Your Complete Guide to the Whittier, Alaska Cruise Port
Your complete guide to cruising from Whittier, Alaska. Covers the cruise terminal, the famous tunnel, embarkation tips, cruise lines, and what makes this remote port unique.
Whittier, Alaska might be the most unusual cruise embarkation point in North America. It's a tiny community—fewer than 300 permanent residents—built largely inside a single massive concrete apartment tower, accessible for most of its existence only by rail, and reached today via a 2.5-mile tunnel that is one of the most remarkable pieces of infrastructure in Alaska. It's also one of the most strikingly beautiful cruise ports in existence, nestled at the head of Passage Canal with glaciers visible in multiple directions. Whittier is genuinely unlike any other port you'll experience.
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel: Your Entrance to Whittier
The most distinctive feature of any trip to Whittier is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which pierces the Chugach Mountains between the Portage Valley and Whittier. At 2.5 miles, it's one of the longest highway tunnels in North America—and uniquely, it's a shared road/rail tunnel. The single bore alternates between vehicle traffic and Alaska Railroad trains on a schedule, meaning you need to time your arrival to coincide with when the tunnel is open for cars heading in your direction.
The tunnel operates on a published schedule of alternating traffic directions with openings approximately every 30 minutes. Check the current tunnel schedule on the Alaska Department of Transportation website before your trip and plan your driving accordingly. Toll is $13 round-trip for passenger vehicles. Missing your scheduled tunnel opening means waiting for the next one—not a crisis, but worth avoiding when you're trying to make embarkation. Allow 15–20 minutes of buffer time around your desired tunnel entry.
The tunnel experience itself is memorable: a long, dim, slightly eerie passage through solid mountain rock that opens dramatically to the view of Passage Canal and the peaks beyond Whittier. First-time visitors almost universally find it striking. The drive from the Portage Valley (where you exit the Seward Highway from Anchorage) to Whittier is about 11 miles from the tunnel entrance.
The Whittier Cruise Terminal
Whittier's cruise terminal is compact and functional, reflecting the town's character—it gets the job done efficiently without pretense. The terminal serves as the homeport for Princess Cruises and Holland America Line sailings, as well as port calls for other cruise lines. As with Seward, most passengers arrive via organized transfer (Alaska Railroad or motorcoach) as part of cruise line land packages rather than independently. The terminal area handles the logistical transition from land transport to ship boarding.
One thing to note about Whittier: the town is dramatically small and intentionally austere. Don't expect a charming harborside village with restaurants and shops. The cruise terminal and the modest town services nearby are the extent of it. The town is genuinely interesting from a historical and architectural standpoint (see our things-to-do guide), but it's not a destination in itself for shopping or dining. The extraordinary value is in the natural surroundings, which are genuinely world-class.
Which Cruise Lines Use Whittier?
Princess Cruises and Holland America Line are the primary operators homeporting in Whittier, both running southbound Alaska sailings as part of their Alaska land-and-sea package programs. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian Cruise Line also occasionally use Whittier for embarkations and/or port calls. All of these sailings head south and west through Prince William Sound and into the Inside Passage, visiting ports including Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, and Victoria, B.C. before ending in Vancouver or Seattle.
Typical Itineraries from Whittier
Southbound Alaska cruises from Whittier are seven days and represent some of the most scenically diverse itineraries in Alaska cruising. The advantage of departing Whittier versus Seward is the sail through Prince William Sound—one of the most beautiful marine environments anywhere on earth, with calving tidewater glaciers, abundant wildlife, and dramatic fjord scenery right from the first hours of your cruise. College Fjord (home to over a dozen named glaciers) and Columbia Glacier are common highlights of Whittier-departure itineraries that make the first day of sailing spectacular.
Embarkation Day Logistics
If you're on a cruise line land package, your transfer to Whittier will be organized—either by Alaska Railroad (connecting from Anchorage via the same tunnel, on tracks that share the bore) or by motorcoach. These transfers are coordinated with tunnel schedules and ship departure times. If you're arriving independently by car, use the published tunnel schedule and plan to arrive at least 2.5–3 hours before your ship's departure time. Parking is available in Whittier for the duration of your cruise.
Weather in Whittier
Whittier is one of the rainiest places in Alaska—and Alaska is not short on rain. Annual precipitation in Whittier averages around 180 inches per year, and fog and mist are frequent summer companions. That said, the weather has its own dramatic beauty, and a misty departure through Prince William Sound can be hauntingly gorgeous. Pack waterproof gear without question. If you get a clear day in Whittier, the surrounding peaks and water are extraordinarily beautiful—consider it a bonus rather than an expectation.
Ben's Travel specializes in Alaska cruise and land packages departing from Whittier. We can coordinate your complete Alaska experience, including land touring, Anchorage hotels, tunnel timing, and the perfect cruise itinerary. Contact Ben's Travel today.
