GTJ

This would be a fairly neutral hotel and location in midtown Manhattan. Its name is not terribly accurate in its inclusion of "Central Park," as it is located on West 54th Street off of Broadway, but hoteliers have an expansive way of describing their location. The hotel is not particularly more accessible or inaccessible, to either LaGuardia Airport or the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, than most any other hotel in midtown Manhattan. I see nothing better or worse for this hotel, and I would choose it because it is a particularly good deal more so than any other reason. It is a short walk to both Central Park and to Rockefeller Center. (I would note that pedicabs in Manhattan are disparaged by most New Yorkers, are generally perceived as tourist traps, and they will frequently prey on their passengers with outrageous demands for inflated fares. Horse carriage rides in Central Park are less disparaged, more regulated, and more expensive, but even these vehicles are controversial with many having the believe that the horses are abused by having to pull carriages.) In short, the hotel should be fine for what you're planning to do, but unlikely to be anything especially memorable or providing substantial value or convenience compared to other choices.

Yes, taxi fare from a downtown hotel to the Maryland Cruise Port will be nominal, while the fare from an airport hotel would be substantial. The base fare for a Baltimore taxi is $1.80 for the first 480 feet, plus 20 cents for each additional 480 feet (or $2.20 per mile). I generally prefer walking, because it is the most reliable means of transportation. However, walking to the Maryland Cruise Terminal would at least 2,000 feet (the approximate distance between the closest hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown / McHenry Row, and the Maryland Cruise Terminal), so it might be more convenient to rely on a taxi to travel that distance. (From the same Courtyard hotel, the taxi distance would be closer to 4,000 feet--the street distance is longer than the sidewalk distance--and thus the base fare would be $3.40 for a ride that is 4,000 feet distant.) http://www.psc.state.md.us/transportation/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/Balto-City-Taxicab-Rate-Sheet-Effective-7-18-14.pdf

To the contrary, it is very helpful for people wanting to minimize any inconvenience in making their way to a destination in downtown Baltimore to understand that there are options for doing so. While some travelers might place a higher priority in not having to change trains, that is an individual preference that is not universally accepted by all. I will note that here in New York City, many passengers chose to change trains to either arrive at a station closer to the final destination or to utilize a faster train. Others, not wanting to change trains, will not do so. It is personal choice. When I travel from points south into Baltimore, and when the schedules work out conveniently, at Washington Union Station I board the train to Camden station. Others might choose to board a train to Pennsylvania Station . . . and that is fine, at least so long as it is an informed decision. But to unilaterally conclude that something is not helpful, and on that basis to withhold information that might actually be used, is simply wrong. Some additional background: Camden station is the older of the two railroad stations, having been first established in 1856. The original station at what is now Pennsylvania Station was not established until nearly twenty years later, in 1873. Both stations are served by railroads that have always been part of this country's passenger national railroad network, with Camden station having served the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (the country's oldest railroad) and Pennsylvania Station having served the Pennsylvania Railroad. Over time, the trains operating to each station have changed. Camden station is presently served only by local trains originating at Washington Union Station, while Pennsylvania station is presently served by long-distance trains originating from as far away as New Orleans. Thus, a person traveling by railroad, destined for downtown Baltimore, has to change trains at Washington Union Station. And at Washington Union Station, whether one is destined for Camden station or Pennsylvania Station, tickets are purchased at the Amtrak ticket counter. Obviously, one can argue nomenclature, and the meaning of the word "regional," but I will duly note that the "Northeast Regional" trains all call at Pennsylvania Station, not Camden station. (I will also duly note that immediately adjacent to the railroad station named "Camden station" is a regional, or light rail, station that is identically named "Camden station," though this is much like the fact that in Washington there is a railroad station named "Union Station" and an adjacent regional, or subway, station that is identically named "Union Station.")

It is a very sensitive issue here in the United States. Many people are concerned about the tactics of the Border Patrol boarding transport vehicles--in particular buses and trains on entirely domestic itineraries--in a search for illegal aliens. It had become particularly acute when the ACLU accused Greyhound Lines of cooperation with the Border Patrol, allowing the officers to board and interrogate the passengers, in some cases in a manner amounting to a seizure (which is unlawful absent at least reasonable suspicion). Greyhound Lines had long maintained they were legally obligated to permit the Border Patrol to do so. More recently, however, Greyhound Lines (and several other bus companies) have reversed their legal position, and now maintain they have a right to refuse consent for the Border Patrol to do these stops and interrogations. Because this is a very big civil rights issue in this country, it caught my attention when I read that the Border Patrol was now boarding cruise vessels. The implications would be especially acute as an expansion of controversial tactics (though legitimately it would be difficult to distinguish, from a legal perspective, a search for illegal aliens on a cruise vessel from a search for illegal aliens on a bus). The correction that this was immigration, and not Border Patrol, is reassuring! NBC News: Border Patrol searches have increased on Greyhound, other buses far from border USA Today: Greyhound to stop allowing Border Patrol on buses for immigration checks

I am thinking of the expression, "the best things come in small packages." I was not thinking of onboard purchases, but rather purchases made on shore. In those cases the vessel would not have a record, and it would be the work of customs officers to probe and find dutiable merchandise. If such merchandise could be offloaded prior to the final, perhaps handed to a colleague or shipped domestically, it could seemingly escape inspection. I have long been aware of a similar situation, but the reverse. The Washington State Ferries operate (though presently suspended) an international route that travels between Sidney, B.C., and Anacortes, Wash., stopping enroute at Friday Harbor, Wash. The timetable notes that passengers boarding at Friday Harbor, destined for Anacortes, are subject to customs inspection at Anacortes. I have long thought about the intrusiveness of such inspection without warrant for this domestic travel. The reason for it, of course, is this practice of having customs inspection at the final port of a given itinerary, rather than at the first American port encountered. Again, it is something I do not understand.

The closest train station in Baltimore to the port is Camden station, which is in the heart of downtown Baltimore. There are many hotels surrounding Camden station. Trains to Camden station do not travel south of Union Station in Washington, so travel to or from Camden station would require changing trains in Washington. You can download the timetable for the trains from Washington Union Station to Baltimore Camden station here (one-way railfare is $9.00). If not changing trains in Washington, then the second-closest station in Baltimore is Pennsylvania station, which is a short distance north of downtown Baltimore. There are not many hotels immediately surrounding Pennsylvania station, but it is only 1-1/2 miles to downtown Baltimore and its hotels. Others have mentioned staying at the Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown/McHenry Row, which has modest rates for a city center hotel. A significant benefit of this hotel is that it is within easy walking distance of the Maryland Cruise Terminal, so logistics may be eased by staying here. The downside is that the hotel is not in the heart of the city center (it is 2 miles from Camden station, 3-1/2 miles from Pennsylvania station), so this hotel would not be as convenient for visiting Baltimore compared to a hotel closer to Camden station. Using the BWI Airport station would be best only if you're seeking to stay at an airport hotel. These hotels would not be especially convenient for either visiting Baltimore or for access to the port, but the prices for staying overnight at the airport could possibly be less than the cost of staying in the city center.

Obviously immigration and customs officials come aboard vessels, but I have never seen the Border Patrol on a cruise vessel. There have been several times when I have seen them come aboard motorcoaches or railroad trains that are traveling domestically within one hundred miles of the border, but never on a cruise vessel. Do you know why the Border Patrol would have been searching the vessel? Might there have been suspected stowaways?

I have never understood the customs procedure of examination not at the first American port but at the final port. It would seem to me that person intent on smuggling goods into the United States (be it outright contraband or simply dutiable goods) might offload those goods at an intermediate port, never having the goods inspected at the final port. Have you any insights on this?

The railroad does not store baggage, apparently a policy adopted because of concerns over terrorists planning to go to Seward, Alaska, for the purpose of blowing up the railroad station there. An unfortunate consequence of the 2001 tragedies. You will likely to have to find alternatives for left luggage. Common strategies include having baggage handled by a Seward tour operator or hotel operator. If you're renting a motor vehicle, it might be most convenient to have the baggage locked in the vehicle's trunk.

I imagine that at smaller intermediate stations the railroad continues to use traditional baggage handling processes. I remember several years, riding a passenger train of the Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway, the baggage handling was so traditional that the baggage tags were actually tied onto baggage with string . . . no elastic bands! At Ross Bay Jct., where mainline trains made connections with branch line trains to and from Labrador City, the two trains would pull up along side of each other on parallel tracks, and a board was laid across connecting the baggage cars of the two trains. (There was no actual platform at the "station.") The baggage man would then walk each checked items from one car to the other, balancing himself on the board connecting the two cars. Alas, when Tshiuetin Rail Transportation took over passenger train operations from the QNS&L in late 2005, the branch line trains to and from Labrador City were discontinued. In any case, checked baggage cannot be sent by truck because there are no roads there.

I don't remember precisely the amount of time we had there, but it was not as long as we would have wanted. I recall that, after having arrived in Mérida, we had time to have lunch, do a single circuit on the "hop on hop off" double decked tourist bus, and a very brief walk through the center city. But we would have gone to Mérida in any case, even if only for one hour, rather than remaining in Progreso. In part that is because I have a much greater interest in large cities than in small coastal villages . . . and no interest whatsoever as to beaches. Fortunately for me, Newport is not so much a beach community (!), and it has itself great historical relevance, and so for me there are equities on both sides as to whether I would head into Providence or remain in Newport. But I would certainly be prepared, prior to setting sail, to have the bus timetable with me, possibly deciding upon arrival (observing Newport crowds, weather, etc.) on remaining in Newport or going into Providence.

Decisions on where to have ports of entry are decided by the federal government, as part of its exclusive right to regulate immigration. The airport situation is not analogous. While the owner of an airport may have control over the flights allowed to land and depart, navigating waters is a public right, over which control is exercised by the federal government. What relevance is immigrant population to discrimination against interstate commerce? That certainly motivated the state (at least in part . . . almost certainly politics were also involved). The Florida constitution provides home rule authority for municipalities to enact local legislation. Article VIII, section 2(b), provides: "Municipalities shall have governmental, corporate and proprietary powers to enable them to conduct municipal government, perform municipal functions and render municipal services, and may exercise any power for municipal purposes except as otherwise provided by law." While the provision does not explicitly limit municipalities to legislating within their corporate limits, it is counterintuitive to think that extraterritorial legislation--an ordinance regulating activity outside the city limits--is legitimate. It would be informative for any legal authorities on this point to be identified.

Of course this is discrimination. The Canadian ferry company is providing interstate commerce to and from Bar Harbor, and in doing so it is serving the local market. As well, other transportation also serves the local market (e.g., Downeast Transportation). All without any effort on the part of the city to limit such transportation. On the other hand, the vessels that Bar Harbor seeks to limit or ban do not serve the local market (no itineraries originate or terminate in Bar Harbor) but instead serve interstate markets. “[W]here simple economic protectionism is effected by state legislation, a virtually per se rule of invalidity has been erected.” Philadelphia v. New Jersey, 437 U.S. 617, 624 (1978). And that’s what is going on here. The City is favoring commerce serving the local population, and disfavoring commerce not local in nature. True, there may be differences in the commerce involved that create distinct impacts on the city, and in that case the balancing test developed in Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc., 397 U.S. 137 (1970), might be used to analyze the commercial burdens involved, but that does not diminish the fact that this is discrimination.

I remember several years ago when a Washington-based bus company called American Coach Lines began operating passenger service to and from New York City. It advertised its service as being direct between "downtown Washington, D.C., and downtown New York City." The bus company operated exclusively to and from Port Authority Bus Terminal. (A few years later the company was acquired by Peter Pan Bus Lines, and became the foundation upon which Peter Pan built its routes between Washington, D.C., and New York City.)

On June 29, 2021, the governor approved the legislation, which added section 311.25 to the Florida statutes: 311.25 Florida seaports; local ballot initiatives and referendums.— (1) With respect to any port that has received or is eligible to apply for or receive state funding under this chapter, a local ballot initiative or referendum may not restrict maritime commerce in such a port, including, but not limited to, restricting such commerce based on any of the following: (a) Vessel type, size, number, or capacity. (b) Number, origin, nationality, embarkation, or disembarkation of passengers or crew or their entry into this state or any local jurisdiction. (c) Source, type, loading, or unloading of cargo. (d) Environmental or health records of a particular vessel or vessel line. (2) Any local ballot initiative or referendum that is in conflict with subsection (1) and that was adopted before, on, or after July 1, 2021, and any local law, charter amendment, ordinance, resolution, regulation, or policy adopted in such an initiative or referendum, is prohibited, void, and expressly preempted to the state. The council of Key West is composed of amateurs. It added chapter 80 to its code of ordinances, entitled "Cruise ship regulations." Its first provision, section 80-1, reads in relevant part: "'Vessel' shall mean a cruise ship holding more than five hundred (500) passengers and such cruise ship's owner(s)." This definition is backwards! The term "vessel" is well-defined in the common law and properly defined in the Florida statutes as: "'Vessel' is synonymous with boat as referenced in s. 1(b), Art. VII of the State Constitution and includes every description of watercraft, barge, and airboat, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water." Fla. Stat. § 327.02(47). It is the term "cruise ship" that is not well-defined and in need of a specific definition within the city's code of ordinances if provisions are to be applicable only to vessels holding more than 500 passengers! Elsewhere in the same provision the city defines "Waterways of City of Key West" as meaning "the water six hundred (600) feet into the tidal waters adjacent to the City of Key West's corporate limits." In other words, certain waters that are outside the city limits. The city then attempts to regulate activity outside the city limits. Key West might as well attempt to regulate the waters surrounding New York City! The council members of Key West cannot legitimately be viewed as serious local legislators.

It really depends on one's interests. I remember several years ago being on a cruise vessel that stopped for several hours in Progreso, Yucatán. This port is about one hour distant, by bus, from the state capital, Mérida, a much larger city with more to do. Many cruise line passengers remain in Progreso, but a substantial number make the trip to Mérida and back because there is much to see and do there. (We traveled on the regular Autoprogreso bus from Progreso into Mérida and back, while others booked substantially more expensive tours for the same journey.) For those who are not adventurous, leaving Newport would be "non-starter." Others might be inclined to travel beyond Newport . . . it is an individual decision without a single "best" answer.

Vehicular traffic in lower Manhattan is routinely congested, though somewhat less so mid-morning than in the heart of the rush hour. Is there a particular reason for choosing to go through lower Manhattan, rather than using the Lincoln Tunnel to travel directly into midtown?

There are many ways to travel, no single method being the "best." An important consideration is whether you're facile with geography or if you routinely get lost. If you're traveling light, have a full day, and are in reasonable physical condition, then it could make for a lovely day to walk from Red Hook into Manhattan. You will see so much, and traverse the iconic Brooklyn Bridge (or, optionally, the Manhattan Bridge). It is just over eight miles, requires three hours without breaks (but almost certainly you will see things on the way that will cause you to stop). Public transportation would require multiple legs, as there is nothing that goes directly from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. There is a ferry that operates from the Red Hook landing, immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, to Pier 11 in lower Manhattan, and by changing vessels (no extra charge) at Pier 11 to continue to the Est 34th Street landing (a misnomer as the landing is actually between East 35th Street and East 36th Street). M34 buses to the west side are available at the East 34th Street landing, and taxis direct to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal are available at both East 34th Street (3 miles) and Pier 11 (6 miles). There is also the B61 bus on Van Brunt Street, outside the Brooklyn Ferry Terminal, that travels into downtown Brooklyn, where there are numerous subway lines (no extra charge) into Manhattan, including the "C" train that goes to 50th Street, at Eighth Avenue, closest station to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (4 blocks). Of course, the easiest way is to hire a taxi or TNC vehicle to take you directly from one terminal to other terminal, though that would be the highest cost option, and because it almost certainly be the fastest, it could leave at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, sitting around with nothing to do until the vessel becomes available for boarding. I have personally used all of these alternatives (but for going by taxi/TNC), each being the "best" for me at the time.

Providence is the capital of the state, and is home to Brown University, and as a result it has much more, as a "big city," to see and do compared to smaller Newport. The population of Newport is seven times larger than Newport, so it is much more likely to find family or friends in Providence to visit than in Newport. Zumper ranked Providence among the top ten places in the entire United States for "foodies"; Newport did not make the list. As well, some people consider Newport as either a tourist trap or a home to obnoxious rich and/or sailing people, and in either case want to escape. Everyone has their own preferences, so some will be intrigued by Newport whilst others will want to go elsewhere. Finally, I note that a small number of people are transport enthusiasts--myself including--and so the opportunity to ride the RIPTA bus service may be an end in and of itself. (Some people like to ride in sports cars, some others like to ride trains or buses.) Whenever I travel by cruise vessel, I always make an effort to visit the local public transportation system, certainly seeking the main transit center (in Rhode Island, it is Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence), and hopefully taking a few rides and perhaps heading out to the bus garage. The last time I was in Providence, I was on a bus tour, and our group visited the headquarters and garage for the Bonanza bus division of Peter Pan Bus Lines, which also is in Providence. Obviously, I have a specialized interest, one that might not be shared by many others. But it reinforces the general idea that what to so all depends on one's individual interests. For those people who select cruise itineraries randomly, or who do not otherwise have any particular interests, then it may be that the standard Newport tourist circuit is for them. I travel by cruise vessel because I have a particular interest in the destination of the vessel, so I typically know what it is that I want to see or do because that's the reason for having selected the itinerary. And for those who also do have particular interests, it may require taking the bus from Newport to someplace else, be it Providence or otherwise. Hopefully this explanation provides the answer why someone would want to take the bus from Newport to Providence.

Newport itself is an historic place and the original seat of government of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. A nice place to walk around and explore on foot. Alas, Newport made a colossal urban planning error in the 1960s with its building of America's Cup Avenue, a wide boulevard that was cut through the wharf area, and now separates the water from Thames Street and the heart of Newport with an auto-choked way. (And the errors may continue in Newport: see "Saving Newport by Destroying It? –– Architecture Critic Morgan.") Do your best to ignore the modern intrusion, and the panoply of t-shirt, ice cream, and beer deck establishments, and explore the real place. If time does allow, you might go to the Newport Gateway, on America's Cup Avenue just north of Perrotti Park where the tenders leave cruise vessel passengers, where you can find the RIPTA route 67 motorized trolleys that traverse Bellevue Avenue free of charge. Get the route 67 map and schedule here. Or board the RIPTA route 60 bus to Providence, only $2.00 exact fare for a 75-minute journey (twice each hour, more frequently during rush hours). Get the route 60 map and schedule here.

Absent a disability, it is a short 5-minute walk from the Alaska Railroad station to the Intermodal Terminal, about one-half mile. Best if baggage is on wheels and it is not raining. The attached brochure describes the Intermodal Terminal, and includes both (1) a photograph of the Cruise Train spotted on one side of the Intermodal Terminal building and ax X cruise vessel moored on the opposite side, and (2) a map showing the walk along Port Avenue between the Alaska Railroad station (marked "Rail Depot") and the Intermodal Terminal. Most of the railroad information I provided is excerpted from the Canada and Alaska Timetable (which I edit and publish bi-monthly), along with some commentary as to my personal preferences. I remember riding what is now the Coastal Classic in its first season in 1986, after the route south of Anchorage having had no passenger trains for many years, and following the 1985 transfer of the railroad from the U.S. government to the state of Alaska. In those days the train was much more modest, consisting solely of a pair of Budd rail diesel cars. It was more informal operation, and I remember at one point the engineer had seed the salmon spawning, and spotted the first car on the small bridge over the water . . . the conductor opened up the baggage door on the first RDC and called all the passengers into the baggage part of the car to observe. I had traveled northbound only on the train, having arrived in Seward on the Tustumena, an Alaska Marine Highway vessel, overnight from Kodiak. In those days single travelers could book just a single berth, and given that it was off-season (after Labor Day) I had no roommate and the entire stateroom to myself. Since then Tustumena no longer serves Seward, and instead goes to and from Whittier only. The Tustumena, built in 1964 and now fifty-eight years old, is supposed to be replaced in 2027, so there's only a few more years remaining to hitch a ride on the vessel. (Given that the vessel is two years younger than I am, there's a certain personal discomfort in having it retired!) A few other informalities from that era: This was prior to the paving of the tunnel to Whittier, so all the motor vehicles would have to be loaded on flatcars to be hauled by the railroad between Whittier and Portage. At the end of the train the railroad also carried a pair of former Southern Pacific bi-level gallery cars for passengers. But given that the flatcars was between the locomotive and the passenger cars, there was no head end power, and so all was dark in the cars. (Upon arrival at Portage, a connecting bus transported passengers to Anchorage.) As well, the railroad offered a package deal in combination with MarkAir (or was it Alaska Airlines?) between Anchorage and Fairbanks, one-way by railroad and the other way by airplane. So I bought my tickets at the railroad station in downtown Anchorage, and boarded the train to Denali, At the park there were four retired Alaska Railroad sleeping cars that were parked at the hotel that was once located therein. And visitors could book sleeping car at very affordable rates! The park hotel was on the other side of the park's airport runway from the visitor center, and I remember that the path between the two crossed the middle of the runway. There was a short fence surrounding the runway, with a gate and sign admonishing visitors to stop, watch, and listen for airplanes taking off or landing before crossing the runway. After touring Denali, and then Fairbanks, I arrived at the airport in Fairbanks. While all the other passengers on the flight to Anchorage had airline tickets, I checked in at the airport with a railroad ticket. With my airplane seat number handwritten on the railroad ticket, the flight attendant collected it at the gate (alas, the aircraft crew was not equipped with ticket punches like the railroad conductor). Alas, now thirty-five years later, things are now a bit more formal! Seward Marketing Brochure.pdf

Imagine if there were to be a proposal that limited the number of people who were permitted to exit the highway and visit Portland or Bar Harbor. There would, of course, be implications as to the infringement on the constitutionally-protected right to travel. That said, there have been a number of cases where local communities have tried to discriminate among persons visiting based on the mode of transportation used and prejudices associated therewith. For example, some communities have tried banning Greyhound Lines from stopping based on their perception of the "types of people" that are perceived as traveling by Greyhound Lines. This effort seems to be exactly the same: an effort to ban cruise vessels from stopping based on perceptions of the "types of people" that are perceived as traveling by cruise vessels. The plain word for this is, of course, "discrimination" . . . whether based on skin color, economic status, or otherwise. It is a sign of ugliness by the people of Portland and Bar Harbor who would support such prejudice and discrimination.

Generally, there are two trains on days that RCI/X sail out of Seward on Friday evenings: Coastal Classic, in the morning, from downtown Anchorage, and Cruise Train, in the afternoon, from Anchorage airport. Both trains are operated by the Alaska Railroad. The Coastal Classic is also marketed by the Alaska Railroad, with tickets sold by the Alaska Railroad, as well as by various travel agencies that might offer different prices or add-ons. It would seem unusual for a travel agency to offer a lower price, at least unless the travel agency was kicking back a portion of its commission. The Cruise Train is a train chartered and marketed by RCI/X, with tickets sold by RCI/X. The Cruise Train is priced by RCI/X, including any promotions that the cruise line might offer its passengers or sales agents. The Alaska Railroad does not offer transfers to or from its stations, and passengers will need to make their own way to either the downtown Anchorage or Anchorage airport stations. In Seward, the Coastal Classic arrives at the railroad station, a very short stroll from the Intermodal Terminal where the cruise vessels dock, but with no formal transfers provided by the railroad; the Cruise Train arrives at the Intermodal Terminal itself. The consists of the two trains are as follows. Coastal Classic has two coaches, one Vista-Dome coach car, two Ultra Dome cars, one café car, one dining car, and one baggage car. Cruise Train has five Panorama Dome cars and one café car. Coastal Classic offers two classes of service, coach class, which the railroad labels "Adventure" class, and first class, which the railroad labels "GoldStar" class. (Yes, it would be easier to understand if the railroad simply used "coach" and "first," but marketing people have their own ideas.) Coach ("Adventure") class entitles one to a seat in either a coach or Vista-Dome coach car, while first ("GoldStar") class entitles one to a seat in an Ultra Dome car. The coach cars are what you might expect, a single level car with many pairs of reclining seats and large windows. The Vista-Dome coach car has, at each end, a single level with pairs of reclining seats and large windows. In the center of the Vista-Dome coach car is a bi-level section, the upper level of which has pairs low-back non-reclining seats with a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape. These upper level seats are not assigned but available to all passengers (the train crew might limit Vista-Dome seating time when there are more passengers seeking access than there are seats available). The only access to the outside from these cars are the dutch doors in the vestibules at the end of each car. The Ultra-Domes are bi-level cars. The upper level has an outdoor area with viewing platform, and an indoor area with pairs of reclining seats and panoramic windows. While these two areas afford great viewing to each side, there is not the 360-degree view--only minimal forward window panes that lack intimacy--that one would have in a Vista-Dome car. The lower level has a dining area where the car's passengers take their meals. The café car offers sandwiches, snacks, and beverages for sale, and the dining car offers full meals for sale. To be clear, meals are included in the ticket price for first ("GoldStar") class passengers, while coach ("Adventure") class and all Cruise Train passengers have no food or beverages included in the ticket price. The baggage car allows for checked baggage service but is not accessible to passengers enroute. Carry-on baggage may be stored by coach ("Adventure") class passengers in overhead parcel racks in each of the coaches and Vista-Dome coach, but because there are no overhead parcel racks in the Ultra-Dome cars first ("GoldStar") class passengers leave their carry-on baggage on the floor under the seat forward of them. The Panorama Dome cars are single level cars with many pairs of reclining seats and panoramic windows. The only access to the outside from these cars are the dutch doors in the vestibules at the end of each car. Because there are no overhead parcel racks in the Panorama Dome cars passengers leave their carry-on baggage on the floor under the seat forward of them. There are many railfan sites online that have photographs of these various car types. My personal preference is that Vista-Dome cars are the best for sightseeing (even better than the Great Dome cars that the Great Northern Railway once operated, and which Amtrak continued to operate through 2019). Traditionally, a "dome car" is the Vista-Dome car in the Coastal Classic train consist, and the use of the term "dome car" for the Ultra-Dome and Panoramamic Dome cars is, in my view, a misnomer, largely because of the lack of intimacy or any true "dome". Consider these cars to be little more than slightly-glorified versions of the sightseer lounge Superliner cars that Amtrak uses on many of its train. The panoramic windows on the Ultra-Dome and Panorama Dome cars look nice in the marketing photographs, but because these are the regular seats used all day, there is no respite from the sun beating down from above, and the lack of overhead storage further detracts. The higher quality of service is nice to have, but with so many passengers using the first ("GoldStar") class service--there are two cars with 72 seats each, compared to only 44 seats in 2-1 configuration for Amtrak Express first class service--that extra service might not always be so noticeable. The outdoor platform is a nice plus, and a bit more convenient than riding the dutch doors in coach, but absent a crowd in the vestibule I have always done fine there. In first ("GoldStar") class you may feel confined to a single car, since that one car has your seat, the observation platform, and the dining area, whereas in coach ("Adventure") class you may feel less confined and free to travel about in the several coach and Vista-Dome coach cars, along with the café and dining cars. In short, I find coach ("Adventure") class to be a better value, and in some areas a better service, and I would only choose first ("GoldStar") if the price premium were minimal, or if I were offered an upgrade. Finally, I generally try to purchase tickets directly from carriers, and thereby avoid middlemen, unless there is some substantial reason to do otherwise. It seems unlikely that there would be any substantial reason for purchasing Coastal Classic tickets from other than the Alaska Railroad itself, or for purchasing Cruise Train tickets from other than the cruise line (or from the agent selling the cruise line ticket).

Both the east side and west side routes have distinct histories and characteristics, and neither readily meet the ordinary expectations of an "expressway." While the east side route is nearly entirely limited access and no traffic signals, traffic on the west side route moves very well and the traffic signals are coordinated. Both routes have comparable travel times, and both routes lead to the entrance to the tunnel to Brooklyn, but the "better" route can vary from day-to-day based on traffic. Note that the east side route will also lead directly to the Brooklyn Bridge, which if used will save from having to pay a tunnel toll (albeit with having a longer and many times delay-prone route through Brooklyn along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, interstate route 278). If you're not ready to tackle Manhattan roads, and want expressway driving, then, from New Jersey, use interstate route 95 north (George Washington Bridge into New York, continuing on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway across Manhattan, over the Alexander Hamilton Bridge into the Bronx), then interstate route 87 south (Major Deegan Expressway) to its end, then interstate route 278 west (over the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge into Queens, Grand Central Parkway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) to exit 27 (Atlantic Avenue) and local streets to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The west side route had previously also been limited access and no traffic signals, but the elevated highway that comprised the route was not maintained well and failed. There was much controversy as to replacement of the elevated highway, and ultimately the elevated highway was torn down between 59th Street and the entrance to the tunnel to Brooklyn (the segment between 72nd Street and 59th Street remains). The elevated highway was paved with cobblestones, which were slick in the rain, and with hairpin turns portions had 25 mph speed limits. The interesting history of the west side route can be read here; the history of the east side route can be read here. The west side route, or state route 9A, starts at the Westchester county line, and is comprised of the Henry Hudson Parkway (to 72nd Street), then what is commonly referred to as the "West Side Highway," but in fact a series of roadways: Joe DiMaggio Highway (formerly Miller Highway; to 59th Street), Twelfth Avenue (to 22nd Street), Eleventh Avenue (to 14th Street), and West Street (to Battery Place). Note that state route 9A ends at the entrance to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel), and the remaining four blocks of West Street have no state route number. The east side route, no marked route number, starts at Dyckman Street in the Inwood neighborhood of northernmost Manhattan, and is comprised of the Harlem River Drive (to 125th Street), Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive (more commonly FDR Drive; to Coenties Slip), South Street (to tunnel entrance on South Street near Broad Street), and the Battery Park Underpass (to tunnel exit on West Street near 2nd Place).

I generally find the same to be true on most lines upon which I have traveled. I think it is in large part driven by the need to serve the lowest common denominator, and that means lackluster and lacking in any bold flavors. The main benefit in dining on board is not having to cook, myself, and being served. But for enjoying food it is usually so much more satisfying to eat off the vessel, in the country we are visiting, especially if we're able to get away from all the other passengers. (Alas, that would not be much good on an Alaska cruise as even when ashore you're mostly stuck in small towns within the United States.) The food quality onboard does not greatly for us because, living in New York, we have the finest restaurants and authentic ethnic food available to us at all times. But at the same time we're sometimes we're saddened when we see others in the dining room, from places outside New York City, and the experience they're having onboard may be among their best meals ever (especially if a once-in-a-lifetime cruise). So while I would like food more to my liking, I am resigned to what it is, which is not bad . . . and usually better than what I would be served in Amtrak's dining car! A big plus for me, especially on longer journeys. Excellent to hear that ACT did a good job in providing transportation.