Going crazy trying to figure out transportation to Anchorage

[pokerpro5]

I'm cruising on NCL August 4-11, Vancouver-Whittier. We have a family of 3 -- two adults, one child of 3 years old.

 

My original plan was to rent a car in the morning in Whittier, and to return it in Anchorage the next day, staying the night in Anchorage.

 

Turns out that AVIS is the only rental car facility in Whittier, and they are ridiculously overpriced. This plan would cost me $320 for a 1-day rental (after the one-way fee), and about $500 for a 2-day rental. Ugh.

 

I then said, "Okay, maybe we will just take a shuttle to Anchorage and rent a car there."

 

But I'm finding only one shuttle ("Whittier Shuttle") is $53/person, with no apparent discount for children. So that would be $159, just to ride a freakin' bus. No thanks.

 

I can't find anywhere on the NCL website to get a bus through them, but I can't imagine it will be any cheaper.

 

Honestly, what are my best options here? Are there any good rental car deals with AVIS that I'm unaware of? Any cheap shuttles? Any other option to get to Anchorage?

 

This is really a downer.

[mapleleaves]

you're not going to find a deal at this late date.

 

That shuttle price seems average. The Park Connection Bus and Seward Buslines are other options but are probably the same price.

The Alaska Railroad is higher still.

Magic Bus has gotten positive reviews. Contact them for a price.

Try the Whittier Alaska Chamber of Commerce web site for a list of independent vendors.

Also, look in last year's trip reports to see what other travellers did.

Have you checked with fellow passengers on your Roll Call ?

[bearbait]

Most people think Whittier is just a couple of miles away from Anchorage, it's not. $159 is a pretty fair price. Have you considered how much a taxi would cost?

[Babyeddiedog]

It's not cheap unfortunately. NCL offer transfers to Anchorage at $55 pp (you would have to check with them if there are are discounts for kids). There's also Alaska Cruise Transfer, but their price is the same. I booked a discounted rate with them but that was before the new year when they were offering discounts.

[mytime53]

I was going to recommend this company, which we used less than 2 weeks ago and were very pleased with. But for some reason they charge more for NCL pickups than Princess, so it's no savings to you. http://alaskacruisetransfer.com/shuttle-transfer-options/whittier-to-anchorage-narrated-direct-shuttle-transfer/

 

Considering it's only 2x the cost to rent a car, I would suggest that so you have flexibility and entire day of use.

[garycarla]

There are many private services that will pick you up, and do a mini tour on the way to Anchorage. It has been many years, so I do not have any names.

 

And, yes, NCL will offer transfers.

[SparkleBee]

$53 per person sounds pretty low compared to the alternatives. many people, myself included, choose to take the AK RailRoad. the cheapest fare is $100+ per person and $140 for the domed car option. basically this is an excursion, not just transportation. I think for just pure transportation that bus you mentioned sounds reasonable. sorry... I'm finding out that pretty much everything you want to do on this trip is very expensive, even petting some puppies! please report back if you find a better option!

[janerbg]

I feel your pain! I was working on the same project last week...we are on the same ship and there are three of us, but my son is 9 so I was expecting to pay something (but not necessarily full price, but I guess he does take up a seat).

 

Did you look at the Alaska Railroad? They are more expensive (I was getting $74 on their website) but they offer 1/2 price for children, so the total cost was not going to be very much more and I thought the train would be interesting. The problem is they do not leave until 6 pm, and get to Anchorage at 9:15 and we decided we did not want to do the Prince William Sound tour as soon as we got off the boat.

 

I did not actually call NCL and ask them about the transfer.

 

One of my frustrations was that most of what I could find were tours, even when they offered straight transfers on their website they were not actually available for booking. I ended up booking a tour/transfer with a stop at the wildlife center from Anchorage Tours and Transfers for $121 total for the 3 of us. Have no idea if it will be any good or not, but that was what I could find.

 

Of course then we will pick up an Avis car in Anchorage and drive back to Girdwood, but we would have needed to do that anyway because the cost of renting for the whole week in Whittier would have been astronomical.

[pokerpro5]

I will look into Anchorage Tours and Transfers. $121 is a lot better than $159.

 

I e-mailed Magic Bus, so I'll see if they can do better.

 

This is definitely a gouging situation because there are so few options. I would probably do the same if I owned a transportation business there, but honestly it's very frustrating as a customer, and these are anything but fair prices.

 

AVIS also disables all discounts for this location, as the franchisee refuses to participate. The one-way fee is stupid because they likely get equal numbers of people driving one way to and from Whittier.

 

I'll post any updates here as they come.

[Chenega]

I will look into Anchorage Tours and Transfers. $121 is a lot better than $159.

 

I e-mailed Magic Bus, so I'll see if they can do better.

 

This is definitely a gouging situation because there are so few options. I would probably do the same if I owned a transportation business there, but honestly it's very frustrating as a customer, and these are anything but fair prices.

 

AVIS also disables all discounts for this location, as the franchisee refuses to participate. The one-way fee is stupid because they likely get equal numbers of people driving one way to and from Whittier.

 

I'll post any updates here as they come.

 

The total population of Whittier is around 800 during the summer season which drops to 200 in the off season. The high price for most rentals is strictly dictated by supply and demand of the cruise ship business plus the shortness of the tourist season; there aren't many locals over there that need to rent a car and the little local Avis franchise is the only game in town. The Alaska Railroad does run special cruise trains from Whittier to Anchorage and there are shuttle companies that charge what the market demands. Some think for convenience alone, the transfers offered by the cruise lines are best. Just a fact of life when you come into Whittier.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Chenega

[AKStafford]

Aurora Limousines has offered a private transfer for years and is now offering a cheaper direct transfer: http://akcruiseconnect.com/

[peety3]

This is definitely a gouging situation because there are so few options. I would probably do the same if I owned a transportation business there, but honestly it's very frustrating as a customer, and these are anything but fair prices.

You're entitled to your opinion, but having cruised into Whittier twice before and being one who thinks about logistics far too often, I'm convinced this is not a gouging situation.

 

There is a ONE LANE TUNNEL to get to/from Whittier by road. It allows cars then trucks then buses then trains in one direction for half of an hour, then cars then trucks then buses then trains in the other direction for half of an hour, around the clock. They MUST send the bus from Anchorage to Whittier by a certain time in order to queue up for the bus slot in the correct direction to get to you. If they miss their slot, it's going to be almost an hour before the next slot, so they probably have to go early to make the agreed time.

 

There's "nothing" in Whittier but a cruise ship dock. Really. Also, remember that everyone must be off the ship before anyone can get on the ship, and there's effectively "no room" for people to queue up waiting to board if they were to arrive before noon. So...to offer you perhaps a 9am bus from Whittier to Anchorage means the bus goes to Whittier empty, probably with a 6:30am departure from Anchorage to get them to the tunnel staging lane at 8:15 for an 8:45 slot. The bus picks you up at 9am hoping it can load in 10 minutes and be in queue for a 9:15 return slot, otherwise it sits for another hour with you "onbored".

 

There's a $125 round-trip toll, perhaps $90 if they buy in bulk. That's still $1.70 per person if they fill the bus, $3.75pp if they sell just enough seats that they can't send a 23-passenger bus instead.

 

UPS/FedEx/etc. all charge a premium for shipments to Alaska, and it's always longer to ship there since it's a long flight to Anchorage/Fairbanks/etc. Therefore, the bus companies have to stock more spare parts locally (all with higher shipping costs) to be able to react to problems to keep buses on the road to not leave you stranded.

[bottom-dragger]

This is definitely a gouging situation because there are so few options. I would probably do the same if I owned a transportation business there, but honestly it's very frustrating as a customer, and these are anything but fair prices.

.

 

 

and what would be a fair price to provide a service that is only viable for four months each year?

[laughing husky]

I have no idea where you live, but Whittier is about 1.5 hrs south of Anchorage....The tunnel alone is $12.00 for a car....a bus is much, much more.Whittier was a port that was developed during WW11 as it is an ice free port. There are only about 250 people who live there year round, and they all live in one building. It is a true fjord..and I think it is one of the most beautiful fjords in Alaska....There are very few services there for anyone...The tunnel is not very old, and the only way you could leave Whittier was by boat to Seward, a 7-8 hrs boat ride....or fly out in a very small plane....They get up to 20' of snow in the winter and feet of rain in the summer....You are coming to Alaska....and places are a long way from other places and often frequently hard to get there...We only have 2 major roads...obviously not interstates...more like 2 lane roads...and we probably will never have many more as the Feds own a great deal of the land, and a road is not allowed (these days) to be built through it....So, long story short, it is a fair price for what you are getting...plus a ride through some of the most beautiful country there is...and a drive that is consistently voted one of the top 5 drives in the country.....:)

[pv girl]

You're entitled to your opinion, but having cruised into Whittier twice before and being one who thinks about logistics far too often, I'm convinced this is not a gouging situation.

 

There is a ONE LANE TUNNEL to get to/from Whittier by road. It allows cars then trucks then buses then trains in one direction for half of an hour, then cars then trucks then buses then trains in the other direction for half of an hour, around the clock. They MUST send the bus from Anchorage to Whittier by a certain time in order to queue up for the bus slot in the correct direction to get to you. If they miss their slot, it's going to be almost an hour before the next slot, so they probably have to go early to make the agreed time.

 

There's "nothing" in Whittier but a cruise ship dock. Really. Also, remember that everyone must be off the ship before anyone can get on the ship, and there's effectively "no room" for people to queue up waiting to board if they were to arrive before noon. So...to offer you perhaps a 9am bus from Whittier to Anchorage means the bus goes to Whittier empty, probably with a 6:30am departure from Anchorage to get them to the tunnel staging lane at 8:15 for an 8:45 slot. The bus picks you up at 9am hoping it can load in 10 minutes and be in queue for a 9:15 return slot, otherwise it sits for another hour with you "onbored".

 

There's a $125 round-trip toll, perhaps $90 if they buy in bulk. That's still $1.70 per person if they fill the bus, $3.75pp if they sell just enough seats that they can't send a 23-passenger bus instead.

 

UPS/FedEx/etc. all charge a premium for shipments to Alaska, and it's always longer to ship there since it's a long flight to Anchorage/Fairbanks/etc. Therefore, the bus companies have to stock more spare parts locally (all with higher shipping costs) to be able to react to problems to keep buses on the road to not leave you stranded.

 

Great explanation. Puts it all in perspective. We need to realize how short the tourist season is and that those expensive buses sit idle the rest of the year. Most tourists don't realize the tunnel set-up and logistics. And wages paid to the workers are higher than lower 48 as the cost of living is higher.

 

Someone on another board complained about using school buses in Homer. Why would the locals invest in great big A/C buses for the short tourist season and so few cruises that stop there?

 

Part of travel is understanding local customs and adapting to them. Alaska is the US, but very different from the lower 48, as most everything is shipped in and there is harsh weather and lots of wilderness. That's what makes it such a beautiful place to visit. We are so lucky to be able to experience Alaska now in relative luxury - it wasn't so easy even 30 years ago.

[pokerpro5]

Aurora Limousines has offered a private transfer for years and is now offering a cheaper direct transfer: http://akcruiseconnect.com/

 

This is great. I called them and it's $35 per person. Thanks a lot.

[pokerpro5]

Read the above post, and you will see that I found a bus for $35 thanks to the suggestion of one of the helpful readers here.

 

This pretty much shatters the explanations that prices of $53-$70 per person are "fair" and not gouging.

 

I will concede that some of the gouging is occurring because the tourist season is short, so they have to make more money within a short period of time. But they are still vastly overcharging, basically because there are few options and they can get away with it.

 

I wasn't expecting a bargain, but these prices are ridiculous, both for the shuttles and the rental cars. If you charge $60 per person and seat 50 people on the bus, that's $3000 right there. It's another $3000 if you can use the bus for a return trip (which you can, depending upon the time of day). The trip takes less than 2 hours, tunnel included. They are clearing huge profits on this.

 

Go to the Whittier Shuttle website, and you will see the most obnoxious, gimmicky website I've seen in a long time. In my 20 years of experience on the web, I have learned that gimmicky website almost always = overpriced services. And they're not even the most expensive ones!

 

As I said, I am not blaming the operators of these services for the prices they charge. That's the free market at work. You charge what people are willing to pay, and aside from profiteering from a disaster (which this isn't), that's totally fine. But from a tourist's standpoint, it's frustrating, and you can't just say "the prices are fair" because Alaska is more expensive that most other places in the US.

 

Anyway, not looking to have a debate here. I accomplished what I set out to do -- find a cheaper way to get to Anchorage, and I thank the person who gave me the tip for that.

[mapleleaves]

just as " a gimmicky website almost always = overpriced services " ; cheap fares often indicate fly by night vendors.

There have been some unhappy experiences with a couple of the shuttle companies, so before you get too happy about your cheap fare, please do a little research on them. I've never heard of the vendor before, but then again I always drive, so whatever I know about shuttles comes from trip reports. Good luck!

[AKStafford]

I've never heard of the vendor before,

I'm the one that recommended the vendor. It's being ran by Aurora Limousines, who have been around for a while. The cruise transfer is a new thing for them.

Full Disclosure: I've never used Aurora Limousines, but as I said, they've been operation in Alaska for a while. I've seen their cars around. And with the cruise transfer being a new thing for them, there could be some hiccups. Maybe that's why their rates are so low this season...

http://akcruiseconnect.com/pages/about-us

 

To the OP: Bottom line - Alaska is expensive to live in and it's expensive to visit. Our summer visitor season is short and companies are trying to maximize their revenue while they can. Ultimately the free market prevails and if someone can do it cheaper, they will.

[mapleleaves]

I'm the one that recommended the vendor. It's being ran by Aurora Limousines, who have been around for a while. The cruise transfer is a new thing for them.

 

The fact that a local knows the company has been around for awhile, goes a long way. Smart move on their part to get into the transfer business.

[peety3]

I wasn't expecting a bargain, but these prices are ridiculous, both for the shuttles and the rental cars. If you charge $60 per person and seat 50 people on the bus, that's $3000 right there. It's another $3000 if you can use the bus for a return trip (which you can, depending upon the time of day). The trip takes less than 2 hours, tunnel included. They are clearing huge profits on this.

 

$90 in tolls, $90 in fuel, probably another $20 in fuel while idling (it's too cold at times to shut the bus off), probably another $35 in federal fuel/road use taxes, $200 in driver wages/benefits, $200 into the bus maintenance fund for tires, brakes, etc., pure guess but $250 in commissions to the cruise line perhaps, $300 in marketing costs, $500 towards the bus purchase, $30 towards the next interior refurbishment, $75 in credit card merchant fees, $300 in office/administration costs (lots of regulatory paperwork, driver/bus inspections, etc.). That's $2090 right there, and I have no idea what their insurance bill might be. Now, what are the odds the bus is full, and how many of those costs are variable by passenger count?

 

Congratulations on finding something at $35 instead of $53. Let's see how long that company lasts, and how good its reviews are in a year or two. I'm not convinced that they're clearing huge profits.

[pokerpro5]

$90 in tolls, $90 in fuel, probably another $20 in fuel while idling (it's too cold at times to shut the bus off), probably another $35 in federal fuel/road use taxes, $200 in driver wages/benefits, $200 into the bus maintenance fund for tires, brakes, etc., pure guess but $250 in commissions to the cruise line perhaps, $300 in marketing costs, $500 towards the bus purchase, $30 towards the next interior refurbishment, $75 in credit card merchant fees, $300 in office/administration costs (lots of regulatory paperwork, driver/bus inspections, etc.). That's $2090 right there, and I have no idea what their insurance bill might be. Now, what are the odds the bus is full, and how many of those costs are variable by passenger count?

 

Congratulations on finding something at $35 instead of $53. Let's see how long that company lasts, and how good its reviews are in a year or two. I'm not convinced that they're clearing huge profits.

 

I won't even bother to pick apart this ridiculous list of "expenses". But here are a few of the more laughable ones:

 

$250 commissions to the cruise line? I'm talking about buses that operate independently. $300 in office/admin costs PER WAY? You vastly overestimate office/admin costs. $500 for the cost of the bus? How many 60-mile trips do you think the average bus can make before it gets scrapped?

 

This is the epitome of fuzzy accounting.

 

How about just admitting that they are gouging people, but that the gouging is taking place partially because it's a 1-season business, and they basically make no money for about 8 months per year?

[sherryf]

They aren't gouging. It is supply and demand. They are just trying to make a living in a very expensive place to live.

 

If you don't like it, why don't you just stay home and quit complaining?

[epixx]

Definition of "gouge":

 

"to extort from, swindle, or overcharge," per dictionary.com.

 

I think if a consumer understands both the services rendered and the prices, and if he/she is free to decide to accept or decline, then no extortion, swindle, or overcharge, i.e., "gouging," occurs.

[bottom-dragger]

please please please, lord

 

don't seat on the bus next to pokerpro5