Embarkation Day - Whittier

[poppy8]

First time cruiser here and very excited. We are spending a few days around Anchorage and then making our way to Whittier to the Diamond Princess to sail to Vancouver. It is due to sail at 9.30pm. What sort of time should we be in Whittier? Do we have dinner onboard on that night? All this is new to use so please bear with me. Any advice welcome. Thanks

[bubbadog]

the earlier the better,you will probably be able to board the ship around 11;30am or 12,and yes you will have dinner onboard that night,so the sooner you get there the better, remember alaska has ugly storms,and can delay flight times, so be vigilant until you get to the ship:)))

[pilotdane]

There will be food on board the minute you arrive. We caught the first bus from Anchorage and were onboard in time for lunch at the buffet and we had dinner in the main dinning room. There will be food available all day long so you can arrive whenever you want and will not miss a meal.

 

There was nothing we wanted to do for a few hours in Anchorage and we were excited to get to the ship so we went early, but you could spend half a day touring Anchorage and still make it to the ship with plenty of time. Keep in mind when there is daylight. If you go early or late in the season it will get dark earlier so you might want to arrive in Whittier during daylight so you can see the scenery. That said there is not much to do in Whittier so you do not need much time. You can check in, get settled into your cabin then get off the ship and walk around the docks. The fijord is pretty and there should be seals swimming around so there will be some interesting things to see.

[TravelnAl]

Embarked at Whittier in 2005 on the Island. The dining rooms were all open the first night but there was only early or late seating even for anytime dining. You received a card when boarding that told you which DR and when to go.

 

People arrived as late as 9:20 for the sailing but I would advise against it I believe our saililng time was 9:30 but I could be wrong.. We arrived about 1pm and were on board by about 1:45.

[poppy8]

Thanks everyone for the advice. One other point, how did you get from Anchorage to Whittier? Have looked at trains and bus/taxis? Is one better than the other?

[Sierra Fox]

I don't know if one is better than the other but we've decided to take the train down and then do an afternoon wildlife and glacier cruise out of Whittier. I've read on the Alaska boards that your luggage goes straight from the train to the ship, which leaves you free to do as you please. - SF

[howard6933]

We were on Diamond Princess last year and took the pre-cruise land tour which was excellent. On boarding day, we took the train from Talkeetna to Whittier and we were on a Princess vista dome rail car. Our luggage was on a truck and was delivered right to our cabins on the ship, and was there waiting for us when we got to the cabin. About an hour or so before arriving in Whittier, Princess reps came around and checked us in giving us all the necessary things including our cabin key cards, which meant that we could bypass the check-in lines in the terminal. We were on the ship about 7PM and after going to the cabin, we went directly to the restaurant for dinner.

The best surprise of all was we got an upgrade from a standard balcony cabin to a mini-suite. :rolleyes: I don't what I did to get the upgrade but I sure was pleased about that. Maybe being an elite member of Captains Circle had something to with it......who knows? ;)

[joanne1]

Thanks everyone for the advice. One other point, how did you get from Anchorage to Whittier? Have looked at trains and bus/taxis? Is one better than the other?

 

We loved the train . . . it takes about 2 hours. At first we had booked it through Princess but they didn't leave until 4:00 and were priced much higher than if you did it on your own. We simply booked the train on line and showed up an hour before (they say you don't need that much time but that gave us lots of time to take some pics, drop off luggage, etc) - it was so easy.

[Sandy R]

We embarked the Sapphire last Sept. in Whittier. We flew into Anchorage a few days early, rented a car and explored... drove the Portage Glacier drive, visited the Wildlife Conservation Center, ate lunch at The Bake Shop. The drive took most of the morning and afternoon because we were able to stop when we wanted, for as long as we wanted. Next day, we explored downtown Anchorage. Then the day we boarded the ship, we drove to Whittier in the morning, roughly a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive, depending on when you're able to get through the Whittier tunnel. We dropped the luggage at the ship, then dropped the car off at the Whittier General Store, walking distance to the ship. We were on board for a 12 noon lunch and after lunch disembark to explore Whittier. FYI, there was a $100 drop off fee but it was so worth having a car at our disposal. And, we rented from Avis, the only rental car company that has drop off in Whittier.

 

Sandy

[pilotdane]

First, I love trains. I don't think you can beat a train ride. The big downside for me was that it ran later in the day.

 

We took the bus. It was a bus. A nice bus but a bus none the less. The seats are not huge and it has none of the glamor of a train. Our driver was very entertaining and educational along the way. We pulled over several times to see Dall sheep and Beluga wales and to take glacier pictures. The bus ride is quicker than the train and it can get you to the ship earlier in the day but it does not have the romance of a train.

 

If you are going on your once in a lifetime cruise I'd take the train. It's a romantic way to start your special cruise. The bus got us to the boat quicker and more on our schedule. I'd take the bus again, but after typing this I wonder... My cruise started when the bus got us to the dock. Do the people that took the train think their cruise began when they boarded the train or got them to the ship?

[joanne1]

First, I love trains. I don't think you can beat a train ride. The big downside for me was that it ran later in the day.

 

My cruise started when the bus got us to the dock. Do the people that took the train think their cruise began when they boarded the train or got them to the ship?

 

The train only got there late (around 6:00) if you took the transfer through Princess. We booked it ourselves and it was so easy to do and a 1/3 less - $56 I think. We caught the train at 10:00 and we were actually the first ones on the ship. That has never happened to me before and it was a very exciting feelling :) .

 

For me, my holiday starts the minute my plane takes off but I did love the train !!! The view from the top was great and we got to sit there the entire trip because it was never full.

[Hoyaheel]

For me, my holiday starts the minute my plane takes off but I did love the train !!!

 

Well, our holiday had begun about 6 days earlier, when we landed in Alaska--but the CRUISE began when we got to Whittier:D

 

I liked that the bus was able to stop along Turnagin Arm so we could see the wildlife. The train would probably have been nice too, but not as flexible in terms of wildlife viewing.