Hotel Captain Cook & Princess (Anchorage)

[Billabongi]

Hey Everyone,

 

My wife and I are going on our first cruise and it happens to be an Alaskan cruise!

 

We are currently set to fly in the same day our boat leaves but are considering arriving a day early in Anchorage and staying at the Captain Cook and I just had a few questions.

 

I can pick up the captain cook hotel for ~$165 a night vs. princess wanting $200.00 each. Whats the main difference here, is the extra surcharge just for princess booking it for you? What about transfers from the airport to captain cook and from captain cook to Whittier. Are the transfers going to be hard to find without going direct through princess? Also I would love to take the train from ANC to Whittier but not sure that's possible.

 

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Gardyloo]

Hey Everyone,

 

My wife and I are going on our first cruise and it happens to be an Alaskan cruise!

 

We are currently set to fly in the same day our boat leaves but are considering arriving a day early in Anchorage and staying at the Captain Cook and I just had a few questions.

 

I can pick up the captain cook hotel for ~$165 a night vs. princess wanting $200.00 each. Whats the main difference here, is the extra surcharge just for princess booking it for you? What about transfers from the airport to captain cook and from captain cook to Whittier. Are the transfers going to be hard to find without going direct through princess? Also I would love to take the train from ANC to Whittier but not sure that's possible.

 

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If the CC is $35 cheaper by doing it yourself vs. having Princess do it for you, why would you not want to do it yourself? The $35 will pay for a cab from the airport to the hotel, and probably also pay for the cab to the train station where yes, you can take the train to Whittier the day of the cruise.

 

http://www.alaskarailroad.com

[greatam]

To tag on to what Gardyloo posted, almost ANYTHING that Princess does, you can do as cheaply if not cheaper. AND if you read the fine print in your cruise contract, you will find that Princess (or any cruise line) is NOT responsible for anything provided by a third party vendor-hotels, air, excursions, even transfers unless they are on cruise line OWNED transport.

 

The cruise lines merely act as a booking agency. CONVENIENCE is the word they use in the cruise contracts AND they charge a "fee". Do it yourself-including air. You will generally be far happier and NOT captured in "Princessland".

[PennyAgain]

Not all rooms at the Captain Cook are the same. I always telephone up there (they have an 800#) when making a booking. The cruise lines book rooms that are the cheapest for them, but not necessarily the best for YOU.

 

Find out what you are actually buying at the CC before making a decision. Chances are booking on your own you can get a better room in a nicer location.

[gertz]

The Princess charge is pp which will include the transfer to hotel, baggage handling, and transfer by bus to Whittier.

The Captain Cook is a very good high price hotel in season. You can do much better on your own probably at an other hotel go on hotels.com or any number of sites to check them out.

Don't make the mistake of going same day. Airlines have a lot of very late arrivals and very early departures. Do your home work and do your own air also.

Have done train to Whittier and MO only way to go.