Cruise train - Whittier to Anchorage

[IPB4IGO]

What time does the train depart Whittier?  I can't get in to the alaskatrain.com site, and the HAL site doesn't say. The only unofficial site I can find says it departs at 12:57. We have tickets for the bus at 8:45 and I would rather not hang around Whittier an extra four hours.

[oaktreerb]

Have you considered the HAL transfer cruisetrain from Whittier to Anchorage?  Look at excursions from Whittier.  HAL will want to get you from the ship to the train directly and there will be no hanging around time.

 

What time does the ship disembark?  What 8:45 a.m./p.m. bus do you have tickets for?  HAL is so well organized with their transfers and accommodations in Alaska that it much easier to book through HAL unless you have done this before.  HAL will have the ship cruise train schedule and the Alaska Railroad will have their separate schedule not geared to the cruise traffic.

[IPB4IGO]

I wasn't clear. The train I was asking about is the HAL cruisetrain.

 

My tickets are for the ACT Big Bus, which is there just for the cruise ship passengers.  Since the ship arrives at 1:00 AM, debarkation will begin early. I am considering switching to the train because we have driven to Whittier several times (we lived in Anchorage) but never taken the train on that part of the Alaska Railroad route.

[oaktreerb]

I’ve traveled a lot with HAL in Alaska but this is the first year for HAL  in Whittier.  If you are wondering when the cruise train leaves you may get an answer on the Princess board or wait for someone to report on this years HAL transfer experience.  We’re not going until August and have a 26 glacier tour and then I think we are on a bus to Anchorage,  

 

[SBOLA]

Is the HOL cruise train ride from Whittier to Anchorage a scenic ride or should we just take the bus?  Is the HOL train owned by HOL or by ARR?  Thanks for insight, this is my first trip to Alaska. Super excited.  We are doing the inside passage Northbound from Van Couver to Whittier.  Planning to take the cruise train from Whittier to Anchorage and catch a flight that night home.  Thoughts?
 

[disneyochem]

It is a scenic train ride from Whittier to Anchorage.

 

Since you’re only in that part of Alaska for that one travel day, you might want to look into taking bus with add ons.  There are bus transfers from Whittier to Anchorage that will make stops at the Alaskan Wildlife Center (opportunity to see bears, moose, caribou etc), Alyeska Resort (scenic tram, lunch), other scenic stops along the way (Beluga Point, Portage Glacier) in addition to touring Anchorage before an airport drop off.

 

A couple of companies we have used are the ACT Big Bus and Salmon Berry Tours.  The Salmon Berry tour is small (about 12 people) so one can customize the stops.

 

https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/whittier-tours/
https://www.salmonberrytours.com/alaska-tours/cruise-transfers/

 

Both companies will pick you up at the dock.

Edited March 7 by disneyochem

[terrydtx]

In 2019 we took the train from Seward to Anchorage on our Noordam cruise and we had to be off the sip at 5:00am for a 5:45am departure of the train. Now that they use Whittier, they may have better times for the train.