Skagway - No Train, Only Bus - Chilkoot White Pass & Yukon

[Gramma of Boys]

Your update is correct.  The train will be running, but only to the summit and back.  No one will be able to get off of the train.  We had a bus/train combo excursion booked with Princess, but since we've done the train trip in the past, we opted to cancel that and go with a bus only trip.  That way we can go into Canada.

 

[Turangi!]

We did the train in 1982 on our honeymoon from Whitehorse to Skagway and it was spectacular.  Disappointed that we can’t go to Carcross on the train as planned for our 40th Anniversary with Chilkoot but still highly recommend doing the White Pass and Yukon Route to anyone undecided.

 

 Chilkoot has transfered our reservation to their White Pass Roundtrip and the City Tour and refunded the difference promptly. I can see the reasoning behind the White Pass & Yukon Route, trying to juggle thousands of tourists through Canadian customs for a few hours and think they decided to just keep it simple this year than to risks delays and unhappy customers.  As I told Stacy at Chilkoot, “it is what it is” and she thanked us for staying with their company for the shorter tour. I said we would be back for our 50th!

[jerseygirl629]

7 hours ago, mamallama123 said:

I am on Quantum in August. Have you been notified that an excursion that you booked through RC has been cancelled? We booked just the White Pass train, no bus portion and I am wondering if ours will be cancelled. It is still showing up on my account right now.

We didn’t book through RCL, we booked through Chilkoot (bus and train) because initially the bus and train excursion through RCL was sold out. After it got canceled, I tried booking just the train through RCL but everything is currently unbookable. I ended up getting train only through Alaska Shore Excursions instead. 

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

Train only also appears to be bookable through the White Pass Railway official website.  I thought about keeping my Princess excursion and simultaneously booking directly with the railroad but decided against it b/c the Princess excursion really looks like a no go (it was a combo bus up / train down tour).  I also decided to book through Princess b/c it's my first time in Skagway and I want to board the train right at the dock.

[oufpat]

On 4/7/2022 at 11:43 AM, Gramma of Boys said:

My husband and I are booked for the "Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic Railway" excursion through Princess.  We've gotten no notification about the tour and it's still showing up as an available excursion on the PCL web site.  Is Princess just not caught up on this?

 

My husband and I are also booked on this cruise for May 28. I spoke to a Princess rep today and she assured me that this excursion is still on for those booked with Princess. Now the question is, do I believe the rep or should I cancel the excursion and book something else?

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

oufpat, that sounds like exactly the one I was booked on.  If this turns out to be still on for real I think I might book it again, as I'm also with Princess.  I was disappointed to not be able to do all the things and only the train.  There are bus tours only, with companies like Chilkoot Charters, but they aren't timed so that I could also do the train.

[JT1962]

9 hours ago, oufpat said:

My husband and I are also booked on this cruise for May 28. I spoke to a Princess rep today and she assured me that this excursion is still on for those booked with Princess. Now the question is, do I believe the rep or should I cancel the excursion and book something else?

Do not believe the Princess rep. There is only one company that operates the trains and they are not doing any tours that cross the border. Any tour that includes transferring between the bus / train in Canada will not operate (unless they change their current plans). 
 

https://wpyr.com/updates/

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by JT1962

[newbie1900]

That was the one I was booked on. I canceled because the other choices were limited. Would rather have something for sure than nothing later.  I didn't want to risk it.  

[Gramma of Boys]

2 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Do not believe the Princess rep.

I agree with that.  Any time I have spoken to anyone at Princess regarding excursions, it appears that they are looking at the same thing we see online.  It doesn't seem like they have any info other than what we can read for ourselves.  We cancelled our bus/train combo also and booked just the bus (already done the train).  I was afraid that if we waited for Princess to update that we may lose out.

[ojaidenny]

21 hours ago, Cali Viajera said:

We were booked with Chilkoot for the bus up/train down tour. We changed it to the City tour and round trip train to White Pass. We hoped to go to Canada, but are glad to experience the train at least.

We were looking forward to the bus trip back with stop for lunch etc. but also re-booked the city tour and train. 

[mpdog42]

On 4/9/2022 at 6:10 PM, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

mpdog42, I'm also with Princess and also have heard nothing.  I've. been checking several times a day and they are still offering all the tours that I think are now going to be canceled or modified.  I'm thinking I'll cancel and book only the train, although I hate to do that b/c I wanted both parts.  I don't know if Princess will offer a bus only part that is short enough where I could also do the train later.

Contacted my CC today, She ask about this in the morning meeting and called me back..She stated that

the Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic Railway is still on...

[Tiggerontheseas]

4 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

Contacted my CC today, She ask about this in the morning meeting and called me back..She stated that

the Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic Railway is still on...

 

I don’t understand Princess' position on this.  That trip can’t happen.  We also had it booked but cancelled it and booked the round trip summit train trip.  If I'm wrong,  I'll still be happy with my decision because the train is important to me and I don't want to risk being shut out.  

 

[Gramma of Boys]

11 hours ago, Tiggerontheseas said:

the Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic Railway is still on...

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

[2inSETexas]

11 minutes ago, Gramma of Boys said:

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

Another consideration:  3/4s of this excursion is by bus. It might not be that difficult to just make it all by bus. We booked this excursion for the Yukon and for the train, but if I had to give up one we’d keep the Yukon part.

[newbie1900]

39 minutes ago, Gramma of Boys said:

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

I thought this might be the case also. But I felt better just choosing another excursion. I was felling iffy about the 8 hours to begin with.

[kennystwin]

50 minutes ago, Gramma of Boys said:

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

The train will be turning around at the summit and not entering Canada at all so there is no way to catch the train from the Canadian side. If you take a bus into Canada, you can't take the train back.

[Tiggerontheseas]

1 hour ago, Gramma of Boys said:

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

 

I don't think this would work.  The train itself is not crossing the border so you would not be able to get on the train in Canada and go back to Skagway.   The White Pass Scenic Railway tour website has this excursion listed as not available for the 2022 season.  The only train trip available is the round-trip to the Summit and back.   Going by bus both ways certainly seems to be doable and perhaps Princess is just planning on changing everyone to an excursion that travels by bus both ways?  

[Gramma of Boys]

Just trying to figure out why Princess is still insisting that the bus/train combo trip is going to happen.

 

[Tiggerontheseas]

10 minutes ago, Gramma of Boys said:

Just trying to figure out why Princess is still insisting that the bus/train combo trip is going to happen.

 

 

I know, right?   It makes no sense.   

[mpdog42]

19 hours ago, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

I don’t understand Princess' position on this.  That trip can’t happen.  We also had it booked but cancelled it and booked the round trip summit train trip.  If I'm wrong,  I'll still be happy with my decision because the train is important to me and I don't want to risk being shut out.  

 

I know but what can you do but switch to a different tour...I much more interested in seeing more of the Yukon than the train....

[Torfamm]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:46 PM, Gramma of Boys said:

I'm starting to wonder... that tour may still be a go.  It takes a bus up into the Yukon, does the stuff up there and then takes the train back down.  If you've already taken the bus into Canada and just catch the train to go back maybe that is okay??? It seems that the issue is getting off of the train in Canada, not on.  Or am I off base?

My understanding is that the trains aren’t going to Canada. There won’t be any train to board there

[quack2]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:30 PM, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

I know, right?   It makes no sense.   

 

Holland is also still showing the train into Canada as an option.  There are going to be a lot of disappointed people.

[Tiggerontheseas]

21 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

I know but what can you do but switch to a different tour...I much more interested in seeing more of the Yukon than the train....

 

I'm from the West Coast of Canada and visited the Yukon a couple of times so it's not quite as important to me and I opted for the train.  The Yukon is lovely and I'm sure you’ll have a great trip.   😀 

[Alphen]

9 hours ago, quack2 said:

 

Holland is also still showing the train into Canada as an option.  There are going to be a lot of disappointed people.

This is probably why it is wise to make a switch to an alternative, while they are still available to book ahead of time.

[brisalta]

The Princess tour to Carcross in the past has been by bus to Carcross via Caribou Crossing and then the bus would go to Fraser and from there the passengers  would take the train back to Skagway.

Princess is showing this excursion available for May 4, 2022. Now whether it will really occur in either the old style or a modified form is up in the air.