RCI Wilderness Express vs. Princess Midnight Sun Express

[nddomer04]

Does anyone have experience with both of these? I was on Princess' Midnight Sun Express a few years ago, and it was great. I am a Diamond Member on RCI, so I tend to be very loyal to RCI. So, I'm looking for some info on how the RCI product compares to Princess.

 

One some pictures I have seen, it looks as if the seats on the Wilderness Express are set up more like a bus, whereas the Midnight Sun Express had the seats facing each other with a table separating them...kind of like a more casual version of the dining area. I guess from pictures I've seen, the Wilderness Express looks more cramped. Is this accurate?

 

Thank you so much!

[agabbymama]

I don't have personal experience, I just did a search on the Internet

 

http://www.alaskarails.org/fp/royal-celeb.html

 

Talks about RCCI's new rail cars. With the pictures, looks like lower level is facing each other over a table, whereas upper level is seats facing one direction like a bus.

[Rail Traveler]

I have been on both railcars, and I think both are wonderful.

 

I didn't feel at all cramped on the RCI cars (the full dome above and the glass down the sides makes them feel spacious), and, if you have troubles with sitting riding backwards, the RCI cars do all have forward facing seats.

 

The Princess "Midnight Sun Express" cars do have the conversation grouping set-up for their seats in the dome, four seats around a table, so half of the seats do face backwards. This never bothered me, so it wasn't a factor in my choice. The spacing with this "booth" seating arrangement may make the open space in the Princess railcar seem a little bigger. But, again, the cars are so high, and the glass drops so far down the sides, that I didn't judge one car to be better than the other.

 

This goes for the Holland America Line railcars and the Alaska Railroad full domes as well (and they have a really unique design to the outside observation platform on their cars!).

 

The thing is to be in one of the full domes no matter who they belong to. Generally, you're only on the Alaska Railroad once. Being able to see straight up at the sides of cliffs as you go rolling through Nenana Canyon makes that one trip absolutely unforgettable.

 

Have a good trip.

 

Rail Traveler