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Holland America shuttle bus time for ship that docks in Anchorage


zelker
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We're doing the 14 night Statendam cruise this summer that docks in Anchorage. The itinerary says we are due to dock at 7:00 a.m. We did this cruise in 2010 (first year they offered it) but didn't get off the ship until 8:00 to take the shuttle to the Egan Center.

 

My question: for anyone who's done this cruise, do you remember what time the first shuttle bus left the port? We're trying to decide if we can make an 8:00 bear watching flight.

 

Thanks!

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We're doing the 14 night Statendam cruise this summer that docks in Anchorage. The itinerary says we are due to dock at 7:00 a.m. We did this cruise in 2010 (first year they offered it) but didn't get off the ship until 8:00 to take the shuttle to the Egan Center.

 

My question: for anyone who's done this cruise, do you remember what time the first shuttle bus left the port? We're trying to decide if we can make an 8:00 bear watching flight.

 

Thanks!

 

This is a very tight timeframe. What does your vendor say? If your flight leaves at 8am, you don't have enough time. IF you have to be at Lake Hood (assuming?) at 8am - maybe? But you also would need to be fully accepting of not making it and forfeiting your reservation without any refunds.

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Zelker - I've done this itinerary 3 times, the most recent being this past May 18th (2014). Due to unexpected forest fires on the Kenai Peninsula as we were sailing up Cook Inlet, we were delayed in docking in Anchorage by about 1 1/2 hours. The first bus wasn't there til after 9AM for pick-up. Plus on the past two trips we didn't dock on time in Anchorage. I would definitely try to re-book your flightseeing excursion for a later time. An alternative to getting the bus into town would be to get a cab at the port. They were lined up there on all three of my cruises, the port employees would fill one, wave them off and then wave the next cab in to pick up.

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Zelker - I've done this itinerary 3 times, the most recent being this past May 18th (2014). Due to unexpected forest fires on the Kenai Peninsula as we were sailing up Cook Inlet, we were delayed in docking in Anchorage by about 1 1/2 hours. The first bus wasn't there til after 9AM for pick-up. Plus on the past two trips we didn't dock on time in Anchorage. I would definitely try to re-book your flightseeing excursion for a later time. An alternative to getting the bus into town would be to get a cab at the port. They were lined up there on all three of my cruises, the port employees would fill one, wave them off and then wave the next cab in to pick up.

 

Hey, AIP!! I was hoping you'd see this, knowing you've done this multiple times now. Remember how we were all the blind leading the blind in 2010, the inaugural year of this amazing itinerary - swapping info between roll calls and how excited we all were. (btw, have you noticed that HAL now offers tours with Ketchikan Outdoors?! :D )

 

Darn, not happy to hear about the delays you experienced into Anchorage on the second and third trips. I couldn't remember if there were cabs the first year - we had a rental car so took the shuttle to the Egan Center and walked a couple blocks to pick it up.

 

Anyway, I trust your judgment completely and do not want to take a chance missing the 8:00 flight so we'll book the one at 11:00 and hope for the best.

 

When and where does your next journey take you? Hope all is well with guys.

 

Take care!

 

Barb

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Hi Barb!

 

Yes, those first 2010 sailings of this itinerary turned out to be like one happy family, didn't it? It was so enjoyable to log onto CC and see all the different postings on each Roll Call for each sailing. Excited, giddy chatter back and forth! And I think we all gained so much by sharing information. Ah....those were the days!:p

 

Good for you booking the later flight - that should work out just fine, particularly since the port time in Anchorage is til 11PM - you've got lots of wiggle room:D.

 

Next trip you ask? Back to Alaska - where else??? LOL! This time, we're firming up plans for a land only trip in early to mid-Sept. to Fairbanks and Denali. Our main priority is to catch Denali in all its stunning Fall color glory; and hopefully (please God:o), the opportunity to see the Northern Lights in all THEIR glory. Renting a cabin on a lake for 3 nights near Trapper Creek or Willow, then renting another cabin outside Fairbanks for about 8 nights. While in the Fairbanks area, we want to be able to journey down the Richardson Highway on day trips to see the spectacular views we've only been able to see second hand, a walk thru the forest with reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch, a visit (or two....) to a couple of musher's camps in the area (gotta get me some puppy loving while I'm gone), visiting the museum at the University of Alaska, and a few evenings soaking in the hot springs at Chena Hot Springs with perhaps the Aurora dancing over head.

 

I wish you and yours a magnificent journey back to the Great Land. Enjoy each and every moment, and hope to hear all about it when you return. Smooth sailing, my friend.;)

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi Barb!

 

Yes, those first 2010 sailings of this itinerary turned out to be like one happy family, didn't it? It was so enjoyable to log onto CC and see all the different postings on each Roll Call for each sailing. Excited, giddy chatter back and forth! And I think we all gained so much by sharing information. Ah....those were the days!:p

 

Good for you booking the later flight - that should work out just fine, particularly since the port time in Anchorage is til 11PM - you've got lots of wiggle room:D.

 

Next trip you ask? Back to Alaska - where else??? LOL! This time, we're firming up plans for a land only trip in early to mid-Sept. to Fairbanks and Denali. Our main priority is to catch Denali in all its stunning Fall color glory; and hopefully (please God:o), the opportunity to see the Northern Lights in all THEIR glory. Renting a cabin on a lake for 3 nights near Trapper Creek or Willow, then renting another cabin outside Fairbanks for about 8 nights. While in the Fairbanks area, we want to be able to journey down the Richardson Highway on day trips to see the spectacular views we've only been able to see second hand, a walk thru the forest with reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch, a visit (or two....) to a couple of musher's camps in the area (gotta get me some puppy loving while I'm gone), visiting the museum at the University of Alaska, and a few evenings soaking in the hot springs at Chena Hot Springs with perhaps the Aurora dancing over head.

 

I wish you and yours a magnificent journey back to the Great Land. Enjoy each and every moment, and hope to hear all about it when you return. Smooth sailing, my friend.;)

 

We are taking the 14 day rt from Seattle May 18th this year - can hardly wait. We did Fairbanks to Seward with the sb HAL in 2012. Our timing was impeccable for Denali. We were there the last week in August and took the tour that goes to the end of the road. Denali in the fall beats New England because you are looking down on the leaves, not up or thru them. If I had to do it again I would just take the Tundra Tour instead of the longer 13 hr. one. I don't know how the warm/dry winter will affect the tundra. Good luck on your timing. Although it was dark while in Fairbanks at night, it was cloudy or worse so no NL.

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Thanx for posting your experience in Denali in the fall, Elaine! We're hoping for the best. All reservations are now in place - rental car and flights booked, two nights in Healy Height's Cabin for two shuttle bus trips into the park. Then 7 nights in a cabin near Fairbanks. We're very excited and looking forward to our latest Alaska adventure.

 

I just know you will enjoy that spectacular 14 day itinerary. Having port stops in Homer and Kodiak especially are big selling points for me....and the rest of the itinerary doesn't suck either;)! I hope you have a wonderful time! I've never sailed on the Statendam, but it is even smaller than the Amsterdam, which to me for Alaska is a huge plus. We went on the May 18th sailing in 2014, and loved that time frame for the long hours of daylight. Enjoy!

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On one of our visits to Homer on the HAL 14 day itinerary, we rented a car - very inexpensive 'excursion.' The man from the rental agency brought the car out to the Spit, meeting us at the Fisherman's Memorial. We had a good hour or so to walk the Spit, visiting the lovely shops and enjoying the view. We then spent time looking for some of the Deadliest Catch crab boats in the large ship harbor - if you are a fan of the TV show, it is thrilling! Jackpot! We saw several - the Time Bandit , (which is homeported there - and I was able to get my photo taken with Eddie from the crew:D), the Ramblin' Rose, and the Cape Caution.

 

Once we picked up the car, we went to the Homer Brewery for some samples, then drove out East End Road to visit Dr. Linda Chamberlain's Howling Husky Homestead mushing kennel. Wonderful, private tour of their recreational mushing kennel, we got to harness a dog, spend time in their small, but very well-done museum and recreated Iditarod checkpoint, even watch them make honey! On the drive back to town, Linda had suggested a stop at Fritz Creek General Store for some delicious early dinner of homemade pizza. Really funky little place which is part general store and part post office - lots of locals to chat with and superb, really unique food offerings. We returned the car to the airport location, and they drove us back to the ship. All in all, a great inexpensive day in one of our favorite places - Homer!

 

You can also take the HAL shuttle over to the Spit, walk out to Lands End Resort for some amazing views and look for otters in the Bay, or watch people (and eagles!) fishing from the beach, have a wonderful halibut lunch at Capt. Patties on the Spit, go to the Seafood Co-op and get some fresh Kachemach Bay oysters (which my DH declares the best in the world;)); maybe rent bikes to ride on the Spit or into town; or take the shuttle into town and visit the very worthwhile Pratt Museum and the Islands and Oceans Center, and stop in some of the local pottery shops. Take the ferry to Seldovia (cheaper to book on your own rather than thru HAL). The possibilities are endless.

 

I'd suggest ordering Homer's Visitor's Guide for even more suggestions of this beautiful port. We fell in love w/Homer on our first visit back in 2010 that prompted us to rent a house there for a week in 2013, right on the shores of Kachemak Bay overlooking two glaciers. We had an amazing week there and filled all our days with so many things to see and do. Have fun!

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On one of our visits to Homer on the HAL 14 day itinerary, we rented a car - very inexpensive 'excursion.' The man from the rental agency brought the car out to the Spit, meeting us at the Fisherman's Memorial. We had a good hour or so to walk the Spit, visiting the lovely shops and enjoying the view. We then spent time looking for some of the Deadliest Catch crab boats in the large ship harbor - if you are a fan of the TV show, it is thrilling! Jackpot! We saw several - the Time Bandit , (which is homeported there - and I was able to get my photo taken with Eddie from the crew:D), the Ramblin' Rose, and the Cape Caution.

 

Once we picked up the car, we went to the Homer Brewery for some samples, then drove out East End Road to visit Dr. Linda Chamberlain's Howling Husky Homestead mushing kennel. Wonderful, private tour of their recreational mushing kennel, we got to harness a dog, spend time in their small, but very well-done museum and recreated Iditarod checkpoint, even watch them make honey! On the drive back to town, Linda had suggested a stop at Fritz Creek General Store for some delicious early dinner of homemade pizza. Really funky little place which is part general store and part post office - lots of locals to chat with and superb, really unique food offerings. We returned the car to the airport location, and they drove us back to the ship. All in all, a great inexpensive day in one of our favorite places - Homer!

 

You can also take the HAL shuttle over to the Spit, walk out to Lands End Resort for some amazing views and look for otters in the Bay, or watch people (and eagles!) fishing from the beach, have a wonderful halibut lunch at Capt. Patties on the Spit, go to the Seafood Co-op and get some fresh Kachemach Bay oysters (which my DH declares the best in the world;)); maybe rent bikes to ride on the Spit or into town; or take the shuttle into town and visit the very worthwhile Pratt Museum and the Islands and Oceans Center, and stop in some of the local pottery shops. Take the ferry to Seldovia (cheaper to book on your own rather than thru HAL). The possibilities are endless.

 

I'd suggest ordering Homer's Visitor's Guide for even more suggestions of this beautiful port. We fell in love w/Homer on our first visit back in 2010 that prompted us to rent a house there for a week in 2013, right on the shores of Kachemak Bay overlooking two glaciers. We had an amazing week there and filled all our days with so many things to see and do. Have fun!

 

Thanks! You've given me some great ideas. I didn't know that HAL will have a shuttle to the spit and town.

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