How to Get to Anchorage

[Roz]

I'm booked on a 14 day Alaskan cruise.  One of our stops is Anchorage.  For passengers not booked on a HAL excursion, how do we get from  the port to Anchorage?  Does HAL provide a shuttle?  I can't find any information on the website. 

[CruiserBruce]

Don't recall a shuttle.

[Mary229]

Here is a map

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?poi=507

Edited June 12, 2023 by Mary229

[RuthC]

It's a long ride from Whittier to Anchorage, and then back again if this is a port stop. A real danger is if there is an accident on the highway, holding up traffic for possibly hours. I wouldn't want to be in a rental car that was a few minutes behind the last HAL tour bus when such an accident happened. 

If you really want to get into Anchorage, then I recommend taking a HAL tour. 

Or, is the port stop in Anchorage itself? If so, then it is not terribly far from downtown, and HAL has always had a shuttle from the port to the Egan Center. 

[CruiserBruce]

10 minutes ago, RuthC said:

It's a long ride from Whittier to Anchorage, and then back again if this is a port stop. A real danger is if there is an accident on the highway, holding up traffic for possibly hours. I wouldn't want to be in a rental car that was a few minutes behind the last HAL tour bus when such an accident happened. 

If you really want to get into Anchorage, then I recommend taking a HAL tour. 

Or, is the port stop in Anchorage itself? If so, then it is not terribly far from downtown, and HAL has always had a shuttle from the port to the Egan Center. 

The stop is actually in Anchorage. 

[RuthC]

11 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The stop is actually in Anchorage. 

I also addressed that possibility. 

I have been on several HAL 2-week Alaska cruises that included a stop in Anchorage, and we always had a shuttle. The first two times, it dropped off/picked up at the Egan Center. The third time the spot was at the Visitors' Center, which is pretty much around the corner from the Egan Center. 

[FOPMan]

Downtown Anchorage is pretty walkable in summer months.

[Roz]

Thanks for the info.  Yes,  the port stop is shown as Anchorage,  not Whittier.  I'm familiar with downtown Anchorage and the Egan Center,  so if there's a shuttle that will work for me.  

 

The HAL excursions I'm interested in are either sold out or way too expensive for my budget.  If I can get to Anchorage,  I'll do my own walking tour. 

 

HAL is very bad about providing port and shuttle information ahead of time.  I ran into this on my recent South American cruise. 

[Mary229]

HAL,should step up and provide free shuttles.  Even f it was included in the fare I wouldn’t care, it is such a convenience.  They don’t even tell you ahead of time if it is offered 

[syesmar]

We also had a free shuttle in Anchorage (I can’t recall if it was provided by HAL or the port). It dropped us off downtown, only a couple blocks from Avis where we picked up a rental car. Our All Aboard was quite late in the evening, so we enjoyed an amazing day out exploring Turnagain Arm, the Wildlife Conservation Center, and Portage Valley in Chugach National Forest.

 

All the Best!

Edited June 13, 2023 by syesmar

[OlsSalt]

It should make as much sense for Anchorage to provide shuttles, as it does for HAL - one can still hope the influx of seasonal customers would be mutually welcome.

 

My fuzzy memory of this port was while it looks close on the map, it was uphill from an industrial port to reach the outskirts of the commercial district - not exactly a scenic nor pedestrian friendly route, but doable.