Whittier cruise port disembarkation day + time 🏔 Ending a cruise in Whittier and getting to Anchorage Airport after a cruise (Princess) 🏔 Alaska cruise tips

Hi there!

The specifics of disembarkation from the cruise ship when you are in Whittier may be different based on your specific cruise and what you are doing once you get off the ship.

But below will give you an idea of what you can expect on disembarkation day at Whittier cruise port!

I have also included disembarkation related letters from Princess that were sent to my cabin during the cruise.

👆 A Princess cruise ship at Whittier cruise port, as seen on the 26 glacier tour.

👆 You’ll get letters sent to your stateroom about getting off the cruise ship in Whittier.

👆 You’ll get luggage tags during your cruise to use for getting off the cruise ship, if you don’t want to carry off your luggage on your own.

I did a one-way cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage (Whittier) on the Majestic Princess in May 2023.

I did not have anything booked through Princess after the cruise.

So I did not have any cruisetour, shore excursion, or transportation booked through Princess.

If you are booked on one of these through Princess, one or more of the letters delivered to your room will be different.

Once in Whittier, I did the 26 glacier tour which I booked direct on my own.

Then I took the train from Whittier to Anchorage which I also booked direct.

Because it was an evening train, I stayed overnight in Anchorage and flew out of the Anchorage airport the next day.

A few days before Whittier

On day 3 of my cruise, 5 days before Whittier, the first letter was sent out related to disembarking in Whittier.

This letter was asking me to submit what my onward plans were once disembarking in Whittier.

It was also a form to book transportation through Princess.

And it was also a chance to be able to give a preference for what time I want to get off the cruise ship in Whittier.

How much is a transfer booked through Princess?

You can book a shuttle from the Whittier cruise port to Anchorage airport through Princess.

Transportation from the Whittier cruise port to the Anchorage airport was $59 per person on my cruise.

Transportation from the Whittier cruise port to the Anchorage Hospitality Center was $59 per person on my cruise.

What is the Anchorage Hospitality Center?

If you have a later flight, instead of going directly to the Anchorage airport, you can go to the Anchorage Hospitality Center instead.

From the Anchorage Hospitality Center, you can get a free shuttle to the Anchorage airport from 12pm to 6pm.

What is the earliest flight you can book out of Anchorage airport?

According to Princess:

For voyages arriving in Whittier at 12:30 am, the earliest flight departure from Anchorage is 10 hours and 30 minutes after ship’s arrival.

For voyages arriving in Whittier at 5:00 am, the earliest flight departure from Anchorage is 8 hours and 50 minutes after ship’s arrival.

For voyages arriving in Whittier at 7:00 am, the earliest flight departure from Anchorage is 6 hours and 30 minutes after ship’s arrival.

You can log into your account at princess.com, and look for “itinerary” to see when your cruise ship will be arriving into Whittier.

It’s actually a good idea to check this itinerary even if you aren’t curious about what time you will arrive in Whittier, because port times can change and you won’t necessarily be notified about it.

Even if you have a 12:30am Whittier arrival, you won’t be getting off the cruise ship until regular morning hours. You won’t be getting off the ship at 1am.

👆 Look for “itinerary” to see if what time your Princess cruise ship will arrive in Whittier.

👆 Majestic Princess Alaska cruise itinerary starting May 13: The cruise ship was scheduled to arrive in Whittier at 12:30am. Looking up your cruise itinerary is also how you can see if you will need a water shuttle in Skagway.

👆 Anchorage / Whittier cruise itinerary: I was in Whittier on May 20, 2023. The scheduled arrival time in Whittier was 12:30am. You might be able to book excursions for Whittier cruise port through Princess. In the same way you can check the scheduled arrival time by logging in to princess.com, you can look to see if there are any excursions offered for Whittier.

2 days before Whittier

On day 6 of my cruise, 2 days before Whittier, there were more things related to the Whittier disembarkation placed in my cabin.

There were luggage tags, which is how you can figure out what time your disembarkation time is.

If you need more luggage tags than what was given to you, you can ask your room steward.

If you don’t want to take your luggage off the cruise ship by yourself, then you will put a luggage tag on your suitcase and then put it outside your cabin the evening before disembarkation day.

Then when you get off the cruise ship (or your next destination if you have a transfer), you’ll collect your luggage at a designated location.

👆 You’ll put the luggage tags you received from Princess during the cruise on your luggage, and then place your luggage outside your cabin the evening before. You may be given a specific time to put your luggage out by. Otherwise, it’s generally recommended to place your luggage before you go to dinner.

If you are continuing a cruisetour through Princess on land after Whittier, then you’ll also receive luggage tags that will be specific to your final destination in Alaska.

👆 If you are continuing onwards with a Princess cruisetour, then you will also receive luggage tags for your final destination in Alaska.

👆 Someone will be by later to pick up the luggage outside your cabin.

You also have the option of taking all your luggage off the cruise ship by yourself.

There was also general information and procedures about disembarking from the cruise ship.

And once again, there was information about transportation from the Whittier cruise port.

I am guessing that since I did not book anything through Princess, they wanted to make sure I would have transportation from the cruise port, since it might not be easy if you don’t already have a plan.

Whittier to Anchorage transportation

About transportation from Whittier to Anchorage, according to Princess:

Whittier is located approximately 65 miles south of Anchorage.

The Seward Highway, a national scenic byway, is the only road between Anchorage and Whittier.

Independent guests without transfers, please note that there are no unscheduled taxis or public transportation in Whittier.

To avoid inconvenience, please ensure you have either a Princess transfer or private transfer organized in advance.

Travel time between Anchorage and Whittier is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours by motor coach.

What time do you get off the cruise ship in Whittier?

The Whittier cruise disembarkation schedule and time that you will get off the cruise ship will vary based on your specific cruise, but here is how it was for my cruise to give you an idea.

👇 Whittier cruise disembarkation schedule on my cruise for Princess cruisetours on the McKinley Express train, Denali shuttle, Denali Express train, Whittier to Anchorage shuttle, McKinley Princess Lodge shuttle, Anchorage Hospitality Center shuttle, and Kenai Princess Lodge shuttle.

Princess cruise disembarkation information

A little bit below about my experience getting off a Princess cruise ship in Whittier!

🏔

My disembarkation day in Whittier

On the form that was sent to the cabin about onward travel, I requested to be put into a “later” group to leave the ship, which had a time frame of between 8:30am to 9:30am.

Since the 26 glacier cruise didn’t start until 12:30pm, I wanted to get off the cruise ship as late as possible.

I was given a disembarkation time of 8:45am.

On the morning of disembarkation day, I called guest services to ask if I could leave at 9:30am.

I was asked if I have all my luggage with me, I said yes, and she said I could leave at 9:30. Great!

Even with a later time of getting off the ship, they still ask everyone to be out of their cabins by 8:30am, so I was out of my room just before that time.

I went to the buffet area on the lido deck and put my luggage down.

And then since I was in an inside cabin, for the first time I went outside to get a look at Whittier.

👆 Whittier in the rain!!

👆 Back of the ship on lido deck. I got food at the buffet and ate out here a few times during the cruise. This area also made for a good public viewing area on the Majestic Princess during glacier sea days!

If you lose your disembarkation letter and forget what time your meeting time is to get off the ship, then there are signs posted throughout the ship.

You do need to remember your luggage tag color and number in order for it to be useful, though!

At some point, I ate a little, and I also went to an indoor hot tub for a foot soak.

I went to the hot tub at the front of the ship in the Hollywood Conservatory.

This seems to be a good spot to go if you’ll be on the Majestic Princess with a later time getting off the cruise ship. There was hardly anyone here at 9am. (There are probably a lot of places around the cruise ship with few people, though!)

The Hollywood Conservatory is another good public viewing area on the Majestic Princess on glacier days if you want to see the views while keeping warm!

So my meeting time was 9:30am and my meeting spot to get off the cruise ship was the Princess Theater.

So at around 9:30am, I went to the Princess Theater.

There was also hardly anyone here.

👆 You’ll be given a meeting time and a meeting spot on disembarkation day. Then, from here you will be called to actually get off the ship.

Shortly after, my group time was called to leave the ship.

And then…

I got off the cruise ship for the last time!

As I was walking away from the cruise ship, I saw a boat in the boat harbor that I now know as a 26 glacier cruise boat!

The 26 glacier tour literally starts right next to the cruise ship!

👆 Views of the small boat harbor as you’re walking off the cruise ship in Whitter! The Klondike Express is the boat I got on for the 26 glacier cruise!

Then after I got off the cruise ship, I waited inside the Whittier cruise terminal until I checked in for the 26 glacier tour.

If you’re doing the 26 glacier tour, I do recommend staying inside the terminal until it’s check-in time.

The Whittier cruise terminal was a little cold, but the only waiting area after you check in for the boat tour is outside, and that’s even colder! (Well, it was on the day I did it.)

And once you leave the terminal, you probably won’t be able to get back in. (Maybe they will be nice and let you back in, I have no idea.)

So I’m glad I didn’t leave. I was actually trying to figure out where the exit was, when a kind Whittier cruise terminal worker asked me what I was doing next.

I did see signs for shuttles.

I’m glad I didn’t find the exit on my own or else I probably would have walked straight out of the cruise terminal, and it would have been miserable to wait in the cold for a couple of hours!

There are a very limited number of chairs, but when I arrived there weren’t many people so I was able to get a chair.

So when it got closer to the 26 glacier tour time, I left the Whittier cruise terminal and walked to the Phillips cruises check-in counter.

The 26 glacier boat dock is literally right next to the Whittier cruise port.

And the spot to get on the train to Anchorage is literally across from the 26 glacier boat dock (and Whittier cruise port).

So it was all very simple!

And yes, the 26 glacier boat tour company also did do luggage storage and that was simple too!

👆 A Princess cruise ship at Whittier cruise port, as seen on a Phillips boat tour!

And that’s a bit about disembarking a cruise ship in Whittier!

My Whittier disembarkation day was in May 2023. Your experience may vary!

HAPPY GETTING OFF THE CRUISE SHIP IN WHITTIER!