Departure port
Whittier Cruise Port
Whittier is a small port on Prince William Sound used mainly by Princess for its Gulf of Alaska turnarounds. It is reached through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a two and a half mile single lane tunnel shared between cars and trains that reverses direction on a fixed schedule. The town has around 270 residents, most of whom live in a single building.
The short answer
Whittier is a turnaround port on Prince William Sound about 60 miles southeast of Anchorage, used principally by Princess Cruises. Access is through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America, which is single lane and alternates direction roughly every half hour. Transfers to Anchorage take about 90 minutes.
Key points
- Reached through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, single lane, shared with trains, alternating direction on a schedule.
- 60 miles from Anchorage, about 90 minutes by road, the shortest transfer of the northern turnaround ports.
- Used mainly by Princess Cruises for Gulf of Alaska one way sailings.
- A town of about 270 people, most of whom live in one fourteen storey building.
- The gateway to Prince William Sound and 26 Glacier Cruise day trips.
Quick facts
- Terminals
- Whittier Cruise Terminal
- Season
- Mid May to mid September
- From the airport
- 60 miles from Anchorage, about 90 minutes including the tunnel
- Lines sailing from here
- Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line
Whittier is unlike any other cruise port
Whittier exists because the United States Army built it during the Second World War as a secure ice free port with rail access to Anchorage, connected by tunnels driven through the Chugach Mountains. Almost everything about the place follows from that origin.
The town has around 270 permanent residents, and the great majority of them live in Begich Towers, a fourteen storey former army building that also contains the post office, the health clinic, a shop and the police station. Children reach the school through an underground tunnel. It is not a quaint fishing village and it does not pretend to be.
For a cruise passenger, Whittier is a terminal rather than a destination. There is a small boat harbour, a handful of restaurants, and dramatic surroundings, but the practical business here is getting on or off a ship and getting to or from Anchorage.
Population
~270
Most living in a single building
Tunnel length
2.5 miles
Longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America
To Anchorage
~90 min
60 miles including the tunnel
Annual snowfall
Over 250 in
One of the snowiest inhabited places in Alaska
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Everything arriving in Whittier by road passes through a single two and a half mile tunnel that carries both a railway line and a single lane of road traffic through the same bore. Vehicles drive over the rails.
- It is one lane, so traffic alternates. Vehicles run toward Whittier for part of each half hour, then toward Portage, with train movements taking priority.
- It operates on a published schedule that changes seasonally, typically with a departure roughly every half hour in each direction during operating hours.
- It closes overnight for parts of the year, which matters if you are planning a very early or very late transfer.
- There is a toll for private vehicles, currently in the region of $13 to $15 each way for a car.
- Coaches and cruise transfers are scheduled around it, which is why organised transfers are the low friction option here.
Getting between Whittier and Anchorage
| Method | Cost per person | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess rail transfer | Included in many cruisetours | ~2.5 hours | Glass domed cars direct to the ship |
| Alaska Railroad Glacier Discovery | $90 to $150 | ~2.25 hours | Scenic route via Portage |
| Cruise line motorcoach | $60 to $95 | ~1.5 hours | Simplest, luggage handled, tunnel timing managed |
| Independent shuttle | $50 to $85 | ~1.5 hours | Several scheduled operators |
| Rental car | $90 to $180 per day | ~1.5 hours | Plus tunnel toll. One way drop fees are high |
| Private transfer | $300 to $500 per vehicle | ~1.5 hours | Good for groups of four or more |
The road journey itself is excellent. The Seward Highway runs along Turnagain Arm, which has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world and produces a tidal bore on some tides. Dall sheep are frequently visible on the cliffs above the road, and beluga whales are sometimes seen in the arm.
What to do in Whittier
There is genuinely not much in the town, but Prince William Sound on the doorstep is exceptional.
- 26 Glacier Cruise is a five hour catamaran trip into Prince William Sound reaching numerous glaciers, with excellent wildlife. It is the reason to spend a day here.
- Kayaking in Passage Canal runs from the small boat harbour and gives close access to waterfalls and often sea otters.
- Portage Glacier and the Begich Boggs Visitor Center are on the Anchorage side of the tunnel and make a natural stop on the transfer.
- Whittier small boat harbour is worth twenty minutes for the setting: sheer mountains rising directly out of the water on all sides.
- Begich Towers cannot be toured, but seeing the building explains the town better than any museum could.
Planning a Whittier embarkation or disembarkation
Step 1
Fly into Anchorage at least a day early
Flights from the continental United States are long and often overnight. Do not combine a long flight, a tunnel dependent transfer and an embarkation in one day.
Step 2
Book the transfer before you arrive
Coach and rail capacity on turnaround days is finite and sells out. This is not a place to improvise.
Step 3
If driving, check the current tunnel timetable
Slots run roughly half hourly and train movements take priority. Build in a full extra cycle.
Step 4
On disembarkation, allow a full afternoon before a flight
A morning disembarkation plus a ninety minute transfer plus airport time makes an early afternoon flight risky. Mid afternoon or later is safer, and a night in Anchorage is safer still.
Step 5
Consider a night in Girdwood
Halfway between Anchorage and Whittier, Girdwood is a ski resort town with good food and easy access to the tunnel. It is a more pleasant base than an airport hotel.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Whittier?
How does the Whittier tunnel work?
Which cruise lines use Whittier?
Is Whittier or Seward better as a turnaround port?
Is there anything to do in Whittier?
How much time should I allow between disembarkation and my flight?
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