in Anchorage OR do you recommend we disembark, hop on the early 6am train, check-in to a downtown hotel, and spend the day in Anchorage. (Again, I realize the trains will drop at the opposite depots, but I’m more concerned with how to spend our day.  We’ll worry about how to get from the depot to the hotel once we know what we’re doing).

 

DH is concerned we will be tired after the cruise and staying in Seward for the day might be more of a hassle since we won’t have access to our bags or a hotel to rest; he is leaning towards the earlier train and spending the day in Anchorage where we have our luggage and a hotel room.  My concern is there’s more to see and do in Seward (based on my illustrious google searching) and I have FOMO of not seeing Seward. Are my concerns real or is there plenty of siteseeing in Anchorage? If you only had 1 day where would you spend it?

 

We are a family of 4 with 2 teenage boys and we will not have a car. What would you do?

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

Hands down -- stay in Seward and take the evening train to Anchorage.  In Seward options include a day cruise (Major Marine is our favorite vendor), a visit to Exit Glacier, the SeaLife Center or a visit to the Seavey family dog kennels (they are Iditarod mushers).  Seward is much more charming than Anchorage.

 

Anchorage is simply "any town USA" with some mountains in the background.  Anchorage does have a planning and zoning department but you would never know it  --  cookie cutter buildings with a number of aging trailer parks.  And the homeless issue is appalling.  In downtown Anchorage be prepared for panhandling and folks who are intoxicated wandering around.  Anchorage is the one community in Alaska where this is an issue -- we certainly don't have the magnitude of this problem in Fairbanks.  

 

Depending on which hotel you have booked in Anchorage options might include the Anchorage Museum (would the boys enjoy it?), or the Alaska Native Heritage Center (pre-covid there was a shuttle service).  If you had a car you could visit the Matanuska Glacier, but then your husband may again be concerned about being too tired after the cruise.  

[Coral]

Seward.......!!!!!!

 

Anchorage is a city. Seward is an outdoor adventure with so much to do.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Coral

[GTJ]

It is a choice between spending a day in a relatively remote community, Seward, or a day in an urban center, Anchorage. Each have their draws, and so it really depends on which type of environment you prefer. I have always been drawn to cities, and there are always things of interest to see and do in Anchorage. In addition, Anchorage has a good-enough public transportation system so that the lack of a car would not substantially diminish your mobility. On the other hand, if you like nature and getting away from people, then a day in Seward could be better. But without a car you may be more captive to the tour operators in Seward. It is difficult for me to judge what it is that you like best.

[Coral]

50 minutes ago, GTJ said:

It is a choice between spending a day in a relatively remote community, Seward, or a day in an urban center, Anchorage. Each have their draws, and so it really depends on which type of environment you prefer. I have always been drawn to cities, and there are always things of interest to see and do in Anchorage. In addition, Anchorage has a good-enough public transportation system so that the lack of a car would not substantially diminish your mobility. On the other hand, if you like nature and getting away from people, then a day in Seward could be better. But without a car you may be more captive to the tour operators in Seward. It is difficult for me to judge what it is that you like best.

Not fully sure if you have actually seen Seward beyond getting off of a ship there.

 

No car is necessary in Seward:

 

https://sewardcitytours.com/free-shuttle/ 

 

I have been to Seward a few times, never with a car and never had an issue. Never been captive to tour guides either. If anything - everyone has been extremely helpful.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Coral

[GTJ]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

Not fully sure if you have actually seen Seward beyond getting off of a ship there. No car is necessary in Seward: https://sewardcitytours.com/free-shuttle/  I have been to Seward a few times, never with a car and never had an issue. Never been captive to tour guides either. If anything - everyone has been extremely helpful.

I have traveled to and from Seward multiple times, both by vessel and by railroad. Never by car. The bus service is there is very small scale--a single route two miles long and a half-hour headway without a publish schedule--and its little mobility falls far short of a useful transit system. (It would likely be more useful to have a transit system for the entire Kenai Peninsula Borough than just small individual municipalities.) On my last visit I meandered up and down the main commercial street, Fourth Avenue, visited the airport and took pictures of the airplanes, and would have liked to photograph railroad action as well but things were rather quiet. Unless one has booked a tour to visit natural sights in the surrounding area, there just is not much in Seward. A nice place to visit and to have visited, but that's it. I would not want to spend more than two or three hours there, and I have been bored waiting around there for the evening train back to Anchorage. I find Anchorage to be of much greater interest, but that's likely because I am a "city person." Others may enjoy Seward more than I have.

[Coral]

32 minutes ago, GTJ said:

I have traveled to and from Seward multiple times, both by vessel and by railroad. Never by car. The bus service is there is very small scale--a single route two miles long and a half-hour headway without a publish schedule--and its little mobility falls far short of a useful transit system. (It would likely be more useful to have a transit system for the entire Kenai Peninsula Borough than just small individual municipalities.) On my last visit I meandered up and down the main commercial street, Fourth Avenue, visited the airport and took pictures of the airplanes, and would have liked to photograph railroad action as well but things were rather quiet. Unless one has booked a tour to visit natural sights in the surrounding area, there just is not much in Seward. A nice place to visit and to have visited, but that's it. I would not want to spend more than two or three hours there, and I have been bored waiting around there for the evening train back to Anchorage. I find Anchorage to be of much greater interest, but that's likely because I am a "city person." Others may enjoy Seward more than I have.

You obviously did not see the cool things Seward has to offer. And it is not difficult to get around with out a car. Sorry you missed a great town.

[CaribbeanIsland]

1 hour ago, GTJ said:

I have traveled to and from Seward multiple times, both by vessel and by railroad. Never by car. The bus service is there is very small scale--a single route two miles long and a half-hour headway without a publish schedule--and its little mobility falls far short of a useful transit system. (It would likely be more useful to have a transit system for the entire Kenai Peninsula Borough than just small individual municipalities.) On my last visit I meandered up and down the main commercial street, Fourth Avenue, visited the airport and took pictures of the airplanes, and would have liked to photograph railroad action as well but things were rather quiet. Unless one has booked a tour to visit natural sights in the surrounding area, there just is not much in Seward. A nice place to visit and to have visited, but that's it. I would not want to spend more than two or three hours there, and I have been bored waiting around there for the evening train back to Anchorage. I find Anchorage to be of much greater interest, but that's likely because I am a "city person." Others may enjoy Seward more than I have.

Congratulations on missing everything Seward has to offer except for the train ride. Anyone that prefers cities probably shouldn't be vacationing in Alaska. Alaska is all about exterior beauty and Seward is one of the best places to experience this. Seward is the one town that I enjoy spending several days in before and after a cruise. Anchorage has very little to offer to tourists.

[Casey12]

There is more to do in Seward. The boat rides here are exceptional and are the highlights for me. On our last trip there, we spent 3 days out on the water. We love the hike to Exit Glacier, seeing Seavey's Iditaride, Sealife museum. It is just a beautiful small town with so much to do. A hidden gem that most people miss who go right from ship to airport. We did not have a car when in Seward and it was not an issue.

 

There really isn't much to see in Anchorage. We ate some nice meals there and enjoyed the Ulu factory but otherwise - it is a city and not really a tourist destination.

[GTJ]

19 hours ago, Coral said:

You obviously did not see the cool things Seward has to offer. And it is not difficult to get around with out a car. Sorry you missed a great town.

We may have different perspectives of things that are of interest. I like seeing the world for what it is, and while Seward is a place of interest, a pleasant town but not a great town. (It is true that, within Seward itself, it is not difficult to get around if one is ambulatory--it is a small place and readily walkable--but to get around the surrounding area can be challenging because there is no regional public transportation except for the bus services to and from Anchorage.)

 

19 hours ago, CaribbeanIsland said:

Anyone that prefers cities probably shouldn't be vacationing in Alaska. Alaska is all about exterior beauty and Seward is one of the best places to experience this. Seward is the one town that I enjoy spending several days in before and after a cruise. Anchorage has very little to offer to tourists.

I think you're missing what Alaska is actually all about. The state is not solely about "exterior beauty," and its attractiveness is deeper than just its superficial appearances. Alaska is also about cities, industry, history, culture, recreation, politics, and more. It may well be that Seward is a place with "exterior beauty," though there are many other places in Alaska that also share the same characteristic. I suppose some people could stand for hours in Seward admiring the "exterior beauty," but for me a static view does not require an extended period of time to take it in. Coming off of a vessel in Seward it is worthwhile seeing Seward for an hour or two before heading to Anchorage. And there certainly are other sights and activities in the surrounding area, outside of Seward, beyond the reach of the small public transportation system, for which to partake (e.g., Exit Glacier), though they require becoming captive to a tour or other transportation operator. Seward itself is a small city, population 2,700, that is pleasant to visit, but there's just not a lot there in the city itself. It is a nice place to visit, and it should be viewed for what it is. There are also many other places in Alaska to visit, but in the end each individual will come to own conclusion as to the degree of interest each place holds.

[Coral]

Not worth responding to someone who obviously has not spent much time in Seward to see it.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Coral