White Pass Railway - boarding time

[decrepit old man]

If I book tickets through my cruise line for 1:00pm does that mean the train departs at 1pm or I should arrive at the boarding location at 1pm? My ship will be at Ore dock if that matters.

Edited May 20, 2023 by decrepit old man

[Ferry_Watcher]

Detailed information should be waiting for you in your stateroom when you board.

 

We booked a 12:30 pm private White Pass Train excursion and we were told to meet up at that time.  The train that we were on departed about an hour after that.

[david,Mississauga]

I have taken the railway twice and the time given was the time of departure of the train. I have booked it again for next month and the time of the departure is what we have. As indicated above, the cruise line will give you information  about disembarking the ship.

 

If your ship is docked at the Railroad Dock it may take some time to get to the train because passengers have to  take either a shuttle bus or a tender to get to the town end of the dock.

[Octavias]

5 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

I have taken the railway twice and the time given was the time of departure of the train. I have booked it again for next month and the time of the departure is what we have. As indicated above, the cruise line will give you information  about disembarking the ship.

 

If your ship is docked at the Railroad Dock it may take some time to get to the train because passengers have to  take either a shuttle bus or a tender to get to the town end of the dock.

I’m in the research stage of booking this excursion.  I talked to the rail directly and they told me if I book with the cruise ship, I’ll board the train right at the dock (because the cruise lines charter their own trains) but if I book with the rail company directly, it’s about a 3/4 mile walk to the train station to board a different train.  
im just now figuring out that there was a mud or rock slide in Skagway and I think it is effecting things as well but I’m not sure how. 

[Essiesmom]

The rock slide was last year and disabled one end of the railroad dock.  So one fewer large ship can dock at a time.  EM

[david,Mississauga]

Although some cruise lines have cancelled the originally scheduled call at Skagway, it is still busy. There are often two ships at the Railroad Dock as well as one each at the Broadway and Ore docks.

 

https://claalaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SKG-Skagway-2023.pdf

 

Postings on Cruise Critic and another site indicate that passengers from the ship at the aft end of Railroad Dock are taken by shuttle bus to the town end of the dock where the train will be. Those from the ship at the forward end of that pier are using tenders. Passengers are, in theory, prohibited from walking along that pier but there have been a few postings saying at certain times of day (usually in early morning) some people have been able to walk.

 

In a little over a month I will be in Skagway. The Queen Elizabeth is the only ship at Railroad Dock that day and will be at the aft end.  I am pleased with that.

 

Reports indicate that the situation is normal at the Broadway and Ore docks. From my recollection last year, the trains back up to the head of the pier so it is a short walk from the ship.   I remember when the train came right down the forward end of Railroad Dock and entrained and detrained passengers right at the gangway of the ship. On my cruises in 2019 and early 2022 that was no longer the case.