When will I know the latest that I can board for 8:30 Whittier departure?

[Kat915]

Hi. New to Princess and trying to figure out when I will know the latest that I can board for 8:30 pm departure in Whittier, Alaska.  Various discussions on different forums if you can go on 26 glacier cruise before hand and I would like to but want to know when I will know the latest I can board the Princess cruise in June. 

 

Do you pick a check in time with Princess? If so, at what point? If not, do you find out latest check in time when you get a boarding pass 11 days before departure? 

 

I have scoured the Princess website and see no answers to my question.  I am "ocean ready" but don't know what time I need to check in by.

 

TIA.

Edited March 31 by Kat915

[Sprocket]

If you’re on the Sapphire June 29th I would plan to board by 6:30 PM at the latest.  We are doing the cruise tour and our train is supposed to arrive at 7.  No idea how many are actually booked but I wouldn’t want to be behind a train load of passengers going through the boarding process.

 

 

Edited March 31 by Sprocket

[Essiesmom]

You might ask on the Alaska board about the 26 glacier tour…but I doubt there is a lot of tourist traffic in Whittier so I would bet that most of the people on the tour would also be boarding the ship after.  And the tour operators know when you need to be back.  EM

[NRWPA]

I would call to make sure...I'm booked for a cruise out of Quebec later this year. The ship overnights in Quebec so I kind of thought I could arrive anytime. When I called I was told you have to check in the first day by 9 pm. When I completed my booking, it did tell me I had to check in by 9 pm the first day. YMMV

[Arizona Wildcat]

31 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

You might ask on the Alaska board about the 26 glacier tour…but I doubt there is a lot of tourist traffic in Whittier so I would bet that most of the people on the tour would also be boarding the ship after.  And the tour operators know when you need to be back.  EM

The issue getting to Whittier us the tunnel schedule.  Ask you tour operator.  Since there is basically nothing in Whittier except the Alaska Ferry to Valdez no real traffic

 

[Coral]

You can do the 26 glacier tour. The walk between that and the check-in is probably 3 minutes. There will be several from your cruise on that tour.

 

I believe you need to be checked in by 7:30. Though it seems they often run late because buses run late from Anchorage with passengers arriving on planes.

Edited March 31 by Coral

[Kat915]

1 hour ago, NRWPA said:

I would call to make sure...I'm booked for a cruise out of Quebec later this year. The ship overnights in Quebec so I kind of thought I could arrive anytime. When I called I was told you have to check in the first day by 9 pm. When I completed my booking, it did tell me I had to check in by 9 pm the first day. YMMV

When you say you completed your booking and got last boarding time, what are you referring to? Is that on the app that gets you to "ocean ready" since I already did that and wasn't informed of any times to be on board? Or something else?

[cr8tiv1]

I was also concerned about check in time in Quebec.  I emailed the port.  This is the information they told me.  Initially, my flight arrived at 10 PM.

 

You can arrive anytime (after 9 PM).  They will have to call someone from the front desk (customer service) to process you on.

 

I did the cruise and changed my arrival to 5 PM (via train from Montreal).  I also was on a previous cruise that overnighted in Quebec at the end of the cruise.  The gangway is manned all night long.  Security is at the door. The terminal is open all night long.

 

Unfortunately, Whittier doesn't have the same availability since the ship will leave at 8:30 PM.  

 

3 hours ago, NRWPA said:

I would call to make sure...I'm booked for a cruise out of Quebec later this year. The ship overnights in Quebec so I kind of thought I could arrive anytime. When I called I was told you have to check in the first day by 9 pm. When I completed my booking, it did tell me I had to check in by 9 pm the first day. YMMV

 

[NRWPA]

6 hours ago, Kat915 said:

When you say you completed your booking and got last boarding time, what are you referring to? Is that on the app that gets you to "ocean ready" since I already did that and wasn't informed of any times to be on board? Or something else?

No, I booked the cruise online. I think it was right before submitting my payment (also online) that I got the message.

[Kat915]

44 minutes ago, NRWPA said:

No, I booked the cruise online. I think it was right before submitting my payment (also online) that I got the message.

I am past final payment and booked online. No mention of latest check in time yet. 

 

I will try calling Princess on Monday.  Not sure if a customer service rep would have accurate information though. 

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, Kat915 said:

I am past final payment and booked online. No mention of latest check in time yet. 

 

I will try calling Princess on Monday.  Not sure if a customer service rep would have accurate information though. 

You can drop off your luggage before hand. Go to 26 Glaciers and take the cruise and then check in after 26 Glacier cruise.

 

It will be fine. People do this all the time. 26 Glacier cruise will be filled with individuals on your trip.

[wolfie11]

The train from Denali arrives around 6:30 - 7pm.  You will want to be on before then.

[wolfie11]

9 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

The issue getting to Whittier us the tunnel schedule.  Ask you tour operator.  Since there is basically nothing in Whittier except the Alaska Ferry to Valdez no real traffic

 

Not true.  Almost 700,000 people live in the Anchorage area and Whittier is the closest access to Prince William Sound.  Something like 500 boats are moored or based in Whittier.  On a nice summer weekend another thousand boats will head down the Seward Highway.  There is a lot of traffic in and out of Whittier.  An accident can close the road down for hours. I would aim to be in Whittier as early as possible.

[Kat915]

You don't pick a check in time with Princess?

[jean-lynd]

1 hour ago, Kat915 said:

You don't pick a check in time with Princess?

No - everyone is given the same boarding window. I hope this helps!

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Kat915 said:

You don't pick a check in time with Princess?

They used to do that in the past but it really didn't matter. People showed up whenever and they processed them when they came. They no longer do it.

 

Whittier is also a different beast. A lot of individuals are coming from cruise tours at multiple times, independent touring and then buses from Anchorage. It is not like the airport is 10 minutes away like in FLL. Most do arrive through Princess some how or via train.

Edited March 31 by Coral

[Kat915]

Thanks for the information everyone 

26 minutes ago, jean-lynd said:

No - everyone is given the same boarding window. I hope this helps!

When do you get the boarding window? That is my ultimate question. 

[LeeW]

The 26 glacier cruise gets back to the dock between 6 and 630.  That is about when the last train arrives, so you just join the mob getting onboard then.  Official time is likely 90 minutes before departure but it takes them a while to process all the people on the train coming from Denali.  Dining that night is walk-in, so even if you have arrangements for a particular table you probably won't sit there.

[jean-lynd]

38 minutes ago, Kat915 said:

Thanks for the information everyone 

When do you get the boarding window? That is my ultimate question. 

I haven't done it yet but most have said it shows up about 11 days ahead of time.

[Kat915]

1 minute ago, jean-lynd said:

I haven't done it yet but most have said it shows up about 11 days ahead of time.

This is what I was thinking too since I get some pass 11 days ahead of time. Little odd to wait that long to find out boarding time though.

 

Train is booked on the alaska railroad website but it looks like alaska tour and travel may have a ticket. If so, I am going to book the 26 glacier cruise or their shorter tour that ends at 5.

 

I currently have the wildlife ACT bus booked but I am thinking it's a very short time at the wildlife conservation center and I can cancel it.