White Pass Rail in Skagway

[kdakda]

I'd like to do the White Pass Rail excursion and Klondike Highway, but we booked this cruise late, and the only shorter choices on Holland America are: (1) round trip on the train, (2) White Pass Rail, Klondike Highway and Liarsville Gold Camp, and (3) White Pass Rail & Klondike Highway: Multilingual--  you wear headphones. 

The one-way rail and return via bus isn't available.   Booking a shorter excursion is important----  I really do understand that going to the Yukon or Bennett Lake sound phenomenal, but I'm not up for a 6-8 hour excursion.  I know I could get a local excursion to do the train and bus, but it sounds easier if I just board the train at the port.   So........ I could use some guidance, since we're leaving soon.

How far and how difficult is it to get to the train by myself, if I book direct with them and can get the bus also??  Would I get the worst seats---those left after people boarded at the port?

Any thoughts on the Multilingual trip (using headphones)?  This doesn't sound comfortable to me.  Is there a live person who speaks English, so I could skip the headphones?  I'm assuming that information is usually given out over a loudspeaker.

I really don't care about the Gold Camp, and that tour is longer than I'd like, but I'll consider it ------  any feedback on this part of the tour?

Thanks so much!!!    

[Cbtours]

6 hours ago, kdakda said:

I'd like to do the White Pass Rail excursion and Klondike Highway, but we booked this cruise late, and the only shorter choices on Holland America are: (1) round trip on the train, (2) White Pass Rail, Klondike Highway and Liarsville Gold Camp, and (3) White Pass Rail & Klondike Highway: Multilingual--  you wear headphones. 

The one-way rail and return via bus isn't available.   Booking a shorter excursion is important----  I really do understand that going to the Yukon or Bennett Lake sound phenomenal, but I'm not up for a 6-8 hour excursion.  I know I could get a local excursion to do the train and bus, but it sounds easier if I just board the train at the port.   So........ I could use some guidance, since we're leaving soon.

How far and how difficult is it to get to the train by myself, if I book direct with them and can get the bus also??  Would I get the worst seats---those left after people boarded at the port?

Any thoughts on the Multilingual trip (using headphones)?  This doesn't sound comfortable to me.  Is there a live person who speaks English, so I could skip the headphones?  I'm assuming that information is usually given out over a loudspeaker.

I really don't care about the Gold Camp, and that tour is longer than I'd like, but I'll consider it ------  any feedback on this part of the tour?

Thanks so much!!!    

We’re just back from Alaska, indescribably beautiful. We did the white pass return trip from the ship. We were on grand princess and just walked along from our ship to board train. I’m not sure if it was mixed cruise passengers and private bookings. However they boarded people by having steps up to carriage lowered and we could board any carriage we liked with the steps down. They checked every carriage was full, two to a seat, before they “opened” up another carriage.

it doesn’t matter where you sit, especially on the return journey, as you then see both sides equally.

commentary was broadcast in English so no headphones needed, so guess those  would only be issued on bilingual journey.

 

Mathis is our train. We were about half way along.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Did you look into Chilkoot rail charters?  We did their train up / bus down 3 3/4 hour tour early May '23  and really enjoyed it.

 

https://chilkootcharters.com/

 

[kdakda]

Thanks to both of you for the info.   I've read good things about Chilkoot charters.  How far was it to get from the ship to where you boarded?  

[Ashland]

We've also done the tour with Chilkoot .... bus up train down. The bus picked us up right by our RCI ship.

[kdakda]

Thanks so much!   That sounds very convenient.  I liked all the info on the website.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

12 hours ago, kdakda said:

Thanks to both of you for the info.   I've read good things about Chilkoot charters.  How far was it to get from the ship to where you boarded?  

 

We were in Skagway early May '23, and we meet our shuttle bus in the park area by the end of the cruise docks.  Our Celebrity ship was berthed at the far end of the railroad dock, and due to the rockslide safety protocols, every passenger needed to be transported by bus along the dock - no walking to or from the ship.