Princess SB rail transfer to Whittier?

[RoperDK]

We cruise August 2017 on the Coral Princess SB. We wanted to do the one night Captain Cook hotel with rail transfer. I asked my TA to see when this package would be available to book and she called back and said the rail transfer was already full and that she had put us on the waitlist. Can the train be full already? It's over a year out! So, if anyone has done the rail transfer could you tell me about the train....is it an entire train or just a car or two? Is this the train that comes from Denali headed to the ship and already full of land tour people? We are supposedly number one on the waitlist. Has anyone been on the waitlist before? Did you make it or not?

 

I know there is a regular Alaska train that leaves earlier in the morning, but we need help with our luggage and that's why we wanted to go with Princess. We also liked that the Princess train arrived at the ship at 12:30. We want to relax on the ship as much as possible that day as we will be tired from doing several sightseeing days on our own ahead of the cruise. Our TA has us booked on the one night Captain Cook with coach transfer as a back up. When do these buses usually depart? In the morning? How can I ensure that we get assigned an early bus? I have never done an Alaska cruise and I am finding the travel planning difficult. If there are better options please let me know.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Dawn

[shadowmeboy]

We cruise August 2017 on the Coral Princess SB. We wanted to do the one night Captain Cook hotel with rail transfer. I asked my TA to see when this package would be available to book and she called back and said the rail transfer was already full and that she had put us on the waitlist. Can the train be full already? It's over a year out! So, if anyone has done the rail transfer could you tell me about the train....is it an entire train or just a car or two? Is this the train that comes from Denali headed to the ship and already full of land tour people? We are supposedly number one on the waitlist. Has anyone been on the waitlist before? Did you make it or not?

 

I know there is a regular Alaska train that leaves earlier in the morning, but we need help with our luggage and that's why we wanted to go with Princess. We also liked that the Princess train arrived at the ship at 12:30. We want to relax on the ship as much as possible that day as we will be tired from doing several sightseeing days on our own ahead of the cruise. Our TA has us booked on the one night Captain Cook with coach transfer as a back up. When do these buses usually depart? In the morning? How can I ensure that we get assigned an early bus? I have never done an Alaska cruise and I am finding the travel planning difficult. If there are better options please let me know.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Dawn

 

I can't speak to Princess, but our cruise from Seward on NCL allowed us to check our bags through to the cruise ship at the train station. They have a white tent and you can check bags on the train or to the cruise ship. I am sure Princess would offer the same thing. Call the Alaska Railroad and they can tell you if Princess offers this. The Glacier Explorer train is the train to Whittier.

 

I fact, a few days before our cruise we went to Whittier and saw a ton of people getting off the Glacier Explorer train to get on the Coral Princess.

 

Here is a link to my review with pictures (page three has Whittier and pictures of the Glacier Explorer; page 4 or 5 has the Alaska Railroad station in Anchorage and checking the bags)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2376089&page=3

[RoperDK]

I can't speak to Princess, but our cruise from Seward on NCL allowed us to check our bags through to the cruise ship at the train station. They have a white tent and you can check bags on the train or to the cruise ship. I am sure Princess would offer the same thing. Call the Alaska Railroad and they can tell you if Princess offers this. The Glacier Explorer train is the train to Whittier.

 

I fact, a few days before our cruise we went to Whittier and saw a ton of people getting off the Glacier Explorer train to get on the Coral Princess.

 

Here is a link to my review with pictures (page three has Whittier and pictures of the Glacier Explorer; page 4 or 5 has the Alaska Railroad station in Anchorage and checking the bags)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2376089&page=3

 

Thank you shadowmeboy. I loved your review. What great pictures!

[Budget Queen]

We cruise August 2017 on the Coral Princess SB. We wanted to do the one night Captain Cook hotel with rail transfer. I asked my TA to see when this package would be available to book and she called back and said the rail transfer was already full and that she had put us on the waitlist. Can the train be full already? It's over a year out! So, if anyone has done the rail transfer could you tell me about the train....is it an entire train or just a car or two? Is this the train that comes from Denali headed to the ship and already full of land tour people? We are supposedly number one on the waitlist. Has anyone been on the waitlist before? Did you make it or not?

 

I know there is a regular Alaska train that leaves earlier in the morning, but we need help with our luggage and that's why we wanted to go with Princess. We also liked that the Princess train arrived at the ship at 12:30. We want to relax on the ship as much as possible that day as we will be tired from doing several sightseeing days on our own ahead of the cruise. Our TA has us booked on the one night Captain Cook with coach transfer as a back up. When do these buses usually depart? In the morning? How can I ensure that we get assigned an early bus? I have never done an Alaska cruise and I am finding the travel planning difficult. If there are better options please let me know.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Dawn

 

There is only one train. You are making wrong assumptions. Cpt Cook shuttle- are going to offer the SAME basic luggage service no matter how you book. BUT, you HAVE to be able to manage it, to drop it off at the baggage tent outside the train depot. I'm making the assumption you aren't looking for a Sherpa- since you are independently traveling prior? The luggage will be loaded curbside. Key would be to pack light. I shake my head at the over packing that I see all the time. Don't take more than you can manage or you're going to run into problems everywhere.

 

The Alaska RR isn't even open yet, for reservations next year. And no, this is NOT the train coming from Denali. IF you have been give the 12:05p arrival time, that is the regular, once daily, run.

 

As for the bus- IF you want to leave early, you get in line early, they leave as the fill up. It's only a 1 1/4++ trip. I've seen them start late morning.

[RoperDK]

There is only one train. You are making wrong assumptions. Cpt Cook shuttle- are going to offer the SAME basic luggage service no matter how you book. BUT, you HAVE to be able to manage it, to drop it off at the baggage tent outside the train depot. I'm making the assumption you aren't looking for a Sherpa- since you are independently traveling prior? The luggage will be loaded curbside. Key would be to pack light. I shake my head at the over packing that I see all the time. Don't take more than you can manage or you're going to run into problems everywhere.

 

The Alaska RR isn't even open yet, for reservations next year. And no, this is NOT the train coming from Denali. IF you have been give the 12:05p arrival time, that is the regular, once daily, run.

 

As for the bus- IF you want to leave early, you get in line early, they leave as the fill up. It's only a 1 1/4++ trip. I've seen them start late morning.

 

Thank you Budget Queen. I am talking about the Princess hotel/transfer package. The train leaves at 10AM and arrives at the ship at 12:30PM (at least that is what this years schedule is). I am led to believe that this is not the Alaska Railroad train that leaves at 9:45 each day. Your luggage is collected at the hotel and you don't see it again until the ship. I was hoping that someone who has used this package could give me some more details.

 

I was told that the Princess transfer buses that leave early have excursions attached to them and don't arrive at the ship until late afternoon. I looked at private transport options and they don't leave Anchorage until early afternoon. We will have done all of the sightseeing in the area by then and are only interested in arriving at the ship early. If someone has been able to get a simple bus transfer that arrives at the ship early, could you give me some details on how to ensure that?

 

We can handle our luggage. I just thought it would be so convenient to not have to keep track of it. The Princess hotel/transfer packages are not cheap! All of our other pre and post hotel stays will be done with points. For those that have used these packages, does the Princess rep service make the price worth it?

 

Thanks so much,

Dawn

[Budget Queen]

Thank you Budget Queen. I am talking about the Princess hotel/transfer package. The train leaves at 10AM and arrives at the ship at 12:30PM (at least that is what this years schedule is). I am led to believe that this is not the Alaska Railroad train that leaves at 9:45 each day. Your luggage is collected at the hotel and you don't see it again until the ship. I was hoping that someone who has used this package could give me some more details.

 

I was told that the Princess transfer buses that leave early have excursions attached to them and don't arrive at the ship until late afternoon. I looked at private transport options and they don't leave Anchorage until early afternoon. We will have done all of the sightseeing in the area by then and are only interested in arriving at the ship early. If someone has been able to get a simple bus transfer that arrives at the ship early, could you give me some details on how to ensure that?

 

We can handle our luggage. I just thought it would be so convenient to not have to keep track of it. The Princess hotel/transfer packages are not cheap! All of our other pre and post hotel stays will be done with points. For those that have used these packages, does the Princess rep service make the price worth it?

 

Thanks so much,

Dawn

 

I have not seen 2 separate trains come into Whittier. I'd verify directly, through Alaska RR, a simple call, but as I already posted, reservations aren't even being taken yet, so the regular run can not be "sold out". IF there are 2 trains, it's not going to be sold out with Princess either.

 

Frankly- there are big advantages to verifying your last transfer point of luggage. IF yours happen to get "lost", and you just left it outside the door of your hotel, tracking and success is much more difficult. Just my opinion. It is popular thinking, of the "benefit" of "luggage", I see over and over, I just don't get it. :)

 

IF the Princess bus has a "tour" with a transfer, it is going to be noted in descriptions. There is only 15 minutes of access an hour. The bus, may do a couple detours, etc. if they miss the opening. better than waiting at the staging area with a bus load of anxious passengers. The way it is going to be with any vendor. I'd suggest you not be in such a rush to be one of the first on the ship. It will open up a LOT more choices. You can be confident of getting on afternoon. They aren't going to start boarding until close to noon anyway.

 

I see no advantage to using a Princess hotel/transfer "package", you are paying significantly more for a simple duel reservation. Not sure where you are going, but "points" usage in Alaska is very limited, Anchorage/area and Fairbanks is about it for multiple selections, Best Western in Seward, off hand. I don't know why you aren't just using your "points"?

[RoperDK]

Thanks again Budget Queen! I know my planning is a bit early, but I just love doing the research. On all of my other cruises, getting to the boat was a no brainer. Not so simple in Alaska! I think for now I will pencil in the regular 9:45 Alaska Railroad train and skip the added costs of the Princess package. The reason I am so interested in getting to the ship early is to build in some rest time. I have an arrhythmia that for me is best handled by putting some down time into my travels. I am starting to think outside the box now for our trip and will start another thread asking for suggestions.

 

Thanks again,

Dawn

[LEtue]

Just did this for the second time last August to catch the Star Princess from Whittier and it is very easy to do your own hotel/train package.

 

We stayed at the Springhill Suites (with points) - used their airport shuttle to the hotel and again to the train station the next morning. Once you arrive at the train depot you simply put your Princess tags on before checking them and you don't see they again until you get on the ship - Princess transfers them for you.

 

I kept a backpack with me because we were doing the 26 Glacier Cruise before boarding but you could easily go directly to the ship.

 

Booking the Alaska Railroad on line is very easy so you should find a hotel that works for you and go for it~

[RoperDK]

Thanks LEtue! Sounds like a great (and less expensive ) option for us!

 

Dawn

[LEtue]

Thanks LEtue! Sounds like a great (and less expensive ) option for us!

 

Dawn

 

You are welcome and enjoy the ride on the Alaska RR. I love it :D

[LeeW]

The Captain Cook is a major transfer point for Princess - when we were there they had two ballrooms full of luggage for cruise ship, land tours and airport. Staff handles all the details of getting your luggage to the appropriate destination.

 

My guess is that even if you didn't have a Princess transfer they could handle your luggage, but obviously you still need either a train or bus for yourselves. Haven't looked in to one-way Anchorage to Whittier car rentals, but the other way is very expensive.

[RoperDK]

The Captain Cook is a major transfer point for Princess - when we were there they had two ballrooms full of luggage for cruise ship, land tours and airport. Staff handles all the details of getting your luggage to the appropriate destination.

 

My guess is that even if you didn't have a Princess transfer they could handle your luggage, but obviously you still need either a train or bus for yourselves. Haven't looked in to one-way Anchorage to Whittier car rentals, but the other way is very expensive.

 

Thanks LeeW. We checked on a one way car rental from Anchorage to Whittier. It was very pricey! I think a call to the Princess rep at the Captain Cook might be a good idea. Hopefully, I can find the number through the front desk of the hotel.

 

Dawn

[ARRTrain]

Princess does not have a separate train arriving at 12:30pm.

 

There's an ARR train that arrives around 12:15pm It leaves the Depot at 9:45am - if you drop your luggage at the Depot - Princess picks it up & delivers it to the ship.

 

The Princess Cook buses probably stop at the Portage Wildlife Center. The buses start arriving after 12:30pm. The tunnels into Whittier are at the bottom of the hour.

Edited August 2, 2016 by ARRTrain

[RoperDK]

Thanks ARRTrain. We have decided to cancel our Princess hotel/transfer. It was just too expensive. We will do the transfer on our own.