White Pass Railway -Skagway - Advice needed

Traveling on NCL pear in June and have few questions on this tour.

1- It's $25 cheaper to book right through the railway site vs cruise ship, however the website states the following:

"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."

My mom doesn't walk so well, so can you still get on by cruise ship if she doesn't book through cruise? How far is the stop for "non-Cruise Bookers"? The times are really close, so it seems like it would be the same stop but since the website had this disclaimer it made me question it.

2- The cruise ship offers an extended tour called "WhitePass Railway & Suspension Bridge". It leaves at 7:30 vs the 8:15 regular tour. This seemed odd to me, as the railway website only list 8:15am,12:45pm, 4:30pm as options. So not sure they would send up a separate

train to accommodate this tour. Any thoughts on this? Also, how long does the train stop before turning around to go back? Is the suspension bridge an option you can do on your own once you are up there? It seems like a cool stop, but I'm going with my mom who won't be able to walk it. I'm trying to figure out if we can take the same train together, while I'm still able to do the bridge part. Any insight you can provide would be helpful.

3-last minute booking availability - website seems like you need a reservation, but then reading some reviews it seems that they don't sell out. Which do you believe to be true? I'm trying to do two activities on this day because we are there so long. One involves a helicopter and I know sometimes they have to reschedule these, so I'm wondering if I can just schedule the railway last minute in case of scheduling conflicts.

Appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks!

1. Pearl uses the Broadway dock, which is closest to the train station, so it shouldn’t be much more of a walk if you do it independently.

2. The suspension bridge is reached by bus, which will pick you up at Fraser when you disembark. I was underwhelmed... if your mom does the summit tour (up and back) and you do the bridge you’ll be on different trains. There are trains going to or leaving from different places about every 15 minutes in the morning.

3. Normally, I would say you can probably book last minute, but you are in town with 3 other monster ships who will be disgorging 12,000+ passengers into a town of 800 permanent residents every Wednesday. There’s a finite number of engines and cars and the train is the most popular attraction in Skagway, so maybe...

1. Pearl uses the Broadway dock, which is closest to the train station, so it shouldn’t be much more of a walk if you do it independently.

 

2. The suspension bridge is reached by bus, which will pick you up at Fraser when you disembark. I was underwhelmed... if your mom does the summit tour (up and back) and you do the bridge you’ll be on different trains. There are trains going to or leaving from different places about every 15 minutes in the morning.

 

3. Normally, I would say you can probably book last minute, but you are in town with 3 other monster ships who will be disgorging 12,000+ passengers into a town of 800 permanent residents every Wednesday. There’s a finite number of engines and cars and the train is the most popular attraction in Skagway, so maybe...

All tours that cross the US or Canadian border require a passport. The White Pass to the Summit (3.5 hrs) doesn’t require a passport.. I’ve always seen the NCL ships docked at the Ore Dock.

All tours that cross the US or Canadian border require a passport. The White Pass to the Summit (3.5 hrs) doesn’t require a passport.

While a passport may not be required by local authorities on the trip to the summit, Chilkoot does require one (which we are doing in July):

Chilkoot requires passports because, unlike the summit train that goes up and back, Chilkoot picks you up at Fraser with a bus and takes you around before returning to Skagway. You need a passport to get through the border station on the highway. I assume that anyone coming on an Alaska cruise these days has a passport, passport card, or enhanced license, even if departing from Seattle.

Chilkoot requires passports because, unlike the summit train that goes up and back, Chilkoot picks you up at Fraser with a bus and takes you around before returning to Skagway. You need a passport to get through the border station on the highway. I assume that anyone coming on an Alaska cruise these days has a passport, passport card, or enhanced license, even if departing from Seattle.

I would not bet on that. Nor would I bet on them actually bringing it with them.

I would not bet on that. Nor would I bet on them actually bringing it with them.

I went on the Chilkoot tour (the one to the Yukon) a couple years ago and they ask you for your passport before you even leave the dock. They might have even taken them at the beginning so the driver could hand them to the guard at the gate when we arrived there, if my memory serves.

Maggie

Just to be clear, there are two separate tours involving the train. I strongly recommend the bus up with lunch and train back.

As far as where you book from, your traveling over a hundred miles away from the port going into another country. That knowledge that should you book through the cruise line, the ship will wit for you is rather comforting.

For a first timer I would take the bus up to Caribou crossing and have there chicken dinner lunch,

check out the museum, pet the little puppies. The bus then goes up to Emerald lake and on the way back to Fraser it stops in Carcross before going on the train in Fraser. Last year when we rode the train back they stopped the train just outside of Skagway and US Customs boarded the train and checked everyone's documents and then cleared the train to continue into Skagway. You want to sit on the right side of the bus and the train for this excursion.

This year I want to do the "White Pass Bennett Lake & Yukon Adventure" it's a 7.5 hr. train ride.

Bennett Lake is my favorite!

On the way back from Fraser a US immigration agent walked through the train checking passports.

I would not hesitate to book independently from the cruise line, you will probably be on the same train anyway and if not it is a very reputable company with a lot to lose - even if your train broke down you can rest assured they would get you back on time. I

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Rent a car and do the South Highway Klondike drive up to Carcross. Beautiful drive with nice stops along the way.

Thanks everyone! For others interested, I checked directly with the train provider. Those who purchase through the cruise will NOT be on the same train as those who purchase direct. They bring a separate train down just for cruise passengers. So if traveling with others make sure you all purchase through the same channel.

For a first timer I would take the bus up to Caribou crossing and have there chicken dinner lunch,

check out the museum, pet the little puppies. The bus then goes up to Emerald lake and on the way back to Fraser it stops in Carcross before going on the train in Fraser. Last year when we rode the train back they stopped the train just outside of Skagway and US Customs boarded the train and checked everyone's documents and then cleared the train to continue into Skagway. You want to sit on the right side of the bus and the train for this excursion.

This year I want to do the "White Pass Bennett Lake & Yukon Adventure" it's a 7.5 hr. train ride.

We have booked the train/bus excursion and I have been trying to track comments to get an idea of where to sit for best photo opps. Comments seem to be contradictory with the most recent I've seen, prior to yours, being to 'sit on the left going up and right side coming down'. Is it possible there is another train/bus combination that is getting mixed up with White Pass?

We have booked the train/bus excursion and I have been trying to track comments to get an idea of where to sit for best photo opps. Comments seem to be contradictory with the most recent I've seen, prior to yours, being to 'sit on the left going up and right side coming down'. Is it possible there is another train/bus combination that is getting mixed up with White Pass?

For the train: sit on the left going up and the right side coming down.

For the bus/van: sit on the right going up and the left side coming down.

Here's a helpful map: https://wpyr.com/wp-content/themes/wpyr/maps/routemap.html. The railroad is in orange to the right of the center of the map; the road is in black to the left of the center of the map.

ty Capricio that was helpful!

For the train: sit on the left going up and the right side coming down.

For the bus/van: sit on the right going up and the left side coming down.

 

Here's a helpful map: https://wpyr.com/wp-content/themes/wpyr/maps/routemap.html. The railroad is in orange to the right of the center of the map; the road is in black to the left of the center of the map.

Thank you. Nice to see a visual.

For the train: sit on the left going up and the right side coming down.

For the bus/van: sit on the right going up and the left side coming down.

 

Here's a helpful map: https://wpyr.com/wp-content/themes/wpyr/maps/routemap.html. The railroad is in orange to the right of the center of the map; the road is in black to the left of the center of the map.

Thank you! great to have a visual

For the train: sit on the left going up and the right side coming down.

For the bus/van: sit on the right going up and the left side coming down.

 

Here's a helpful map: https://wpyr.com/wp-content/themes/wpyr/maps/routemap.html. The railroad is in orange to the right of the center of the map; the road is in black to the left of the center of the map.

This may seem silly, but I assume "right side coming down" means right side when facing the direction of travel. OK, so far so good. But, when I get on the train, will the engines always be in the front of the train, or, is it possible that coming down the engines are in the back? Said another way, how do I know the direction of travel when I board the train?

If you want to be able to go at your own pace you might want to consider renting a car and making the drive to Emerald Lake.

Plenty of great stops along the ways for photo ops. Several places to stop for a snack or something to drink. Emerald Lake is gorgeous and a sight to behold.

Just need to leave time for turning the car in and getting back to the ship.

You could even pick the car up and drive to the dock to pick up your mom and vice versa on the way back.

Somewhere on the web is a milepost narrative of everything you will pass.

If you are lucky you might see some bear along the way.

On the way up we saw one along side the road eating dandelions.

On the way back there was one messing around along side the road. He ended up coming over to the car to check us out; raised up against the drivers door; looked at us; and then crossed the road and meandered off.