GTJ

I have not heard of the White Pass and Yukon Route having been subsidized. I would not dismiss it, but I am simply ignorant of the relevant facts. I would think it would have been difficult for a government subsidy, if only because the railroad passed through Alaska, British Columbia, and Yukon, and it would likely be difficult to have all three governments to agree on much; but perhaps you're referring to subsidies from the steamship lines to feed them passengers from the interior?! In any event, a comparison with Amtrak (or Via Rail Canada, for that matter) can be used to judge how White Pass and Yukon Route fares compare to ordinary railfares. Yes, you have it exactly right. A ride primarily for amusement, rather than a ride for transportation. Nonetheless, passengers can use the White Pass and Yukon Route for transportation part of the way between Skagway and Whitehorse, just as the Durango and Silverton can be used for transportation between its two namesake communities. Such a great scenic trip, without doubt! I might nitpick a bit (e.g., it used to be a hot lunch served at the Bennett station instead of the cold box lunch now served on the train itself; the guides rely upon a script; passenger service used to continue beyond Carcross to Whitehorse), but a worthwhile trip for anyone with even a slight interest in rail travel! I view the White Pass and Yukon Route as a distinct railroad, with its own scenery and attributes, and Amtrak as a different railroad, with different scenery and attributes. Is one "better" than the other? It depends on your personal needs and values. Each has its own "unique location." One of my favorite Amtrak routes is the Adirondack in winter, between New York and Montréal, so different from the Alaska trip, but so worthwhile on its own.

I don't think that there will be any "faster boats," and having a "slower lifestyle" is probably more practicable. For an even more complete world expedition, consider the Northeast Passage as well, above Russia from Alaska or the Far East to Europe. Nothing right now because of hostilities, but hopefully that situation will end before too long.

In Corner Brook, I would suggest looking at an excursion to Gros Morne National Park. A long trip, but the "Tablelands" are fascinating. In St. John's, the highlight for me was the railway museum . . . the province once had a narrow gauge line that lasted through about 1990 or so. I had done a tour of Labrador's southern coast as part of a cruise between Rimouski and Blanc-Sablon, an interesting area for its remoteness, but we did not get as far as Red Bay itself . . . don't expect much beyond the remoteness and its history. I did visit St. Barbe, outside of St. Anthony, but did not get to l'Anse aux Meadows itself. That historic place to visit should be great. Sounds like a super trip.

What I have observed generally with these itineraries is that the schedules for those vessels end in Nome, with no indication of to where and when they continue onward. It might be that they have a charter originating in Nome, that a final plan for the next series of cruises has not yet been finalized, or that the vessel is deadheading elsewhere (possible the southern hemisphere). Yes, it is frustrating to see Nome as a dead-end, and that there "should" be someplace onward to which a passenger might continue. It might be worthwhile keeping an eye on those Nome dead-ends to see if anything onward is later published.

Your research, with respect to the last departure from Seward at 2:30 p.m., is accurate. As to making your way to Seward Ocean Tours, their location is at the boat harbor, dock "M," at the most southeastern part of the harbor (immediately north of the Seward Mariner’s Memorial). If I were to this excursion, I would likely walk from the cruise ship terminal to the boat harbor. It is just over one mile (allow half and hour at ordinary walking speed), and walking is much more reliable than having to depend on taxi service. I had thought that NCL made its transfer arrangements with Premier Alaska Tours, Inc., rather than A Alaska Cruise Transfer and Tours LLC, but, of course, as a broker NCL can readily change carriers from one to another. Are you certain about ACT? The standard travel time for transfers from Seward to the Anchorage airport is 2 hours 30 minutes. The ACT departure at 2:30 p.m. is direct, with an arrival time at the airport at 5:00 p.m., and with additional stops in downtown Anchorage between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The NCL-arranged transfer would certainly include service direct to the airport, but the times during which transfers would be provided, whether NCL would also arrange additional transfers that include a stop at the wildlife center, or if service continuing onward to downtown Anchorage would be provided, are all questions that only NCL can answer . . . and yet I would not expect any of their telephone sales agents to have any useful information. Given that nearly all passengers on the entire vessel will be dependent on NCL's transfer, I would anticipate a continuous stream of bus departures. I would expect that buses would depart Seward as loaded, as opposed to a firmly fixed schedule, and thus dependent on how disembarkation proceeds on that specific morning. In any event, I would expect that the last NCL-arranged transfer to depart Seward at around 11:30 a.m. (such a departure would arrive at the airport at 2:00 p.m., turn-around with an airport departure at 2:30 p.m., arriving back at Seward at 5:00 p.m., in time for NCL's departure from Seward at 8:00 p.m.), but this is entirely speculative on my part.

The vessel Vacancier, upon which we sailed, is also small, about 1,600 passengers. There's a few small ports in the north of North America that can be marvelous places to visit, at least if understood for what they are and what they are not.

Keep in mind that dmv.org is not the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. Rely on dmv.org at your own peril. To be certain, I do not possess a "basic driver's license," and my understanding is that neither the state of Alaska nor my own home state would issue a license to me to operate an e-bike, at least without having to learn how to operate a motor vehicle (a rather expensive and time-consuming proposition for an otherwise useless license). I have looked into the possibility of renting an e-bike while in Alaska, and I have come to the conclusion that doing so is too fraught with risk, and I will not attempt to do so, at least until the state enacts legislation that sensibly classifies e-bikes as bicycles.

At the time I was courting my wife-to-be, so this would have been between 2005 and 2007 when we were in our young 40s. The cruise vessel left Montréal on Friday evening and arrived at Cap-aux-Meules on Sunday morning. So we were there on a Sunday, just as you will be. (The regular schedule for this cruise line is to remain in port at Cap-aux-Meules from Sunday through Tuesday, leaving early morning Wednesday, so with the days in les Îles there's not usually a closed-shops issue. Our cruise was extended, departing Sunday evening to St-Pierre et Miquelon, returning to les Îles on Tuesday morning. We had left the cruise at St-Pierre, so we did not see Cap-aux-Meules on Tuesday, but only on Sunday.) I am trying to recall the shops being open, but I cannot recall the situation generally. I do remember my wife having to get coffee in a café--she is addicted to the beverage--and found a very pleasant place that served her a huge cup of café au lait (which to this day I refer to as her "bowl o' coffee" because of its size), something that is done very well throughout Québec. And there must have been a boulangerie open, or at least a grocer of some sort, to get bread and paté. I think we did our picnic on the lawn of the Église catholique de Saint-Pierre-de-La Vernière, and from there we hiked both on and off road. Some climbing up and down while off road, and I might have push her a bit--for she's not especially athletic--but I don't recall anything overly ambitious, and I do recall passing a couple walking off road in the opposite direction with a full-sized pram. I am looking at Google satellite views, trying to recall our path, but there are no street views and it is hard to recall exactly where would have gone. Probably 9 km in total across the island, from east to west. I had originally intended a round-trip hike, but we wanted to make certain we would be able to return to vessel in time for its departure, so we called for a taxi for the return.Whether people in their 70s would want to do something similar mostly depends on their general state of being. Do you routinely, or periodically, find a footpath and go walking for a few hours? Or are you more inclined to drive or travel by bus all the time? At that age there are many people in both camps, so I am reluctant to give a definite "yes" or "no."

We visited les Îles-de-la-Madeleine a number of years ago using the vessel Vacancier (it was a port of call on a longer CTMA cruise between Montréal and St-Perre et Miquelon). It was a docked port, no tender required. My wife had a bit of a headache so we could not join any organized tours. We stopped at a pharmacy, and otherwise walked around Cap-aux-Meules. We stopped in a grocery store for some paté, bread, and other items, and made a picnic. Afterwards we hiked to the coastline on the west, and called for a taxi back to port.

The RIDE is actually not complimentary (because there is fare charge), but rather The RIDE is complementary (it supplements the local public transportation system). You can be certified for complementary paratransit in your hometown even if you're able to drive yourself. The standard for certification is the inability to use conventional public transportation (for whatever reason, even if it is simply the inability to travel by wheelchair between home and the nearest bus stop), and so ability to drive oneself does not disqualify a person from certification. Also, complementary paratransit service can be used for any purpose, within the service area of the public transportation system, so it is available to transport people with disabilities between the airport and the cruise port (and vice versa). So it you contact the public transportation provider in your hometown, and meet its requirements (e.g., filling out the form, getting a physician to approve), you will then be able to use The RIDE in Boston. But if you cannot get certified (e.g., you're found able to use conventional public transportation), then in Boston you will have to rely on using either conventional public transportation or an accessible taxi. Of course, using an accessible taxi would not require certification, so it would be easier in that regard, though it would have a higher cost (the cost for traveling on The RIDE is $3.35 for each of the disabled person and their guest, but a personal care attendant is carried without charge). There are a total of 100 accessible taxis in Boston, along with additional accessible vehicles arranged by the two main TNCs, Uber and Lyft. http://www.boston.gov/departments/disabilities-commission/transportation-help-people-disabilities Alas, the number of accessible taxis and TNC vehicles may not be sufficient for reliable service (with The RIDE there is a reservation confirmed in advance). Hopefully this information will help in your decision-making.

That's the thrust of the Alaska bill. All the other states distinguish e-bikes from motorcycles and mopeds, but not Alaska, and so this bill, if adopted into law, would bring Alaska into alignment with the other states. That thrust would likely be a good result, though I have not reviewed the bill in any great detail, and there might be amendments, both in committee and on the floor, and it is not certain if the legislature will pass, and the governor sign, the bill into law. But at least for the time being, that factually e-bikes may not be motorcycles is not really relevant if, in Alaska, e-bikes are motorcycles as a matter of law.

My understanding is that the state of Alaska requires a motorcycle driver's license in order to ride an e-bike lawfully, and I would welcome further explanation from any Alaska attorneys. There are bills in both houses of the legislature to classify e-bikes as bicycles, and not require a specialized license to operate them, but those bills have not been enacted. http://www.alaskabeacon.com/2023/03/20/new-legislation-could-clear-up-confusion-surrounding-e-bikes-in-alaska I would be curious to know the extent to which cruise passengers flout the existing law by riding e-bikes without being licensed to drive a motorcycle, and if that lawlessness is driving the proposed legislation.

Are you already certified in your hometown to use complementary paratransit service? If so, then you could use the paratransit service in Boston, known as The RIDE, as a visitor. http://www.mbta.com/accessibility/the-ride/the-ride-paratransit-visitors Otherwise, the bus service to and from the cruise vessel terminal is accessible, and there is otherwise good, extensive, and accessible public transportation service throughout Boston operated primarily by the "T." http://www.mbta.com. Is there any other type of accessible transportation (e.g., intercity service) that you're seeking?

While I don't know of any 2023 cruises from New York that do the Northwest Passage directly, the cruises that do a complete Northwest Passage crossing are the following. Westbound Hurtigruten, "Fridtjof Nansen," Reykjavik to Vancouver, August 13, 41 nights Silversea Cruises, "Silver Wind," Kangerlussuaq to Vancouver, August 21, 42 nights Ponant, "L'Austral," Kangerlussuaq to Vancouver, August 21, 37 nights Seabourn Cruise Line, "Seabourn Venture," Kangerlussuaq to Vancouver, August 27, 32 nights Ponant, "Le Boreal," Kangerlussuaq to Nome, August 31, 24 nights Ponant, "Le Commandant-Charcot," Reykjavic to Nome, September 11, 24 nights Eastbound Scenic Cruises, "Scenic Eclipse," Sapporo - Nome - Copenhagen, July 13, 38 nights Hapag-Lloyd, "Jamseatic Nature," Vancouver to Kangerlussuaq, July 30, 43 nights Hurtigruten, "Roald Amundsen," Vancouver to Halifax, August 3, 40 nights

I think you're largely on point in desiring some Canadian money, though not a lot, and certainly not acquiring cash where you would have to pay fees to do so. Best is having an ATM card where any fees are reimbursed by the issuing bank, and when you get to Vancouver just head to an ATM and withdraw, say, $20. Plastic is used quite frequently throughout Canada. As for tips . . . American dollars are happily accepted (use the present exchange as a guide for tipping the desired amount).

Yes, it is easy, at least within the general manner of using public transportation. No problem with one suitcase each. I do not understand what is being asked by the question, "Is the subway above or below the trains?" The subway trains operate in the subway tunnel. If you're asking whether the subway tunnel is above or below the railroad tunnel (used by Amtrak trains), the answer is that the subway tunnel is above the railroad tunnel. The track map below shows the arrangement. No more tokens. Best to use a contactless credit or debit card, which would be $2.75 per person. Alternatively, buy regular MetroCards, each one usable by up to four persons (the cost is $1.00 for the MetroCard, plus $2.75 fare per person); or buy single ride MetroCards for each person (the cost is 25 cents for the MetroCard, plus $2.75 fare per person). It will be more difficult to travel by car service if you want everyone to stay together, since you will not be able to fit 10 people into a single car, at least unless you arrange in advance for a van or similar large vehicle. You may have to squeeze into cars, and not be very comfortable because you won't have much room. Additionally, if you have to arrange for a car service, then you may have to wait for a specific vehicle to arrive, instead of merely heading into the subway when you're ready and travel immediately. If you want to travel together, the subway is best because 10 people can easily travel together in a single subway car. Except under extreme conditions during the rush hour, you will likely have more room and comfort in a subway car, even if standing, than being crowded into a car service. It is possible that at 3:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, when you're likely to be traveling, the subway could start getting a bit crowded. If so, it is likely that the "C" train will be less crowded than the "A" train, since the former is a local while the latter is an express. The difference in travel time between the express and local trains, between Pennsylvania Station and Fulton Street, is minimal.

In earlier years the service was operated as a real railroad, an important transportation link between Skagway and Whitehorse (where it made connections with Greyhound Canada for service to and from the Canadian provinces and the "lower 48"), and fares, even if higher than many other railroads, were still in the range of being somewhat reasonable. But with the collapse of ore prices in 1982, the railroad failed and discontinued all service. When the railroad re-opened in 1988, it was not as the same important transportation link it had been before, it did not resume hauling freight, did not even provide service to and from Whitehorse but rather it became a Disneyland operation. Fares increased commensurately. For example, the fare for a round-trip excursion between Skagway and Bennett in 1972 was $21, the equivalent of $151 in 2023. But the present-day fare for the same excursion in 2023 is $255, or 69 percent higher than the 1972 fare (converting to 2023 dollars). Comparing to Amtrak, the one-way fare between New York and Pittsburgh in 1972 was $20.50, about the same as the White Pass and Yukon Route excursion; the present-day fare for the same Amtrak trip in 2023 is $66 for a "saver" ticket, or $160 for a full-fare "flexible" ticket. It was in 2018 that the railroad was acquired by Carnival Corporation. Prior to that year it might have been that purchasing tickets from the railroad itself could have been less expensive, because the railroad would have avoided having to pay a commission to the cruise lines (though it still would have wanted to do so excessively in order to maintain fare integrity). But now, with Carnival controlling both the railroad and its cruise operations, there's no commission-based reason for one venue to be less expensive than the other. I like railroads, and I will pay the high fares as a necessary condition for riding. But I don't like that fares are excessive, largely as a result of the railroad being able to do so by treating the service as a "cute" ride to cruise line tourists many (most?) of whom have never been on a train before. I would prefer it to be a real railroad than a Disneyland ride. Yet, if it had tried reopening in 1988 as it had been operating in the years before, then it would have again failed financially . . . being a Disneyland ride, with high prices, is what makes the railroad financially practicable. Amtrak fares are generally more reasonable because they are subsidized, and if it were to be profitable it might also have to have the same type of high fares as the White Pass and Yukon Route.

Both Princess Cruises and the White Pass and Yukon Route are owned by Carnival Corporation. They are not in competition with each other for ticket sales, and regardless of the venue from which tickets are purchased, it is Carnival Corporation that is taking the money out of your pocket. In prior years, when the White Pass and Yukon Route was owned by a real railroad company, with service and fares regulated, prices were more reasonable and in line with other railroads in North America. But now being owned by Carnival Corporation, a customer base that is both highly susceptible to paying high prices for "once in a lifetime" vacations and largely ignorant of reasonable railroad fares, and few (if any) passengers who are actually seeking point-to-point railroad transportation at competitive rates, the exceptionally high fares are really no surprise.

There are up to two trains each day from Seward. The morning train goes to the Anchorage airport, while the evening train goes to downtown Anchorage. The Anchorage airport is about 6 miles south of downtown Anchorage; the airport is not 10-15 miles beyond (north of) Anchorage. The Anchorage airport is on a branch line, so trains to and from downtown Anchorage do not pass by the airport (they only pass by the junction for the branch line to the airport).

Almost certainly you won't want to waiting at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal itself for the long of a period of time. Whether it might be doing some urban exploring around Red Hook, or going downtown Brooklyn and visiting one of the museums, or perhaps wandering around Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library, do make plans to do something interesting.

Yes, if already certified for VTA ACCESS, then NYCTA can get you set up in advance, as a visitor, without having to go through the normal steps for local certification here.

Ordinarily, a wheelchair user eligible for paratransit service could use Access-A-Ride paratransit service for door-to-door service, from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Brooklyn, by wheelchair accessible vehicle, for the wheelchair user, and a personal care attendant, and a guest, and baggage, at a fare of $2.75 for each of the wheelchair user and guest (the personal care attendant travels for free). This is effectively a shared taxi service. However, the rule for baggage is: "Customers must * * * board AAR vehicles with only two bags or parcels totaling 40 lbs. or less. A very bulky item that fills a seat or is a safety hazard is not permitted on an AAR vehicle, even if the item weighs less than 40 lbs. Additional * * * bags/parcels carried by PCA and or guest cannot be accommodated." Because the baggage limit applies collectively to all persons (and not each person separately), your anticipated baggage will be considered excessive, likely making use of public transportation not practicable. That said, the rule is not always strictly enforced, but that laxity is not something you would be able to rely upon. Other cruise line passengers with disabilities, who are paratransit eligible, might consider using Access-A-Ride service if they are not carrying excessive baggage.

Visiting the Hopewell Rocks is a worthwhile endeavor, but difficult to appreciate when working around a cruise line timetable. The dramatic difference between the tides is something to be seen, but you may not have the time on a shore excursion. I had done the trip when traveling overland, staying over in Moncton, and could easily do a full-day excursion without the pressure of having to return to the vessel by a particular time. I would look closely at the tide schedule and the time allocated for this excursion to see if you'll be able to be there for high and low tides. I doubt that will be the case, for that reason I would probably give the Hopewell Rocks a pass, and instead suggest a separate visit when you're traveling overland. As for the travel time, I would not consider two hours each direction on a bus to be terribly exhaustive--many people spend that amount of time each on the bus each day commuting to and from work--but you're the best judge of that given your own experience in traveling around by bus where you live. I don't recall the Hopewell Rocks beach being any more mucky than other beaches over which ocean water might run. Don't wear your heels or dress shoes, and stay with the ordinary shoes or sneakers that you usually wear when going to the beach.

The Kennicott has been sailing every two weeks between Bellingham and Whittier during the summer, but the recently-released summer 2023 schedules do not include that vessel. According to the Alaska Marine Highway press release from March 7, 2023, "[t]he M/V Kennicott and M/V Tazlina will be off-line for the time being due to skilled crew shortages, but will be brought back on-line once hiring increases." In recent years the state budget has played havoc with the schedule, with service reduced dramatically, but now it seems that the employment situation is also playing a factor in there now being further reductions. I am not certain the extent to which labor is a real issue, or a surrogate for budget cuts, or whether it is realistic to expect the Alaska Marine Highway to to put the Kennicott back into the schedule later this summer season if they're actively recruiting crew. For planning purposes, though, unless you're very flexible, travel by cruise vessel is a good "Plan B." Alaska is one of the markets where the cruise lines both have much one-way service between Vancouver and Whittier or Seward, and with frequencies greater than the Alaska Marine Highway, effectively providing an alternative "ferry" service that is practicable. Generally, the one-way cruises are one week (7 nights) in duration. Departure and arrival days for service to and from Seward are: alternate Mondays via Norwegian Cruise Line; Wednesdays via Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises (alternating each week between the two brands); Thursdays via Silversea Cruises; Fridays via Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International (alternating each week between the two brands). Departure and arrival days for service to and from Whittier are: alternate Wednesdays via Princess Cruises; Saturdays via Princess Cruises; Sundays via Holland America Line. Viking Ocean Cruises operates 10-night one-way cruises to and from Seward departing every 20 days; there are also a handful of infrequent cruises to and from Seward operated by Hurtigruten, Hapag-Lloyd, and Windstar Cruises. There are also round-trip cruises from both Vancouver and Seattle that only go so far as the Alaska panhandle. Let me also throw out an additional idea. During the spring and autumn transitions, there are one-way cruises between Vancouver and Hawai'i. You might be able to create a trip that goes San Francisco to Anchorage via airplane, Whittier or Seward to Vancouver via cruise vessel, Vancouver to Honolulu via cruise vessel, Honolulu to San Francisco via airplane. This plan might replace a round-trip airplane trip between San Francisco and Honolulu with only one-way via airplane, a benefit if you dislike flying (though there are round-trip, but not one-way, cruises between San Francisco and Honolulu). The 2023 one-way cruise line schedule from Vancouver to Honolulu is as follows. Lve Vancouver Aug 30, 16 nights, via Norwegian Cruise Line, "Norwegian Spirit" Lve Vancouver Sept 22, 9 nights, via Celebrity Cruises, "Celebrity Solstice" Lve Vancouver Sept 24, 10 nights, via Royal Caribbean, "Brilliance of the Seas" Lve Vancouver Sept 25, 7 nights, via Princess Cruises, "Royal Princess" Lve Vancouver, Oct 2, 8 nights, via Royal Caribbean, "Quantum of the Seas" Lve Vancouver Oct 3, 10 nights, via Disney Cruise Line "Disney Wonder" Lve Vancouver Oct 6, 9 nights, via Royal Caribbean, "Ovation of the Seas" N.B. The Norwegian Cruise Line itinerary departing Vancouver on August 30, 2023, initially travels to Alaska, stopping at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, before sailing directly to the Hawaiian islands. This one cruise, by itself, could satisfy the desire to visit both Alaska and Hawai'i. An important planning note as to Honolulu cruises: The Passenger Vessel Services Act would influence your planning here. The law prohibits you from doing "back-to-back" cruises, on the same vessel, from Whittier or Seward, to Vancouver, and onward to Honolulu . . . you have to change vessels in Vancouver. People have different views on this issue, some held strongly. Do you really intend to sit on your balcony, facing in one direction, for any length of time? I prefer being on the promenade deck, having the ability to walk from port to starboard, and vice versa, as sights might appear on each side of the vessel. You will also have the lounges that are forward, and pool decks that are aft, as well. I have a balcony at home, and have no strong desire to have one at sea, too. Nor do I drink. It can be nice to have fresh air in the stateroom, but by having an inside stateroom you get the best sleep with no light infiltration, and you'll save some money that can be better spent on shore (I spend my money to go places, not to sit in a fancy stateroom).

A good reason to have downloaded the STM system map in advance!