Skagway - Train Excursion time challenges 7 - 4 port time

We're in Skagway on a Wednesday next June from 7 am to 4 pm. I emailed Chilkoot and asked them if we could do the Fraser Meadow train with bus combo either up or back. They won't do it because they believe the time is too tight on the return bus tour and the train back is not an option. They told me the 3.5 hour White Pass Summit Rail & Bus tour would be our option with them. Cost seems to be $129 per person. I emailed Dyea Dave and I suppose I am expecting a similar response

Cruise line is offering 4-hour round trip steam train to Fraser Meadow for $219. I could book White Pass YR one way up and one way back for $85 each way per person.

Any advice here is appreciated. I suppose we could combine the Chilkoot excursion with lunch in Skagway and then enjoying the port and even get lunch. You miss out on Fraser Meadow and the historic steam train, but not sure how much of a loss that is. Thanks for the advice.

I didn't get the response I expected from Dyea Dave. He knows how to work with our port times on how to make it work. He would meet us at the port early (7:20 am) and get us to the train. He would meet us at Fraser and take us to Emerald Lake and do a tour where we could get lunch and be back at the ship by 2:30 pm.

Originally, I was hoping someone who had the 7 to 4 port time would post about how they made this work or if they just did the 3.5 hour tour with Chilkoot. I wanted to post Dyea Dave's response so people doing the Celebrity Inside Passage would know that this rail/bus tour is doable. Cost with Dave is $79 a person for bus part of tour and $85 separately to White Pass Yukon Rail for one way to Fraser.

Excellent that it is available for you. Dave is superb, I'm certain it will be a very memorable day for you.

I didn't get the response I expected from Dyea Dave. He knows how to work with our port times on how to make it work. He would meet us at the port early (7:20 am) and get us to the train. He would meet us at Fraser and take us to Emerald Lake and do a tour where we could get lunch and be back at the ship by 2:30 pm.

 

Originally, I was hoping someone who had the 7 to 4 port time would post about how they made this work or if they just did the 3.5 hour tour with Chilkoot. I wanted to post Dyea Dave's response so people doing the Celebrity Inside Passage would know that this rail/bus tour is doable. Cost with Dave is $79 a person for bus part of tour and $85 separately to White Pass Yukon Rail for one way to Fraser.

I also booked with Dyea Dave for my upcoming RCI cruise. I heard they are a breeze to work with and a really fun tour. From what I heard Dave will take care of you.

Excellent that it is available for you. Dave is superb, I'm certain it will be a very memorable day for you.

I was very impressed with Dave. His reply to me wasn't just a cut and paste. He explained how everything would work and how he would meet us at the dock and transport us to the train so that we could get the early train. He also pays attention to ship port times and said that if we had a 4 pm on board time that he would shoot for close to 2:30 to 3:00. Dave seems like a class act. Looking forward to it.