LizzieBee

Background: WE LOVE ALASKA! We've taken the Alaska Railroad's Gold Star service back to ANC on the evening train, having stayed in Cooper Landing for 10 days, and have taken the same Gold Star service from ANC to Seward prior to a cruise. So, my questions are these: 1) does the early morning Royal Caribbean/Alaska Railroad train to Anchorage have the same kind of food service (dining car) as the Gold Star service, and 2a) upon arrival to the ANC train depot, can we store our luggage there for the remainder of the day until the shuttle picks us up from the depot and takes us to the airport? Our flights won't be until 12:15 AM. OR! 2b) Should we take the Anchorage Airport Transfer train that includes the luggage transfer? Where will our luggage be stored for how long? I am assuming the airport transfer still ends up at the train depot and then shuttles over to the airport. We could just Uber to the airport after the afternoon in ANC. Thoughts?

@PORT ROYAL and @negn What were your experiences? Did you make reservations before your arrival day? How was the beach service? I'm looking for a quiet, elevated experience (but not snobby), No kids, attentive beach attendants, and excellent food and drink.

My husband and I are planning our February beach day to St. Maarten. We're planning to go on our own since the cruise ship excursions (two of them) only last 4 hours, 9:30 AM or 2:30 PM. We are in port from 8 AM to 6 PM. We've narrowed our beach club choices down to Kontiki, Wai, and Coco (not the one at PDCC). Has anyone visited any of these three clubs? We're looking for a place with a relaxing atmosphere, good food and drinks, and comfortable loungers. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

https://www.hainesflyfishing.com/ JoAnn is our contact. 🙂

Fly rod. Only residents of Alaska are permitted to use the dip net method. We fished the Kenai Peninsula using drift boats to get from one hot spot to another for several days, usually catching our limit within 2 to 4 hours each day. It was wild!

@Aquahound @wolfie11 We don't fish for Kings. As you may already know, fishing for Kings has been on and off for several years. Due to the fragility of their numbers, we don't even bother with them anymore. We fish out of Cooper Landing during July in the odd-numbered years, fishing the Kenai River. Shout out to our guides, Dave and Jeff, at Cooper Landing Fishing Guides! Of course, we love "fishing" the run. Let's be honest: you're not fishing during the run. You're catching, even with your fly-rod, and almost as easy as dip netting. Almost. Last year, we shipped our catch of 170 pounds of salmon back to Missouri and enjoyed many salmon dinners with friends and family. We enjoy the Soldotna area, too, fishing the Kasilof. (Side note: unless you're an Alaska resident, you may not dip net during the run.) So, we will NOT be fishing during a salmon run, given that we will be in Haines in JUNE. While possible, not our target. We are planning on Dolly Vardens and Cutthroat. We do not troll or downrigger for any fish. It's not our style. We enjoy river and stream fishing. Our guide will meet us at the Haines ferry, and we will probably head to the Chilkoot. Back to my question and decision: We will take the 3 pm fast ferry back to Skagway. Tight lines!

Thank you for your insight. We are fly fishing in Haines, so we have plenty of entertainment. 😛 Our guide suggested the 3 pm ferry back to Skagway. I, too, am leaning toward the 1 pm ferry. I'm hoping I get some more thoughts. Thanks again!

Ovation of the Seas is in Skagway on June 10th. We want to take the Fast Ferry from Skagway to Haines roundtrip. Ovation is scheduled to be in Skagway from 7 am to 5 pm. We want to take the 3 pm ferry back to Skagway, putting us back in Skagway at 3:45 pm. The time coming back before that is 1 pm, which I don't think is giving us enough time to do our thing in Haines. The HSFF dock is in the small boat harbor, next to the railroad, so it is very close to the ship, but I'm wondering if this is enough time. Thoughts?