Skagway Yukon Train--Bummed

[KallieSEA]

I received an e-mail from Norwegian this morning saying my excursion to Lake Bennett on the train had been cancelled. There's no explanation included. According to the itinerary on the website, the ship is scheduled to be in Skagway from 7 a.m. to 9 PM on September 2nd. I talked to a NCL rep this morning and she didn't know why they cancelled the excursion for the entire season and didn't offer much help in rebooking another option. I looked at my other options for booking through NCL and it seems like all the other excursions only go by train between Skagway and Fraser, BC.

 

So I'm trying to figure out my other options to 1) get to the Yukon (and hopefully Lake Bennett); and 2) spend as much time as possible on the train. We have a 3 year old who loves trains, which also means we can't take some of the more ambitious excursions with age limits.

 

From the Yukon & White Pass Railway site, it looks like they operate through September 2nd. They have a Yukon Adventure one-way train that appears to be the same itinerary (6 - 8 hours) as what I booked through NCL. It leaves at 7:45 a.m. Does anyone know if Skagway with 5 ships is a tender port? If I'm taking a non-cruiseline booked excursion, what do folks think is the likelihood of being able to make that 7:45 train? Has anyone booked through YWPR directly? What was your experience?

 

Chilkoot has a Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion (7.5 hours) that goes to Lake Bennett but it leaves at 7:30 a.m. and is bus for all but the Skagway to Fraser segment.

 

Thanks for any help/experience/suggestions.

[monkeyinthemiddle]

I have yet to go to Alaska, but have found tons of info using the search function of this site. Do a search on Chilkoot and you should get all your questions answered. Good luck!

[figgy3]

We are taking the train as far as Fraser (booking directly with WPRR), then being picked up by Dyea Dave who will take us basically anywhere we want to go in his van at a very reasonable cost, and then return us to the ship. if the weather is bad, he will pick us up first and later drop us off in Fraser to return by train. That might be an option for you. Just search under his name. All those who have taken his van seem to be very pleased with it. One and a half weeks till our cruise - WAHOO!

[derrick22]

I too will be in Skagway from 7am to 9pm.

I emailed Chilkoot and asked if we could make the 7:30 departure.

They said no problem.

 

I booked the 7.5 hour trip directly with them.

 

Denise

[Toyz711]

if this helps. on our NCL alaska cruise, we were docked in skagway before 5am...or even earlier. so were 3 other ships.

we were off the ship before 7am, as were a lot of other people.

the tour vendors, like chillkoot...know the ship's timing better then we do, if they say it's workable, i would believe them.

[inkmahm]

Chilkoot has a 9 hr tour to Lake Bennett/Carcross also, that works for all the NCL ships except the Star that leaves at 5 pm, Call and get the info.

This tour is even sold thru WP&YR for Chilkoot.

 

Stacym

We took the 9 hour Chilkoot trip to Lake Bennett/Carcross last year and loved it. Booked it direct, not through the cruise line. I"d try that.

[Budget Queen]

As already posted, you most certainly DO have the option for the Lake Bennet train with Chilkoot Charters. Contact them directly, if you wish to consider this.