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Whittier excursions


moki'smommy
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We are doing a B2B with changeover day in Whittier. Princess supposedly offers excursions on those days for B2Bs or people with late departures from Anchorage, but everything I can find has transfers to Anchorage included. I've checked the Princess site as well as several private companies...and have e-mailed a couple of private companies (waiting for answers). I have checked the Alaska section of the boards and done searches in the Alaska and Princess sections....so my post isn't due to lack of attempting to get answers on my own!

 

Does anyone reading the boards have any insight on doing an excursion in Whittier and surrounds (we'd like to visit the wildlife conservation area and possibly do the tram ride) with a departure from the cruise terminal and return there? No, we do not want transportation to Anchorage.

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They will usually offer several tours once you are onboard ship. One of the options was a bus to spend the day in Anchorage, another was a stop at Alyaseka (sp?) for the tram and then the wildlife center. Every time I've tried to do it there wasn't enough people signed up and they were cancelled.

 

Really only options are the Glacier cruises out of Whitter, the 26 Glacier cruise and the one thru Major Marine. Both are nice. There is small museum in Whittier but really nothing else to see/do at all. Only a half dozen at best small shops along the waterfront.

 

The sailaway out of Whittier has some of the best scenery on your trip IMHO. Be sure be out on deck fro several hours after sailaway, most people miss this portion because they are too tired traveling to get to the ship. Don't miss it

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Check with one of the companies that does tours that includes a trip to Anchorage. Perhaps they would take you to the Wildlife Conservation Center or Alyeska (for the tram), drop you off, and then pick you up on their tour taking people to the ship. If they had a bus that wasn't full each way.

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There is the 26 Glacier Tour offer by Princess, you have to read through the descriptions to find the one for B2B passengers, I think there are 4 options; passengers returning home, passengers returning home that need accessible services, B2B passengers and B2B passengers needing accessible services. That is all that is listed currently. More maybe available on the ship depending no the number of B2B passengers. But I have heard the 26 Glacier tour is worth it. I will find out in 2 weeks.

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There is the 26 Glacier Tour offer by Princess, you have to read through the descriptions to find the one for B2B passengers, I think there are 4 options; passengers returning home, passengers returning home that need accessible services, B2B passengers and B2B passengers needing accessible services. That is all that is listed currently. More maybe available on the ship depending no the number of B2B passengers. But I have heard the 26 Glacier tour is worth it. I will find out in 2 weeks.

Let me know, please.

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We did the Alyeska and Wildlife center excursion from Whittier. It continued on to Anchorage where we had time for lunch and a visit to the shopping area. They let you off in either the Egan Center or visitors center and that is where you rejoin the bus for the trip back. EM

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We are using Salmon Berry Tours- visiting both places.

 

We are using it as a transfer but they have multiple land tours

907-278-3572

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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If I were doing a B2B, I might choose to tour another area outside of Whittier.

On the Southbound, which does not cover this area of PWS and College Fjord, we very much enjoyed the 26 glacier tour, and VERY highly recommend!!!

 

While getting close to the glaciers and Surprise Glacier is amazing.

The OP might consider a different tour.

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There is the 26 Glacier Tour offer by Princess, you have to read through the descriptions to find the one for B2B passengers, I think there are 4 options; passengers returning home, passengers returning home that need accessible services, B2B passengers and B2B passengers needing accessible services. That is all that is listed currently. More maybe available on the ship depending no the number of B2B passengers. But I have heard the 26 Glacier tour is worth it. I will find out in 2 weeks.

 

For what its worth (to future cruisers) this 26 Glacier Tour can be booked on your own by calling or filling out the online form for Phillips Tours. They are who provides the boat and operates the tour which leaves from a pier within a short walk from the cruise ship. Phillips also offers a AAA discount. Bottom line is that you might find yourself paying a premium because you booked via the cruise line when all they do is walk you the few hundred feet to the same boat used by anyone who booked independently.

 

Hank

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Thanks-- I did find that when I went in thru the cruise personalizer. It doesn't show up directly thru the web site. I'm still exploring as daughter would like to see the wildlife center.

 

The wildlife center might be a bit underwhelming... might be worth looking up so more info on it (e.g., youtube) to assess where to rank it on your list. It was part of our tour-transfer from Whittier to Anchorage and it was fun... but if that's a "dream" destination for a daughter it might be good to manage her expectations a little in advance.

 

 

I posted my trip report from about a year ago that might have some helpful information for your trip planning. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2508384

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The wildlife center might be a bit underwhelming... might be worth looking up so more info on it (e.g., youtube) to assess where to rank it on your list. It was part of our tour-transfer from Whittier to Anchorage and it was fun... but if that's a "dream" destination for a daughter it might be good to manage her expectations a little in advance.

 

 

I posted my trip report from about a year ago that might have some helpful information for your trip planning. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2508384

 

Depends on the age of the kids and how much they love wildlife. We took our oldest granddaughter there when she was 10, and we would have stayed much longer if she had her way. I'm pretty certain we were there for at least an hour and that was definitely not too long; the only reason we left when we did is that we had to be in Soldotna for a party by 5. My husband and I found it interesting, also. There are definitely animals there that you don't get to see up close and personal, or perhaps ever. I would go back.

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I would easily recommend one of the glacier tours as top priority. We had such a wonderful time and in our case the boat was not even 1/2 full.

 

On our B2B we waited until arrival to see what the weather was going to be like, and in the morning we walked to the ticket booths to inquire about bookings (how crowded the boats might be), pricing (what kind of discounts), and sailing times. We made our reservation and went back on board until it was time for the excursion.

 

Another option for DIYers is to rent a car, Avis has a location there run out of the small convenience store. We haven't rented from them, but we've dropped off a car there once prior to boarding. It's kind of fun to drive through the train tunnel, and you can purchase gas right next to where you drop the car off.

 

FWIW,

 

Bruce

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We did the 26 Glacier Tour last year, and loved it - amazing scenery and close encounters. We were not on a back to back, but took the train down early from Alaska. It was a great experience.

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On this week's Island Princess sailing there is just the one option for B2Bs, the 26 Glacier cruise. It departs at 12:30 pm and returns at 5:30 pm. It's $199.95.

 

Just book the glacier cruise yourself for $178.95 pp. direct with the company, Phillips Cruises. Why do you need to do this through Princess unless you are trying to use up OBC. Save yourself the $20 pp.

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Just book the glacier cruise yourself for $178.95 pp. direct with the company, Phillips Cruises. Why do you need to do this through Princess unless you are trying to use up OBC. Save yourself the $20 pp.

If you are AAA USE THAT DISCOUNT

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