No excursions Anchorage ( Whittier)?

[puzzums]

We’re booked with Princess for the 14-day cruise leaving on June 1/24.  I see in our itinerary that on June 8 we are in Anchorage (Whittier) from 12:30 am until 8:30 pm, but the itinerary doesn’t have the View Excursions tab button.  Why is that?  Is there simply nothing to offer tourists there?  Is it just a port to replenish fresh water/food/fuel for the ship?

[AKStafford]

Plenty of options for Whittier. My preference would be to either do a 26 Glacier Cruise, ride the Glacier Discovery Train to Grandview or rent a car from Avis and drive north to the Matanuska Glacier for a glacier hike.

[1025cruise]

Your 14 day cruise is actually 2 7 day cruises back to back. Whittier is your turnaround day. I would not do the rental car drive to Matanuska Glacier on a turnaround day however.

[karatemom2]

We have done the back to back and I would agree with the suggestion to rent a car in Whittier from Avis. It is a very long port day and you have plenty of time to drive to Anchorage and do something there. We visited the Alaska Heritage Museum, the Earthquake Museum and took a hike along the Tony Knowles trail and were lucky enough to spot moose. It's a beautiful drive along Turnagain Arm and you can totally make your own excursion day focusing on things that interest you. Just make sure you are planning your exit and reentrance around the Whittier Tunnel schedule.

[Eileen G]

I would rent a car from Avis. No need to drive all the way to Anchorage as there is plenty to do in the area. Hike to Byron Glacier, stop at the Portage Glacier visitors center. visit the wildlife conservation center, Stop in Girdwood and ride the tram to the top of the mountain and stop at all the scenic overlooks along Turnagain Arm.  This is a really beautiful area with plenty to do. Just know the times for the tunnel so you are not stuck waiting a long time to go through.

[roupa]

A good doable plan suggested by EileenG. assuming a quick/easy car pick-up and drop-off at the Whittier port.  Sightseeing usually takes longer than we think, so don’t rush.  Enjoy a leisurely, interesting day!

Ditto…. the tunnel timing!