Alaska Cruisetour - luggage

[retiredbrit]

We are on Summit northbound cruisetour to Alaska from Vancouver which includes the overland trip from Seward to Fairbanks via Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali – part train, part coach, flying back to Seatle then to UK Sailing from Vancouver on July 15 next.

We are flying from UK with the usual “too much” luggage, dinner suit, my wife’s dresses etc (lots of those of course).

Can any one tell me how our luggage is dealt with once we leave the Summit?.

I assume it will be handled for us in some way and we will need to rearrange our packing to leave our “ship” clothes at the bottom of the cases unused.

Any advice from members who have done this trip or the reverse itinerary will be very helpful

Regards Alan

[lisiamc]

On the tour portion of a cruisetour, you can leave your cruise-only clothes in one suitcase (or several!) that stays in the coach, and doesn't reappear until the last night of the tour. Your other suitcases are delivered to your room every night.

 

Lisa

[itsanita]

Hi Alan,

 

We did this trip on the Summit...Fairbanks to Seward..then the Summit to Vancouver. I would do it all again in a heart beat. It was probably the most incredable trip we have ever done!!!!

 

As far as the luggage. from the time we got off the plane in Fairbanks till we were in our cabin on the ship, we never touched a piece of luggage (except of course in our rooms). When we arrived in Fairbanks, they gave us 2 different colored luggage tags and told us to put one color on the suitcases we would need placed in our hotel room each night, and the other color on the cases that we did not need for the land portion of the trip. We had packed all our "cruise stuff" in 2 large suitcases that were never taken off the bus. Our other 2 bags had all the jeans, boots etc for the land portion. It worked great.

 

You will start out in Seward on a beautiful, large bus and all of your luggage will be placed underneath in the luggage compartment. When you do switch to the train, the bus keeps your luggage and drives the same direction as the train, meeting you at the next hotel. We got off the train, onto the bus for the ride to the hotel and were given our room keys while still on the bus. Within several minutes of arriving at the hotel, our luggage was placed in our room.

It was very well organized. One day my husband did need something that was in the "cruise suitcase" and he had no trouble getting to it.

 

If you have any questions you think I could answer about your trip, please ask!

 

Have a great holiday.

[Shirley and Les]

We did a 13 night northbound cruisetour last summer on the Summit. On the last night on the ship, you will get information on the number of the motorcoach you are to board after leaving the ship. Your luggage tags will be marked with a tour number. Leave them in the hall before midnight.

As you disembark in Seward, the coaches are lined up right on the dock at the end of the gangway. Find your bus, hand any carryon bags to the driver for stowage under the bus and climb aboard.

During the drive to your first stop, the bus tour guide will give you luggage tags for the bags you will need each night and a different color tags for bags that can stay on the bus until the end of the trip. As you are driving to your first stop, your checked luggage is transported there via truck. After the first night, your luggage stays with your assigned motor coach.

Your bags will be outside your room (hopefully) when you check in. Place the new tags on them and place them outside your room each morning at the time specified by the tour guide. This is the procedure for each stop.

When you are on the train, the checked luggage stays on the motor coach and the bus driver transports it to the next stop.

In Fairbanks, all your luggage will be delivered to your room. In Fairbanks, they combine several different tours onto a single coach for transport to the airport the last morning of your trip. Again, go through the "luggage in the hall" routine on the last morning for the trip to the airport. At the airport, several Celebrity coach tour guides are available to help you get your luggage to the checkin area for your airline.

The entire luggage handling procedure went very well during the land portion of the trip. On one or two occassions, an enterprising bellboy brought the luggage into the room looking for a few dollars in tips. It worked.

Have A Great Time!

Les