GTJ

That is such a disappointment. ☹️ I had used them on multiple prior travels, and had no reason to believe that the bus part of the station would have decided to rid itself of the lockers. The rail part of the station has not had lockers for ages (if ever).

I wish I could agree, but some transit fares have become so expensive that a five dollar bill may not be much of an overpayment. With a cash fare of $3.75 in Québec, using a five dollar bill is not that much more. Additionally, a one-day pass, at $9.25, might warrant a ten dollar bill. How I yearn for the days when placing just a quarter in the farebox was enough for full fare!

If need be, one can purchase an Amtrak ticket from New York, N.Y., to Newark, N.J., for $10.

You can overpay. The expression "exact change" usually means that no change is provided, not that one has to tender the precise amount. Some people without exact change might, before overpaying, ask other passengers, "Does anyone change for . . . ?" (« Quelqu'un a-t-il de la monnaie pour . . . ? »). In some places, such as New York City, "exact change" also means that only "change," i.e., coins, are accepted, but no paper currency is accepted. In a few places requiring exact change the transit system issues change cards . . . with any amount paid in excess of the fare placed on a fare card that can be used for subsequent transportation. Both of these situations are exceptions to the general rule, which is simply that no change is provided.

There is an entrance fee. These are the summer fees from May 15, 2023, through November 5, 2023. Taxes are added to these amounts (QST is 9.975 percent, GST is 5 percent), the total being the amount shown in brackets. Residency Québec city Québec province Non-resident Children (<18) 0.00 [0.00] 0.00 [0.00] 0.00 [0.00] Adult (>=18, <65) 0.00 [0.00] 3.78 [4.35] 7.57 [8.70] Senior (>=65) 0.00 [0.00] 3.48 [4.00] 6.96 [8.00] These are the winter fees, applicable at other times. Taxes are added to these amounts (QST is 9.975 percent, GST is 5 percent), the total being the amount shown in brackets. Residency Québec city Québec province Non-resident Children (<18) 0.00 [0.00] 0.00 [0.00] 0.00 [0.00] Adult (>=18, <65) 0.00 [0.00] 2.87 [3.30] 5.74 [6.60] Senior (>=65) 0.00 [0.00] 2.61 [3.00] 5.22 [6.00]

What is curious is that several passenger trains seemingly would have been affected, and therefore making for significant reportable news. The train from Denali to Whittier, the "Denali Express," is followed by the "McKinley Express" that operates between McKinley and Whittier, by the "Denali Star" (which is combined with the "Wilderness Express") that operates between Fairbanks and Anchorage, and by the Hurricane "turn" that operates between Hurricane and Talkeetna. That is to say, there is at least one, and possibly two, other passenger trains, depending on the exact place of the slide, that would have been caught up with the slide as well. The lack of news reports is surprising.

I think that is at least partially true. Railroad stations are usually centrally located--not just at Denali but throughout the United States--and nearby hotels are also both centrally located and typically expensive. Motorists, in their vehicles, have greater access to less expensive lodgings. (There's a certain irony in that less affluent people more often will travel by train and bus, yet it is the more affluent who travel by car that have this benefit of access to less expensive lodging.) I do note that the former year-round AuRoRa used to make a stop in Healy as well, but with its summer replacement by the Denali Star no longer do trains have a passenger stop at Healy in the summer. I don't understand why the Denali Star does not have a passenger stop in Healy, both for ordinary passengers destined for Healy as well as the many HAP employees who, themselves, are lodged in Healy. The main independent scheduled motorcoach service, Park Connection, offers several stops at various hotels, all of which are in that category of expensive "Glitter Gulch" hotels. In most American cities one can use the local public transportation system to get from the centrally-located railroad or bus station to less expensive hotels located in the periphery, but at Denali there is no local public transportation system that provides that function . . . train and bus users have few options beyond the central but expensive lodgings. Smaller transportation services--that typically use vans, cutaways, and other smaller vehicles--might provide service to Healy and other less expensive lodgings, but at the cost of less comfortable small vehicles. In any case, however, so long as one books arrangements independently, and not as part of a package or inclusive tour, there is no need to pay for an expensive Tundra Wilderness Tour. The transit bus is not restricted to automobile users, and can be utilized as well by people who make their own independent bus or train arrangements. A rental car might alleviate some of these issues, but such a strategy would have its own issues. For example, to obtain a rental car one must be licensed, be of at least a specified age, and have both the ability to operate the rental car safely (many visitors to Alaska are elderly and can no longer drive as safely as motorists ought to be driving) and the intent to avoid taking in all the scenery so that one can be focused entirely on safe driving. I do not meet these requirements for a rental car. Many years ago, in the late 1980s, I visited Denali independently by railroad. I stayed at the hotel that then-existed within the part, actually staying in one of the retired ARR sleeping cars that were parked outside the hotel. Easily walkable from the railroad station, not too expensive, and readily accessible to the then-free transit buses. All told, I visited the park economically. In sum, I agree at least in part. It is a challenge visiting Denali economically. Add to that list of named trains the chartered cruise train, sometimes also known as the Grandview Train, between the Anchorage airport and Seward. Same tracks, different train cars.

You can check your baggage at the downtown Anchorage station, and claim your baggage upon arrival at the Seward station. Or you can carry-on your baggage, keeping it on the floor at your seat, or leaving it in on the baggage racks in an adjacent coach. Your decision-making here is going to be influenced on whether you will need to access your baggage while traveling. For example, if you're carrying photography equipment and intend to take photographs while on the train, then you'll need to keep your baggage with you. You'll also want to carry-on any valuables or medication. On the other hand, if you're only packing clothes for the cruise, then you won't need your baggage, and it might be most convenient to check your baggage at the Anchorage station, and retrieve it upon arrival at the railroad station in Seward. When you arrive at the station in Anchorage in the morning, there will be a tent erected on the right-hand side of the station. That's where you can check your baggage, telling the baggage agent your destination is the Seward railroad station, and that you're traveling on the "Coastal Classic" train. They will tag your baggage, give you a claim ticket, and place it in the railroad baggage car. Head into the station building, grab a light breakfast if desired, shop for gifts, and wait for your train to be called for boarding. Since pictures can helpful; take a look at those below. You will find: ARR Coach Baggage - typical area to store carry-on baggage in (Adventure class) coaches ARR Coach Car - typical Adventure class coach with overhead baggage racks ARR Ultra Dome Car - typical first class (GoldStar) coach with no overhead baggage racks ARR Baggage Checking - tent outside Anchorage station where baggage may be checked ARR Tickets - typical claim tickets for checked baggage

It is important to keep in mind that on cruise vessel days there are two trains that travel from Anchorage to Seward. Both trains are operated by the Alaska Railroad, and utilize railroad-owned cars, but the two trains are separately marketed. Be certain the train you are seeking to utilize. The early morning train departing the downtown Anchorage station at 6:45 a.m., is marketed by the Alaska Railroad, and tickets are purchased from either the Alaska Railroad or travel agents (including, possibly, the cruise line). This is a regular passenger train with a consist that includes, for all passengers, a Vista-Dome sightseeing car, and a café car, and a baggage car; for coach (Adventure) class passengers, ordinary coach cars with carry-on baggage racks; and for first class (GoldStar) passengers, an Ultra Dome bi-level car with coach seating and open observation deck on top, and a dining room below. This train travels to the railroad station in Seward, a very short distance away from the Intermodal Terminal where cruise vessels dock, arriving at approximately 11:05 a.m. The early afternoon train departing the Anchorage airport at approximately 1:00 p.m., is marketed by the cruise lines themselves, and tickets are purchased exclusively from the cruise lines. This is a chartered passenger train with a consist that includes, as single class service, a café car and Panorama Dome single-level coach cars. No baggage car, carry-on baggage placed on the floor at each seat. This train travels to the Intermodal Terminal where cruise vessels dock, arriving at approximately 5:30 p.m.

On the floor, at your seat. if there's not many other passengers with baggage then you might be able to stash it someplace else in the car. If need be, bring it inside one of the (Adventure class) coaches, store it there, then walk back to the first class (GoldStar) car for your seat. Or check the baggage at the station in Anchorage, either for the railroad to carry it in the baggage car to the Seward railroad station, or for the cruise line have it delivered directly to your stateroom. Your baggage will get there, even if carry-on baggage service for first class (GoldStar) passengers is less convenient than for coach (Adventure) class passengers. That first class (GoldStar) might be providing a lesser service than coach (Adventure) class on the Alaska Railroad reminds me of a trip a few years ago on Amtrak. I was traveling in business class, one of the amenities being complimentary soft drinks. However, to distinguish between the paid soft drinks provided to coach class passengers and the complimentary soft drinks provided to business class passengers, the former were the 12-ounce cans while the latter were 7½-ounce cans. When I requested a cola, the attendant explained that they were all out of cola for business class passengers, and that only Sprite, or something similar, was available. I was told that the remaining cola can were only for coach class passengers, not for business class passengers. There's a certain irony in paying extra for a "higher" class of transportation that provides less service.

Neither Greyhound Lines, nor its new owners, Flix SE, have had much appetite for providing good bus service. Their saving grace is that airlines provide worse service. But there are good bus companies, such as Concord Coach Lines in New England, and good bus brokers, such as OurBus in New York, and many cruise passengers use and rely upon these and other bus lines (and Amtrak rail service) to get to and from the port. It should be practicable as well for there to also be good bus service in southern California and perhaps it will be forthcoming.

Here's a video that is good for showing the area. As you can see, it is a beach. One can go walking around as one would on most other non-bathing beaches. If you want to jump in the puddles or find some mud then you can do so. If you want to find some rocks to climb about then you do that as well. A lot depends on how you wish to walk about or hike.

The mud surrounding the Amazon in Brazil is notorious (generally the area south of Manaus to Porto Velho, as well as along the coast between Macapá and French Guiana). Travel here can truly be exhausting, and sometimes the passengers will help dig through the mud or push buses through the mud. I don't think that there is any monetization of those efforts. Most everyone is truly exhausted by the end of the trip! Fortunately, these railroad passengers in Alaska did not have to endure that! The tunnel was built by the railroad during WWII for its own exclusive use. For many years any motorists desiring to travel to or from Whittier would have to have their vehicles placed on an Alaska Railroad flatcar to be transported through the tunnel. It was only at the turn of the century that the railroad agreed to allow its tunnel to be paved so that motorists could drive themselves through the tunnel. The railroad would not have ever agreed to the paving without reserving for itself continued access to its own tunnel, though given that the Alaska Railroad was acquired by the state from the USDOT in 1985, state politics may have affected the negotiations between the ARRC and the DOT&PF. But in this particular case, if the Alaska Railroad utilized buses to transport its passengers, then, the railroad would be allowed to use the tunnel it owns to transport its own passengers.

Just to be certain about this: The parent corporation of FlixBus, Flix SE, purchased Greyhound Lines. That is to say, FlixBus and Greyhound Lines are two separate companies with common ownership and direction. While Greyhound Lines provides transportation through the operation of its own buses, FlixBus provides transportation through the operation by buses by other companies (it sells tickets for those other companies that whose buses are typically painted with the FlixBus logo). The buses of Greyhound Lines and the bus companies marked as FlixBus both operate along the coastal highway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Guide to Greenland is not, itself, a tour operator; it is a third-party sales platform. Rarely will you find any actual tour operator offering so many distinctive tours. The failure of a vessel might cause the actual tour operator to cancel a tour. So is the complaint against the tour operator, either for faulty vessel maintenance or for being untruthful about its vessel being "broken"? If so, do you know the name of the tour operator? Or is the complaint that the third party sales platform failed to pass along the refund timely, or possibly kept the refund for itself? It is important to know the reason(s) for advising to do business with this entity, and for who is actually at fault.

You may be confusing highway operating hours with railroad operating hours. The tunnel is, of course, owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation, and the railroad can operate its own property. Highway usage is allowed to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities pursuant to a cooperative operating agreement signed by each of the two parties on September 25, 2014. Section 5 of the contractual agreement specifically states: "Except as provided below, ARRC may operate trains through the Tunnel at any time before the DOT&PF's hours of operation start and after they cease each day." During shared use hours there are specified windows for railroad operations, but subsection E requires cooperation between the parties, and "both parties are encouraged to regularly communicate and discuss the day to day operation of the Tunnel to reduce respective impacts to either mode and to operate the Tunnel cooperatively and optimally for the combined use." Of course, a passenger train has the highest priority of any tunnel use, but for emergency vehicles, and the cooperation required will permit the railroad to supersede any potential highway conflict. In short, the tunnel poses no significant impediment to the railroad's operations. At worst there will be disruption to highway traffic. I do not see how the passengers will be exhausted. Perhaps hungry if not fed on the delayed train (the usual Amtrak response to extended delays and hungry passengers is to load up KFC meals and hand them out gratis to all of those inconvenienced), and maybe tired if their arrival is after their usual bedtime. But they certainly would not have been called upon to help shovel the mud. But there will be disappointment all around if the cruise line elects to omit passage near the Hubbard glacier as a result of the delay.

If you're referring to the Alcan Highway, that route would require going outside the United States. Would the owner allow its vehicle to be removed from the United States? I note section 7(d) of the ticket contract, which reads in relevant part: "In the event that a Cruise (or the cruise component of a CruiseTour) is canceled or terminated early due to mechanical failures: * * * iii) If the Passenger has travelled [sic] to the Vessel, Passenger shall have a right to transportation (by means selected by the Carrier) to the Vessel’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the Passenger’s home city * * *" That is to say, Royal Caribbean has the obligation to provide transportation from Seward to Vancouver. That means travel via common carrier. But it is Royal Caribbean's choice of carriage. Arranging one's own carriage, such as travel by Princess Cruises from Whittier to Vancouver, might be acceptable to Royal Caribbean for reimbursement, but it is up to their discretion as to the acceptability of such carriage. Renting a vehicle and driving it oneself is yet a second step removed from the ticket contract terms, and thus less likely (compared to arranging common carriage) to be acceptable to Royal Caribbean. While it is important to act quickly, given the essence of time at this moment, including the likely disappearing of alternatives as they become filled, it is also important to keep in mind the likelihood of actions taken being acceptable to Royal Caribbean (or the willingness of the passenger to bring an arbitration claim against Royal Caribbean).

Unfortunately, most of the overland routes to and from Alaska have been discontinued. It has been some time now that the bus services connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks with Whitehorse were discontinued, and more recently Greyhound Canada went out of business completely, resulting in discontinuance of its bus route between Whitehorse and Vancouver without replacement by any other bus company. As to ferries, the vessel Kennicott typically operates every two weeks in the summer between Whittier (south of Anchorage) and Bellingham (south of Vancouver). However, this year a shortage of crew has caused the Alaska Marine Highway to suspend service on this route. As a result, there is no ferry service between any port proximate to Anchorage and the panhandle of the state. At best, one could fly from Anchorage to Juneau, and join the Columbia at Juneau for its voyage to Bellingham. The Columbia does have a departure from Juneau on the evening of Monday, September 18, at 11:30 p.m., arriving in Bellingham on the morning of Friday, September 22, at 8:00 a.m. This should be enough time to get from Bellingham to Vancouver. The Columbia stops at Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan, with relatively short port times (at most, there is 4 hours 15 minutes in Ketchikan). For a more extensive itinerary, the Columbia will depart Juneau earlier in the day on September 18, at 3:45 a.m., making stops in Haines and Skagway before returning to Juneau at 8:45 p.m., and so this earlier departure would provide short visits to those two intermediate ports. You might be able to travel on a different cruise. If you're planning to arrive into Anchorage early enough on September 13, there is a departure that same day on the Sapphire Princess from Whittier, scheduled to leave at 8:30 p.m. If your arrival is early enough, you could possibly board this vessel, even if you have to arrange for a private transfer to get to Whittier. You would have to leave the airport no later than 5:00 p.m. It takes 1 hour 15 minutes in ordinary traffic to get to the Whittier tunnel. You would need to get the 6:30 p.m. tunnel to get to the port by 7:00 p.m. (and having checked in online in advance). I see that space is available on the vessel, starting at $199 per person. Itinerary is Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan, arriving in Vancouver on September 20. You should move quickly before everyone else on the annulled Royal Caribbean departure attempts the same thing. There's also another departure on September 13, but it is from Seward on the Seven Seas Explorer. However, its minimum fare per passenger is $18,699, so it might not be a practicable option.

I don't think flip flops would ordinarily be worn on the beach, at least not beyond those beaches that might be used as bathing beaches. It should be obvious that this is not a beach for bathing or sunning. Of course, don't wear bathing attire when riding the bus or walking about! When hiking about on a typical non-bathing beach I would ordinarily wear sneakers, hiking shoes or low boots, or possibly some casual shoes that I don't intend keeping shined. In fact I used such foot attire when I was the Hopewell Rocks. Best is to simply wear what you would wear while exploring and hiking about on a non-bathing beach.

Try the Gare du Palais. Absent any changes since my last visit, in the bus portion of the railway station there are self-service luggage lockers (towards the back of the station, on the left).

I don't think I see anything wrong, per se. The most important thing is to understand where you will be staying. This is not a very exciting neighborhood, but it offers a location very close to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal; presumably you have chosen to stay here because it is a good value. Despite its name, the hotel is not at Prospect Park. It is slightly closer to Green-Wood Cemetery (itself a sight to see) than Prospect Park, but its immediate surroundings are a mixture of industrial and residential. Very good pizza is available just over a block away, Luigi's Pizza on Fifth Avenue between 20th Street and 21st Street. The hotel is in-between two subway stations on Fourth Avenue, about four or five blocks to either, so reasonably convenient for travel to and from Manhattan. Some television programs tape are in Astoria, Queens, which is a slightly longer subway trip than Manhattan. Going to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal you can either get the bus there (route B61, on 9th Street) or a very short taxi ride (you will likely have one of the lowest taxi fares of any person on your cruise vessel).

Wear what you would wear on a beach.

The "interview" is good, as it would permit a passenger to make a defense. For example, "I am not a convict, and you're confusing me with someone else." Such an interview is not a court of law, and there's no assurance that the reviewing officer would make a good, fair, or correct decision, but at least there's an opportunity for the passenger to speak and explain. The middle option, shore leave restriction decided summarily without interview, seems to be lacking in due process.

There is not one single type of car used to transport coach (Adventure) class passengers. The railroad has several different types of passenger cars with somewhat different configurations. Not every car is going to have baggage storage at the ends of the car, and not every train has the same consist of cars, so there is no assurance that carry-on baggage will be stowed at car ends or elsewhere. But regardless of the particular train, there are places for carry-on baggage, except on the Ultra Dome cars used for first class (GoldStar) service and Panoramic Dome cars used for chartered cruise trains (the result of the glass roofs used).

It is two separate environments. More particularly, most of the hotels in Jersey City are located in an area once dominated by railroad yards and now redeveloped into an urban pedestrian-oriented environment that borders the center of New Jersey's financial center at Exchange Place. It is very easy to get around on foot and the area has a great waterfront and views of Manhattan. That said, however, it is a newly redeveloped, and it does suffer from being a bit sterile. Immediately north of this zone (and readily accessible on foot) is the city of Hoboken, much older and filled with marvelous stores and restaurants, much more historic, traditional, and less sterile for walking. There is easy access to Manhattan with very good public transportation service. In contrast, the hotel zone in Elizabeth has been, and remains, a mostly industrial cargo port, with a few islands of newly developed retail. The retail consists of bland big box stores and an outlet mall. The hotels, too, are bland. The entire area is primarily oriented to motor vehicle traffic--and substantial trucking--with not a particularly pedestrian-friendly ambiance (though it is reasonable and not inconvenient to walk between the hotel zone and the outlet mall). Access to Manhattan is not very good. There is a direct bus line connecting the area with Port Authority Bus Terminal, near Times Square, but the hours of operation are not great and may not correspond to the hours hotel guest might want to travel (the bus route is focused more on bringing New Yorkers to the outlet mall, than bringing hotel guests to Manhattan). If one intends to sleep Elizabeth can work out well, but for anything more it just does not have as much to offer locally as Jersey City.