Travel from Whittier to Seward - Aussie needs help

[primrosegypsy]

Hi

I am trying to organize cruising Alaska from Australia. All I know is the scenery looks majic. I want to see as many glaciers as possible. I am thinking of taking a 7 night cruise from Vancouver on Carnival Spirit because it goes to Lynn Canal and Prince William Sound then travelling to Seward and going back to Vancouver on Holland America Statendam because it goes to Glacier Bay. Could anyone who knows more about Alaska than me (that has to be everyone) tell me if this is a good plan and offer any suggestions. Would it be better to stay in Whittier or Seward for 2 nights in between cruises?

 

I will be travelling alone so would also welcome any information about how to save costs without missing out on the fantastic scenery. I really want to make the most of this trip as I will be travelling so far. Will there still be snow if I travel in June?

 

Looking forward to any input I can get. Regards, PrimroseGyspy

[wolfie11]

The easiest way to get from Whittier to Seward is to take the ship transfer to Anchorage, overnight and then take the train to Seward the next day. I would recommend adding either a PWS tour in Whittier or a Kenai Fjords cruise in Seward, as it sounds like you have a few days between ships.

 

Lynn Canal is traversed by all the ships that stop in either Skagway or Haines, so you will probably see that twice, but otherwise a very good itinerary.

[new_to_cruise09]

Hi there

 

I am doing something similar to you in June - 2 different cruises around the Gulf of Alaska, so that I can see more glaciers and ports. Am doing an overnight stay in Seward between the two cruises.

 

Seward has a lot of activities to offer - Kenai Fjords National Park cruises, Resurrection Bay cruises, kayaking near Bear Glacier, hiking in Exit Glacier and dog sledding tours. There is also the Alaska SeaLife Center, which offers behind-the-scene tours and other in-depth tours as well. Definitely enough to see there to warrant at least an overnight stay.

 

The Prince William Sound cruises in Whittier would be great. But it seems that you would have more to do in Seward. You can always fit in the Prince William Sound tour after the northbound Canival cruise, before travelling to Seward.

 

I also travel solo. Have found that high transport costs are at times unavoidable. I have booked a private chartered van for the Seward / Whittier direct transfer, which will include a 20 mins stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, thru PJS Taxi. The customer service of this company is great!

 

Other advices I got from CC board:

 

* Seward - the Kenai Fjords National Park cruises: the 6 hours minimum cruises are better than the shorter ones, in terms of wildlife viewing.

 

* Whittier - the Prince William Sound cruises: the tours covering the Esther Passage are more superior.

 

* Direct transfer between Whittier and Seward - http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=957339&highlight=new_to_cruise09

 

Lastly, the summer temp in SE Alaska is similar to the winter temp in Sydney. Should be around 45-61°F / 7-16 °C in June. I don't think you will see snow unless you are on the icefields.

 

Hope it helps. Cheers :)

[cbowler]

One option to check into for a direct transfer from Whittier to Seward is Girdwood Shuttle. Their website is http://www.girdwoodshuttle.com I researched private transfers quite a bit and found this company to be quite a bit lower in cost for what I was looking for. Luke is the guy I talked with several times and he was great to work with. I think the Whittier-Seward private transfer is $375. I know it is pricey...especially for just 1 person.

 

But, having gone round and round with cost versus time debate, I came to the conclusion that it was worth the added expense not to have to waste the time going all the way to Anchorage just to come back the same road to go to Seward. There are lots of great things to see and do in Seward and it would be a shame to waste your time just in transit.

[kenish]

Whittier-ANC and ANC-Seward both have a wide variety of cruise line transfer buses, the Alaska RR, private shuttle vans, limos, or rental car. If you go to ANC by road and to Seward by RR, from what I understand the experience and scenery will not be a repeat. Unfortunately, Whittier-Seward as you found out is not easy or inexpensive.

 

You might check with Alaskan Leopard. They run shuttle vans on both routes. They were willing to be flexible with our pickup and dropoff locations and times. What I am thinking is there may be a way they can drop you off at the Wildlife Conservation Center (only 30 minutes from Whittier), and the shuttle headed to Seward could pick you up there. It's worth asking. The highways form a "Y" with Whittier, Seward, and ANC on each of the legs. WCC is at the junction. Even if you have to go all the way into ANC, it's a very scenic 1 hour trip each way from WCC. The road follows Turnagain Arm.

[kermode]

Hi,

 

I have been looking into how to get from Whittier to Seward too without having to go via Anchorage. As far as I can tell, there are only 2 options;

 

- PJ's Taxi has a van for $250 (if you can find someone to split costs with) and will stop for photos along the way if desired, or

- Alaska Transportation Group has a direct shuttle for $65 per person.

PJ's Taxi seems to get rave reviews on this site. Alaska Transportation Group has a bad Better Business Bureau rating, but might be your only option if traveling solo.

 

Other options people have mentioned in other threads, but that I have ruled out, are;

 

- Alaskan Leopard - doesn't go direct Whittier-Seward

- Magic Bus - doesn't go direct Whittier-Seward

- Seward Bus Lines - doesn't go direct Whittier-Seward

- Girdwood Shuttle - doesn't go direct Whittier-Seward

- Alaska Park Connection - doesn't go direct Whittier-Seward

- Rent a car in Whittier - too expensive for us, but might work for you. Avis is the only car rental in Whittier.

 

Hopefully someone will let me know if I've missed anything.

 

Good Luck! :)

[kenish]

kermode- Did you contact Alaskan Leopard (and others) and ask, or did you refer to the standard routes on their websites? The reason I ask is Leopard and others are small and flexible and may be able to meet your specific needs. OTOH if you already contacted the companies in your list then you have great info. Agree that large operations are going to stick to their set schedule.

[MacThespian]

Hi there

 

I am doing something similar to you in June - 2 different cruises around the Gulf of Alaska, so that I can see more glaciers and ports. Am doing an overnight stay in Seward between the two cruises.

 

Seward has a lot of activities to offer - Kenai Fjords National Park cruises, Resurrection Bay cruises, kayaking near Bear Glacier, hiking in Exit Glacier and dog sledding tours. There is also the Alaska SeaLife Center, which offers behind-the-scene tours and other in-depth tours as well. Definitely enough to see there to warrant at least an overnight stay.

 

The Prince William Sound cruises in Whittier would be great. But it seems that you would have more to do in Seward. You can always fit in the Prince William Sound tour after the northbound Canival cruise, before travelling to Seward.

 

I have booked a private chartered van for the Seward / Whittier direct transfer, which will include a 20 mins stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, thru PJS Taxi. The customer service of this company is great!

 

Other advices I got from CC board:

 

* Seward - the Kenai Fjords National Park cruises: the 6 hours minimum cruises are better than the shorter ones, in terms of wildlife viewing.

 

We're also doing something similar this summer, as you can tell from my signature. We're staying overnight in Seward; the general opinion here is that there's much more to see and do there, and my other research agrees with this conclusion.

 

You might want to look into cruising HAL one way, and either Celebrity or RCCL the other; both turn around in Seward, which eliminates that Whittier/Seward cost. (I wouldn't take RCCL one way and Celebrity the other, as they cover exactly the same territory and--if I'm not mistaken--even spend exactly the same amount of time in each port.)

 

We've booked PJ's Taxi for the Seward-Whittier leg. They're very good to deal with, and have a wonderful rep. If you do decide to do two cruises that need this transfer, you might want to check out the roll calls for each cruise; you might be able to share the expense with someone.

 

One other poster mentioned renting a car one-way. You can't do this from Whittier to Seward (or vice versa) as no car rental company has offices in both towns. One has Avis, the other has Hertz (they may also have local car rental places, but again, they only operate out of the one town).

 

If you choose to do the Carnival/HAL combination, please be aware that the onboard atmosphere is quite different between the two lines. That may or may not be something that concerns you, of course.

 

Have a great time!

[Kymber]

Hi

I want to see as many glaciers as possible.

 

 

I saw this when I exploring some tour options today as we are doing a 14 day tour on Princess.... (72% off!)

 

Anyway...t his is a 26 Glacier Tour that looks interesting! Might be a good thing for you do in between and then just find the least expensive ship deal.

 

http://www.alaskarailroadtravel.com/the_26_glacier_cruise.html

[primrosegypsy]

Hi Everyone

 

Last time I went to Canada (20 years ago) I didn't do an Alaska cruise and have regretted it ever since - so I really want to get it right this time.

 

MacThespian, thanks for the tip about HAL, Celebrity and RCCL. I am a woman in my fifties and really just want to see lots of scenery - I'm not into nightlife, spas etc - which shipping line would you recommend?

 

new-to-cruise09, which ships did you choose? Were you able to get a discount as a solo traveller? The cabins my travel agent has suggested seem to be the worst on the ship and I was wondering if it is because the shipping lines prefer having two people in the cabin so they spend more on drinks, casino, tours etc. Would it be a good idea to just book someone else in with me and pay for a double but then have the other person as a "no show"? I'm really looking forward to having a holiday by myself with only myself to please and trust having to pay the extra for everything will be worth it.

 

kenish, cbowler and kermode, thanks so much for sharing the info you have gathered, the taxi/private transfer fare is a bit expensive for me and its good to know there are other options.

 

Kymber - that tour looks fantastic.

 

There are certainly a lot more options than I was aware of and I'm really glad I havent booked anything yet. I'm just so glad I found this site.

 

Kind Regards, Lee

[MacThespian]

Hi Everyone

 

Last time I went to Canada (20 years ago) I didn't do an Alaska cruise and have regretted it ever since - so I really want to get it right this time.

 

MacThespian, thanks for the tip about HAL, Celebrity and RCCL. I am a woman in my fifties and really just want to see lots of scenery - I'm not into nightlife, spas etc - which shipping line would you recommend?

I think RCCL is more into active activities than the other two lines. I'm (just barely) into my sixties, and the nightlife/spa thing doesn't appeal to me either. But I do like activities that exercise my mind, and have found this on both HAL and Celebrity. If you're going to do a round trip on two different lines, I'd pick these two myself.

 

 

new-to-cruise09, which ships did you choose? Were you able to get a discount as a solo traveller? The cabins my travel agent has suggested seem to be the worst on the ship and I was wondering if it is because the shipping lines prefer having two people in the cabin so they spend more on drinks, casino, tours etc. Would it be a good idea to just book someone else in with me and pay for a double but then have the other person as a "no show"? Most cruise lines will book a single into a double cabin, but at twice the cost. If you're going to go this way, there's no need to create a phantom traveling companion.I'm really looking forward to having a holiday by myself with only myself to please and trust having to pay the extra for everything will be worth it. There are only a limited number of single cabins available on any cruise line (and some ships no longer have single cabins. Thus, I suspect that any single cabins they have would be out of the way. If you want to travel by yourself, you'll have to accept that or do the single in a double I discussed above.

 

There are certainly a lot more options than I was aware of and I'm really glad I havent booked anything yet. I'm just so glad I found this site. Just don't wait too long to book if you're planning on going this summer. Your options decrease exponentially as you wait. (On the other hand, once you do book, you should monitor the price of your cabin(s); when the price goes down, you can get the decrease--as long as your travel agent doesn't charge a fee for changing a reservation, and as long as the new price isn't for new reservations only. Since I first booked, the price of the two cruises has gone down about $3,500.00--and that's a very significant amount to me.

 

Kind Regards, Lee

 

 

Whatever you do, have a great time. And come back here if you have any more questions; we're (overall) a friendly bunch!

[Texas Tillie]

Primrosegypsy,

 

Have you explored the cruiseline websites on your own? This way you can see the deck plans for each ship and get a feel for what each ship offers. I don't know if you can do this, since you'll be logging on from a "foreign" isp, but I always do a "fake" booking (using just "1" as the number of travelers since I am always a solo:p) to see what the cruiseline is charging and then compare that with the price from the travel agent.

 

Maybe I've missed this with what you've written, but I'd suggest that you make sure that one leg you pick goes to Glacier Bay - it's not to be missed and RCI and Celebrity can not go there - they don't have permits from the Park Service. (Had an incident where they dumped illegally while in the park, lost their permits for a time, but can't get them back as the number of permits are limited to 2 ships per day.)

 

Good luck with your planning!

 

Patty (aka Texas Tillie)

 

P.S. I hope to get down your way sometime in my remaining lifetime, but it is soooooo far to fly!

[new_to_cruise09]

Hi Everyone

 

MacThespian, thanks for the tip about HAL, Celebrity and RCCL. I am a woman in my fifties and really just want to see lots of scenery - I'm not into nightlife, spas etc - which shipping line would you recommend?

 

new-to-cruise09, which ships did you choose? Were you able to get a discount as a solo traveller? The cabins my travel agent has suggested seem to be the worst on the ship and I was wondering if it is because the shipping lines prefer having two people in the cabin so they spend more on drinks, casino, tours etc. Would it be a good idea to just book someone else in with me and pay for a double but then have the other person as a "no show"? I'm really looking forward to having a holiday by myself with only myself to please and trust having to pay the extra for everything will be worth it.

 

Kind Regards, Lee

 

Hi there Lee

 

My choice

I chose HAL (ms Ryndam) for my northbound trip from Vancouver to Seward and Princess (Diamond Princess) for my southbound trip from Whittier to Vancouver. I had made my decisions after getting all the good advice from the CC board as well as reading the Frommer’s guide book – Cruises and Ports of Call 2009.

 

Which cruise is right for you

It all depends on what factors are important to you. I am similar to you, entertainment is not important, what and where I get to see would be the paramount question.

 

For me, the itinerary, the ports of call (where and how many) as well as the times at the ports are the primary factors. The on-board atmosphere, the entertainment / enjoyment factors, the dining options, the size and age of the cruise ships and general demographic of the fellow cruisers are secondary considerations. Discounts availability would be the last thing I look at, since I found that solo travellers are often hit with the higher travel costs anyway.

 

HAL

HAL’s Gulf of Alaska itinerary offers Hubbard Glacier as well as the smaller ports (Skita and Haines) and two major ports. To me, Hubbard Glacier would be a must see, besides Glacier Bay.

 

It seems that HAL’s on board atmosphere would be more sedate. Apparently the crowds would be more senior – many in their 70s to 80s, with some in 50s & up. The Ryndam is a mid-size ship with max. capacity of 1,266 people.

 

With smaller number of passengers and a low key atmosphere, I thought I would be able to relax and let the scenery be the star attraction of the cruise.

 

Princess

College Fjords and Glacier Bay, together with three major ports, are included in Princess’ Gulf of Alaska itinerary. The Princess’ crowds are supposed to be multi-generations. It seems to be more family orientated. The Frommer’s guide book described the Princess passengers profile as “less boisterous” than the Carnival crowds and more fun than the HAL ones.

 

I chose Diamond Princess over Sapphire Princess, even though both have an identical Gulf of Alaska itinerary, because Diamond Princess has better port times.

 

Other cruise lines

I had actually researched on Celebrity, RCCL and Carnival as well. Had only looked into the Gulf of Alaska itineraries, which should have more glaciers viewing, as compared to the Inside Passage cruises.

 

Celebrity – the ship that covers the Gulf of Alaska would be the Millennium. I read that the Millennium class ships have been having the odd mechanical problems, resulting in cancelled trips in recent times. I thought that’s a risk one should not take if you are travelling from the other side of the world. It covers Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier.

 

RCCL – Radiance of the Seas has the Gulf of Alaska itinerary. RCCL would have the greatest range of activities & facilities on board, eg a rock-climbing wall, mini golf & golf simulators. It also covers Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier.

 

Carnival – Carnival Spirit travels to the Gulf of Alaska. It seems that the Carnival crowds tend to like to party and have non-stop fun. Itinerary includes PWS, College Fjords, the Lynn Canal and Skita.

 

All these three ships are mega-size ships, just slightly smaller than the Diamond Princess. They are all newer ships, when comparing to HAL’s Ryndam. Diamond Princess would be the newest of the five.

 

It seems that HAL and Princess are the more established cruise lines in Alaska. I supposed if you have College Fjords, Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier included in either of the two cruises, you are pretty much covered re: seeing the spectacular glaciers.

 

Solo traveller

I found HAL to be much better when it comes to solo travellers. HAL only charged me 50% more as single supplement, whereas Princess charged me 100% more and its cruise fare (for the same cabin class) was almost double that of HAL’s to begin with!

 

HAL also offers a cabin-share service – matching solo travellers with same-gender cabin mate. If they cannot find you someone to share with, you get to have the whole cabin without the single supplement charge. They organise gathering for solo travellers as well.

 

I had decided to book a inside cabin both ways, as it will force me to get out of my room and mingle with others, besides keeping the overall costs down a bit. Of course, if you prefer to enjoy the scenic cruising in the comfort of your own balcony and do not mind paying up to double the costs, the more expensive cabin choices would be nice.

 

Travel agent vs online booking

I ended up booking direct online as I found that you cannot choose the exact cabin you want when booking through an Aussie agent or representative. You may want to check that if you are going through a travel agent.

 

Timing of booking for June

I agree with MacThespian. I had started booking for my June cruises at end of March and I found that my accommodation options in Seward and cabin choices on both cruises were quite limited. The only good thing about booking this late is that HAL’s cruise prices had gone down when payment was due.

 

Quote: "I'm really looking forward to having a holiday by myself with only myself to please and trust having to pay the extra for everything will be worth it."

 

I totally agree!!! Have fun planning!

 

Cheers :)

[kenish]

HAL and Princess developed the Alaska cruise market and they are the old incumbents. They have the best iteneraries, infrastructure on land, and the majority of permits for Glacier Bay.

 

I concur with others comments- we were totally impressed with HAL and that includes my teenager. That is in spite of HAL's older, stodgier reputation compared to Carnival's party atmosphere. However, nightlife on HAL is pretty dead and Princess may be a better compromise. We packed so much into our days in port that we usually turned in early since we usually had early excursions the next day so nightlife wasn't missed except on sea days.

 

One thing we liked about HAL is their ships are midsize (around 1500 pax). We felt we were on a ship instead of a floating mega-resort. Service was much more personal, getting from one part of the ship to another was quick, and there were no long lines to eat, disembark, etc. HAL also tends to get close-in docks at the ports...in Juneau for example it was 50 meters from gangway to the tour pickup area. The farthest docks are 1.5km away!

 

You're smart to consider going this year. Alaska prices are at unprecidented lows, and that will help lower the added single-supp expense. I personally consider a balcony unnecessary; you will see a lot more on deck. An outside cabin is nice, I like having a sense of "outside" day/night and weather but that's just me.

 

Have you considered adding time to go up to ANC and Denali? It can be done in 4-5 days easily. It's a shame to travel that far and not see the Interior which is totally different from what you will see on the cruises.

 

Hope this helps...we are planning a non-cruise trip to Oz (MEL, Cairns, Uluru, SYD) in July. I've been getting a lot of advice and help so hope this is paying some of it back. You will be awestruck with Alaska, it's one of the only places I've been that was more impressive than the travel brochure photos!

[Saint72]

Hi - we went to Alaska in September and saw several glaciers. I'm headed there again in May on the Carnival Spirit. I've been told there will be snow in Sitka on the mountain as several roads don't clear until mid-July so who knows? If you are headed into Seward and Whittier you can take the Major Marine tours and see MORE than you could on the cruise ship. There are only 2 ways to do Seward to Whittier without going the long way back to Anchorage - Seward Bus Lines and the Railroad. Railroad leaves seward early evening but the bus leave 9:30 AM. Hope this helps.

 

If money is an issue I'd stay with the same cruiseline both ways and see your glaciers up close and personal on the independent tours and excursions. Tracy Arm is supposed to be a spectacular tour in Juneau. Hope this helps. Jeanette

[primrosegypsy]

After digesting all your advice I have decided to go with Holland America, and allieviate having to travel from Whittier to Seward. I managed to get a pretty good deal and am going for an inside cabin so I can spend the money saved on seeing more in port. I was a bit worried about whether there are public viewing areas on board but have been told it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks again for all the input.

 

Happy sailing.

[MacThespian]

After digesting all your advice I have decided to go with Holland America, and allieviate having to travel from Whittier to Seward. I managed to get a pretty good deal and am going for an inside cabin so I can spend the money saved on seeing more in port. I was a bit worried about whether there are public viewing areas on board but have been told it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks again for all the input.

 

Happy sailing.

 

Thanks for getting back to us with your decision. It's always nice to know what people decide based on all the varying suggestions they get from us! Have a great cruise!