Transportation from ANC to Captain Cook Hotel

[skarletohara]

We're arriving on 6/23/06 around 8:30 p.m. to Anchorage and would

like to know what kind of transportation is available. Do they have

shuttle vans that will take us downtown? Should we arrange transport in

advance or do they have taxicabs lined up as in any big city airport?

 

We are going on Princess cruises and have made all our own independent

air arrangements and hotel.

[Sandy R]

Hi Skarlet... it's me, Sandy, from our Mexican Riviera cruise. Hope you and DH are doing well. We'll be in ANC in September and are trying to decide between 2 hotels. Where are you staying?

 

You're arriving at a decent hour. We won't be arriving until 12:06 am! We're renting a car at the airport (they must be used to late arrivals because they're open until 12:30 am) but taxis are available and from what I've read, they're lined up waiting as the planes unload. Some hotels have shuttles but most of the downtown hotels don't.

 

Would love to hear your experiences in ANC when you return (sandy@riskin.net) Have a great cruise...

[skarletohara]

Hi Sandy!

 

We just booked this cruise only one week ago. Got a good deal $750 p.p.

no balcony though --- Anyway, we have reservations at the Captain Cook.

Of course the rate is rather high, so I tried a bid on Priceline because I've

read the Sheraton keeps coming up, or at least it was a while back

for like $115 a night.

We have a Jr. Suite booked for Captain Cook, but it's $270 including tax.

We booked it through the Preferred Hotels web-site with an Amex card,

otherwise it would have been $302 with tax! Yikes. Then we're sailing

to Vancouver and we'll spend 2 nights there too. Got an excellent

Priceline rate of $125 a night at the WEstin Bayshore which gets great reviews.

Everything I've read about the Captain Cook sounds pretty good.

Oh, yeah, we'll be on the Sapphire again too. We were originally trying for

the Coral Princess (Mon to Mon) but we got this offer for Sapphire

and couldn't pass it up. We've also booked a 10-day round trip from

San Francisco (our home port) to Acapulco for April 2007 too.

I'll be glad to e-mail you about our experiences in Anchorage.

I've written down your e-mail and I won't forget.

How are you and Ira doing? We enjoyed you guys a lot.

bye for now

 

Dana (and Eldred)

[Sandy R]

We're fine. Counting down the days to September.

 

We didn't book Captain Cook because they don't have air conditioning and the windows only open a few inches. Most of the time you don't need air but on occasion, ANC has warm days. We have reservations at the Marriott downtown and Homewood Suites, 2 1/2 miles from downtown. Tripadvisor doesn't say much good about any of the hotels/motels buth I think we're going with the Marriott since it's somewhat newer than the other hotels.

 

The Westin Bayshore is very nice. Try to get a room in the newer tower if you can. And, if you have time, walk along the boardwalk toward the entrance of Stanley Park. It's an easy walk with some nice restaurants to stop for lunch. To really see Stanley Park, you need a car, it a large area. And, if you want some fun go over to the North Shore to the suspension bridge. I've never made it across... too much swaying for me but Ira's done it every time we visit.

 

I'll look forward to hearing about your land/cruise when you get home...

 

Sandy

[Momj47]

My DD, SIL and I stayed at the Captain Cook last summer, and while Princess made our hotel reservation because we took a land tour first, we made our own travel arrangements. Princess has a tour desk next to the baggage claim in the airport. When we came to claim our luggage, one of their representatives asked our names, checked us off on their list, loaded our luggage on their bus and took us to the Captain Cook. They may do the same for you, but if not, you can easily get a cab or van from the airport to the hotel.

 

Friday and Saturday are the days most of the cruise travelers arrive, so there are a lot of buses from the cruise lines at the door as well as cabs and vans.

 

We had no problem with the temperature in our rooms at the Captain Cook, both nights we were there, even with no AC. It was pretty cool and breezy, we had to close the windows. There is a ceiling fan, which provides good air movement. There is no coffeemaker in the room.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[Coral]

Hi,

 

I stayed at the Captain Cook a few years ago when I made my own hotel and air reservations. Captain Cook did not have a shuttle and I was able to get a taxi at the airport - the taxis were lining up and there was no wait. I don't remember the cost but it wasn't expensive.

 

I really liked the Captain Cook - great location, great restaurants near by (Glacier Brewhouse very good). The service was very good. I didn't notice that the hotel didn't have air conditioning - I must not have needed it.

 

I am not sure how you are getting to Whittier (independent or with Princess). I was doing an independent train to Seward (Princess used Seward that year) - the Captain Cook bell captain was very nice and offered to put my luggage in with the Princess passenges who booked the hotel through the cruise line so that I didn't need to mess with it on my own. I put my ship's tags on the luggage, dropped it off with the bell captain and gave him a nice tip. He just included it with all the other Princess passengers luggage.

[klauer]

Dittos on the above postings on the Captain Cook. A very nice hotel, and no problem with no a/c in July (and my husband and I like it cool at night). We took a cab from the airport, and from the hotel to the train station. Not very expensive, as I recall.