Completely confused on the Skagway scenic railway situation

[atexsix]

We're booked on the white pass/yukon railway excursion via Princess in two weeks and we've heard nothing from them.  They are still selling these tours on their website.  I thought I read someplace that the train itself is still running, but not the company that provides the tours for the cruise ships is what won't be running, is that correct?   I think the prices for this would be out of our range without using the cruise line, but I'd like to consider all our options, every other excursion is probably sold out now. 

 

PS per forum policy, please don't recommend tour company names.  I just need to know if they exist or not.

Edited May 3, 2022 by atexsix

[SightCRR]

As I understand it the train (WPYR) still has trains that will run a shortened round trip to the summit at the CA/US border but will not go into CA. Since there is no road connection at the summit there will be no train/bus combos this year. 

In addition, there will round trip bus trips to the Yukon that do enter CA with no train connection. These trips will be similar to the Yukon portion of years past trips but round-trip bus and no train. 

I think that each of these trips are now available to book individually and will be the ones that the cruise lines book when they get their act together. My guess is trips on cruise tours will enter Skagway by bus then take the rt train. If your time in Skagway is long (10 hr min) and timing is right you could do both but it would be a long day or maybe two days with four trips in and out of Skagway. sightcrr

[SightCRR]

Updates - White Pass & Yukon Route Railway (wpyr.com) sightcrr

[westcoasttech]

56 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I think the prices for this would be out of our range without using the cruise line, but I'd like to consider all our options, every other excursion is probably sold out now. 

This part of the posting has me a little confused ... I've done the train a few times in the "Before Times" and booking directly with the train company has always been cheaper than booking through the cruiseline ... I've also done the train up and bus down, and the bus both ways with private companies, again, cheaper and much more flexible (and smaller groups/buses) than a cruiseline shorex big bus group. 

[t&atravel]

58 minutes ago, atexsix said:

We're booked on the white pass/yukon railway excursion via Princess in two weeks and we've heard nothing from them.  They are still selling these tours on their website.  I thought I read someplace that the train itself is still running, but not the company that provides the tours for the cruise ships is what won't be running, is that correct?   I think the prices for this would be out of our range without using the cruise line, but I'd like to consider all our options, every other excursion is probably sold out now. 

 

PS per forum policy, please don't recommend tour company names.  I just need to know if they exist or not.

Here is an example from my trip on Princess.  Originally booked a bus/train combo.  Bus past the summit into Canada and then we were suppose to catch the train in Fraser (?) to get back to town.  This is the part that is no longer possible as the train trip between the summit and Fraser is cancelled.  That excursion no longer shows on the Princess.  You can however take the train only up to summit and back.  You are not allowed off the train at the summit so it strictly a round trip train ride.  My understanding is that some private tour companies will still do the bus trip but there will be no train ride included.  

[jerseygirl629]

Speaking from my own experience - 

In March, when we started looking into booking excursions, Royal Caribbean was initially sold out on all combo excursions. Because of this, we booked a combo bus and train trip (train up, bus down) via Chilkoot Charters. This was also cheaper than booking through RCL (yay).

 

At the beginning of April, it was announced the trains are no longer going into Canada. Chilkoot notified us that our excursion was unfortunately canceled. They offered a full refund, or, the opportunity to book a different tour with them (bus).

 

We ended up booking the RT train (shortened, not into Canada) through RCL instead. We are not too happy about this as we really wanted to experience both (with the bus, you can get out and take photos at various stops) but unfortunately, both will not fit into our day. 

So - busses CAN and ARE going into Canada but the train is not. There is no where for the train to let people off on the US side, which is why the combo tours were canceled.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I had this same situation as I was booked on a Princess excursion with bus up, train down and switched when I heard about the problem to the train only.  For me, as a first time Alaska visitor, the train has a romantic appeal--train through mountains was one of the things that sold me on Alaska as a place to visit-- although I will miss the opportunity to get out and take pictures without moving.  I am still contemplating a booking for the bus later in the day but am thinking to pass b/c that is a lot of hours stuck with others when I could be walking around Skagway seeing things on my own.

[Gramma of Boys]

2 hours ago, t&atravel said:

Here is an example from my trip on Princess.  Originally booked a bus/train combo.  Bus past the summit into Canada and then we were suppose to catch the train in Fraser (?) to get back to town.  This is the part that is no longer possible as the train trip between the summit and Fraser is cancelled.  That excursion no longer shows on the Princess.  

The bus up/train back tour still does show up on the Princess website, but pretty sure it won't be happening. I just did this screenshot a minute ago.

[BobbySu]

4 minutes ago, Gramma of Boys said:

The bus up/train back tour still does show up on the Princess website, but pretty sure it won't be happening. I just did this screenshot a minute ago.

Princess has been slow to take these down.  It can't happen since the railroad won't be going there.  Not up to Princess.  

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

That is the excursion I was booked on.  I am sad that it won't happen, although I wasn't sure about being on a bus for 8 hrs.

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

We are booked on that excursion too.  I have not received anything from Princess about a cancelation.  We have 4 couples going on this trip.  That was the only excursion we were all doing together.  The group will be sad when I share this news.  

[SightCRR]

In the middle of the night I realized there might be a critical difference between cruise booked train and independently booked trips. In the past on the cruise ship booked trips the train came right next to the ship and loaded and unloaded from there. With independently booked you had to walk 1500 feet to the train station (google says it is almost a mile). This year I have no idea how it will work. For some that may be minor but for others not so much and worth trying to find more info. If the cruise ship round trip train tour does not get canceled you might have a short walk. If the combo just gets canceled you may have to walk if you want round trip train. Same with the return. sightcrr. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by SightCRR

[5waldos]

The Chilkoot group offers pickup at the ship, a brief tour of Skagway, then the train up and down. (I don't think I am breaking rules mentioning a tour provider). I think that all train/bus combos have been canceled this season because the train cannot go into Canada. This means that the train trip is not the full run. There are a variety of bus trips with different stops although I am not sure what all the differences are- certainly the size of the bus is one factor. 

 

We found that Celebrity offers a combo train, salmon lunch, gold panning, tour of Skagway, and Red Onion drink for not much more than what the train trip itself used to be. 

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I thought the issue is that nobody can board a train at Fraser (or other points?) in Canada.  It then wouldn't make a difference if they boarded near the cruise ship or close by within Alaska---the issue is passports into Canada.  From my reading it seems that the Canadian government doesn't think it can process people quickly enough with the volume of people and the new stuff they have to check for re: covid.  So bus only tours are ok and train only (within Alaska) are ok but anything where you would switch from bus to train within Canada isn't going to happen.  I thought the train trip alone is still at least close to its "full run" because it still goes to the "White Pass Summit."  There are other train options that go into Canada but I think the issue last year was a greatly reduced White Pass Summit train due to a rock slide, or something like that, and the damage to the track has been corrected.  Please feel free to correct me, as I am still trying to figure this all out myself.  Here is one example of an article I found about this issue: https://www.yukon-news.com/news/white-pass-railroad-wont-return-to-canada-in-2022/#:~:text=WPYR executive director Tyler Rose,and restrictions at the border.

[SightCRR]

KEM my comments are only for people who would have an issue with walking almost a mile to and from the train station if they booked the WP&YR on their own. There are tours groups that pick up from ship for city tour and train and maybe ship tours for round trip train but maybe no train near the ship from WP&YR. Without the cruise lines being on top of things it is really is a mess. 

From the WP&YR site:      CRUISE SHIP

For passengers arriving via cruise ship, this tour is available from your ship’s Shore Excursion Department. By booking through the cruise line, you will be able to take advantage of the dockside service and board the train on the pier alongside your ship. Contact your cruise line’s Shore Excursion Department for more details.

[Kellie in Texas]

Several years ago, we booked with Chilkoot for a van up and down (no train). We had a lovely guide and stopped several times to take photos, including one of a black bear having his lunch in a meadow of yellow flowers.  This was the trip that went up to the place (Caribou Crossing, I think?) where we had the BBQ chicken lunch and got to pet the sled dog puppies that were next door.  It was a lovely tour but a long day.  Our problem this year is our ship is only in Skagway until 3:00 pm so these longer independent company tours make me a little nervous.  We'll most likely book a Skagway excursion through the ship, simply because we're only there until 3:00.

[Dancing Shoes]

On 5/3/2022 at 11:26 AM, atexsix said:

 

 

PS per forum policy, please don't recommend tour company names.  I just need to know if they exist or not.

We can name tour company names; we cannot suggest a tour unless we have been on it.  

[kona_wahine]

We will be there next week and booked direct thru the railroad, figuring we will be walking into town anyway, we booked for the 1:00 (ship time) train ride (12:00 alaska time, which is what the rail road goes by). We have to be there 20 minutes early, so I assume we then head over and pick up the cruise passengers.

 

We will be in port from 7am to 8:15 pm ship time. 

[JustAllie]

12 hours ago, SightCRR said:

In the middle of the night I realized there might be a critical difference between cruise booked train and independently booked trips. In the past on the cruise ship booked trips the train came right next to the ship and loaded and unloaded from there. With independently booked you had to walk 1500 feet to the train station (google says it is almost a mile). This year I have no idea how it will work. For some that may be minor but for others not so much and worth trying to find more info. If the cruise ship round trip train tour does not get canceled you might have a short walk. If the combo just gets canceled you may have to walk if you want round trip train. Same with the return. sightcrr. 

That's weird, for me Google says that there are 5280 feet in a mile.  Maybe the walk to the train station is in yards or meters.  

 

It's definitely a good idea to book through the cruise line if a long walk is an issue.  I've booked through the cruise line myself.  

[don't-use-real-name]

Google Map for reference:

 

White Pass & Yukon Route Railway - Google Maps

 

The RED DOT to right is the WPYRR Depot

Zoooom in and you can see the tracks leading from the Cruise ship docks pass the depot

to the route to the Summit.

 

To the left the square shaped building is the ORE dock - about 1500 meters from the depot

In the middle of the harbor is the BROADWAY dock - about 1200 meters from the depot

Neither of these two are immediately adjacent to the tracks with their gangways but a

hundred or so meters away.

 

Then the RAILROAD dock where if you zoom out a bit you can see two ships tied up to pier.

The tracks run right down to each of these and you can walk right off the gangway on either

to an awaiting train. - the distance to the depot from here is about 3500 meters

 

There are golf carts and shuttle vehicles to go to/from the ships to the depot and downtown.

The pavement trail for all three docks is flat and easy terrain to negotiate.

 

Some of the trains when returning to the Skagway depot location do not return out to the docks.

The locomotives are switched out and moved from one end of the train to the other. 

 

The BUS/TRAIN combos are NOT operating this year and these when they do present a

different point of access relative to the depot and the docks.

The buses tours ONLY may wait for the trains to leave the docks and then pick-up the

tour guests right at the gangway.

 

[SightCRR]

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2849510-live-from-royal-princess-sailing-may-2-2022-for-12-nights-rountrip-from-vancouver-to-alaska/?do=findComment&comment=63162244

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2849510-live-from-royal-princess-sailing-may-2-2022-for-12-nights-rountrip-from-vancouver-to-alaska/?do=findComment&comment=63158347

 

A person went on this tour yesterday (5/5) in Skagway on Princess and it looks like a good one.  Not sure how it was booked ie Princess or independent. Totally in US. sightcrr

Edited May 6, 2022 by SightCRR

[JT1962]

I was in Skagway yesterday and can confirm the trains are only doing the roundtrip summit runs this year. The tracks do not run the full length of the railroad dock, so if your ship docks behind another ship, there is still approx a 1,500 foot walk to get to the last train car. There are golf carts running on the pier, as others said, if needed. 
 

I did the 6.5 hour Yukon Bus Tour with Chilkoot and would highly recommend it. I had previously done a bus / train combo with them and had that booked again until the changes with the train. The guide made many stops for photos, the lunch at Caribou Crossing was good, we drove to Emerald Lake (still frozen) before turning around to return to Skagway.

[SightCRR]

JT, Thanks for the photos, Did you have to use ArriveCan and if so did you use the app and how did that go? Take Care. sightcrr

[kimikruise]

On 5/3/2022 at 1:48 PM, Gramma of Boys said:

The bus up/train back tour still does show up on the Princess website, but pretty sure it won't be happening. I just did this screenshot a minute ago.

I called Princess and the agent mentioned that some Skagway excursions have been modified, but at the moment, this one remained unchanged from what she could tell on her end. We ended up canceling and booking a car rental to go to Caribou Crossing/Carcross/Emerald Lake/maybe Whitehorse on our own with the Murray's guide http://www.*****/guide2001.pdf  

[LadyShiva]

On 5/6/2022 at 7:25 PM, SightCRR said:

JT, Thanks for the photos, Did you have to use ArriveCan and if so did you use the app and how did that go? Take Care. sightcrr

You use the ArriveCAN app before you get on the cruise, SightCRR.  You need that clearance to board.

 

Chilkoot Tours was a good vendor for us.  We did the combo bus with train a few years ago (pre-COVID), and would not hesitate to recommend them.  Emerald Lake made for memorable family pictures, in particular.  🙂