Whittier
Sixty miles, one tunnel, two docks.
Whittier port details: not yet supplied
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Cruise Ports Guide
Alaska Cruise Ports Near Anchorage:
Whittier, Seward and How to Get to Your Ship
Almost every Alaska cruise that says 'Anchorage' actually sails from Whittier or Seward — 60 and 127 miles away. Only a handful of ships a year tie up in Anchorage itself. This page and the three port pages behind it answer what you'll want to know: which dock your ship uses, how long the drive really takes, what the tunnel does to your timing, whether the train or the cruise line's bus is the better choice, and what to do with a free day. We're a family-run Anchorage tour company. We make this drive on sailing days, so the detail here is ours, not copied — and where the honest answer is 'book the cruise line's bus,' we say so.
The three ports, side by side
| Port | Who sails from here | Dock | Miles from Anchorage | Drive, no stops | Train | WAT transfer tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whittier | Whittier cruise lines: not yet supplied | Whittier dock: not yet supplied | ~60 | ~1.5 hrs + tunnel wait | Alaska Railroad Glacier Discovery, summer | 6 hrs out / 7 hrs back, from $217 |
| Seward | Seward cruise lines: not yet supplied | Seward dock: not yet supplied | ~127 | ~2.5–3 hrs | Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic, summer | 7 hrs out / 7 hrs back, from $247 |
| Anchorage | A few Holland America, Seabourn and residential-ship calls a year | Port of Alaska | 0 | — | — | Any Anchorage day tour |
Whittier, Seward and Anchorage
Seward
127 miles down the Seward Highway.
Here's how to do it without watching the clock.
Anchorage
Where you land, where you sleep, and where a handful of ships actually dock.
The airport, the hotels, the one free day, and how to get from here to either port.
Which transfer fits your sailing?
- My ship leaves Whittier or Seward in the evening and I'm staying in Anchorage the night before.
- The small-group transfer tour. Pickup 9 a.m., at the pier by 3 p.m. Whittier from $217, Seward from $247 per person.
- My ship leaves before mid-afternoon, or I land in Anchorage the same day I sail.
- A private transfer, timed to your sailing. From $767 to either port. If your all-aboard is before noon and your flight lands that morning, the cruise line's own transfer may be the safer call.
- I'm getting off the ship and flying out of Anchorage tonight.
- The port→Anchorage transfer tour with flexible drop-off, as long as your flight is after Earliest Seward flight: not yet supplied (Seward) or Earliest Whittier flight: not yet supplied (Whittier). Earlier flight? Private transfer.
- I have a full free day in Anchorage before or after the cruise.
- Any Anchorage day tour.
Not sure? Call or text 907-917-8687. You'll get James or a guide and a straight answer — including if the train or the cruise line's bus is the better choice for your day.
Should you book the cruise line's transfer, the train, or us?
Short version: if your ship leaves in the evening and you're already in Anchorage, an independent transfer gives you a day of Alaska for the same hours a bus spends on the highway. If your connection is tight — you fly in the morning you sail, or your all-aboard is before noon — the cruise line's own transfer is the safer choice, because the ship is responsible for you if their bus runs late. Nobody else can promise that, including us.
Read the full comparison: cruise line bus vs. train vs. independent transfer ↗Our cruise transfer tours
Private transfer to Seward or Whittier
Your party only, timed to your sailing — from $767.
Every transfer tour: hotel or pier pickup, luggage aboard, an Alaskan guide, entrance fees, snacks and water, and never more than 11 guests. Lunch and gratuity are not included.
Questions cruise passengers ask us
Will I make the ship?
Will I make the ship?: not yet supplied
Which dock will my ship be at in Whittier?
Which dock will my ship be at in Whittier?: not yet supplied
How does the Whittier tunnel work?
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is two and a half miles long, one lane wide, and shared with the train. Traffic runs one direction at a time, in 15-minute openings every half hour. Summer hours are 5:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. Trains have priority and can delay an opening. We plan around the schedule so you aren't the one waiting at the portal.
How far is Seward from Anchorage, really?
127 miles down the Seward Highway. Two and a half to three hours if you drive straight through and the road is clear. We take seven, because the highway runs along Turnagain Arm, past the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and Portage Valley, and driving past all of it to sit on a ship a few hours early is a waste of the best road in Alaska.
What about my luggage?
It comes with you. The vans have luggage space and we run a trailer when a group needs one. You see your bags go in at your hotel and come out at the pier.
What if my flight is late or my ship is delayed?
What if my flight is late or my ship is delayed?: not yet supplied
Can I do the train instead?
Can I do the train instead?: not yet supplied
Do ships dock in Anchorage itself?
A few. In 2026, Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam and Zaandam, Seabourn Venture and The World made about a dozen port-call days at the Port of Alaska. Everything else that says 'Anchorage' sails from Whittier or Seward.
2027 ship schedule
Seward 2027
Schedule from the published 2027 cruise line schedules, last checked 2026-10-24. Ships change schedules — confirm your sailing with your cruise line.
| Date | Ship | Cruise line | Arrives | Departs | Dock | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027-05-14 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-05-21 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-05-28 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-06-04 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-06-11 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-06-18 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-06-25 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-07-02 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-07-09 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-07-16 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-07-23 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-07-30 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-08-06 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-08-13 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-08-20 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-08-27 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-09-03 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes | ||
| 2027-09-10 | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal | Yes |
Whittier 2027
Schedule from the published 2027 cruise line schedules, last checked 2026-10-24. Ships change schedules — confirm your sailing with your cruise line.
| Date | Ship | Cruise line | Arrives | Departs | Dock | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule not yet supplied | ||||||
Anchorage 2027
Schedule from the published 2027 cruise line schedules, last checked 2026-10-24. Ships change schedules — confirm your sailing with your cruise line.
| Date | Ship | Cruise line | Arrives | Departs | Dock | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule not yet supplied | ||||||
