GTJ

If unable to utilize public transportation, and you are already certified to use complementary paratransit in your hometown, then you can use New York City's paratransit service, Access-A-Ride, as a visitor for accessible service between the airport and your hotel. The cost is $2.75 per person.

Anchorage has a fair public transportation system, and it provides good service within many parts of the city itself. You can download a Ride Guide for the Anchorage transit system, known as People Mover, from here: http://www.muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Documents/!2021 Service Change/2021 Ride Guide.pdf. It is a good guide that is comprehensive. There is also a suburban transit system, known as Valley Transit, to operates from Anchorage to Wasilla. No ride guide as Anchorage has, but its website provides route and schedule information here http://www.valleytransitak.org. Beyond these two urban transit systems, it can be challenging finding scheduled transportation, particularly just for day trips. There are a handful of intercity transportation services, such as the Alaska Railroad and some intercity bus routes, but many routes operate just once daily, and are oriented towards providing long-distance travel rather than day excursions from Anchorage. Even getting to and from relatively close locations, such as Girdwood (home to the Alyeska ski resort), can be both inconvenient and expensive. In short, if your intentions are to remain in the city itself, you will probably be okay relying on the local transit systems. Or if you're able to schedule day tours that include transportation you should also be okay. But if you're looking to explore independently, outside the city itself, you will be hard-pressed. Another person has suggested renting a car, though that requires both skill and license, which you may or may not possess. If you might consider renting a bicycle, keep in mind that, with respect to electric-assist bicycles ("e-bikes"), the state of Alaska is behind the rest of the country and does require licensure for these types of bicycles (but no license required for regular bicycles).

You should have a great trip! One thing you should consider is the service to utilize on the northbound trip. There is one train per day, known as the Denali Star, but three distinct services offered. The Alaska Railroad itself offers basic coach service ("Adventure Class") and first class ("GoldStar Service"). Premier Alaska Tours offers a private car service (the car being attached to the same train), known as the "Wilderness Express," and which offers service comparable to the "GoldStar Service" offered by the Alaska Railroad. Do take a look at the distinctions among these three services in deciding what would be most suitable for you.

Take a look at the cruises offered by Viking Ocean Cruises. They are one-way and 10 nights in duration.

Yes, some taxi drivers do attempt to discriminate against certain trips, but here I would not expect there to be objection to a trip like this that will keep the driver in the heart of midtown where cruising tends to be lucrative. If anything, I might anticipate the driver might advocate on your behalf, letting you know that the distance is so short that you might want to save yourself the taxi fare and walk. (No reasonable person would use a taxi this distance absent some compelling reason . . . such as several large suitcases that would be unwalkable.)

Based on the descriptions provided, this is my take on the two tours. Both travel round-trip between Skagway, Alaska, and Carcross, Yukon. The first travels by railroad for the entire distance between Skagway and Carcoss in one direction, and by bus in the opposite direction. The second travels be railroad for one-half the distance between Skagway and Carcross (i.e., as far as Fraser), by bus for the remainder of the distance between Skagway and Carcross, and by bus for the entire distance in the opposite direction. Also, the first includes a cold box lunch served by the railroad on board the train, while the second includes a hot BBQ chicken lunch at a tourist trap near Carcross. If you're a railroad enthusiast, then the first option is better, as it includes all of the railroad presently open. If you prefer having more bus travel instead, then choose the second option. If the included lunch being hot is important, then the second option might be the better option.

Sometimes the extra AirTrain charge is included, and sometimes not: it depends on where the New Jersey Transit ticket to or from EWR is purchased. If buying the ticket before boarding the train, from a ticket seller or machine, then the extra AirTrain fare is included in the price. But if buying the ticket on board the train itself, then the extra AirTrain fare is not included in the price, and has to be paid separately. Also, New Jersey Transit tickets are valid not only between the points specified but to or from intermediate points. So a ticket between New York City and Elizabeth is also valid for transportation between New York City and Newark Airport station. However, the Elizabeth ticket will not include the extra AirTrain fare, and would have to be paid separately. I have wondered how many people see that fares to and from Elizabeth are less expensive than Newark Airport fares, and have tried (unsuccessfully) to escape from paying the extra AirTrain fare. Note as well that persons who are elderly or disabled ordinarily pay half fare for New Jersey Transit tickets because federal law requires that discount as a condition for receiving federal transit grants. However, the AirTrain service was not funded through federal transit grants, so there is no half fare on AirTrain. The New Jersey Transit tickets that include AirTrain are not discounted by 50 percent because only the portion of the fare applying to the railroad get the discount while the portion of fare applying to AirTrain is not discounted. The AirTrain fare is even more insidious when considering that the fares are only charged to people traveling by railroad . . . those who travel to the airport by auto, taxi, bus, bicycle, or foot can use AirTrain from any of the other stations free of charge. The Newark Airport station complex is physically connected to the outside by a road, appropriately named "Station Road" and with directional signs pointing the way. https://goo.gl/maps/JiqErVQ4MzDNJYHG7 However, there is fence and gate erected across the road, for the purpose of imprisoning rail passengers to compel them to pay the extra AirTrain fare.

If you're a railroad enthusiast then you will regret passing on it. But if you were a railroad enthusiast (and I am in that category) then I don't think you would be asking that question, so I assume you're not. In that case I focus on ascertaining if there's anything distinctive about this particular railroad that takes it beyond the railfan community. Some type of engineering feat, distinct areas that are other inaccessible, or historic cars. And there is some interesting engineering here, so too does that exist elsewhere (e.g., Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico). It is narrow gauge, but that is not unique either (e.g., Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad). There are some areas that are otherwise inaccessible by highway, natural scenery is not so distinct from that from the highway. Some of the cars truly are old, with a few going back to the nineteenth century, but most cars are modern designed to emulate the appearance of older cars. Periodically the railroad operates its steam locomotive to carry cars, something that is appealing beyond the railfan market, but it does not appear as if the railroad is operating any of those excursions in 2023. Finally there are people who need transportation between Skagway and Whitehorse (or intermediate points) and the railroad is simply the most convenient or comfortable to provide that transportation. I think the railroad is largely marketing. It is now owned by a corporate subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, and it is promoted to further line the pockets of the cruise line with another over-priced shore excursion. In San Francisco many tourists ride cable cars, not because they have an inherent and strong interest in that particular transportation technology, but because the tourism industry (including Tony Bennett) has promoted the cable cars as something tourists "must" do. I think the same is true here: the railroad is something that tourists "must" do. And so I think a large number of railroad passengers sit back, watch the landscape go by, with little understanding of how this particular railroad trip compares with other railroad trips, and some with an attitude of, "is this it?" Yes, many are amazed, probably mostly so because they've never been on a train before or have never seen typical Alaska landscapes. And as noted, this is clearly an excursion that will excite nearly any railroad enthusiast. But for others, I think you're correctly looking at this excursion with the proper level of critical review.

That was my understanding as well. Within New York City I have only ridden in Queens County (Forest Park), and tangentially familiar with Manhattan. I try to read the articles critically, knowing that the activists generally speak louder than their actual numbers, and that many in the media no longer report down the middle. I will also note that during New York City's horsecar era, generally 1855 through 1895 (and to a lesser extent during the prior omnibus era going back to about 1830), there were many commercial stables throughout the city providing the essential transportation that allowed this city to prosper above all others in this country. Those street railway companies did not treat their human employees very well (e.g., 12-hour workdays, 6 days per week, always "another Irishman" coming off the boats to replace any complainers), and it would not surprise me if those attitudes of the time prevailed as to the care of their animals (but I have no evidence one way or the other).

The above statement is overbroad to the extent that it suggests that all operators of horse-drawn carriages mistreat their animals. Generally, operators want to treat their animals well because they represent a large investment and mistreatment would reduce their value and efficacy. Nonetheless, there are some--but not all--irresponsible operators who do mistreat their animals. Finally, there are some political activists who claim that any use of animals to draw carriages is, per se, mistreatment, though I would not characterize their numbers as being "huge."

Agree fully. Many people will pay a premium to stay in Manhattan, and in many cases it is more convenient doing so. But there can be much greater value on the other side of the East River, with little, if any, inconvenience. Not certain what all you might be seeking, but I first start with a necessity: eating. A few favorites of mine, all within easy walking distance of the hotel, are the following. John Brown BBQ, 27-20 40th Avenue, http://www.johnbrownbbq.net. Excellent BBQ (the burnt ends are enjoyed by many), informal, order at the counter, outdoor patio available. Not a good choice for vegetarians (who will likely have to made do with the cole slaw). Best to go earlier as the menu items are available until they sell out. M. Wells, 43-15 Crescent Street, http://www.magasinwells.com. Authentic Québécois cuisine (the chef-owner hales from Montréal and its well-known Au Pied de Cochon). First-rate tourtière. Steak and seafood. Manetta's, 10-76 Jackson Avenue, http://www.manettaslic.com. Good Italian food, including pizzas. Tournesol, 50-12 Vernon Boulevard, http://www.tournesolnyc.com. Classic French cuisine. Across the street is the informal Café Henri, 10-10 50th Avenue, http://www.cafehenrilic.com. Also French fare. Xi'an Famous Foods, 26-19 Jackson Avenue, http://www.xianfoods.com. Excellent western Chinese cuisine. Informal and inexpensive, order at the counter. Among the best items is N2, spicy and tingly beef with hand-ripped noodles. The main restaurant is in Flushing, about four blocks from my home; this location is a branch of the main restaurant. Casa Enrique, 5-48 49th Avenue, http://www.casaenriquelic.com. Michelin Star Mexican cuisine (the chef-owner hales from Chiapas in southern México). Expensive. Also nearby and within easy walking distance is the Kaufman Astoria Studios, 34-12 36th Street http://www.kaufmanastoria.com, the center of movie-making and television on the east coast. Within the studio complex is the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue, http://www.movingimage.us. A fascinating permanent set of exhibits, and one of the theatres for film screenings. Best to go when there is an interesting film being screened. No movie trailers, no sticky floors, and frequently there are live post-screening interviews (with audience Q&A) with the the movie's director and/or stars. Also, sign-up with Shadow Casting and Productions, http://www.shadowcasting.com, to get into the audience of television programs being produced at Kaufman Astoria Studios (many times including payment of an hororarium for attending). The competing Silvercup Studios, 42-22 22nd Street, http://www.silvercupstudios.com, is a few blocks away. One of the noted museums in the area is MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, http://www.momaps1.org, part of the Museum of Modern Art housed in a former public school. Several other museums are also in the neighborhood. Finally, a note about addresses in Queens. Generally, "Streets" run north-south and "Avenues" run east-west. (You might remember this rule by noting that Manhattan does its Streets and Avenues backwards: in that other borough "Streets" run east-west and "Avenues" run north-south.) 1st Street is at the western end of Queens, and the numbers increase going eastward; 1st Avenue is at the northern end of Queens, and the numbers increase going southward. In-between successive Streets are "Places" and "Lanes," and in-between successive Avenues are "Roads" and "Drives." Addresses are of the form number-hyphen-number. The first number, to the left of the hyphen, is the number of the cross-street, while the second number, to the right of the hyphen, is the order of houses on that block. Some streets have names instead of numbers, but most named streets do have a number equivalent. In short, Queens addresses are the most sensible in all of New York City, and usually it is very easy to ascertain where a particular address is located, even without having GPS mapping available!

Expanding slightly on the historic geography of Long Island City: The modern city of New York was created in 1898 by the consolidation of three formerly independent cities (plus the entirety of one remote rural county, Richmond, and one-half of another largely rural county, Queens). One of those three cities was Long Island City. It had been created in 1870 from what had then been a portion of the town of Newtown—all of Queens County west of approximately 48th Street. That portion of Newtown had until then included the incorporated village of Astoria and several unincorporated hamlets, including Hunter’s Point, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, Steinway, among others. Thus, this part of modern day Queens can be referred to by many names, some overlapping. The use of “Long Island City” as a geographic descriptor is the most broad and least specific, and there has never been a central city center of Long Island City. Nonetheless, many people do think of the area surrounding the eastern end of the Queensborough Bridge as the center of Long Island City, though that really has no historical basis if only because the Queensborough Bridge was not completed until 1909, eleven years after Long Island City had ceased to exist as a distinct political entity. This area is more precisely referred to as Queensborough Plaza, or Queens Plaza for short, as a reference to the plaza established at the eastern end of the Queensborough Bridge. The plaza itself had been covered by a much more massive elevated structure when it was built in 1916, so as to accommodate two separately-operated rapid transit companies, but later the service was simplified and in 1964 the elevated structure over the northern half of the plaza was demolished, returning some sunshine to that part of the plaza that had been shrouded in darkness for the previous 48 years. Historically this area would be referred to as Dutch Kills, the center of Dutch Kills being near what is today the intersection of 41st Avenue and Northern Boulevard. The area had come to importance in 1861 when the Long Island Rail Road relocated their main line from Brooklyn to Hunter’s Point, with the new line going through Dutch Kills (the New York and Flushing Railroad had, in 1854, been the first railroad to build to what had been a swamp at Hunter’s Point). My personal preference is to use the term “Dutch Kills” for this area, though I frequently use the term “Queens Plaza.” I try to avoid the term “Long Island City” simply because it refers to a geographically larger area, though it is not incorrect. The term used earlier in this discussion, “Queensborough Bridge Subway Station” would be a correct geographical description, though not the actual name of the subway station and might confuse people (best to use the actual subway station names, either Queensborough Plaza station for the elevated station above the plaza, or Queens Plaza station for the station at the eastern edge of the plaza and below Northern Boulevard, Queens Plaza East, and Jackson Avenue.

In 2020 there was issued a legal opinion from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the issue affecting the actual vessel Ocean Victory. You can find that opinion here: http://rulings.cbp.gov/ruling/H311571 There were two issues involving use of the the Zodiacs. First, their use for bringing passengers to shore, and second, their use for excursions without ever reaching shore. In the first case, where the Zodiacs would be used as tenders to bring passengers to shore, CBP found that the Zodiacs could be used if they satisfied four specific criteria, the key criterion being "the tenders must be used solely in such carriage where the CBP Port Director is satisfied that it is not safe or feasible for the cruise vessel to berth at a pier." CMI Ship Management had asked specifically about landings at Petersburg and Wrangell. CBP found that the cruise vessel could not safely dock at Petersburg so Zodiacs could be used, but at Wrangell CBP found that the cruise vessel could safely dock so Zodiacs could not be used. This analysis could be extended to other locations, again the critical factor being whether the Ocean Victory itself could dock. In the second case, where there would be an excursion with no actual landing, CBP found that there would be a PVSA violation for the use of Zodiacs. The CBP did not focus on the cruise vessel itself, but looked at the Zodiacs independently of the Ocean Victory. The Zodiacs are American-constructed and crewed by American mariners, which is fine. The problem is that the Zodiacs are owned by a Bahamas entity (i.e., the Zodiacs are owned by the Ocean Victory, which is registered in the Bahamas), and not owned by a U.S. entity. Not discussed in the opinion is what would seem to be a simple resolution to the problem: simply have the Ocean Victory sell the Zodiacs to some U.S. company, and have a contract by which the Ocean Victory would agree to transport the Zodiacs but not own the Zodiacs. I have no word on what the Ocean Victory is actually doing with respect to its Zodiacs, but presumably there is some type of resolution to the legal issue so that the purpose of the expedition vessel can be achieved.

1. For all of the cruise options you have enumerated, you will be on the young side. But you won't be alone in your age group. 2. Seabourn is the most pretentious. That said, the line does offer interesting itineraries, but it is clearly aiming for the affluent and is the opposite of Norwegian Cruise Line. 3. Don't order a drink package. I don't drink either. Even the soda-only packages are awfully expensive and effectively require one to guzzle all day to break even on the prices. The lemonade is a fine accompaniment at the buffet, and plain water goes with any meal in the main dining room. 4. Entertainment can provide activity in the evening when there would generally be little else to do beyond engaging others in conversation or oneself with spouse or partner. 7. The mass market lines that you have identified do generally offer the greatest value, as they concentrate on the lowest common denominator and can do business in volume. But Seabourn is an outlier in your list because it is premium line. All that said, however, your interests coincide more with what is offered by cruises categorized as "expeditions" rather than mass market. These are, however, more expensive, including Uncruise and Lindblad which you have already ruled out. Other lines offer similar types of experiences, notably Hurtigruten and American Queen Voyages, and you may want to review their offerings and whether they might be affordable. My suspicion, however, is that they, too, will be of similar cost. Another option that might be suitable would be to travel via the Alaska Marine Highway. It allows you to plan your own cruise on a port-to-port basis, including some ports that are infrequently, if ever, visited by the other lines. You would have to plan all your activities independently at the ports at which you would stay. It operates from Bellingham, Washington, up to Skagway, and across to Whittier, from which port you can reach Anchorage. Staterooms are simple, though if you're the camping type of person, you can forgo a stateroom and pitch a tent on the deck of the vessel.

Both the travel agent and the reservation agent should have known better. It is a well-established point of travel law (it is similar to the step transaction doctrine that is applied in tax law . . . you have to consider transactions as a whole and not break them up into separate pieces). That said, maybe I am expecting too much. (A few years ago I remember reviewing reviewing the published and printed brochure from MSC Cruises, which included a Caribbean repositioning cruise from Boston to Miami without stopping in a distant foreign port. I sent a short e-mail message to the cruise line about their "illegal" cruise. The cruise line quickly revised the itinerary so as to include a visit a distant foreign port compliant with the PVSA, but having to omit another port and disrupting the shore excursions planning by many of the passengers. I saved the cruise line perhaps $2 million in PVSA fines. How could their marketing people have published that cruise itinerary?!) For Royal Caribbean to have first messed up on the law, and then not to mention the Radiance of the Seas itinerary that would have been the least disruptive (and for which there is presently availability), leaves me bewildered at the apparent incompetence of the cruise line's sales people. It sounds as though you're planning to spend the night in Vancouver, and travel to Seattle on the day of the vessel departure. Almost certainly you would not be able to board the morning train on the day the first vessel arrives in Vancouver. (It is scheduled to arrive at Canada Place at 6:00 a.m., and you'll need to clear Canadian immigration and customs before continuing onward. It is about ten minutes by taxi to the Pacific Central station, and once there you will need to clear U.S. immigration and customs. And with the train departing at 6:35 a.m., it seems unlikely to be able to clear immigration and customs twice, plus go by taxi, within the time available. Amtrak advises arriving at Pacific Central station one hour early to clear immigration and customs, though Amtrak tends to be excessive with its advice.) The train is scheduled to arrive at King Street Station at 11:00 a.m., and with a 15-minute taxi ride to Pier 91, you should be able to arrive prior to the the 2:30 p.m. check-in deadline, with three hours to space, assuming that there are no delays. Not having to unload and re-load baggage for customs is a good reason to by railroad, which provides pre-clearance in Vancouver before boarding, especially if one has much baggage. Amtrak is fairly generous with baggage allowance (though it is not unlimited), more so than Quick Coach Lines.

Most of the airport hotels are concentrated along provincial highway 138, with little of interest. It is unlikely that you will do much of anything once arrived and checked-in at the airport hotel (hopefully no sooner than the late afternoon). You may want to decide primarily on price rather than precision location. While staying an airport hotel might ordinarily be a poor choice when visiting Québec, a marvelous city to see, the fact remains that the Zuiderdam will stay one night docked in Québec, allowing you to use it as a base (even if outside the walls, nonetheless in the heart of the city).

Let me add some information about the American Queen Voyages and the vessel Ocean Victory. It may or may not affect your decision. The cruise line is part of Hornblower Cruises and Events, a company started in Berkeley, California, in 1974 as a charter yacht company. (In the early 1980s my father owned a sailboat that was part of the Hornblower charter fleet, but that ended years ago, and I have never had any vested interest in the company.) Over the succeeding years it grew substantially, largely by developing and acquiring ferry operations. An important breakthrough was its expansion to New York City when it outbid the incumbent National Park Service concessionaire, Circle Line, for the provision of ferry service to and from Liberty and Ellis islands. Most recently the company won the contract to operate the NYC Ferry service throughout all of New York City (including the Red Hook, Brooklyn, service that many cruise passengers utilize in traveling to and from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal), effectively displacing the locally-owned NY Waterway service from the East River market. Its expansion into overnight cruises is also relatively recent, with most of its attention focused on inland riverboat cruises along the Mississippi River and its tributaries (these services having been acquired from American Queen Steamboat Company), and also coastal cruises that had been started anew by Victory Cruise Lines. The expedition market is the company's newest expansion. The company now advertises itself primarily as "City Experiences," though not so much for its overnight cruises (perhaps "City" does not fit in well with the overnight cruise image, especially in Alaska!) where it relies upon the American Queen Voyages for branding. It is an American company in a sea of cruise lines that are primarily large international enterprises (both Seabourn and Holland America Lines are owned by Carnival Corp. & plc, while Hurtigruten is Norwegian; Alaskan Dream is a small Alaskan-owned company). The vessel Ocean Victory is new, having been constructed in 2021. The vessel is owned by SunStone Maritime Group, www.sunstoneships.com, and managed by CMI Ship Management, www.cmishipmanagement.com. In turn, SunStone charters the vessel on a semi-annual basis, in the winter to Albatros Expeditions, www.albatros-expeditions.com, for expeditions to Antarctica, and in the summer to American Queens Voyages for expeditions to Alaska. Thus, reviews of the Ocean Victory crew may relate more so to CMI Ship Management than to American Queen Voyages, and so you may desire to investigate CMI more thoroughly. It had been intended for the vessel to be part of the Victory Cruise Lines fleet, but that cruise line was acquired by Hornblower around the same time the vessel was placed in service. The vessel itself was built in China and is registered in the Bahamas, so it stands out from the rest of the American Queen Voyages fleet in not being American-flagged.

While that is true for some things, that is not the issue here. The problem with the original planned here is that it involved within the same country. If the plan was to travel from the United States to Canada (or vice versa) then no problem. It is a problem only because the plan was to travel from the United States to the United States, on a foreign flag vessel. I would think it to be obvious the people who thought about the issue that you can't use a foreign carrier for transportation within the United States. Would anyone seriously consider trying to fly on Japan Airlines within the United States? I suspect, however, that most people don't actually think about the issue. Perhaps more critically, most people probably mistakenly believe that the cruise lines are American-flagged. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is incorporated in Liberia, and its vessels are registered in the Bahamas. Who know this? It is not highlighted on the company website. If people mistakenly believe that Royal Caribbean utilizes American vessels, then they would have no reason to question whether they can use the carrier for the provision of domestic transportation.

Wow, you have several things going on here! The initial issue, of attempting to book passage on a single foreign flag vessel from Honolulu to Seattle, should have been caught by any professional travel or reservation agent. Such an itinerary is not even a close call . . . clearly an unlawful cruise. Alas, there are not enough travel and reservations agents competent beyond extolling the virtues of travel and pushing computer buttons in response. Ideally, such persons would have taken at least one course in travel law. On the good side, even if you had accomplished the sailing, you, as the passenger, would not have done anything unlawful . . . the burden of compliance is on the carrier (in this case, Royal Caribbean International), the fine would be assessed against the carrier, and it would be difficult for the carrier to try to pass responsibility for the fine off to you if it had accepted the booking. What also piqued my interest was the decision to transfer from Vancouver to Seattle to board a different vessel to Alaska. The vessel Radiance of the Seas will depart Vancouver simultaneously with the Ovation of the Sea, on May 11, 2023, on an 8-night cruise to Alaska. A different choice of ports of call, and returning to Vancouver instead of continuing onward to Seattle. I also noticed the truth of the specific statement that there is no Quick Coach Lines service from Canada Place, in Vancouver, to Pier 91, in Seattle, on the desired travel date, May 11, 2023. Indeed, Quick Coach Lines schedules no trips at all, on any date, from Canada Place to Pier 91. The carrier makes regular trips from Canada Place to downtown Seattle, and additional trips from Waterfront Station (the former Canadian Pacific Railway station), immediately adjacent to Canada Place but not at Canada Place directly, to downtown Seattle . . . with one of those trips operating directly to Pier 91. If you were able to disembark from the Ovation of the Seas early enough, then you could board Quick Coach Lines service direct to Pier 91 from the adjacent Waterfront Station at 6:45 a.m. However, that is probably too early . . . and besides, you will be needing to spend the night in Seattle since the Celebrity Solstice will not depart until the next day. But you could board Quick Coach Lines at Canada Place directly at 10:45 a.m., and it will go direct to downtown Seattle, arriving at the convention center at 3:45 p.m., leaving you with a short trip to your hotel for the night. While the Amtrak train will also work, you will have to travel from Canada Place to the Pacific Central Station, and the train itself it doesn't leave Vancouver until 5:45 p.m., arriving late in Seattle at 10:10 p.m. A good choice if one really likes train travel, but the bus service from Canada Place operated by Quick Coach Lines would be more convenient.

Did you drive for Premier Alaska Tours, Royal Hyway Tours, or both? Any noticeable differences between the two, other than HAP Alaska directly controlling more things themselves (e.g., hotels)? My take, not having had as much daily experience as you, is that the work is fairly similar to most regular-route carriers (e.g., Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines), having a regular schedule routinely transporting passengers from A to B, and other passengers from B to A, arguably "herding" the passengers each day. The differences, I imagine, are having to do much baggage handling, beautiful landscape, and having fewer difficult or disruptive passengers compared to the regular-route carriers. But not like driving a charter, or one of the periodic tours, that many carriers operate, where it is a unique trip each time. Rather, a routine job, though one where being upbeat with passengers each day makes it better for all. Do you concur with my perception?

I suppose I have always been conscious about my ATM card and never pay any use fees. Indeed, when I inquired about bank ATM and credit cards, the top of my list has always been no exchange fees in excess of 1 percent (but preferably zero), no fee for using other ATMs from other banks, and reimbursement of fees charged by other banks for using their ATMs. Thus, when arriving in Canada (most often at Gare centrale de Montréal) the first thing I do at the station is stop at the ATM and get some Canadian dollars (the amount being a function of my intended stay in the country).

I would add to that recommendation the alternative of staying in either Hoboken or Jersey City. Like Newark, both of these cities are urban environments that are reasonably close to Bayonne, and both have excellent public transportation that operates frequently 24/7 to and from Manhattan. Of the two, Jersey City has a larger number of hotels. Perhaps not so obvious. "Manhattan" is both an island and a borough. But the borough includes several islands (the largest of which is Manhattan Island), and includes includes a portion that is now attached to the mainland of the United States and no longer an island. (There are other communities in the United States also called "Manhattan," including one in Illinois to which one can board a commuter train from Chicago.) The geography of New York City is fascinating and filled with many quirks that can excite any trivia enthusiast.

Cruises that are both one-way and include a stop in Québec, for the 2023 season, are as follows. American Queen Voyages, Ocean Navigator, Portland, Me. to Toronto, Ont., 10 nights, departs Apr. 27; Detroit, Mich. to/from Montréal, Qué., 9 nights, 4 departures between Sept. 4 and Oct. 1; Montréal, Qué. to Gloucester, Mass., 9 nights, departs Oct. 10 American Queen Voyages, Ocean Voyager, Portland, Me. to Toronto, Ont., 10 nights, departs May 8; Montréal, Qué. to Gloucester, Mass., 9 nights, departs Oct. 11 Cunard Line, Queen Mary 2, Brooklyn, N.Y. to/from Québec, Qué., 7 nights, 2 departures on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 Explora Journeys, Explora I, New York, N.Y. to/from Québec, Qué., 8-10 nights, 3 departures between Sept. 25 and Oct. 13; Québec, Qué. to Miami, Fla., 14 nights, departs Oct. 20 Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hanseatic Inspiration, Boston, Mass. to Toronto, Ont., 15 nights, departs May 4; Milwaukee, Wis. to Halifax, N.S., 18 nights, departs Oct. 8 Holland America Line, Zaandam, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to/from Montréal, Qué., 11 nights, 2 departures on Apr. 18 and Sept.24; Boston, Mass. to/from Montréal, Qué, 7 nights, 14 departures between Apr. 29 and Sept. 13 Holland America Line, Zuiderdam, Boston, Mass. to/from Québec, Qué., 7 nights, 5 departures between Aug. 26 and Sept. 23; Québec, Qué. to Ft. Lauderdale, 10 nights, departs Sept. 30 Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Joy, New York, N.Y. to/from Québec, Qué., 7-9 nights, 4 departures between Sept. 4 and Oct. 4 Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Pearl, Boston, Mass. to/from Québec, Qué., 7 nights, 6 departures between Sept. 1 and Oct. 6 Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Sky, Baltimore, Md. to/from Québec, Qué., 10-11 nights, 4 departures between Sept. 1 and Oct. 2 Oceania Cruises, Insignia, New York, N.Y. to Montréal, Qué., 11 nights, departs Sept. 27; Boston, Mass. to/from Montréal, Qué., 11 nights, 3 departures between Oct. 8 and Oct. 30 Oceania Cruises, Vista, New York, N.Y. to Montréal, Qué., 11 nights, departs Sept. 18; Montréal, Qué. to Miami, Fla., 15 nights, departs Sept. 29 Pearl Seas Cruises, Pearl Mist, Portland, Me. to/from Toronto, Ont., 15 nights, 2 departures on May 13 and Aug. 30; Portland, Me. to/from Québec, Qué., 10 nights, 2 departures on Sept. 14 and Sept. 24 Ponant, Le Bellot, Reykjavik, Iceland to Toronto, Ont., 15 nights, departs Aug. 20; Toronto, Ont. to Gloucester, Mass., 14 nights, departs Oct. 9 Ponant, Le Dumont-d'Urville, Toronto, Ont. to Gloucester, Mass., 14 nights, departs Oct. 16 Princess Cruises, Caribbean Princess, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to/from Québec, Qué., 12-13 nights, 2 departures on July 22 and Oct. 19; Brooklyn, N.Y. to/from Québec, Qué., 10 nights, 6 departures between Aug. 4 and Oct. 9 Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seven Seas Mariner, New York, N.Y. to/from Montréal, Qué, 11 nights, 4 departures between Sept. 17 and Oct. 20 Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seven Seas Navigator, Miami, Fla. to Montréal, Qué. 15 nights, departs May 5; New York, N.Y. to/from Montréal, Qué, 11-12 nights, 3 departures between May 20 and June 11 Royal Caribbean International, Jewel of the Seas, Bayonne, N.J. to/from Québec, Qué., 10-11 nights, 4 departures between Sept. 28 and Oct. 30 Saint Lawrence Cruise Lines, Canadian Empress, Kingston, Ont. to/from Québec, Qué., 6 nights, 12 departures between May 18 and Oct. 1 Seabourn Cruise Line, Seabourn Quest, Dover, England to Montréal, Qué., 24 nights, departs Aug. 1; New York, N.Y. to/from Montréal, Qué, 12 nights, 4 departures between Aug. 25 and Oct., 12; Montréal, Qué. to Miami, Fla., 14 nights, departs Oct. 24 Silversea Cruises, Silver Shadow, Southampton, England to Québec, Qué., 13 nights, departs Aug. 1; New York, N.Y. to/from Québec, Que., 10 nights, 6 departures between Sept. 6 and Oct. 25; Québec, Qué. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 16 nights, departs Nov. 4 Viking Expeditions, Viking Octantis, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to/from Toronto, Ont., 15 nights, 2 departures, Apr. 13 and Sept. 15 Viking Expeditions, Viking Polaris, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to/from Toronto, Ont., 15 nights, 2 departures, Apr. 18 and Sept. 26; New York, N.Y. to /from Toronto, Ont., 12 nights, 4 deaprtures between May 3 and Aug. 17 Viking Ocean Cruises, Viking Mars, Bergen, Norway to Montréal, Qué., 14 nights, departs Sept. 12; Montréal, Qué. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 14 nights, departs Sept. 26 Viking Ocean Cruises, Viking Neptune, New York, N.Y. to Montréal, Qué., 12 nights, 4 departures between June 20 and July 26 Viking Ocean Cruises, Viking Star, New York, N.Y. to Montréal, Qué., 12 nights, 3 departures between July 14 and Sept. 28; Montréal, Qué. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 14 nights, departs Oct. 10 Windstar Cruises, Star Pride, Reykjavik, Iceland to Montréal, Qué., 14 nights, departs Sept. 9; Montréal, Qué. to Boston, Mass., 11 nights, 3 departures between Sept. 23 and Oct. 15

I think they are abandoned warehouses . . . it is the former Military Ocean Terminal! The redevelopment plans look grand, but they seem to be taking a while to implement.

What does "dodgy" mean?