GTJ

I don't think that Via Rail Canada has done a very good job generally with checked baggage service in the Québec-Windsor corridor, and it has long been sporadic. Amtrak suffers as well in its Boston-Washington corridor, but a number of intercity trains operating along the corridor with baggage cars picks up much of the slack from regional trains with no such cars. Unfortunately, the Via Rail Canada corridor does not really have any overlapping intercity trains with baggage cars. (Indeed, one of the problems is that connections to and from the Canadian at Toronto, and the Ocean at Montréal, are hampered, both as to checking baggage and temporally.) I have never seen the carry-on baggage issue to be a substantial operating concern, and it is easy to bring on and take off carry-on baggage . . . and with little relevance as to baggage weight but for the passenger carrying his or her own baggage. It seems to me that the $40 charge for excess is mostly a way for Via Rail Canada to squeeze dollars from passengers without really providing any service. Moreover, it has the opportunity to create unnecessary conflict between staff and passengers, all to the detriment of the railroad.

The Alaska Railroad purchased a set of railcars specifically for charter purposes (these cars were formerly used on the Florida Fun Train), and while it would be most efficient to utilize all the railcars to capacity, the railroad could operate fewer than the entire train set. Presumably its charter cost would be less for fewer cars. More specifically, there are four coaches in this train set, numbered 551 through 554. Each coach seats up to 76 passengers. With all four cars in service, there would be 304 passenger seats. If there were "only" 250 passengers seeking transportation on a train with a maximum capacity of 304 passengers (or 82 percent occupancy), the cost would likely not be extortionate. For a variety of reasons a charter contract could fail. But even in that case it would be extraordinarily poor service for the cruise line not to arrange for charter buses and to leave all of its passengers stranded in Seward with no transportation.

The only train operating from Québec that provides checked baggage service is the final train of the day, no. 29, departing at 5:45 p.m. So if one desires to utilize checked baggage service, there would be plenty of time to get from the vessel to the Gare du Palais. But would one really need to check any baggage? Allowed carry-on are one personal item up to 25 lbs., one large or two small items up to 50 lbs. total (or two large items up to 50 lbs. each for business class). Free checked baggage allowance, in addition to carry-on. is two large items up to 50 lbs. each. Additional large items are charged at CAD 40 each.

Both Rocky Mountaineer and Via Rail Canada are overpriced, though not necessarily unaffordable. To make it more concrete, here is some full fare pricing for summer 2023 for two persons traveling together. One-way between Vancouver and Jasper or Banff, via Rocky Mountaineer, inclusive of one-night hotel in Kamloops, is CAD 2856 Silverleaf service, CAD 3866 Goldleaf service. One-way between Vancouver and Jasper, via Via Rail Canada, is CAD 3194 full fare with bedroom, CAD 2096 discounted fare with bedroom, CAD 1959 full fare with section, CAD 1287 discounted fare with section, CAD 610 full fare coach, CAD 384 mid-discount coach, CAD 342 lowest fare coach. One-way between Vancouver and Jasper, via eBus, is CAD 363 coach plus separate cost of one-night hotel in Kamloops. One-way between Vancouver and Banff, via Rider Express, is CAD 324, one day journey no hotel required.

There are generally two types of transportation: scheduled service and chartered service. Scheduled service operates on a regular timetable, and is advertised so that anyone can purchase transportation from the carrier. Chartered service operates outside of regularly scheduled service, according to the demands of the persons who are arranging the transportation, and is available only to those individuals specified by the persons arranging the transportation. It should be noted as well that, when there is a large movement of people, such as the passengers traveling to or from a cruise vessel, the organizer of the movement almost always will arrange for charter service, and only rarely will rely on scheduled service. This is not only out of the temporal concerns of the movement organizer, but also out of the concern of scheduled service operators that such a movement would overwhelm their capacity to provide scheduled service to the public. The Alaska Railroad and several bus companies operate both scheduled service and chartered service. Your investigation of scheduled service, by both the Alaska Railroad and the several bus companies is accurate: their timetables do not begin until a few days after your planned arrival in Seward. However, given that Silversea Cruises is offering a transfer by railroad on your planned arrival date, it is reasonable to conclude that Silversea Cruises arranged charter service with the railroad. That service would not be on the timetable, and would not be available to the general public, but would be available to those individuals specified by Silversea Cruises: its passengers arriving from Osaka. Even if Silversea Cruises were unable to arrange for charter service for its passengers with Alaska Railroad, it could also arrange for charter service from a bus company (the company typically makes such arrangements with a company known as Premier Alaska Tours, the same company that operates the "Park Connection" scheduled service that you likely found). The chartered trains generally depart Seward in the morning, after the arrival of the vessel operated by the cruise line that has arranged for the chartered service, and usually transports the cruise line passengers to the airport in Anchorage. In contrast, the scheduled train does not depart Seward until the late afternoon. So yes, the cruise line and the railroad (or the bus company) do communicate. The published timetables of the Alaska Railroad and the several bus companies have no bearing on the chartered service arranged by Silversea Cruises.

While there may be some pre-arranged self-drive packages available. my impression is that most persons doing so utilize a one-way vehicle rental plus hotels that they, or their travel agents, have booked in advance. The practice of searching for a hotel on the day of travel has largely disappeared in North America, though it has not completely disappeared. In particular, the practice is good when one does not know in advance how far one might travel, particularly if one might be spontaneous in stopping along the way. As to directions, they are simple: From Vancouver, travel the Trans Canada Highway eastward to Calgary (or vice versa westbound). Might it be that you're seeking a guidebook that also points out various points-of-interest along the way, identifying their locations and, if need be, directions off, and back onto, the TCH?

Why?

The railcars owned by Holland America Princess, Ultra Dome bilevel cars manufactured by Colorado Railcar, are also owned by other railroads as well for their first class services, viz. Alaska Railroad, Wilderness Express, and Rocky Mountaineer. There are, of course, some differences in each configuration, and in the case of Rocky Mountaineer it has received some newer versions of these Ultra Dome cars manufactured by Stadler Rail. But there's not a lot of difference, and most likely not enough difference in their configurations upon which to decide between either Denali or the Rocky Mountains. It should also be noted that while the Ultra Dome cars owned by Holland America Princess do operate between the port (in Whittier) and Fairbanks, they only carry passengers as far as Denali, and deadhead without passengers between Denali and Fairbanks. Ultra Dome cars are operated to Fairbanks in revenue passenger service only by Alaska Railroad and Wilderness Express, but originate, at their southern end, at Anchorage, not at any cruise line port. Another note: Rocky Mountaineer is not a cruise line, but is exclusively a railroad. Cruise lines have various marketing agreements with railroads, including Rocky Mountaineer, and may sell their tickets as part of a package, but they are separate. Even if a particular cruise line does not have a marketing agreement, passengers can, of course, make their own railroad arrangements. Only in the case of Holland America Princess do the cruise lines have actual, albeit indirect, ownership of the railcars. Both Holland America Line and Princess Cruises are corporate subsidiaries of Carnival Corporation, the latter also being the owner of the Ultra Dome railcars operating between Whittier, Denali, and intermediate points.

Not necessarily. A one-way trip could operate begin or end in Ensenada (or points south thereof) as well. Or such service could be provided by an America flag vessel, such as NCL's Pride of America. Yet, as far as I am aware, no lines are doing so. The availability of one-way trips is important for people unable or unwilling to fly, yet today there are very such trips available. This makes is particularly difficult for individuals who might desire to have a Hawaiian holiday involving, say, a one-week stay in the state before returning to the mainland. For the 2023 season, all the one-way trips to Hawai'i operate August through October, and the return trips from Hawai'i all operate in April and May. Otherwise, a person would have to make a partial trip, perhaps an itinerary between southern California and Hawai'i that makes a stop in Ensenada, with the partial trip passenger boarding or alighting in Ensenada.

For the relatively short trip between Québec and Montréal there are several trains daily, operated by Via Rail Canada, and several buses daily, operated by Orléans Express. However, the arrival and departure times of the Adirondack in Montréal can sometimes make it challenging to arrange a same-day connection there, and an overnight stay in Montréal would likely be required. There are buses from Montréal to New York, operated by both Greyhound Lines and Adirondack Trailways, that could be used with a same-day connection in Montréal, though the length of the journey might discourage some from utilizing this option.

I would characterize the train services provided by Rocky Mountaineer as unduly expensive, rather than prohibitively expensive, though this might be a matter of semantics. There are actually three train services offered by Rocky Mountaineer in Canada (with additional service in the United States), each of which operates during the daytime and provides hotel accommodation at night. Two of the routes involve two days travel and one overnight, while one route involves three days travel and two overnights. Travel on each train can be purchased as "rail only" (though inclusive of the hotel accommodation) between the endpoints of Vancouver and either Banff or Jasper, or can be purchased as part of a package that includes additional non-rail features. Fare includes passage on modern or modernized railcar, including all services. The service might be compared to Via Rail Canada, which operates a single train over one of the same routes as Rocky Mountaineer; the Via Rail uses classic 1950s railcars, travels 24 hours daily (no hotel overnights), so some scenery is missed during night time travel, a lower, but certainly sufficient and comfortable, level of service, and generally lower fares. A Rocky Mountaineer trip might include a stay in Banff National Park (at Banff, Lake Louise, and/or Jasper), either as part of a package or purchased separately, and certainly the park is spectacular. "Denali," I assume, means travel to and from the American national park by railroad. Similarly, there are choices among operators of trains to the park, with Holland America-Princess and Wilderness Express both offering modern cars very similar to those offered by Rocky Mountaineer, and Alaska Railroad offering both cars similar to those offered by both Rocky Mountaineer and Via Rail Canada. Generally, the lowest fares would be offered by Alaska Railroad. All travel is daytime only, and any overnights one may have would be at a hotel. Again, service might be "rail only" or purchased with a package that includes additional services. The scenery again is spectacular, though distinct from that in the Rocky Mountains. Of course, both Banff National Park and Denali National Park can be reached by means other than railroad. There are bus services to both (use Rider Express to Banff, eBus to Jasper, or Park Connection to Denali); and as has been suggested, one could travel by rental vehicle, car or motorhome, if you're capable of driving yourselves. Both trips, Rocky Mountaineer and Denali, can be adventurous or sedate. All trains are accessible to persons with disabilities, though Via Rail Canada would pose some limitations to wheelchair users given the age and design of their cars. Persons with mobility issues would get significant enjoyment from all options. It is difficult to prioritize one set of choices over the other. One factor that might be considered is that the Denali trip is a bit more remote than the Rocky Mountaineer trip, so if there is the possibility of returning to North America at some later date, it could easier scheduling in a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer service at that later date (i.e., go to Denali on this trip, as it would be more challenging to schedule on a subsequent trip to North America).

You're referring to an itinerary that is a round-trip between Seattle and Nome. No doubt it will be an interesting--if not "amazing"--journey. However, it is not unique. Each year there are a handful of itineraries that voyage to Nome, some of which then continue to or from the Northwest Passage. What is less common is being able to easily travel round-trip to Nome, and for that reason the Holland-America Line itinerary is a distinct cruise itinerary. Hurtigruten also offers round-trips to Nome, as back-to-back one-ways trips to and from Nome. In 2023 the vessel Roald Amundsen will do so out of Vancouver on July 3 (31 nights). Also, on August 3 one could travel on the Roald Amundsen for 16 nights, arriving in Nome on August 19, before the vessel continues on its way through the Northwest Passage, connecting in Nome with the Hurtigruten vessel Fridtjof Nansen, coming from the Northwest Passage, and departing Nome on September 7 (16 nights) back to Vancouver.

No. Capital Transit (not Capitol Transit) is the government-operated public transportation system for Juneau. It operates standard local transit buses. Most trips depart from the downtown transit center, which is very close to, and north of, the closet berth in the cruise vessel port, though some berths are more distant. The bus ride is about one hour in duration. A short half-hour walk is required from the destination bus stop to the glacier visitor area. Its fare is $2.00 each way, or $4.00 total for a round-trip to and from the glacier visitor area bus stop. Blue Bus Glacier Express is the name of a bus tour operated by M&M Tours Limited, a private company. It operates modified school buses marked "The Blue Bus." All trips depart from the cruise vessel port itself. The bus ride is about 30 minutes in duration. This bus tour provides service directly to the glacier visitor area, along with driver commentary enroute. Its fare is $45.00, and includes the $5.00 admission fee to the glacier visitor area; the local 5 percent sales tax is added to the fare. Although the M&M Tours Limited fare is ten times more expensive than the Capital Transit fare, the extra cost obviates the need for navigating to the downtown transit center, saves half and hour in travel time and the half-hour walk each way to and from the glacier visitor area, offers some commentary, and overall provides more hand-holding for visitors that may be more comfortable for visitors who prefer traveling with other cruise line passengers (as opposed to the local population that dominates on the city's public transportation system). The Capital Transit option is best for persons who are independent, conscious of their spending, and/or dislike being on the "tourist circuit" and prefer blending in.

That is an important, even if uncommon, concern. The implementing regulations for the ADA were good for requiring wheelchair accessible transportation that would serve people with disabilities in most cases. There is a TLC page with video that describes accessible taxi service generally, including the accessible dispatch service, available here: http://www.nyc.gov/site/tlc/about/accessible-dispatch.page. Additionally, the TLC has a useful taxi driver training video that shows how taxis are equipped to transport passengers with disabilities, available here https://youtu.be/NbqVW5xjwT0, and this video may be useful in ascertaining whether an accessible taxi will be able to provide service to a particular individual. But given that the adaptations for various types of disabilities differ, and the capabilities of each individual also differ, not all persons with disabilities can use use standard accessible transportation, including accessible taxis. The ADA and its implementing regulations recognize that concern, and so there are also provisions for complementary paratransit service for persons unable to use standard accessible transportation. In the case of New York City, that complementary paratransit service is known as "Access-A-Ride," and it utilizes accessible wheelchair lift-equipped vans (and other vehicles) to transport persons with disabilities unable to use conventional, even if "accessible," transportation. http://new.mta.info/accessibility/paratransit Fare is a standard transit fare (currently $2.75), and a single "guest" may also ride with the person with a disability. There is no limitation on trip purpose (so transfers between Pennsylvania Station and the Manhattan Cruise Terminal are fine), but advance arrangement is required. Persons from outside of New York City can utilize their hometown paratransit eligibility card (details are provided here: http://new.mta.info/accessibility/paratransit/how-to-apply-or-recertify-for-access-a-ride). Because of the limitation on the number of guests permitted to accompany an Access-A-Ride passenger, in this situation it would be necessary to split the family into two vehicles. First, one adult and the child with disability to travel in the accessible Access-A-Ride van; and second, one adult and the other child in a yellow taxi. If it is critical that all four persons travel together in an accessible van, then it does become necessary to use an ambulette service. This could be difficult, however, because ambulette services anticipate an unaccompanied person with disability, perhaps with one guest, and not to transport entire families including all of their vacation baggage . . . they don't typically provide taxi-like service. It could require much effort arranging this type of service, and likely significant cost. Hopefully this additional information will be helpful in ascertaining whether accessible taxi service can be used, and some of the alternatives if needed.

I have represented a private ambulette service. There can sometimes be unreliability, though my client has usually been on top of things. But the cost is so high. That might be okay when Medicaid is paying, but out of pocket the cost is tough to swallow. Yellow taxi, with accessible mini-van(s), is probably the best service for this (very) short trip.

The advice here on red cap service plus accessible mini-van taxi service is exactly what I was thinking while reading the initial inquiry. Very good advice provided. By using a red cap you should be be able to benefit from his or her ability to navigate among the waiting taxis to get you all into one meeting your needs. At an extreme, if baggage is so much as not to fit within a single taxi, then split the family into two taxis, one adult and child in each. The fare should only be a few dollars, so even with two taxis the fare will not be great. In contrast, relying on Carmel for a van to travel but a few blocks, for $150, would be an outrage, imposing such an excessive cost that is contrary to everything that the ADA was intended to remedy. Regular accessible mini-van taxi is almost certainly going to be the best choice here.

You can travel by Capital Transit nearly out to the glacier, but there is a moderate walk involved from the bus stop (fortunately, the walk is reasonably safe, and many people do the stroll. If you have not already done so, view the very good and detailed guidance provided by Capital Transit on its website: http://www.juneaucapitaltransit.org/glacier.

Yes. Regular line service has been provided for many years with a service known as "Park Connection." This service, brokered by Alaska Tour & Travel and operated by Premier Alaska Tours, operates twice daily in the summer. Alaska Cruise Transportation is the leading independent operator of motorcoach services between Anchorage and the ports in Whittier and Seward on the days vessels are in port. The company has sought to expand its service to include regular line service between Anchorage and Seward, on a daily basis, but i am not certain how that is working out for the company. Finally, there is Seward Bus Line, which operates year-round, though its reviews have been less the stellar for its quality of service. In addition, Alaska Railroad operates a daily train service connecting Anchorage with Seward, with an additional (second) train on days vessels are in port.

Fisherman's Wharf is useful to the extent that it works to get the tourists out of the way of everyone else. That said, there is some (limited) authenticity to the area: The Hyde Street pier had been the route of U.S. 101 for ferries northward before the bridge was built; at present the steam ferry vessel Eureka (formerly Ukiah) is laid up there, and it, along with other historic vessels, is worth a visit. For rail enthusiasts, the Jones Street terminal, between Beach Street and Jefferson Street, can be a good location from which to photograph the various streetcars as they stand at the terminal. Certain ferries depart from Pier 41. In short, for persons interested in transportation, there are a few things of interest. But otherwise, there's little reason to go there . . . it is just an awful place to be.

There are pluses and minuses to each of taxi and TNC services. Cities tend to regulate taxis more heavily, so there is frequently greater recourse with taxi service. On the other hand, taxis had for a long time been less responsive, and TNCs shook up the business with innovation. I generally favor bus service over both taxi and TNC, in part because bus drivers tend to be the best trained and most professional of all.

They're sales people, so they don't know much: their job is to get money from people. You really want to speak with operations people. But from a more general sense, if Princess is advertising forward-facing staterooms with balconies as an amenity, and there is nothing obvious or inherent about balconies not being usable other than while being in port, then it is reasonable that a passenger would expect to use the amenity at times other than while being in port. To sell a service as having an amenity, with the inclusion of the amenity adding to the cost of the service, and to be a motivating fact in purchasing the service, could amount to consumer fraud.

All of these are higher quality than the mass market lines you've sailed before, with Seabourn the highest quality. Viking is distinct and generally gets very good reviews, while Silversea is likely to be closest to the mass market experience, though still higher quality. You may also be influenced by the owners of the respective lines: Seabourn is owned by Carnival, Silversea is owned by Royal Caribbean, and Viking is independent. I would also add to your list Regent Seven Seas Cruises (owned by Norwegian) and Windstar Cruises (owned by Xanterra . . . which operates National Park hotels and the Grand Canyon Railway). A critical element that is missing from your requirements is whether you're looking for a round-trip cruise from Seattle or Vancouver, or a one-way cruise between Vancouver and either Whittier or Seward. (There are also some more exotic cruises that go beyond, such as to the Aleutian Islands and Nome, but those cruises would likely exceed your maximum number of days.) Another important element to consider is whether you're looking for a large vessel, which would likely be luxurious, or a small vessel, which is more intimate and personal, though lacking in casino. Both categories are high end, at least in terms of cost. If your goal is to impress, I would suggest Seabourn. If you're looking for interesting itineraries, I would suggest Windstar. If you're looking affordable and quality luxury, I would suggest Viking.

The cheapest alternative is bus, at $2.25 per person. SamTrans route 292 provides regular service from the airport to several stops along Mission Street in downtown San Francisco, a few blocks from Union Square, with a travel time of about one hour. Whether bus travel meets travel expectation is another matter . . . . http://www.samtrans.com/media/23882

I am not quite certain what the larger plan might be. Is it that you'll be in Anchorage with a desire to travel round-trip to Seward, for sightseeing purposes? Is it that you'll be in Anchorage with a desire to travel one-way to Seward, for the purpose of embarking on a cruise vessel at that port? Or maybe something else? This issue would likely have a significant effect on the practicability using a rental automobile. Otherwise, there are bus and rail options, as well as hiring a car, for the journey. On days when vessels are in port in Seward, the bus may include sightseeing as an option to an otherwise direct transfer. The railroad is generally considered to be a more scenic route than the highway, though more expensive than bus travel. Overall, there is no singularly "best" way for travel between Anchorage and Seward.

All may be okay because the railroad, itself, may not be sure of what it is doing! 🙂 Its 2023 timetables are not yet fully published. And even when the railroad has published its timetables in years past, they have been a bit sloppy (meaning that the times advertised on the website may be approximated, and the operating details a bit scant--compared to the precision that would ordinarily be in the employee timetable and train orders--likely as the railroad's efforts not to confuse the majority of their passengers who might not regularly travel by railroad or be intimidated by railroad operating details). I wish the railroad would do better with its website (just as I wish most other North American passenger railroads would do better), but with the railroad now having common ownership with Carnival Corp., I am not particularly optimistic.