Help!!! Is Seward Worth All Of This???

[crusinwen]

We are struggling on what to do. We thought we had everything in order. We are going on Diamond Princess May 23 Northbound to Whittier. We are also planning on our own independent land tour. None of us have ever gone to Alaska. We were going to rent a Van/SUV in Whittier, drive to Seward, stay there for 2 days and then head for 3 days to Denali. Spend a night in Talkeetna and then head to Anchorage for a flight home.

 

Little did we know that we would not be able to rent an adequate van/suv out of Whittier. I called the day (Oct.1) that we were told was the first day what you could reserve a car and they were all sold out!! We have 4 adults traveling together.

 

We really do not like any of the available options.....can go to Anchorage and rent a car from there (but lose alot of time) Can reverse our plans and go to Seward last before going to the airport but that seems to be backtracking as well. Could take a taxi or other service directly to Seward and then a train to Anchorage for the car rental, or we could skip Seward all together. We hate to skip Seward because we have heard alot of good things about it. Now I am hearing about the PWS tour. Now I am wondering if we should do the PWS tour instead of going to Seward for the Kenai tours? Help???? We will go to Seward (somehow) if we feel it would be worth all the trouble. Thanks for your input. We could never do this without CC. Wendy:confused:

[GlacierLady]

Seward is my favorite place in Ak and that's why I've lived here 12 years, longest place in my life. It's very pretty with lots to do for tourists. It's small and easy to get around without a vehicle. You'd have a great couple of days with a wildlife cruise, Sealife Center, Exit Glacier, dogsled ride, kayaking, fishing. Good luck with your decision. :)

[Iwannabeatraveler]

I am pondering the same question! I didn't realize how far from Anchorage Seward is! Thanks for posing the question, maybe someone will have a brilliant idea to benefit us both!

[cbowler]

First off, I COMPLETELY feel your pain. I am basically in your EXACT situation and have struggled with this immensely. We have 4 adults, arriving in Whittier, have plans for 3 nights in Seward, 2 in Denali and a flight home out of Anchorage. Lodging is booked, tours are planned, a perfect itinerary for us, if I do say so myself! :D After researching many, many different possible solutions to this problem, I have come up with the following plan for now:

 

Pick up a ROUND TRIP mini van rental from Avis in Whittier on Saturday morning when we arrive at 8am. Then do the PWS tour and head to Seward that evening. Do Seward, Denali, Talkeetna, etc as regularly planned. On our last day, we are driving from Denali back down to Anchorage and then on to Whittier and dropping off the minivan around 6pm or so. At that point we will either take the train back up to Anchorage or cram everyone and our luggage into a full size car, with a one way rental from Whittier to Anchorage through Avis. We have a very late flight that night and I figure we can manage with suitcases on our laps, at our feet, etc for the 1.25 hr drive back to Anchorage. This is definitely not the most cost effective solution but rather the solution that I felt wasted the least amount of time and disrupted our plans the least. With this option we are giving up our afternoon and evening in Anchorage. It was either give up that or the PWS cruise and I just can give up the PWS cruise.

 

My other thought, and it might be a pricey one, is that one way minivan/suv rentals may become available in May once the Whittier office reopens again. I check online every day but no luck thus far.

 

Good luck and feel free to discuss this more with me.

 

Carrie

[cindep]

I'm in a similar situation. I've about decided (since there are only 2 of us) to do the PWS tour after we get off the Island Princess in Whittier then take the train to Anchorage. Spend the night in Anchorage and take the train the next morning to Seward. Do the Kenai Fjords tour out of Seward and get back on the train to return to Anchorage. We'll pick up our car on Day 3 at the Anchorage airport and head to Denali in the morning. I figured using the 2 for 1 coupons in the Northern Lights coupon book for the Alaska Railroad, that it will be cheaper than an extra day plus gas on a car even though it will take longer. It also means we can relax and have a bite to eat on the train both ways and sleep if things get too boring. We'll have plenty of time to drive the remainder of our trip.

[cruisin'mama]

We weighed the options and decided to go with Celebrity that sails out of Seward and avoid the Whittier issues.

[Iwannabeatraveler]

I am going on the opposite itinerary, I am doing the land first, then cruising out of Whittier to Vancouver. I am trying to decide how tobest get fromAnchorage, Seward, etc. in the Shortest time. How far is it by train from Anchorage to Seward? also, are the 2 for one coupons for the railroad only valid certain days or times?

[NancyIL]

I am going on the opposite itinerary, I am doing the land first, then cruising out of Whittier to Vancouver. I am trying to decide how tobest get fromAnchorage, Seward, etc. in the Shortest time. How far is it by train from Anchorage to Seward? also, are the 2 for one coupons for the railroad only valid certain days or times?

 

The train between Anchorage and Seward takes about 4.25 hours - but it's a beautiful ride. In 2008, the railroad coupons were good only for roundtrip travel during certain dates.

 

To go between Seward and Whittier, check out PJ's Taxi: http://www.pjstaxi.com

[cindep]

From what I can see on the Northern Lights website, the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Seward is valid 5/9/09 through 6/15/09 and 8/15/09 through 9/13/09. Fortunately for us, we'll be there the first week of June. Looks like the dates are the same for Whittier as well.

[Iwannabeatraveler]

Bummer on the coupon, we are there right smack in the middle of the valid dates! my brain hurts from trying to figure out logistics of getting from point to point for a deal and the best time!

I printed some train info, I will have to see what I can figure out!

Thanks for the input! It really makes a difference in waht you can do when you factor in drive times, etc!

[smitty3000]

We went on our Alaskan Cruise this past August on Sapphire Princess. We debarked in Whittier and had PJ's Taxi pick us up at 7:40 AM in the morning and take us straight over to Seward to the Kenai Fjords Tour and then we went on the train and we were in Anchorage that night at 10:15 PM. It was just my husband and I so we advertised on the roll call to share the cab with another couple who were on our ship. (They were super nice and made our trip even more enjoyable). It cost us $250 for the taxi from Whittier to Seward. Broken down to exactly $125 per couple which really is not that bad. The nice thing about PJ's is they stopped by the train station early so we could leave our luggage and then on to the dock to pick up our Kenai Fjords Tour. Renown (Kenai Fjords Tour) will take you over to the train once tour is done at 5:30 It really is a great tour and Seward it a very nice little town. We rented our car in Anchorage and drove to Denali for 3 days. We saved a lot of time doing it this way, saw great scenery from the train and saved money. Happy Cruising!! :)

[Alaska05]

My 2 cents worth -- do one of the PWS tours in Whittier and save Seward for your next Alaska cruise. If you're like a lot of us, there will be a next one and choose an itinerary that either ends or begins in Seward.

[Glaciers]

Yes, Seward is worth it. Here's some more transportation options.

 

http://www.whittiertransportation.com/

 

http://www.alaskatransportation.net/

 

http://www.girdwoodshuttle.com/

 

http://www.girdwoodtourstransportation.com/

[Southern Bell]

The train between Anchorage and Seward takes about 4.25 hours - but it's a beautiful ride. In 2008, the railroad coupons were good only for roundtrip travel during certain dates.

 

To go between Seward and Whittier, check out PJ's Taxi: http://www.pjstaxi.com

 

Thank you for the link to PJ's Taxi! Like others, I have been totally perplexed with the transporation options on our independent tour. I think because of these new transportations links provided here, we will use the car only between Anchorage and Denali days, stay another night in Anchorage and take the Alaska Railroad to Seward for 2 nights and the PJs taxi to Whittier on embarkation day in time to enjoy the 6 hour PWS tour! whew! This option lets us have some time on the train and we will be rested the day we get on the ship because we won't have to get up at 5:00am for transporation to Whittier.

 

Thanks to all. These transportation options need to be posted more frequently on this forum.

[SEPyle]

Thank you for the link to PJ's Taxi! Like others, I have been totally perplexed with the transporation options on our independent tour. I think because of these new transportations links provided here, we will use the car only between Anchorage and Denali days, stay another night in Anchorage and take the Alaska Railroad to Seward for 2 nights and the PJs taxi to Whittier on embarkation day in time to enjoy the 6 hour PWS tour! whew! This option lets us have some time on the train and we will be rested the day we get on the ship because we won't have to get up at 5:00am for transporation to Whittier.

 

Thanks to all. These transportation options need to be posted more frequently on this forum.

 

Southern Bell, looks like you have a good plan now! You'll enjoy your trip between Seward and Whittier with PJ's Taxi! We had our plan all set and had a rental all set up with PU/Drop off in Anchorage because my daughter would be working out of Anchorage (all changed due to falling in love and decision made to stay in Key West for the summer). I priced alternatves and made the decision to go with Renee/PJ's Taxi. We had a ball and Renee knows the good stop off's for great picture opps!

 

I love exploring Alaska the independent way; however it does take a lot of planning and lodgistics can be overwhelming at times expecially when plans change; such as daughter screwing up the whole mix! Oh did I say that??? With that said; I do have to say that I love the planning part. It's like a puzzle and when a plan comes together, you just know you know it's right!

 

By the way, here's a link to my pictures of our time in Seward. The beginning are pictures we took on our drive from Anchorage to Seward with Renee.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/TASharon1/SewardAlaska2008#

[crusinwen]

Thanks to all for their ideas!! I did not know that you could do a round trip mini van from Whittier. I had never thought about that nor tried to do it...I guess I just assumed that they simply were not available at all out of Whittier. When I tried last night to reserve a ROUND TRIP mini van...it worked! It was a little bit pricey but we were prepared for that. So, as it stands now, we have the reservation for a mini van from Whittier back to Whittier so we do not have to change any of our reservations or plans at all! Thats the really good news! When we get to Whittier we are going to book with one of the transportation shuttle companies that someone posted...One company was $35.00 to Anchorage and I think another one was $55.00 or so. Taking the train to Anchorage (at least how the schedule looked to me) looked like it would not work out timewise for us to get our flights out of Anchorage....takes too long. But maybe I was not reading the schedule right...Anyway, we would rather be dropped off right at the airport and the price is not bad for that. We too will keep checking to see if a one-way van from Whittier becomes an option but at least we have coverage for now! Thanks again so much! Thanks also for posting all those transportation numbers! That helps out SO much! :rolleyes:

[NancyIL]

For those with roundtrip rentals out of Whittier, I would suggest dropping off the passengers and luggage in Anchorage, and having only the driver return the vehicle to Whittier. I see no point in everyone plus their luggage returning with the van to Whittier, then everyone paying for transportation back to Anchorage.

[Southern Bell]

Thanks to all for their ideas!! I did not know that you could do a round trip mini van from Whittier. I had never thought about that nor tried to do it...I guess I just assumed that they simply were not available at all out of Whittier. When I tried last night to reserve a ROUND TRIP mini van...it worked! It was a little bit pricey but we were prepared for that. :rolleyes:

 

Pricey! I guess. I actually priced out an Avis rental with a pickup in Anchorage on a Sunday and drop off in Whittier on the following Saturday for a mini van. I even have a corporate rate available to me and the estimated total was $1,395! Yikes. Even splitting this amoung 4 adults this was totally out of control to me. The price about doubled just to request a mini van over a full size car, yet with all the luggage we need a mini van.

[Southern Bell]

Southern Bell, looks like you have a good plan now! You'll enjoy your trip between Seward and Whittier with PJ's Taxi! We had our plan all set and had a rental all set up with PU/Drop off in Anchorage because my daughter would be working out of Anchorage (all changed due to falling in love and decision made to stay in Key West for the summer). I priced alternatves and made the decision to go with Renee/PJ's Taxi. We had a ball and Renee knows the good stop off's for great picture opps!

 

I love exploring Alaska the independent way; however it does take a lot of planning and lodgistics can be overwhelming at times expecially when plans change; such as daughter screwing up the whole mix! Oh did I say that??? With that said; I do have to say that I love the planning part. It's like a puzzle and when a plan comes together, you just know you know it's right!

 

By the way, here's a link to my pictures of our time in Seward. The beginning are pictures we took on our drive from Anchorage to Seward with Renee.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/TASharon1/SewardAlaska2008#

 

 

SEPyle, thanks for all your notes. I have ready many of your comments and looked at your beautiful photos. Yes, the planning is alot of fun to me too. Everyday is a discovery on these boards. Like the Toursaver book yesterday. I don't travel until next August, but I will be prepared!

[wolfie11]

For all of you with luggage issues - there's a post office in Whittier and you could just ship all those fancy cruise clothes home. Remember, if you need socks and underwear you can always buy them in any Alaska town, not to mention t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, etc. It's worth it to me to travel light and buy what I need as I go along.

 

If you eliminated half the luggage, you could probably fit in a full size car.

[GlacierLady]

We weighed the options and decided to go with Celebrity that sails out of Seward and avoid the Whittier issues.

 

Princess/Carnival used to use Seward a few years ago. I feel a big reason they went to Whittier is because of this issue. They have a much better chance of keeping "their" passengers and having them book the transfers/tours through them and not risk as many people doing things independantly and losing those $$. It's all about the $$ for them. While Whittier is much closer to Anc than Seward, the transfer fees went up. Less drive time, less wages to drivers, less gas ect but the cruise lines profit more, leaving the passengers with less options.

[crusinwen]

Pricey! I guess. I actually priced out an Avis rental with a pickup in Anchorage on a Sunday and drop off in Whittier on the following Saturday for a mini van. I even have a corporate rate available to me and the estimated total was $1,395! Yikes. Even splitting this amoung 4 adults this was totally out of control to me. The price about doubled just to request a mini van over a full size car, yet with all the luggage we need a mini van.

It is very expensive anyway you look at it out of Whittier but even more if you do not do a round trip returning the vehicle to the spot where you rented it from. Our quote from Sat-Fri is 1,028.10, which is high but by the time we figured out transportation to Seward, train tickets to Anchorage and having to redo all of our plans it does not seem so bad to split between 2 families (500.00)

[crusinwen]

For those with roundtrip rentals out of Whittier, I would suggest dropping off the passengers and luggage in Anchorage, and having only the driver return the vehicle to Whittier. I see no point in everyone plus their luggage returning with the van to Whittier, then everyone paying for transportation back to Anchorage.

Very good point NancyIL which we will definately consider but what would we do with our luggage? Do you think the airlines would let you check luggage early in the day if you do not fly out until that night? Thanks for that idea!:D

[GlacierLady]

Very good point NancyIL which we will definately consider but what would we do with our luggage? Do you think the airlines would let you check luggage early in the day if you do not fly out until that night? Thanks for that idea!:D

 

Open 5:00 AM - 2:00 AM - South Terminal

Baggage and freezer storage is available at the Airport in the South (Domestic) Terminal on the Lower Level next to Visitor Information. Services are provided in the North (International) Terminal seasnally. Use the free airport shuttle that operates every 15 minutes between terminals.Charges are $5 to $7 per bag, per day depending on size. Fish boxes, etc. are charged $12 to $15 per box, per day depending on size. There is no time limit as to length items may be stored. Passenger must have airline ticket in order to use this service.

Huntleigh USA

3801 W. 43rd Avenue

Anchorage, Alaska 99517

(907) 248-0373

[Lookingforfacts]

Princess/Carnival used to use Seward a few years ago. I feel a big reason they went to Whittier is because of this issue. They have a much better chance of keeping "their" passengers and having them book the transfers/tours through them and not risk as many people doing things independantly and losing those $$. It's all about the $$ for them. While Whittier is much closer to Anc than Seward, the transfer fees went up. Less drive time, less wages to drivers, less gas ect but the cruise lines profit more, leaving the passengers with less options.

 

My understanding is port at Seward was becoming crowded and Whitter is at least an hour closer to Anchorage. Two pluses for passengers.

 

Everything I've read suggests car rental, particularly one way is not economical from Whittier but it doesn't sound like Seward has great one way deals either.

 

From what I've read Princess transfers from Whitter to Anchorage are competitive compared with booking rail with the RR (schedule might not be as good) or booking a third party shuttle company http://alaskatransportation.net/rates.html

 

I understand Princess transfers from Whitter are a bit cheaper then booking Royal Caribbean transfers from Seward.

 

Cruise ships are looking to make more money from "extras" as competition forces them to keep cruise fares low. We don't know how much Princess would have raised transfer charges if they remained at Seward. My point is current cruise line transfer costs from Whittier are less then current cruise line transfer costs from Seward. It's a reach to assume Princess wouldn't have raised their transfer costs if they had stayed in Seward.

 

I'm pretty cynical, I agree cruise lines want our $$$ but I think you may be reaching. I suspect a lot of passengers go with cruise transfers, from either Whitter or Seward. Catch the rail from the dock creates a nice image. This isn't FLL where a short cab ride gets you to the dock.