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Cruise tour procedures


Kate45
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Kate45, I would actually be posting this on your cruise line board because some of the procedures can vary a little bit depending on cruise line. Is your tour privately or is it an end of shop post cruise tour?

 

In general, after you arrive the luggage will be offloaded from the ship. Disembarkation generally starts around 7:30 AM. Could be earlier depending on arrival and cruise ship/line.

 

Guests are assigned disembarkation times based on their travel arrangements such as cruise air or if you are doing a post cruise tour or overland though the cruise line.

 

Luggage is normally grouped based on the number or color of the tickets that you place on your luggage.

 

You will turn your customs card at the pier and usually there is no hold up for that.

 

Keith

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We are doing a cruise tour thru HAL-7 day cruise from Vancouver to Seward, two nites Denali and one nite Anchorage before we fly home. I guess my question is, how do they differentiate between departing passengers going onward on a tour, or going to the airport. It must be mass confusion with buses, luggage etc. Do we claim our luggage before boarding the bus or will it automatically loaded onto the bus?

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We are doing a cruise tour thru HAL-7 day cruise from Vancouver to Seward, two nites Denali and one nite Anchorage before we fly home. I guess my question is, how do they differentiate between departing passengers going onward on a tour, or going to the airport. It must be mass confusion with buses, luggage etc. Do we claim our luggage before boarding the bus or will it automatically loaded onto the bus?

 

 

 

You can post on the HAL Cruises Forum where there may be members with actual post cruise tour experience can provide specific info.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?171https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?171

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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We are doing a cruise tour thru HAL-7 day cruise from Vancouver to Seward, two nites Denali and one nite Anchorage before we fly home. I guess my question is, how do they differentiate between departing passengers going onward on a tour, or going to the airport. It must be mass confusion with buses, luggage etc. Do we claim our luggage before boarding the bus or will it automatically loaded onto the bus?

 

There will many different tours departing the ship in Seward. Some groups will be assigned to by train and some groups assigned to go by bus. You will be given an envelope with luggage tags and instructions on what to expect as well as a Vista Showroom briefing several days before arriving in Seward.

 

Luggage tags are for one piece of luggage going to meet you in Denali and different tags for luggage going on to your hotel in Anchorage.

 

All of your luggage will be placed outside your stateroom before midnight. You will not see your Denali luggage until you find it in your hotel/lodge room in Denali. You will not see your Anchorage luggage until you find it in your hotel room in Anchorage the afternoon you arrive from Denali. Luggage is transported by truck so it will not accompany you in the train/bus.

 

Only a small backpack (no roller bags) can accompany you on the bus/train. If you have medical equipment, you must bring it with you on the train/bus and it will be stored in the train/bus small storage space.

 

All passengers will be assigned a morning meeting time (groups start meeting around 6:00 AM) in the Vista Showroom on Disembarkation Day. Groups will be called when your buses are available for boarding in Seward. FWIW breakfast in the Lido Market will start at 4:30 AM so you will not go hungry. Water is provided on the bus/train. Buses will stop every 90 minutes for restroom breaks.

 

You will receive your Denali hotel/lodge information and key cards while enroute to Denali. If you are assigned to go by bus, there will be a stop for lunch (included) during the nine-hour ride. If you are assigned to go by train (much more than nine hours), you can purchase food on the train.

 

Here is my photo tour of my Denali land/tour from June 2017, to include dining menus at the Denali Lodge:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/denali/

 

 

Hope this helps in your planning.

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Thank you. This was very helpful. Having never cruised HAL before, when will I find out which hotel in Denali I am staying at? We were planning on only one large suitcase each but you are saying we can't take that suitcase to Denail, right? So we will need a small overniter or backpack each.

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There is no customs in Seward, You clear this in Vancouver.

 

You will be give specific instructions, the meeting place and time. Tags will be given to you, and the time, then night prior when they have to be out in the hall.

 

You will meet at a certain time, at a certainly location on the ship, usually. Otherwise, the meeting will be right when you get off the ship on the dock. You will have a specific tour name and or number to assemble. It is all very organized.

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Thank you. This was very helpful. Having never cruised HAL before, when will I find out which hotel in Denali I am staying at? We were planning on only one large suitcase each but you are saying we can't take that suitcase to Denail, right? So we will need a small overniter or backpack each.

 

If you booked directly with HAL, your hotels, train, and detailed Denali itinerary will be on your booking confirmation. Ask your TA if you booked through them.

 

Each traveler is allowed one bag (big or small) for Denali. Your other bag(s) will meet you in Anchorage at your hotel. If you consolidate into one bag for Denali and send the rest to Anchorage, you would save a lot of unpacking time.

 

Just like on the ship, you will leave your Denali luggage outside your Denali lodge room door and it will be picked up by HAL to be placed in your Anchorage hotel room before you arrive. Anchorage hotel room keys will be distributed on the bus/train enroute to Anchorage. My luggage in my Anchorage hotel was left in the room and picked up while I was eating breakfast. I did see it being loaded under the bus before we departed for the airport.

 

Here is a link to the HAL 2017 Alaska Tour tips with lots of answers that you should download:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets//cruise-destinations/Tour_Tips.pdf

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Thank you. This was very helpful. Having never cruised HAL before, when will I find out which hotel in Denali I am staying at? We were planning on only one large suitcase each but you are saying we can't take that suitcase to Denail, right? So we will need a small overniter or backpack each.

 

If you only have one large suitcase each then they can go to Denali. They will be transported to Denali by HAL and you will find them in your room at Denali. On the train or bus you should each have a backpack size bag with the things you need to keep in your possession...meds, snack, drink, binoculars, camera, jacket, etc.

 

We usually take three suitcases on our cruisetours. One suitcase has clothing we will want for the ship only and we have the option of not taking that suitcase to Denali. It will be in our hotel room when we return to Anchorage.

 

You will have the hotel information in your cruise documents when you get closer to sailing. Most people will be at the HAL properties McKinley Chalets in Denali and at the Westmark in Anchorage. This year they also used the nearby Captain Cook and the Sheraton in Anchorage.

 

HAL does a very good job. You will have a great time.

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Thanks for the info. We already know we are in the Captain Cook in Anchorage but don't know where in Denali. Do they only use the one place in Denali?

 

The Captain Cook is nicer than the Westmark. HAL owns the McKinley Chalets and it is a big property with lots of rooms. You are there for two nights so I’m sure you will be at the Chalets. If they are oversold on rooms I would expect them to relocate one night Denali tours. But that would be extremely unusual.

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