Alaska 2021 - HAL no longer sails from Seward (or any other Alaskan city) ?

[oaktreerb]

Couldn’t people rent a car and drive to Girdwood?   I realize there is an issue with the tunnel times but surely HAL will figure out some options for a day in port.  I don’t know if I would want to do the glaciers since the cruise includes Hubbard, GB, and College Fjord.  I think there are just too many ships in Alaska this year and it doesn’t look like it will get any better.   The other ships are docking in Seward which is a beautiful community with lots to do, that’s for sure!  

 

HAL will have to make some changes in their cruise tours for 2021 since some of them begin with an overnight at the Windsong Lodge in Seward......maybe they’ll change to Alyeska.  Anyway, I find it all very interesting!  

 

 

[Italy52]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Couldn’t people rent a car and drive to Girdwood?   I realize there is an issue with the tunnel times but surely HAL will figure out some options for a day in port.  I don’t know if I would want to do the glaciers since the cruise includes Hubbard, GB, and College Fjord.  I think there are just too many ships in Alaska this year and it doesn’t look like it will get any better.   The other ships are docking in Seward which is a beautiful community with lots to do, that’s for sure!  

 

HAL will have to make some changes in their cruise tours for 2021 since some of them begin with an overnight at the Windsong Lodge in Seward......maybe they’ll change to Alyeska.  Anyway, I find it all very interesting!  

 

 

Car--a possibility.  However, the car rental place is a joke and can be REAL time consuming.  When we were there in June the Avis place shares the same place as a store.  We stopped by to get a soda and the line was backed up for the car rentals --- there was a guy there that was clueless about how to rent the car and people in line didn't look too happy.  We put back our soda and left to find another place.  I REALLY hope HAL thought this whole thing through.  Whittier is so tiny and has very little to offer.

 

As for the glacier tour, we are big fans of glaciers so for us, the excursion is something we like to do --- realize that not everyone shares our desires.  After 27 trips to Alaska we are always seeking new ways to change up the itineraries --- hopefully, it will all work out.

[Essiesmom]

4 hours ago, Italy52 said:

My issue is with the B2B and what are people going to do the day they are in Whittier.  26 Glaciers runs a tour that doesn't end until 5:30 PM.  Sitting in Whittier with nothing to do is not appealing to me.  Don't get me wrong, I love the new itinerary, just not a fan of the 5 PM departure from Whittier.  Since this cruise is very similar to the B2B Princess I just took it will be a toss up as to which one I will take in 2021 --- Princess or HAL. 

HAL will do what Princess does:  Offer a tour to Anchorage for transit passengers, including a stop at Alyeska with ride on the cable car; a stop at the wildlife conservation center, lots of commentary on the bus, and time for lunch and shopping or museum visit in Anchorage.  

[Italy52]

8 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

HAL will do what Princess does:  Offer a tour to Anchorage for transit passengers, including a stop at Alyeska with ride on the cable car; a stop at the wildlife conservation center, lots of commentary on the bus, and time for lunch and shopping or museum visit in Anchorage.  

I guess I will have to wait to see what excursion options HAL offers.  The above has no appeal for us.  At least with Princess you leave later thus allowing the 26 Glaciers.  If the above is all that HAL has to offer then Princess clearly becomes the choice for us --- but hope that isn't the case as we really like the Nieuw Amsterdam and enjoy HAL.

[Essiesmom]

The tours are clearly scheduled to fit with the Princess schedule.  But if HAL has a regular schedule of calls, on days different from Princess, then I would bet that they will formulate a tour that fits with the HAL schedule.  After all, they will have 36 months to work this out.  EM

Edited August 2, 2019 by Essiesmom

[cruisequeen4ever]

Since Holland America and Princess operate here as HAP (Holland America Princess), it’s not surprising to me that they’d have both lines use the same port from an operational perspective. You’re right that Whittier doesn’t have as much to offer as Seward, BUT it’s less than 1.5 hours from Anchorage, so a much shorter drive, and the scenery in Whittier makes it a beautiful port. 

[frugaltravel]

I would not be surprised if Holland America is using Whittier only temporarily. The Seward Cruise terminal is scheduled for major renovations in 2021. But one of these conditions was that it could not disrupt Cruise departures. Maybe Holland America is moving to Whittier during the construction period to help with this.

Edited November 27, 2019 by frugaltravel

[RuthC]

52 minutes ago, frugaltravel said:

I would not be surprised if Holland America is using Whittier only temporarily. The Seward Cruise terminal is scheduled for major renovations in 2021. But one of these conditions was that it could not disrupt Cruise departures. Maybe Holland America is moving to Whittier during the construction period to help with this.

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