Denali to Seward via Park Connection bus

[Tarheel72]

It looks like most postings concerning the Park Connection bus are for the Anchorage-Seward leg. We are interested in doing a land tour prior to the cruise, similar to the HAL package, that transports you from Denali to Seward in one day for a 8 PM sailing. The Park Connection bus leaves Denali about 8 AM and indicates they arrive in Seward at either 5:30 or 6 PM, depending on the website you read. I understand the drop off is the harbor area, about a mile from the cruise docks.

 

My question is, has anyone used this service to transfer from Denali to Seward? Did you have any problem making your cruise departure? This doesn't seem to leave a lot of time to spare, but as best I can tell it is pretty much the same timetable that the HAL pre-cruise tour is on, unless the HAL bus leaves at the crack of dawn! Or is it possible to book a one way transfer Denali to Seward on the HAL bus? I did not see that on the shore excursion listings on HAL's website.

 

Thanks

[Budget Queen]

Verify what the cruiseline boarding time is. For some sailings, you now have to be on board 2 hours prior to sailing at the embarkment point.

 

And yes, the HAL will leave at the crack of dawn, IF they are doing a same day Denali Park/Seward transfer- I doubt very many of their cruisetours offer this?? HAL is usually one of the better cruisetours overall with itineraries.

 

You can NOT count on this bus being on time. There are a LOT of varibles with this same day transit. All they have to do is get late at a couple stops and an hour will add up quick.

 

It is well recommended you consider adding another day to your routing, in my opinion.

[Tarheel72]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, HAL is doing a one day transfer on their CruiseTour #26. I called HAL this morning and asked if I could book a transfer on their bus and they said I could but I had to book it through the tour operator, Gray Line. So I will be calling them to see if I can get a seat on the same bus that the cruise tour group will be on. If I can do that then I am pretty sure regardless of what happens the ship will wait for us.

 

Anyone else book one way on Gray Line?

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, HAL is doing a one day transfer on their CruiseTour #26. I called HAL this morning and asked if I could book a transfer on their bus and they said I could but I had to book it through the tour operator, Gray Line. So I will be calling them to see if I can get a seat on the same bus that the cruise tour group will be on. If I can do that then I am pretty sure regardless of what happens the ship will wait for us.

 

Anyone else book one way on Gray Line?

 

Grayline is a big operator and contracted with HAL in Alaska. Well run nation wide company.

 

For clairfication, HAL will have separate contracted buses only for cruisetour/cruise passengers and have nothing to do with their regular run multi tours and transits.

[Tarheel72]

Grayline is a big operator and contracted with HAL in Alaska. Well run nation wide company.

 

For clairfication, HAL will have separate contracted buses only for cruisetour/cruise passengers and have nothing to do with their regular run multi tours and transits.

 

I understand what you are saying, but I am only repeating with the shore excursion department at HAL told me this morning. He said that they did not have a transfer option from Denali to Seward, but that I could call Gray Line and they could provide me a transfer on the same bus. I thought it odd, but that is what he said. I even confirmed that I would be on the same bus as the cruise tour passengers and he said yes. I will call Gray Line and see what they have to say and report back in case others are interested.

[Tarheel72]

OK, here is the scoop. Gray Line can not book a seat on the HAL tour bus, but they can book it on the Park Connection bus. He said they use it all the time and it runs the same route with the same travel times and is co-ordinated with the ship sailings. He said I would have no problem making the embarkation. The Gray Line cruise tour bus will get to Seward at 5:45, and that includes a 90 minute layover in Anchorage. He said the Park Connection bus arrives at the same time, give or take a few minutes. He was very helpful and offered to book it for me.