How to get from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage after a cruise

Hi there!

If you’re doing a one-way northbound cruise from Vancouver to Whittier, you will fly out of Anchorage airport.

You must arrange transportation in order to get from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage after your cruise.

This isn’t a cruise port where you can just show up and grab a taxi or uber to get you to the airport or downtown Anchorage.

You also can’t walk off the cruise ship and head off for public transportation, because there is none.

It’s also important to note that in looking at your cruise itinerary port times when logged into your cruise line’s account, you may notice that your arrival time to Whittier is 12:30am.

Even if 12:30am is your arrival time into Whittier cruise port, the earliest anyone will be able to get off the cruise ship is between 6am and 7am.

 

 

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I have been on a Princess cruise that ended in Whittier. I did the glacier tour + train combo after my cruise! (I call this a combo, but I booked it separately.)

In short, you can get from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage after your cruise by train or shuttle.

There are cruise transfers from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage that also include very-Alaska stops along the way, like the post-cruise transfer from Whittier to Anchorage that comes with wildlife and glacier stops.

Now, here’s a little bit more about your transportation options, including how I did it!

 

Glacier Discovery train to Anchorage (Alaska Railroad)

You can have one final fun Alaska experience after your cruise!

There is a scenic train ride that you can do from Whittier to Anchorage after your cruise!

The Whittier to Anchorage route is called the Glacier Discovery train.

This Alaska Railroad train from Whittier is an evening departure.

Usually you’ll need to be off the cruise ship by mid-morning. So if you want to take the train, you’ll need something to do before then.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find independent luggage storage options, so that really limits what you can do after your cruise if you want to stick around until evening.

So, what to do before your train ride?!

If you do the train ride, you must consider doing the 26 glacier tour through the tour company called Phillips Cruises.

This is a boat tour that leaves right next to the cruise ship (literally!), and the tour is coordinated with the train timing.

So you can do one final Alaska glacier excursion in Whittier after your cruise too!

Since you’re on a northbound cruise that ends in Whittier, you probably have a College Fjord scenic cruising evening as a part of your cruise.

Part of the 26 glacier tour does go along the same route that the cruise ship goes, but I thought it was a vastly different experience being on a small boat! It felt like the tour got so close to the final College Fjord glacier.

So even though you will see College Fjord glaciers from a cruise ship, I still think it’s worth it to do the 26 glacier tour too! (And you do also go to Blackstone Bay on the tour which you won’t on a cruise ship, and that is another spot you’ll see a glacier up close.)

If you do the 26 glacier tour, they will store your luggage during the tour.

 

You can read the 26 glacier tour reviews: reviews at viator and reviews at getyourguide

 

👆 You can do a glacier tour after your cruise ship arrives in Whittier cruise port!

 

👆 You can see the glacier from inside the boat too.

 

👆 After the 26 glacier tour, I took the train to Anchorage.

 

👆 My train ride from Whittier to Anchorage. Watch my video.

 

 

The train that goes between Whittier and Anchorage is the Glacier Discovery train. Plan your Whittier train trip:

• Train schedule (6:45pm departure from Whittier)
• Cost of train tickets
• Availability calendar (aka: Do you need to book NOW?!)

 

Read the reviews of the Whittier glacier tour:

• glacier tour reviews on viator
• glacier tour reviews on getyourguide

 

I’ve done the 26 glacier tour 2 times. You can see some of my pictures on my post about Whittier excursions.

 

 

Cruise shuttle to Anchorage

The easiest way to get to Anchorage from Whittier cruise port without any hassle is to take a cruise shuttle.

ACT is a popular shuttle for cruise ship transfers between Whittier and Anchorage. This company also offers a tour + transfer option, or you can do a direct transfer. Even with the direct transfer, you’ll get a narrated guide.

The cheapest way to get from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage will be the direct transfer without a tour.

 

Whittier to Anchorage cruise transfers:

• Whittier to Anchorage Bus Narrated Direct Transfer
• Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park
• Whittier Anchorage All Day Bus Tour

The “wildlife park” is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

See all of the ACT Big Bus Whittier Anchorage transfer options

 

Read the reviews of the transfer:

• ACT Big Bus on google maps

 

Another Whittier to Anchorage shuttle option: The Park Connection is another cruise ship transfer bus company.

 

👆 Although you are not seeing the animals in the true wild, it still feels like a natural setting to see the animals of Alaska.

 

👆 You can walk around to see the different animals!

 

Princess cruise transfer (or other cruise line)

Princess offers cruise transfers from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage. (If you are on Holland America, NCL, or another cruise line, I am sure they do too.)

You can book your Princess cruise transfer before the cruise. You’ll log into your account and there’s a section where you can book a post-cruise transfer. You can also check the excursions section to see if there are any combo tour + transfer excursions available.

If you don’t manage to do this before you cruise, you can book a Princess shuttle while on the cruise too in the first couple of days of the cruise.

I had my train independently booked, and I was sent multiple letters to my stateroom during the cruise about booking a transfer from Whittier to Anchorage along with a warning that basically said you will be stuck in Whittier if you don’t arrange something ahead of time.

It didn’t actually say those words, but that was the takeaway!

So do not fret if you’re trying to figure out last minute how to get to Anchorage! There will be a Princess shuttle you can book.

If I was on another cruise line like Holland America or NCL, I would expect to be able to book a cruise transfer through them too.

 

 

 

What is the earliest you can book a flight after a cruise that ends in Whittier?

Check your cruise line to confirm, but for a Princess cruise that ends in Whittier, the official recommendation is after 11am. This is based on a cruise ship arrival to Whittier at 12:30am as listed on your Alaska cruise itinerary. (If you have a 12:30am cruise ship arrival, disembarkation starts at regular hours in the morning. There is no disembarkation at 1am.)

You can see your Whittier cruise ship arrival time by logging into your Princess account, then: my account > manage this booking > itinerary

 

Official flight guidelines for a Princess cruise that ends in Whittier, as of spring 2025 according to princess.com:

Disembarking Passengers:

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.

See the current recommendation for flights after a Princess cruise.

 

 

How to find cheap(er) flights from Anchorage

I like to search for flights on kayak.com to see which airline offers the most favorable flight (taking into consideration cost, transfers, and departure/arrival time), and then book directly with the airline.

 

 

Hotels in Anchorage

If you’ll be taking your flight out the day after your cruise arrives in Whittier, then you’ll want to stay in Anchorage.

It’s not cheap, but one of the Anchorage hotels that’s commonly recommended in cruise facebook groups is the Hotel Captain Cook.

 

If you’re just looking for a hotel that’s closest to Anchorage airport before you fly out, one of the best hotels near the airport is Comfort Suites. They do offer a free airport shuttle.

 

When I was in Anchorage, I’ve stayed at Base Camp Anchorage and Arctic Fox Inn.

You can also try looking for a vrbo in Anchorage.

 

HAPPY GETTING FROM WHITTIER TO ANCHORAGE!