GTJ

There are three types of railcars operating in Alaska that have a "glass top." There is a traditional "Vista-Dome" car that is effectively a bubble that protrudes upward from the center of the car, panoramic views in all directions. These cars, first used in 1945 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, are becoming increasingly rare as they age, but are relished by railroad enthusiasts. There is a "Panorama Dome" car that is a single level car with the upper part of of the car--the ceiling--replaced with glass. These cars, initially rebuilt from traditional railroad cars, provide views of both sides from the train, but there is no upward protrusion from which one can view in all directions. Finally, there is an "Ultra Dome" car that is bilevel. but otherwise much like the single level Panorama Dome cars in offering views of both sides from train. These cars have an outdoor observation platform either on the upper or lower level (depending on the particular car design), a dining room on the lower level. The cars above are operated on several distinct trains in Alaska. "Vista-Dome" cars are operated by the Alaska Railroad on the Coastal Classic, between Anchorage and Seward; the Denali Star, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; and the Hurricane Turn, between Talkeetna and Hurricane. Seats in the dome section are unreserved and intended for coach ("Adventure Class") passengers. Tickets for these Vista-Dome trains are sold to all persons, regardless of cruise line or not. "Panorama Dome" cars are operated as charter trains by the Alaska Railroad on McKinley Express, between Whittier and McKinley (near Talkeetna); and on cruise trains between either Anchorage Airport and Seward, or between Anchorage and Whittier. All passengers receive reserved seats in the dome section; tickets for these Panorama Dome trains are sold only to the passengers of the cruise lines that have chartered the trains for their passengers. "Ultra Dome" cars are operated by the Alaska Railroad on the Coastal Classic, between Anchorage and Seward; and the Denali Star, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; operated by Premier Alaska Tours on the Wilderness Express, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; and operated by Holland American Princess on the Denali Express, between Whittier and Denali; and the McKinley Explorer, between Anchorage and Denali. All passengers receive reserved seats in the dome section. Tickets for the Denali Express are sold only to the passengers of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises; tickets for other Ultra Dome trains are sold to all persons, regardless of cruise line or not. You should ascertain if there is a particular type of "glass top" care upon which your wife desires to travel (and choose a particular train accordingly). If she is indifferent as to the three different types of cars, then you have a full choice. Your decision will also likely be influenced by your overland destination(s). Some trains, as noted, travel between the two main ports in central Alaska, Seward and Whittier, and Anchorage, while other trains go further into central Alaska, to Talkeetna, Denlia, and Fairbanks. Holland America Princess has the most extensive selection of trains for which tickets are sold only to their cruise line passengers. Their trains, however, overlap other trains with dome cars, and so one can really choose any cruise line and still have access to trains with dome cars. Of course, the devil is in the details, and so it may be best to review the complete train timetable to plan the travel desired. Alaska Railroad Map and Service 2.pdf Alaska Railroad Timetable.pdf

I, too, am typically wary of details provided by those persons from the cruise lines whose job it is to sell tickets. I generally give more credit to the operating people who actually know what is going on, but too often the cruise lines will block access to operations and direct all consumer inquiries to sales. Charter train service is not limited to the times when regularly scheduled train service is operated. Nonetheless, the provider of charter service needs to be sufficiently staffed at the time the charter is arranged. The Alaska Railroad timetables might provide some insight as to when the railroad is sufficiently staffed so that it could provide charter train. By looking at those timetables one can see that the Alaska Railroad operates year-round, and so a reasonable person could conclude that the railroad would have staff available to operate a chartered train. The winter schedule ordinarily has only one train per week operating in each direction (between Anchorage and Fairbanks) . . . though in the peak winter season there can be as many as three trains per week in each direction. Presumably the once-weekly crew has other duties on other days, so operating a charter train would likely require calling staff on their days off (probably at time and one-half). In short, there are several reasons for the railroad being able to, and not being able to, operate a charter train prior to the start of the regular season. So I would not fault the cruise line representatives on their assessment in making an "educated guess." But my suspicion is that the cruise line representatives did not actually make an education guess, but instead read off of a script, and with the script writer either not being on the ball or just not being certain if a charter contract was signed. It is this lack of certainty--and of too many cruise line people being indifferent to such uncertainty and only wanting to sell their own tickets--that gets me worked up.

One has to "schlep" baggage no matter the means of transportation (unless one is traveling without baggage at all). Cost savings between bus and taxi or TNC vehicle are frequently substantial, though less so if the the distance is short. Rarely will taxi or TNC vehicle be less expensive than bus travel. To travel by taxi or TNC vehicle one typically must either wait and flag down a vehicle, or reserve and wait for a vehicle. If there happens to be a taxi stand with waiting taxis then perhaps there can be an immediate departure, though many times potential passengers have to wait in a queue as the dispatcher handles each person in turn. True, if one feels entitled, or if one desires to shun vehicles shared with others, then there is a true advantage to taxi or TNC vehicle travel. But otherwise, the primary points apply both to transit bus travel and taxi/TNC vehicle travel. My travel to and from San Diego is generally by railroad, and I walk between the railroad station and the cruise vessel terminal. But if I were to go to the airport, then I would likely consider walking because it is a relatively short walk and doing so would be consistent with my travels generally. I am healthy and without any serious impediments to walking. True, there are many (too many in my view) people who are addicted to driving themselves everyplace, and who might pass out from exhaustion if they had to walk more than 500 feet from their parking space to their destination, as well as a number of people who are anti-pedestrian . . . they're not good candidates for walking between the cruise vessel terminal and the airport. But others who are in reasonable shape might well consider it. What I see at San Diego is actually fairly good and reasonably safe compared to many other airports. Putting immediate construction activity to the side (if only because construction work is temporary and subject to frequent changes), there have long been good walkways and reasonable paths between North Harbor Drive and the airport. I have walked to and from many airports, and overall San Diego is one of the better airports for pedestrian access. Too many airports lack sidewalks between the air passenger terminals and the surrounding streets, but San Diego does well in this regard. The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority itself encourages walking, by highlighting its pedestrian facilities including safety, at http://www.san.org/to-from/Walking-Biking: Walking to the Airport A shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians – separated from vehicular traffic – connects the airport to Little Italy and downtown San Diego to the east, and to Liberty Station and Point Loma to the west. The scenic path runs between the San Diego Bay waterfront and North Harbor Drive and passes through Spanish Landing Park. Google Maps features the ability to suggest walking routes to and from the airport Crosswalks with traffic signals allow pedestrians to safely cross North Harbor Drive to reach the airport and its adjacent parking lots. Signaled crosswalks are located at the following intersections on North Harbor Drive: Rent A Car Access Road to Harbor Island Drive Terminal 2 Road McCain Road At the Airport Pedestrian walkways connect Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at San Diego International Airport. Pedestrian bridges and crosswalks connect the passenger terminals to transportation islands and adjacent parking lots in front of the terminals.

I would have to disagree here. I have worked my entire career within the public transportation industry, mostly with local transit bus services, and I, and the industry as a whole, have made great efforts to create a welcoming environment for people taking public transportation to and from airports. The efforts do vary by city, but many do such things as providing interior luggage racks to facilitate the handling of baggage. In the case of San Diego, modest baggage limitations that generally apply are inapplicable to route 992 service to and from the airport. Indeed, it is ordinarily easier rolling baggage into a transit bus compared to lifting and trying to shove baggage into an automobile trunk. It is hurtful not only to the public transportation industry, and all the people who have devoted their careers to doing to, but also to all the communities it serves and the benefits it brings, to have the use of public transportation to and from airports be discouraged. It is true that some airports do a terrible job in making themselves accessible to all. Indeed, the largest airport in the city with the most pedestrians of any city in the United States--New York City--has awful pedestrian access. On the other hand, San Diego is pretty good. Construction does change things, at least on a temporary basis, so at any given time during construction access can be impeded. But even so, it is so encouraging that the airport construction website, http://www.newt1.com, promotes that, upon completion, the "[t]he New T1 will improve transportation and mobility with a new on-airport access road, bicycle lanes, and a pedestrian path, to reduce traffic and improve access to the airport. We’re also dedicating space right outside the terminals to provide a future direct connection to the region’s public transit network." How great is that?!

Deservedly disappointed. If the advertisement from Silversea was they would contract with the Alaska Railroad for a chartered train transfer, and then the cruise line reneged on the promise, I would be rather upset. That said, the typical cruise line contract promises nothing.

Were I to make the trip, I would likely use the route 992 bus, from North Harbor Drive, across the street from the cruise vessel terminal, direct to the airport. The bus operates every 15 minutes, with a regular fare of $2.50 per person (50 percent discount for seniors age 65 and older). http://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/routes/pdf/992.pdf If it were a nice day, and I was not unduly burdened with baggage, then I might consider walking. It is just over two miles, not a terribly long walk. Walking out of the terminal, immediately turn left onto North Harbor Drive, and walk to the airport entrance opposite Harbor Island Drive. Good sidewalks along the west side of North Harbor Drive the entire distance. What is "best," of course, varies from person to person, depending on what each of us most prefers.

It is obvious for anyone who rides public transportation in Portland that the pulse point on Elm Street has much greater relevance, generally, than the bus stops for route 8 in the port area. All Metro routes, and the South Portland bus routes, serve the pulse point. But the reason for having cited to the Metro pulse was to support the proposition that the commercial center of Portland is along Congress Street. Public transportation systems generally focus on the commercial centers of the cities that that systems serve. Metro sparsely serves the port area with a single bus route, which is appropriate for the relative importance of the commerce conducted in the port area. I think you can look at just about any urban planning textbook for a definition of commercial center, or central business district, and conclude that Congress Street meets the definition.

No. With "limited" service on weekends, you might have to wait for as long as 20 minutes for a train. For impatient New Yorkers, waiting 20 minutes for a train is an eternity, yet for many who use public transportation elsewhere a 20-minute interval between trains is "frequent" service. To that extent, it is your call as to whether waiting up to 20 minutes for a train would be an "issue." Here is a quick summary of Sunday transportation services. PATH trains, Newark - Jersey City - Lower Manhattan: every 20 minutes, travel time 22 minutes PATH trains, Jersey City - Hoboken - Midtown Manhattan: every 12 minutes, travel time 27 minutes NJT trains, Newark - Midtown Manhattan: 3 trains per hour (average every 20 minutes), travel time 18 minutes Sometimes, on an exceptional basis, maintenance and construction work may change the above schedule. Trains operate around the clock, but do operate less frequently during overnight periods. There is a free transfer in Jersey City between the two PATH train routes (travel time between Newark and Midtown Manhattan is 37 minutes, plus the time required to make the free transfer in Jersey City). Regular PATH fare is $2.75, payable with a MetroCard that is readily available at all PATH stations. Regular NJT fare is $5.25, payable at ticket counters or machines available at all NJT stations. As to New York City subway trains, here is a quick summary of Sunday transportation services. L: every 4-5 minutes S (42nd St): every 5-10 minutes 7: every 7-1/2 minutes 1, 2, 4, 6: every 8 minutes Q: every 8-12 minutes A, G: every 10 minutes J, M: every 10-12 minutes C, D, E, F, N, R, S (Franklin Av), 3, 5: every 12 minutes S (Rockaway Park): every 20-24 minutes Staten Island Railway: every 30 minutes

Portland, like several other old cities, such as Brooklyn, Montréal, and others, had its historic commercial center along the waterfront, as it was the water the provided the avenues through which commerce was conducted. But as overland transportation improved, the commercial centers migrated, generally to higher ground. The old commercial centers (at least where not destructed) have retained their historic intrigue, and in many cases have provided a marvelous environment in which certain types of businesses have prospered. In many places, these waterfronts house nice restaurants, though many businesses simply sell tourist trinkets. Most students of architecture would find that, typically, the waterfront is more interesting than the newer buildings to where the centers of commerce now exist. In some cases, such as in lower Manhattan, there remains significant industry and commerce in the old centers--Wall Street, the NYSE, and City Hall are all there!---but nonetheless the centers of commerce have all moved inland, to midtown Manhattan and elsewhere in other cities. Portland's center moved to Congress Street. The waterfront is interesting (more "vibrant"?), and indeed there are various sites that might be of interest throughout all of central Portland. But if one were to pinpoint the modern commercial center of the city, it would likely be at or near Monument Square (about 20 minutes walking from the port). The pulse point for Portland's transit system, Metro, is at the Elm Street parking facility, one half block north of Congress Street and Monument Square. Visitors who desire to go to the city's commercial center--which may not be everyone on a cruise that stops in Portland--should plan accordingly.

To be clear, though, the commercial center of Portland is along Congress Street, several blocks uphill from the waterfront. An easy walk for most, but it will take about 20 minutes or so in each direction. Along the waterfront is some commerce, much of which is tourist-oriented.

Slight, but important, correction to third paragraph (omitted word):

"Better" is a subjective term, and dependent on the criteria used in judging. Princess Cruises is clearly "best" in Alaska if the sole criterion is the number of cruises scheduled to transport passengers between Vancouver and any of the ports serving Anchorage. If that same criterion were to be applied to New England, then the "best" cruise line would be Holland America Line, given the number of sailings it makes between Boston and Montréal (plus a few additional itineraries only so far as Québec and/or repositioning to or from Fort Lauderdale). Their season extends from mid-April through early October; most other lines sail this route only in autumn.

For each individual vessel that one travels, you look at the initial port of embarkation, and the final port of disembarkation, and use that to determine the transportation that is provided by that vessel. In this case, you would be transported from San Diego, California, to Seward, Alaska. If the vessel is American flagged, then the transportation from San Diego to Seward would be lawful. However, there are very few American flagged passenger vessels, so this would probably not be the case. If the vessel is American flagged, then the transportation from San Diego to Seward would be lawful only if both you and the vessel visited, enroute, a "distant" foreign port. Canada is not deemed to be "distant," so there would have to be some other foreign port visited. If the vessel were to visit, say, Kiribati or Russia, then those being "distant" foreign ports, the transportation from San Diego to Seward would be lawful. However, there are very few itineraries that visit such "distant" foreign ports, so this would probably not be the case. Thus, the answer to your question is "probably yes," a violation of the PVSA, though not necessarily so in very unusual circumstances. If transportation is desired from San Diego to Seward is desired, then best to do so other than with a single vessel. For example, one could travel from San Diego to Vancouver by railroad (Amtrak provides such service), or by sea using a different vessel (even if operated by the same carrier); then continue from Vancouver to Seward on the vessels now being considered. Were you to book a violative itinerary, whether notoriously or deceptively (as in making two separate reservations), the carrier should, and probably will, notice the violation and not permit the reservation to stand. And if you don't cancel of the segments yourself, the carrier will do so for you and refuse to provide the transportation.

The first day of a pre-cruise tour consists of travel between the Fairbanks airport and the hotel in Fairbanks, meet up with tour guide, and sleep. On your own you could explore Fairbanks and/or eat. If you fly to Fairbanks on the scheduled first day, then everything else will be scheduled to follow. Should your travel plans into Fairbanks get disrupted, and you don't actually arrive in Fairbanks until the day after the originally-scheduled day, then, depending on exactly which tour you have booked, you would miss either the Chena River cruise and sightseeing in Fairbanks, but you would otherwise "catch-up" in Fairbanks (tour 8B) or the Chena River cruise and transfer to Denali, and would need to arrange ground transportation to "catch-up" in Denali (tour 7B). It would be up to you to assess the probability of your travel plans into Fairbanks getting disrupted, and the value of the activities missed in the event that your travel plans into Fairbanks actually do get disrupted. If your assessed probability and value of activities are both too high, then plan to arrive a day in advance, and pay for an additional hotel night. Be forewarned, however, that you might not find a lot do with the additional day in Fairbanks. Booking airline travel is a gamble for nearly all major U.S. destinations, Fairbanks included. But when making such arrangements, do review the fares both (1) through from your origin to Fairbanks, and (2) from your origin to Anchorage, plus Anchorage to Fairbanks. Absent any recent changes to policies and procedures, you will be able to tag your baggage pieces separately, some that will be delivered to your land tour hotels every evening, and others that will remain on the bus and only get delivered to your stateroom. If you err, and need something from the baggage that remains on the bus, you might be able to arrange with the driver to retrieve that baggage (though possibly not if the stateroom baggage gets sent ahead by truck). The portion of the ticket contract relating to baggage limits, section 3(a), does impose limitations on the contents of baggage but does not explicitly impose any limit on the quantity of baggage. You will be visiting parks and other natural sights where outdoor clothing will be appropriate. Otherwise, you would want to dress as you usually do when traveling leisurely by railroad or motorcoach. My suggestion is to dress well enough that you will not mind being in photographs taken by others. If you plan to attend Mass on Sunday, eat at fine restaurants, visit business offices or court houses, or simply prefer dressing up in the evening, only then might you want to plan accordingly.

When the "F" streetcar line was installed along Market Street and the Embarcadero, it replaced two bus routes (8-Market and 32-Embarcadero). Since then, other overlapping bus routes continue to operate along portions of Market Street, but there are no other overlapping bus routes that continue operating along any substantial portion of the Embarcadero. In other words, there is no alternative Muni service along the Embarcadero, other than the "F" line. If you do not want to ride on a streetcar--for whatever reason--then best to forgo public transportation and find some other means of getting to Market Street (e.g., walk, taxi). (Actually, the above is not entirely true. Since the start of the pandemic, Golden Gate Transit permits passengers to travel within the city of San Francisco. See http://www.goldengate.org/golden-gate-transit-helps-muni-customers-during-service-reduction During weekday morning rush hours only, Golden Gate Transit bus routes 114, 132, 154, and 172, stop on the Embarcadero, just north of Bay Street, not far from the cruise vessel pier, and then continue south on Battery Street south to Market Street and the Montgomery Street BART station. The fare for this service is $5.00. But this is an awkward journey, not available outside the morning rush hours, and much less convenient than the regular streetcar along the Embarcadero. I would not recommend this alternative.)

I am a railway enthusiast, so my choice would be the White Pass & Yukon Railway. But you might not share my interest, and if not, then my choice is really irrelevant. Moreover, I have often criticized the practice of many tourist organizations, and even travelers themselves, that something is a "must see." Elsewhere, in San Francisco, I have an attraction to the cable-drawn street railways arising out of my particular interest in both the technology and effect of that technology on the transportation systems and urban development. In other words, I have an understanding supporting my particular interest. However, when I look at the passengers on those cable cars, most seem to be ignorant and riding only because they were told to do so, that the cars are a "must see." The practice has resulted in the tourism industry destroying the cable car system, removing the cars from being a part of the city's transportation system into being a Disneyland ride. In Skagway I see many of the same characteristics. Most of the passengers of the White Pass & Yukon Route are riding because they were told to do so, but are otherwise largely ignorant of the transportation technology and the development of this part of Alaska. The tourist industry has turned what once was an important part of the region's transportation system (before 1978 there was not even a highway connecting Skagway with Whitehorse, and the railroad was a necessity) into a Disneyland ride. This only been exacerbated with the railroad's acquisition by Carnival Corp. as such an amusement. True, both in San Francisco and in Alaska there were times when these transportation systems were threatened with discontinuance on economic grounds (the San Francisco cable cars in the late 1940s and early 1950s; the White Pass & Yukon Route in the mid 1980s). Arguably, the tourism industry provided the economic oomph that saved both transportation systems from oblivion. So there is some value to having tourists--even if ignorant--to provide the necessary economic support. So I have mixed emotions, at times deriding the pesky tourists and the "must see" promotions, and at other times thankful that the systems remain running because of those tourists. I don't think that the White Pass & Yukon Route is a "must see." If you like trains, take a trip. Perhaps it might make you a rail enthusiast and get accepted as a member of that club. But if you have no particular interest in sitting in a passenger car, or of scurrying about the train to take that perfect railway photograph, then give it a pass. Listen to your self, not to others.

No need to check baggage. A straightforward walk, but do print out a map in advance so that you can be certain as to how you're walking. The closest docking position is about 15 minutes walking, but other positions could take a bit longer.

What a great video . . . it truly illustrates the engineering marvel that is the Canal de Panamá. With the same type of focus and attention to detail I am certain that you will be able to do the best video possible of the journey between Seward and Anchorage. Alas, the equipment used does not have the type of forward-looking experience that you so ably captured in Panamá (a Vista Dome car is ideal, but such cars are not used in the charter train).

BART, from Castro Valley to San Francisco-Embarcadero, is fairly straightforward and addresses the substantial (and potentially otherwise expensive) portion of the journey. You can deal with the relatively short distance between the Embarcadero station and the pier separately. Many people--including those who are elderly but otherwise in good physical condition--walk. Some people might use Muni--so long as one can manage one's own luggage with ease on public transportation. Otherwise taxi or TNC (Lyft, Uber) service can fill in this segment easily . . . this local fare would not be very much.

A downside to traveling in the Wilderness Express and the Holland America Princess cars is that one is stuck in a single car (with the sun beating down unobstructed) for the entire duration of the journey. When traveling in the Alaska Railroad cars--even its "GoldStar" cars--one is free to travel the entire train. Since my preference is a Vista Dome car (as opposed to an Ultra Dome car), this is all the more reason, in my book, to go with Alaska Railroad cars.

From the description provided by NCL, it appears that it sends its passengers on Alaska Railroad railcars. This makes sense given the history of the Wilderness Express cars, operated by Premier Alaska Tours, having been associated with a competitor of NCL, Royal Caribbean Cruises. However, I cannot speak from experience. You appear to be aware already that the Alaska Railroad "Denali Star" and the "Wilderness Express" are combined into a single consist, and that operations (and sightseeing) will be identical, with the primary differences being minor distinctions in Ultra Dome car configuration, quality of onboard service provided (e.g., meals included or not), and access to other cars in the consist.

Excellent YouTube . . . the videographer did a nice walk-through, something that most rail enthusiasts appreciate (too many tourists only take pictures of the scenery and ignore the train itself!). I should also correct a prior post. There are four passenger coaches 551 through 554, used for the charter train that were previously reconstructed in 1999 for the Florida Fun Train (and were originally Canadian National cars built in the late 1950s), and which have 76 seats. But there are also three more cars, more recently constructed new by Colorado Railcar in 2006, coaches 555 through 557, each having 68 seats, and which I omitted previously. Indeed, the person taking the video here had a ticket marked for coach 557, one of the newer railcars, and the train he inspected had five coaches in passenger service.

I would expect that this is a cruise involving a necessary repositioning of the vessel from Asia to North America. In that case, the vessel would need to travel from *some* port in Asia to Seward, Alaska. If Japan will have not acted timely, then I would expect that the cruise will simply operate from some other port in Asia, for a transpacific sailing, rather than allowing the vessel to deadhead across the ocean without passengers. It is hard to imagine Japan not getting its act together before then, but worst case scenario I would anticipate the cruise originating in some port in Asia other than Osaka.

When chartered trains operate to and from Whittier, it is my understanding that, (1) on Saturdays and alternate Wednesdays when Princess Cruises vessels are in port, the trains operate to and from McKinley station (near Talkeetna), and (2) on Sundays when Holland America Line vessels are in port, the trains operate to and from the downtown Anchorage station. In other words, airport station service is provided only to and from Seward, not to and from Whittier.

There's arguments on both sides. True, it is early in the season. But Alaska is populated year-round. Also, the Federal Transit Administration provides subsidies to the Alaska Railroad for the purpose of providing basic public transportation services. That should mean year-round service, and while the Alaska Railroad does operate passenger trains year-round between Anchorage and Fairbanks, it is not doing the same between Anchorage and Seward. (Interestingly, there is no year-round scheduled bus service between Anchorage and Fairbanks, but there is year-round scheduled bus service between Anchorage and Seward.) In the end, it is a political issue, the railroad being owned and operated by the state government and having the obligation of being accountable to the Alaska electorate.