Our cruise was Alaska Southbound on the Carnival Spirit. We flew into Anchorage the night before and stayed at the nearby Marriott Courtyard. There is food for dinner within walking distance but cabs are available. We did take a cab the next morning to the Egan Center where we were met by very friendly Carnival employees who took our bags and directed us to coffee and a table to wait. We went early, around 9 am to catch the first shuttle to Whittier. We didn't wait very long and boarded a bus to Whittier. The driver was very entertaining, the scenery was amazing, and we even made a couple stops to take pictures. The tunnel to Whittier is one way so the timing has to be right or you sit for 30 minutes waiting for traffic to go your way. We arrived at the ship around noon, the first bus from Anchorage but not the first to arrive at the ship. Check in was speedy fast and we were having lunch within minutes of arriving. It seemed like we were in port forever but finally left on our way. We took second seating for dinner and even though we were at a table for 4, we ate alone every night. We had the option to join another table but declined. We had breakfast in the dining room instead of the buffet and they will seat you at a table with others if you eat for breakfast in the dining room.
First stop was Prince William Sound. Amazing!! We are east coasters so waking up early Alaska time was the norm for us. When we awoke, it was to an amazing site of glaciers all around, floating ice, and beautiful snow-covered mountains. A couple things we learned: 1. It is not too light to sleep. Yes the sun is out for 18-19 hrs a day, but the curtains are very thick and block all light out. We had a balcony room. 2. Due to older crowd and Pacific Time zone, after 10 pm the ship becomes a ghost town. 3. It was not as cold as everyone says. We are from Florida and didn't need jackets to walk around town.
Next day was Sitka, the only port where the ship does not dock. Not too much to see here so it was a good idea to wait for the first crowd to disembark and then get off the ship before lunch. We found this staircase that leads to an overlook of the bay which was very nice. You can find it right as you walk into town on the right before all the shops start.