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Seward Embarkation


billichka
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My Wife and I will be onboard the Sojourn for the September 11 Alaska cruise sailing out of Seward.

 

In order to get over jet lag (we are Aussies) we will spend a few nights in Anchorage prior to hiring a car and driving (on the "wrong" side of the road!) to Seward. Being late risers we cannot bear the thought of the early train departure (6:45AM, seriously?) and driving will give us a chance to stop and appreciate the views during our journey.

 

The question is, what time should we aim to arrive portside in Seward? I have read on other threads that the train gets in just after 11AM and that there is a short wait prior to embarkation commencing. Ideally we would arrive after this group of passengers have boarded so we don't have to wait, but in time to enjoy lunch in the Colonnade. Would 1PM then be a good time?

 

3 weeks, 3 days until we fly out - we can't wait!

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We have never had much wait when embarking on a Seabourn ship. Thinking back to our last embarkation---we waited in a short line for less than five minutes. I would suggest arriving earlier than 1pm. If the weather is nice, you might enjoy having lunch outside of the Colonnade on its veranda. In nice weather, the earlier to arrive may take these spots. If I were on this voyage, I would choose to arrive by noon.

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Too bad it leaves so early, because train ride would afford beautiful scenery without the hassle of driving. I am embarking Silversea Muse next year in Seward, not sure what their transfer options are. But if you'll have a car anyway for a few days, you should definitely drive to Seward, even explore the town before returning the car. Alaska is magical IMHO.

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We were on one of three Seabourn arranged motor coaches that left the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage around 10am and arrived ship side ~12:30. Processing in at Seward was a breeze and we were onboard within about 15 minutes. An additional benefit with the SB coaches is they take your luggage from Anchorage on a separate truck for delivery directly to your suite, so you don't have to deal with luggage in Seward. The coach was comfortable, had a WC, made one stop about halfway for people to stretch their legs and the driver points out things of interest along the way.

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We were on one of three Seabourn arranged motor coaches that left the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage around 10am and arrived ship side ~12:30. Processing in at Seward was a breeze and we were onboard within about 15 minutes. An additional benefit with the SB coaches is they take your luggage from Anchorage on a separate truck for delivery directly to your suite, so you don't have to deal with luggage in Seward. The coach was comfortable, had a WC, made one stop about halfway for people to stretch their legs and the driver points out things of interest along the way.

We opted for the Seabourn transfer from Seward to ANC - wonder if the same is true in reverse re: luggage...Guess we'll hear eventually (2 weeks!!) We're getting off when billichka will be boarding ;-)

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We opted for the Seabourn transfer from Seward to ANC - wonder if the same is true in reverse re: luggage...Guess we'll hear eventually (2 weeks!!) We're getting off when billichka will be boarding ;-)

 

We did the transfer from Seward to ANC that included whale watching. We dropped our bags when we got off the ship and they went (separately) to Anchorage. We picked ours up in a roped off area at the airport right before check-in.

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I’d consider driving to Seward the day before. Not sure on availability but you can find some fantastic cabins on Kenai lake just outside Seward in moose pass. My favorite are the spruce moose cabins. I think that would afford you more time to enjoy the drive without having to leave too early. Another possible issue is the highway from anchorage to Seward has frequent accidents and construction that can hold up traffic for hours. This is especially frequent in the summer and there’s no alternative road.

 

 

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Thanks for the replies :)

 

Looks like we have a few alternatives, I will be sure to check out the coach option.

 

I'm very interested in how this works out for you. Will you update to let us know which option you decided on?

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My Wife and I will be onboard the Sojourn for the September 11 Alaska cruise sailing out of Seward.

 

In order to get over jet lag (we are Aussies) we will spend a few nights in Anchorage prior to hiring a car and driving (on the "wrong" side of the road!) to Seward. Being late risers we cannot bear the thought of the early train departure (6:45AM, seriously?) and driving will give us a chance to stop and appreciate the views during our journey.

 

The question is, what time should we aim to arrive portside in Seward? I have read on other threads that the train gets in just after 11AM and that there is a short wait prior to embarkation commencing. Ideally we would arrive after this group of passengers have boarded so we don't have to wait, but in time to enjoy lunch in the Colonnade. Would 1PM then be a good time?

 

3 weeks, 3 days until we fly out - we can't wait!

 

FYI, we came in a day early, stayed in a hotel by the airport, booked the Seabourn transfer, which also depart from the airport in addition to downtown anchorage, took the hotel shuttle to airport around 10 am and the bus to Seward left around 11 am. We initially planned to rent a car however the one way drop off charge was very costly, also airport hotels are less expensive verses downtown. The cruise on the Sojourn was excellent!!

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We started by flying into Anchorage and then driving up to Denali for a couple of days. We drove back to Anchorage, dropped off the car and spent a day there which is all it is worth IMHO. We took the Seabourn coach transfer to Seward, checked in, had lunch and then took the shuttle bus into the town to have a look around. We walked back to the ship in good time for the boat drill.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I'm very interested in how this works out for you. Will you update to let us know which option you decided on?

 

 

We have now cancelled the rental car and will take the Seabourn coach option from the Captain Cook hotel (they also depart from the airport). We can check in for the coach from 9:30AM and the last service departs at 11AM. It is a short walk from where we are staying at the Hilton.

 

The coach is cheaper and will get us there at about the same time with no worries about driving on the “wrong” side of the road!

 

 

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We have now cancelled the rental car and will take the Seabourn coach option from the Captain Cook hotel (they also depart from the airport). We can check in for the coach from 9:30AM and the last service departs at 11AM. It is a short walk from where we are staying at the Hilton.

 

The coach is cheaper and will get us there at about the same time with no worries about driving on the “wrong” side of the road!

 

 

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Sounds like a good choice! Sit on the right side of the bus to get the inlet views, and views of Kenai lake as you get close to Seward.

 

 

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We have now cancelled the rental car and will take the Seabourn coach option from the Captain Cook hotel (they also depart from the airport). We can check in for the coach from 9:30AM and the last service departs at 11AM. It is a short walk from where we are staying at the Hilton.

 

The coach is cheaper and will get us there at about the same time with no worries about driving on the “wrong” side of the road!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thanks very much for updating.

Have a wonderful cruise!

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  • 3 weeks later...

The weather was beautiful in South central Alaska for the first two weeks of September, blue bird sky and fall leaves [emoji260] anyone visiting got a real treat. Very special to have seen the beluga in Cook Inlet too. Hope you had a fantastic trip!

 

 

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We took the train last year. Not only does it depart Anchorage very early, but you have to get there to the train station far in advance -- even passengers who have purchased tickets in advance. I didn't understand why the excessively early check in was required; it seemed unwarranted given the number of passengers and the amount of baggage.

 

The train ride itself was enjoyable -- the train has a clear dome, and we saw some beautiful scenery. But, you'll see lots of more fabulous scenery once you're aboard the ship. In retrospect, I think the SB coach at a more civilized hour would have been a better option.

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  • 4 months later...

Hoping some of you are still on this thread..

We are doing the 14 day Inside Passage in August. We are planning on spending a couple of days in Anchorage before, and I'm still looking at hotels. Any suggestions would be welcome. My other question is regarding transfers via Seabourn to Seward. Do you have to be staying at the Captain Cook to use their transfer? My TA said SB doesn't offer transfer unless you stay at that hotel or you come in the day of your cruise with no hotel stay. If I am following this thread correctly that doesn't appear to be the case for some of you.  Can anyone help me muddle though this. Thanks 

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16 hours ago, pams bucketlists said:

Hoping some of you are still on this thread..

We are doing the 14 day Inside Passage in August. We are planning on spending a couple of days in Anchorage before, and I'm still looking at hotels. Any suggestions would be welcome. My other question is regarding transfers via Seabourn to Seward. Do you have to be staying at the Captain Cook to use their transfer? My TA said SB doesn't offer transfer unless you stay at that hotel or you come in the day of your cruise with no hotel stay. If I am following this thread correctly that doesn't appear to be the case for some of you.  Can anyone help me muddle though this. Thanks 

When we did this last year, we did not have to stay at Captain Cook. We bought our transfers from Seabourn in advance, stayed at another hotel within walking distance. The afternoon before, we went to the Cook to check on what time to arrive for transfer and were given instructions. Upon arrival in the morning, it was kind of a zoo, but there was a room with fruit, yogurt, coffee, juice etc where we remained until our group was called. 

 

There is a hotel directly across the street from the Cook (The Voyager) which would be really convenient, but I don't know anything about it. We stayed a couple blocks up the street at The Westmark (a Holland America Hotel) because we knew it and had stayed there on a HAL cruise tour in the past. It's pretty basic but suited our basic needs for the overnight. I know there were people staying at the Sheraton also which is a further distance from the Cook. Unless things have changed since last year, you do not have to stay there.

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9 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

When we did this last year, we did not have to stay at Captain Cook. We bought our transfers from Seabourn in advance, stayed at another hotel within walking distance. The afternoon before, we went to the Cook to check on what time to arrive for transfer and were given instructions. Upon arrival in the morning, it was kind of a zoo, but there was a room with fruit, yogurt, coffee, juice etc where we remained until our group was called. 

 

There is a hotel directly across the street from the Cook (The Voyager) which would be really convenient, but I don't know anything about it. We stayed a couple blocks up the street at The Westmark (a Holland America Hotel) because we knew it and had stayed there on a HAL cruise tour in the past. It's pretty basic but suited our basic needs for the overnight. I know there were people staying at the Sheraton also which is a further distance from the Cook. Unless things have changed since last year, you do not have to stay there.

tjcox9 Thank you for all the good information. 

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