NCL using Whittier for turnaround in 2025

[wolfie11]

According to their website, NCL one-way cruises will begin and end in Whittier starting in 2025.  Hopefully not on the same day as Princess or HAL cruises or I can see a big problem there!

[oaktreerb]

interesting……it will be awhile before we will see the port schedule for 2025.  If two ships were in Whittier on the same day you could possibly sail north on one cruiseline and south on another.  

[Northern Aurora]

4 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

interesting……it will be awhile before we will see the port schedule for 2025.  If two ships were in Whittier on the same day you could possibly sail north on one cruiseline and south on another.  

 How does one sail north out of Whittier?  I am not aware of any of the few expedition ships who do the Northwest Passage sailing from Whittier.

[AKStafford]

I'm assuming this is part of the Huna Totem/Doyon project to build a new dock in Whittier: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/NCLH-Whitter-project-announced

[GTJ]

18 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

According to their website, NCL one-way cruises will begin and end in Whittier starting in 2025.  Hopefully not on the same day as Princess or HAL cruises or I can see a big problem there!

Are you repeating prior news, or is NCL reporting actual progress on its terminal development in Whittier? I do tend to be a bit wary about dates announced in advance of transportation facility openings, as projects are notorious for delays (not to mention cost overruns). If I were planning travel for 2025, at best I might be hopeful that service would be provided to or from Whittier, but I would also be prepared for service being provided to or from Seward.

 

The capacity issue is interesting. Presently, Carnival uses Whittier as a terminal on Saturdays, Sundays, and alternate Wednesdays (for its Princess Cruises and Holland America Line brands). Meanwhile, NCL presently uses Seward as a terminal on alternate Mondays and alternate Wednesdays (for its Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands), the Wednesday service being those alternate weeks not operated by Carnival. Additionally, the Alaska Marine Highway operates the Aurora to and from Whittier daily, and the Kennicott to and from Whittier alternate Mondays and alternate Thursdays, but these vessels are relatively small. So at least under current schedules there would not be any overlap with two large cruise vessels in port simultaneously (although that raises the broader question: why build a new terminal?!) The problem faced uniquely by the Whittier port is the limitation imposed on overland traffic entering and leaving the community by a single-lane shared rail-road tunnel. Two large vessels in port on the same day might result in impossible traffic capacity conditions.

 

I understand that the Alaska Railroad is planning to build infrastructure to serve the new terminal with passenger train service, but I do not recall seeing any detailed plans or time frame. Presumably such work would have financing and construction separate and apart from NCL's work, and so I would be curious to see how that is progressing. Might it be that the terminal would not be usable until the railroad work is also completed?

[wolfie11]

From their website.  The one-way cruises open for booking show Whittier 

[oaktreerb]

19 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

interesting……it will be awhile before we will see the port schedule for 2025.  If two ships were in Whittier on the same day you could possibly sail north on one cruiseline and south on another.  

 

15 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

 How does one sail north out of Whittier?  I am not aware of any of the few expedition ships who do the Northwest Passage sailing from Whittier.

North out of Vancouver, South out of Whittier.  Like a 14 day cruise on two different cruise lines.   You could, for instance, take Princess North from Vancouver to Whittier and jump on NCL going South from Whittier to Vancouver.  It would add variety to the cruise experience so that you don’t have to do the same cruise line North and South to do a round trip Vancouver.

[Northern Aurora]

I agree with @AKStafford.  I also think this is a reference to the Huna Totem project.  There have been some articles in the Anchorage Daily News.