Royal - Anchorage to Seward

[alaskaboy2]

Our other Alaska cruises have been Seattle to Seattle so going from Seward to Vancouver is a whole new experience for us next June.

 

I could use some help on these questions:

 

1) I know Royal does check-in's, luggage collection at the downtown Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.  Are there recommended hotels to stay at for a few days that have shuttle service for cruisers that take you to this place?

2) I know Royal has a bus transfer one can buy from that convention center to Seward.  Do they have a similar arrangement for the train?

I'm trying to figure out our time in Anchorage including details like this.  I'd like to come into town maybe on Monday have have that week to spend exploring around Anchorage on our own.  It's that final day I don't have a good handle on yet.

Thanks.

[OCSC Mike]

18 minutes ago, alaskaboy2 said:

I'd like to come into town maybe on Monday have have that week to spend exploring around Anchorage on our own.

 

If you're going to spend a week on land, I highly suggest seeing more than just Anchorage. In 2018, we spent 10 days on land starting in Fairbanks and making our way down to Seward taking the train the whole way (planned with lots of help from an outside company). Anchorage was just an overnight stop for us.

 

Very long trip report in my signature if you're interested,

[alaskaboy2]

Yes, of course.  It was just easier to say Anchorage.  🙂  I'd like to get up to Denali as part of this.

[OCSC Mike]

15 minutes ago, alaskaboy2 said:

Yes, of course.  It was just easier to say Anchorage.  🙂  I'd like to get up to Denali as part of this.

 

Denali was one of the places we would have to include on any future trips. The whole vacation was amazing but we saw certain things as one and done even though we likely enjoyed them as well.

 

I'll shut up so someone can hopefully answer your specific question. Sorry for going a bit off-topic.

[thetwoofus1]

We took the early train to Seward and shuttled to the 6 hour Kenai Fjords Whale watching tour.  The train people took our luggage to the boat company.   After the Whale watching they had a shuttle to take us to the port.  Everything was really smooth.  Both the train and whale tour are FANTASTIC!!

 

Jim

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, thetwoofus1 said:

6 hour Kenai Fjords Whale watching tour

 

Highly recommend it. If you have time to do the longer one, even better, but either way.

 

Also spent some time at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. Not quite the same thing as seeing animals in the wild, of course, but my wife loves penguins and puffins so we paid for a special encounter where you could go into the habitat and feed them fish by hand. We have some very memorable photos and videos.