Alasaka Railroad to whitter how is Cruise Ship Luggage handled

[jwjcmj]

Have book our own transportation on the Alaska Railroad, Anchorage to Whitter prior to our cruise.

 

How is the cruise ship passanger Luggage handled???Do we have to reclaim it in Whitter or is transfered to the ship???

 

Is the seating on the train assigned or just space available????

 

Is it possible to make an afternoon excursion after check-in???

 

any other information or hints greatly excepted...

 

Thanks

 

Jimmie

[ARRTrain]

By your cruise list there, looks like you are going on Princess. Princess picks up your luggage at the ARR Anch. Depot and loads it into a truck. The next time you see your luggage, it will be in your cabin on the ship.

[Alaska05]

Have book our own transportation on the Alaska Railroad, Anchorage to Whitter prior to our cruise.Jimmie

 

Did you book this thru Princess or on-line with the Alaska Railroad?

 

I want to do the reverse -- book the evening train from Whittier to Anchorage. We're doing a Prince William Sound cruise after we get off the cruise ship.

[Chat Noir]

Have book our own transportation on the Alaska Railroad, Anchorage to Whitter prior to our cruise.

 

How is the cruise ship passanger Luggage handled???Do we have to reclaim it in Whitter or is transfered to the ship???

 

Is the seating on the train assigned or just space available????

 

Is it possible to make an afternoon excursion after check-in???

 

any other information or hints greatly excepted...

 

Thanks

 

Jimmie

As stated, you'll not see your luggage after dropping it off at the Anchorage AKRR depot until boarding the ship. You'll be free to spend the afternoon on an excursion, depending on ship departure time. Even though you'll be sailing College Fjord, a day cruise will get you more 'up close and personal'. Seating on the train is assigned. For Southbound- on the right side of the train, you'll be seated nearer to the waters of Turnagain Arm. Left side, you'll be closer to the mountainsides and meadowlands. Both have advantages and I personally have no specific preference. I love the AKRR transfer!

[Budget Queen]

Seats are assigned on the train. I greatly prefer the Arm side views.

 

Most boat tours are 1pm, don't bother to check in for the ship, since you may run short of time with the lines from the train. NO problem doing it after your tour. You have plenty of time to make the tour. A short walk from the train.

 

This is booked direct with the Alaska RR. The cruiseline may have a contracted rail that is more costly.

 

 

IF you are taking the Alaska RR from Whittier, you have checked bags in the baggage car which are unloaded at the downtown depot which you claim.

[jwjcmj]

Thanks for the information, I booked the Rail Road my self online. Will the Whitter Day Cruise companies have a place to store our small carry-on bag??

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for the information, I booked the Rail Road my self online. Will the Whitter Day Cruise companies have a place to store our small carry-on bag??

 

 

They do have storage, but if only a small bag, I would take it with you. It may be easy to forget and you can leave it in your seat on the boat.

[Cruisin' granny]

I've also booked our rail from Anchorage to Whittier online directly with the AKRR (not through Princess) and anticipated that we would check and retrieve our luggage as air travel and then transfer to ship ourselves. Are you saying that we can find a Princess agent at the Anchorage train depot and transfer our luggage to the bus? Wouldn't we need to notify them ahead of time of our intentions? We'll be RVing for 10 days prior to the southbound cruise.

[wayne101642]

Our land tour ends in Anchorage , and overnights there. I booked with ARR to get to Whitter, will leave that night on Island Princess for south bound cruise, leaves at 8:30PM from Whitter. Do we have to take our luggage on the train with us or is there a way to have Island Princess pick them up at Achorage? The train departs at 10:00AM for Whitter.

[ARRTrain]

If you are riding the train from Anch. to Whittier, Princess picks up your luggage at the Depot and transports it to Whittier. The next time you see your luggage it will be in your stateroom. It doesn't matter who you booked your train travel through. Next to the Anch. Depot the ARR has in the past set up a big tent for luggage drop off. The ARR personnel watch your luggage until the Princess Truck picks it up.

[gambler_and_rivernymph]

The ARR website shows a depot at the airport, but it doesnt state where the train departs for Whittier. Several posters have stated the train leaves the Anchorage downtown location, but does it leave the airport location as well? We need to return a car to the airport, so it would be easiest to catch the train there.

[ARRTrain]

If you are catching the ARR's own train with a 9:45 am departure, you will have to catch the train at the Downtown Depot.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

The ARR website shows a depot at the airport, but it doesnt state where the train departs for Whittier. Several posters have stated the train leaves the Anchorage downtown location, but does it leave the airport location as well? We need to return a car to the airport, so it would be easiest to catch the train there.

 

We'll have the same situation--renting a car at the airport when we arrive and then returning it the morning we take the train to Whittier. Any suggestions on the easiest way to return the car at the airport and get to the train depot? Is there a shuttle? Take a cab?

 

Thanks!

Jayne

[gambler_and_rivernymph]

We'll have the same situation--renting a car at the airport when we arrive and then returning it the morning we take the train to Whittier. Any suggestions on the easiest way to return the car at the airport and get to the train depot? Is there a shuttle? Take a cab?

 

Thanks!

Jayne

 

The train seems like a better and simpler trip than one of the shuttles, but it leaves earlier than we would like. We would prefer to spend more time in Anchorage that morning and not leave until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, but we havent found a shuttle that would pick us up at the airport and that we are comfortable with. I've looked into some private shuttles and limos, and the best I have found so far is a private van for $150 (Alaska Shuttle). That wouldnt be bad for 4 people. If we go with the train option, I guess I would drop off the car and take a cab.

Mike

[Quilting_Cruiser]

The train seems like a better and simpler trip than one of the shuttles, but it leaves earlier than we would like. We would prefer to spend more time in Anchorage that morning and not leave until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, but we havent found a shuttle that would pick us up at the airport and that we are comfortable with. I've looked into some private shuttles and limos, and the best I have found so far is a private van for $150 (Alaska Shuttle). That wouldnt be bad for 4 people. If we go with the train option, I guess I would drop off the car and take a cab.

Mike

 

I didn't explain myself well. We definitely want to take the train from Anchorage to Whittier--just trying to figure out logistics. We'll rent a car at the airport when we arrive, so we need to return the car in the morning before boarding the train. Would love suggestions on the best/easiest/simplest way to get from the airport car rental drop off to the train station.

 

Thanks!

Jayne

 

:)

[ARRTrain]

I didn't explain myself well. We definitely want to take the train from Anchorage to Whittier--just trying to figure out logistics. We'll rent a car at the airport when we arrive, so we need to return the car in the morning before boarding the train. Would love suggestions on the best/easiest/simplest way to get from the airport car rental drop off to the train station.

 

Thanks!

Jayne

 

:)

 

Taxi, would probably be the quickest. I'm not sure what the People Mover schedules are, or how you could connect them to downtown

[Budget Queen]

Look for a car rental with a downtown office, if you haven't booked your car yet?? Cab is an option otherwise, about $25.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thank you, BQ and ARRTrain.

 

Jayne

[tbenson81]

I didnt see where anyone answered part of the original question clearly. IF you booked your own, independent travel from Anc to Whittier on the AKRR, everyone keeps saying Princess picks up your luggage and trasnfers it to the ship.

 

So the question remains - how does Princess know you are a passenger? Is there a Princess kiosk at the AKRR? How can they transfer your luggage if you havent signed up for anything beforehand?

 

Tony

[mytime53]

If you are riding the train from Anch. to Whittier, Princess picks up your luggage at the Depot and transports it to Whittier. The next time you see your luggage it will be in your stateroom. It doesn't matter who you booked your train travel through. Next to the Anch. Depot the ARR has in the past set up a big tent for luggage drop off. The ARR personnel watch your luggage until the Princess Truck picks it up.

 

I think this is the answer to your question, tbenson81.

[tbenson81]

Thank you for the response. This is however, still very vague.

 

Basically, I should go to the AKRR station and find the Princess tent?

 

the post says princess "usually" has a tent set up.

 

This doesnt sound very coordinated.

[Mully too]

I am a bit confused on this. We are staying in Anchorage the night before our cruise on the Coral Princess on August 20. We are staying in a hotel booked through Princess and have transfers from the hotel to the bus to take us to Whittier. Originally we were told by Princess that the train does not run on Monday (?)

 

Can we transfer to Whittier via the train using the Princess transfers also? I am not sure if this has to be done on our own or through Princess or do we just make train reservations ourselves and let Princess know and will they transfer us and luggage to the train. I realize there is an extra cost for the train.

 

Any help you can give me will be appreciated and if this question has been answered before,I apologize for asking again.

 

Jan

[Budget Queen]

I am a bit confused on this. We are staying in Anchorage the night before our cruise on the Coral Princess on August 20. We are staying in a hotel booked through Princess and have transfers from the hotel to the bus to take us to Whittier. Originally we were told by Princess that the train does not run on Monday (?)

 

Can we transfer to Whittier via the train using the Princess transfers also? I am not sure if this has to be done on our own or through Princess or do we just make train reservations ourselves and let Princess know and will they transfer us and luggage to the train. I realize there is an extra cost for the train.

 

Any help you can give me will be appreciated and if this question has been answered before,I apologize for asking again.

 

Jan

 

You are talking about 2 different trains. Princess does contract a train. The reference above is the regular run of the Alaska RR which you would book yourself. No, Princess will not transfer for this train, only if there is a contracted train- which leaves later. They have already told you that this is not available to you.

 

Frankly, there usually is a big price difference in cruise booked lodging. It most always is way cheaper to book directly on your own. You might want to compare this yourself.

 

If you are just looking for a bed, The Ramada's have comp. shuttles to/from the airport and depot.

[ARRTrain]

Thank you for the response. This is however, still very vague.

 

Basically, I should go to the AKRR station and find the Princess tent?

 

the post says princess "usually" has a tent set up.

 

This doesnt sound very coordinated.

 

Hope this isn't a double post, forum didn't take it the 1st time around.

 

 

The ARR has a tent setup next to the Downtown Depot. It is staffed by ARR employees. They watch the luggage until Princess picks it up. It would be a pain to load it in the baggage car and unload it in Whittier.

[Stacey779]

I called Princess a couple weeks ago trying to find out how to arrange a transfer to Whittier on the train instead of their motorcoach service, and the representative told me they don't book those anymore -- the only transfer service they offer to Whittier is via motorcoach. Has anyone else been able to book through Princess for 2007? :confused: