Alaska Connoisseur Tour question/Anchorage

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Our itinerary tells us that as part of our land portion, we will be transported from McKinley Lodge to the Kenai Lodge via motor coach and along the way will make a stop in Anchorage for lunch on our own. Can you tell me WHERE in Anchorage we will be dropped off and how long we will have for this stop?

Thank you in advance!

[cdr1]

We have done 2 cruise tours. Stopped at Capt. Cook Hotel for a couple of hours...I think.

[dcclemens]

Our itinerary tells us that as part of our land portion, we will be transported from McKinley Lodge to the Kenai Lodge via motor coach and along the way will make a stop in Anchorage for lunch on our own. Can you tell me WHERE in Anchorage we will be dropped off and how long we will have for this stop?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

 

Hi - we live in Anchorage. If you are dropped at the Capt Cook, recommend lunch at the Glacier Brewhouse. It’s downtown, within walking distance. Recommend reservations, they are always busy, and they can be made in advance on Open Table.

 

Hope you enjoy your visit!

 

 

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[Coral]

Hi - we live in Anchorage. If you are dropped at the Capt Cook, recommend lunch at the Glacier Brewhouse. It’s downtown, within walking distance. Recommend reservations, they are always busy, and they can be made in advance on Open Table.

 

Hope you enjoy your visit!

 

 

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Excellent restaurant.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Thank you everyone!

(Still not totally positive we'll be dropped at the Captain Hook hotel--am hoping to hear from others)

I did see reviews for the Glacier Brewhouse. It looks good.

How about F Street Station?

I'd love to try Moose's Tooth, but I see it is a ways away from the hotel (if that is where we will be dropped off)

[kennicott]

I question why they would drop you off at a hotel. My guess is that they will drop you off at either the Dena'ina Convention Center or the Egan Convention Center. It appears to me most cruise lines use these locations as staging areas for guests waiting for coaches, etc. Either way, they are right in the middle of town and surrounded by excellent eateries. Our favorite on theatre nights downtown is Ginger, however for lunch I would look close at Simon & Seafort or Sacks.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60880-Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60880-d507232-Reviews-Simon_Seafort_s_Saloon_Grill-Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60880-d518697-Reviews-Sacks_Cafe-Anchorage_Alaska.html

[Floridapenny]

I was on a Princess Cruise Tour last June and we were dropped at Captain Hook Hotel for our lunch break on our motor coach trip from McKinley Lodge to Whittier. I walked a few blocks and had a nice lunch (including a local beer) and had plenty of time to walk around some more before the motor coach picked us up.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Interesting....looks like two votes for Captain Hook...

[kennicott]

Interesting, sounds like Princess has a deal, or had a deal, with the Cook wherein they use the Cook for a lunch break stop. Maybe because there isn't any luggage involved. Now that I think about it, I recall talking with HAL passengers over at the Dena'ina and seeing Princess passengers lining up at the Egan, these two convention centers aren't much more than a block apart.

 

Here is the latest I could find (2017) regarding Princess current gathering point for tours and transfers to the airport or port: From Princess Personalizer:

 

The Princess Hospitality Center is located in downtown Anchorage at the Egan Convention Center, 555 West 5th Avenue. Please check in for your transfer between 9am and 12pm, no later than noon. Transfers from the Hospitality Center to Whittier begin departing at 1:00 p.m. Please bring your luggage when checking in for your transfer.

 

The Egan Convention Center. They will store your luggage free of charge in a big room there. They do check to make sure that people are in fact taking their own bags, and we felt secure leaving our luggage there until it was time to head to the airport later on. The Egan Center is walkable to all of downtown and has clean bathrooms and comfy chairs

[Nhsaltshaker]

Our itinerary tells us that as part of our land portion, we will be transported from McKinley Lodge to the Kenai Lodge via motor coach and along the way will make a stop in Anchorage for lunch on our own. Can you tell me WHERE in Anchorage we will be dropped off and how long we will have for this stop?

Thank you in advance!

 

Last May, I motorcoached from McKinley Lodge to Kenai on the Con. Tour. They give you a map of where they drop you off. I think it was around 3 and 1/2 hours. It was very close to a liquor store. Lunch and beer were great at the Glacier Brewhouse. We had time to walk around and shop. Did I mention the liquor store? :)

 

It's a long day on the road and a pleasant stop to get off the bus. Don't fall asleep when you get back on, the scenery is beautiful.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Thank you everyone for the information. Much appreciated.

[railman]

Interesting....looks like two votes for Captain Hook...

 

Make it three votes!

[mytime53]

I realize that some who posted "Capt. Hook" realize it is Capt. Cook, but I hate seeing errors perpetuated. So for those who don't know, the hotel is named for Capt. Cook, the famous explorer. The hotel looks out over Knik Arm of Cook Inlet (and on a clear day has a great view of Denali from the Crow's Nest on the top floor). The hotel is not named for Peter Pan's nemesis.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

I realize that some who posted "Capt. Hook" realize it is Capt. Cook, but I hate seeing errors perpetuated. So for those who don't know, the hotel is named for Capt. Cook, the famous explorer. The hotel looks out over Knik Arm of Cook Inlet (and on a clear day has a great view of Denali from the Crow's Nest on the top floor). The hotel is not named for Peter Pan's nemesis.

 

Too funny! I did, indeed, know the hotel was Captain Cook....must be something in my subconscious that made me type Captain HOOK :confused: :')

[laughing husky]

I question why they would drop you off at a hotel. My guess is that they will drop you off at either the Dena'ina Convention Center or the Egan Convention Center. It appears to me most cruise lines use these locations as staging areas for guests waiting for coaches, etc. Either way, they are right in the middle of town and surrounded by excellent eateries. Our favorite on theatre nights downtown is Ginger, however for lunch I would look close at Simon & Seafort or Sacks.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60880-Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60880-d507232-Reviews-Simon_Seafort_s_Saloon_Grill-Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60880-d518697-Reviews-Sacks_Cafe-Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

 

Sacks doesn't exist any more as Sack's. It is now Crush....same place...bigger....No matter where you want to go in downtown Anchorage...you should make reservations...Otherwise, you will have a 2 hr wait..We have 3-4,000 people day all crowding into the downtown area. Many are not from ships, and occasionally there are 4-5 ships in port between Anchorage, Seward, and Whittier....

[caribill]

No matter where you want to go in downtown Anchorage...you should make reservations...Otherwise, you will have a 2 hr wait....

 

I doubt that the OP knows what time they will be dropped off for lunch. Hard to make a reservation without knowing that.

[laughing husky]

I doubt that the OP knows what time they will be dropped off for lunch. Hard to make a reservation without knowing that.

 

It is roughly a 5.5 hr trip from Denali to Anchorage when they use the buses.....you can sorta figure it out...and if they are staying at the McKInley Lodge, that is in Trapper Creek which is about 2 or 2.5 hrs from Anchorage....so even easier...

[rockdoctor]

Go to Humpy’s for lunch. Kind of bar-like but the halibut is out of the world - better than Glacier Brewhouse. Last time I was at GBH halibut was only available as a modified appetizer.

[Floridapenny]

Go to Humpy’s for lunch. Kind of bar-like but the halibut is out of the world - better than Glacier Brewhouse. Last time I was at GBH halibut was only available as a modified appetizer.

 

Ditto about halibut at Humpy's. The beer was good also.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Halibut fish and fries worth the $25 there?

[Floridapenny]

Halibut fish and fries worth the $25 there?

 

I got the halibut sandwich and fries and I believe it was less than $20. I thought it was worth what I paid.