NCL Sun - disembarking in Whittier

[OutdoorGirl]

First time on an NCL ship and first time in Alaska, all very exciting! Can't find any information on the NCL website about disembarkation and am wondering how they organise the luggage. We have booked a transfer to Anchorage with ACT Big Bus (September 8th), leaving 9.45, so will need to get off the ship in good time. Can you choose your own disembarkation time? Do we take our luggage off with us or is it all sorted out the night before, and if so what happens about picking up the suitcases again once we are off the ship? Would be good to know what the procedure is in advance, so would be very grateful for comments from members. Many thanks.

[debnjoe1438]

First time on an NCL ship and first time in Alaska, all very exciting! Can't find any information on the NCL website about disembarkation and am wondering how they organise the luggage. We have booked a transfer to Anchorage with ACT Big Bus (September 8th), leaving 9.45, so will need to get off the ship in good time. Can you choose your own disembarkation time? Do we take our luggage off with us or is it all sorted out the night before, and if so what happens about picking up the suitcases again once we are off the ship? Would be good to know what the procedure is in advance, so would be very grateful for comments from members. Many thanks.

 

Yes, you can choose your own disembarkation time. A day or two before disembarkation they will have colored tags available for the choosing. Pick the tag for time you like. Set your bags out the night before and they will be taken and sorted according your color you will pick up after disembarking the ship. You could also choose to be the first off and disembark with your luggage. (You carry all luggage off the ship)

 

No guarantee for time leaving ship. First off is generally (in FL ports, these are the ones I know) around 7:30am. However if for some reason the Port Authorities say wait, you have to wait.

Edited August 10, 2014 by debnjoe1438

[kjquilts]

Here is the Order of Disembarkation schedule for the Sun from June 10, 2013. Unlike most of our Norwegian cruises you didn't just pick whatever color corresponded to the time you wanted to leave the ship. We are platinum with NCL so entitled (lol hate that word) to priority disembarkation and after brief discussion guest services gave us tags for the time we wanted.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did ours.

 

 

Whittier is visually beautiful but TINY. Here are some photos

 

 

 

 

 

kj

[Budget Queen]

Disembarkation starts very early in Whittier, by 7am. The ship is tied up hours prior. No problem with meeting up with the transfer on time, as they have that ship cleared around your time anyway.

 

Your transfer can't leave until 10am, but I would still get there about 9:15am anyway to load up your luggage and get your driver's side seat. :)

[OutdoorGirl]

Thanks very much to you all for your really helpful comments- think I can relax on the question of disembarkation as a result of your replies. Thanks too for all the great photos Karen; helps to build up the anticipation!

[grobma]

Here is the Order of Disembarkation schedule for the Sun from June 10, 2013.

 

Thanks so much for posting this. We are on a cruisetour starting next week, and I was wondering how they handled bags and disembarkation for those passengers. This answers my question!!

[don't-use-real-name]

Thanks so much for posting this. We are on a cruisetour starting next week, and I was wondering how they handled bags and disembarkation for those passengers. This answers my question!!

 

If leaving the ship and going to Anchorage for a flight home talk to NCL now

or on the ship about what TRANSFER service is available to do this - small fee

of maybe $50+/- pp to take a motor coach right to the airport check in. Check

this out and make arrangements a day or two ahead of arriving in Whittier.

 

Sometimes the Alaska RailRoad has a train going to the Depot in downtown

Anchorage with shuttle service back to the airport. ($60 pp + shuttle fee ?)

 

For those folks with a ground tour package in conjunction with the cruise check

with NCL or Premiere Tours for details of where to meet-who to see-in the cruise

terminal at Whittier. Several 50+ passenger motor coaches with guides for

your tour package will be available to direct you where you need to go and

take your luggage/baggage.

 

Blessed be! Hope the Mountain is Out for your viewing !

[janerbg]

We disembarked Whittier today, and you do not have much choice in time if you are independent. As the posted image says, you need to choose 7:45, 8:45 or 9:45. The tunnel opens on the hour, which means your 10 am transfer needs to be loaded, and waiting for the tunnel opening before 10 am, and the 9:45 time will not work.

 

We did self-embarkation for this reason, which worked just fine. We also could have chosen and earlier time and just come off later and picked up our luggage. If you want to tag your luggage, you will have to choose 8:45 for your 10 am transfer.

 

However, our private transfer was substantially cheaper, included a stop at the wildlife center where we got a good look at the grizzly bear and delivered us to the car rental location we wanted in anchorage (not the airport) and so it was very worthwhile.

[pokerpro5]

I disembarked Sun yesterday.

 

Arranged my own transportation to airport on Anchorage Tours and Transfers for about $30 each. Very good experience, well organized, nice buses, and the best price. You even get a narrated tour.

 

Expect rain in Whittier. They get over 200 inches (!!) of precipitation per year.

[Orygungirl]

We disembarked Whittier today, and you do not have much choice in time if you are independent. As the posted image says, you need to choose 7:45, 8:45 or 9:45. The tunnel opens on the hour, which means your 10 am transfer needs to be loaded, and waiting for the tunnel opening before 10 am, and the 9:45 time will not work.

 

We did self-embarkation for this reason, which worked just fine. We also could have chosen and earlier time and just come off later and picked up our luggage. If you want to tag your luggage, you will have to choose 8:45 for your 10 am transfer.

 

However, our private transfer was substantially cheaper, included a stop at the wildlife center where we got a good look at the grizzly bear and delivered us to the car rental location we wanted in anchorage (not the airport) and so it was very worthwhile.

So if you are taking your own luggage off can you just go any time? You don't have to go at 6:15, do you?

[don't-use-real-name]

If using the self-(dis)embarking you can leave the ship at any time after the

authorities allow you to do so.

The problem that you (and everyone else) are going to have face is the traffic

tunnel.

The tunnel was originally designed for the Alaska Railroad to use exclusively.

The tunnel surface has been paved over and made suitable for road use by

almost any kind of vehicle. Now here in is the problem it is ONLY suitable for

ONE-WAY traffic. So here is how it works when a train needs the tunnel it

has priority and stops everything but for the most part this is scheduled way

in advance so the traffic concern is minimal. Routinely the tunnel operates

ONE-WAY for a period of time and then reverses. This is normally about a

half hour period of time.

Fast forward you now off the ship and bags in hand have managed to secure

transportation to Anchorage. You board your vehicle and proceed to the

tunnel entrance and await your que to use the tunnel. Get the most up to date

current information about the timing of this. You do not want to rush off the

ship bags in hand run to motor coach or whatever and then race down to the

tunnel and WAIT for an half hour or slightly more to continue on the otherside

to Anchorage and awaiting airplane flight or ground tour etc.

This is real smoothly run operation and the tunnel operator has emergency

equipment to remove stalled/disabled vehicles - so the timing is practically

foolproof. The Alaska Railroad does not unreasonably use the tunnel when

a cruise ship is in except to operate a passenger train to from the ship an

exciting trip I might add with better photo opts than motor coach service.

 

If doing this on your own ASK ???s and getting timing details - if part of a

ground tour those folks will be taking care of the details and timing.

Not every cruise ship is met with Railroad service !

 

It is not all that big a deal just be a bit informed of what is going on !

[Orygungirl]

Thank you. We have reservations on a 9:00 transport, and I couldn't see the sense of getting off at 6:15 and waiting that long.