2024 Alaska bucket list cruise

[Cruisefanatic71]

We are in the planning stages of our 2024 Alaska bucket list cruise. We are looking at cruiselines and itineraries to see what will fit into what we would like to see and do since this is our first time cruising Alaska. My wife's only request is that she wants to go on an excursion on a train that has the glass top. Has anyone gone on this train excursion and if so could you let me know what cruiseline you used and if it is cruiseline specific or is it port specific to be able to do this excursion? Thanks in advance for all input. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

Pretty sure the "train with the glass top" is a part of the land tour before or after your cruise that a couple of cruise lines offer. Not actually a port on a cruise.

[GTJ]

24 minutes ago, Cruisefanatic71 said:

We are in the planning stages of our 2024 Alaska bucket list cruise. * * * My wife's only request is that she wants to go on an excursion on a train that has the glass top. Has anyone gone on this train excursion and if so could you let me know what cruiseline you used and if it is cruiseline specific or is it port specific to be able to do this excursion?

There are three types of railcars operating in Alaska that have a "glass top." There is a traditional "Vista-Dome" car that is effectively a bubble that protrudes upward from the center of the car, panoramic views in all directions. These cars, first used in 1945 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, are becoming increasingly rare as they age, but are relished by railroad enthusiasts. There is a "Panorama Dome" car that is a single level car with the upper part of of the car--the ceiling--replaced with glass. These cars, initially rebuilt from traditional railroad cars, provide views of both sides from the train, but there is no upward protrusion from which one can view in all directions. Finally, there is an "Ultra Dome" car that is bilevel. but otherwise much like the single level Panorama Dome cars in offering views of both sides from train. These cars have an outdoor observation platform either on the upper or lower level (depending on the particular car design), a dining room on the lower level. The cars above are operated on several distinct trains in Alaska.

 

"Vista-Dome" cars are operated by the Alaska Railroad on the Coastal Classic, between Anchorage and Seward; the Denali Star, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; and the Hurricane Turn, between Talkeetna and Hurricane. Seats in the dome section are unreserved and intended for coach ("Adventure Class") passengers. Tickets for these Vista-Dome trains are sold to all persons, regardless of cruise line or not.

 

"Panorama Dome" cars are operated as charter trains by the Alaska Railroad on McKinley Express, between Whittier and McKinley (near Talkeetna); and on cruise trains between either Anchorage Airport and Seward, or between Anchorage and Whittier. All passengers receive reserved seats in the dome section; tickets for these Panorama Dome trains are sold only to the passengers of the cruise lines that have chartered the trains for their passengers.

 

"Ultra Dome" cars are operated by the Alaska Railroad on the Coastal Classic, between Anchorage and Seward; and the Denali Star, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; operated by Premier Alaska Tours on the Wilderness Express, between Anchorage and Fairbanks; and operated by Holland American Princess on the Denali Express, between Whittier and Denali; and the McKinley Explorer, between Anchorage and Denali. All passengers receive reserved seats in the dome section. Tickets for the Denali Express are sold only to the passengers of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises; tickets for other Ultra Dome trains are sold to all persons, regardless of cruise line or not.

 

You should ascertain if there is a particular type of "glass top" care upon which your wife desires to travel (and choose a particular train accordingly). If she is indifferent as to the three different types of cars, then you have a full choice.

 

Your decision will also likely be influenced by your overland destination(s). Some trains, as noted, travel between the two main ports in central Alaska, Seward and Whittier, and Anchorage, while other trains go further into central Alaska, to Talkeetna, Denlia, and Fairbanks.

 

Holland America Princess has the most extensive selection of trains for which tickets are sold only to their cruise line passengers. Their trains, however, overlap other trains with dome cars, and so one can really choose any cruise line and still have access to trains with dome cars. Of course, the devil is in the details, and so it may be best to review the complete train timetable to plan the travel desired.

Alaska Railroad Map and Service 2.pdf Alaska Railroad Timetable.pdf

[oaktreerb]

Holland America and Princess have modern dome cars with a dining car on the lower level that will transport you to Denali National Park.  You will ride in the dome car and be called to the dining car when you are ready to have breakfast or lunch/dinner.   I have been in both Princess and HAL and Holland has the more comfortable seating.  The food is excellent on both. Grayline Tours of Alaska is owned by the Princess/Holland Tour Group and has tour packages that do not include cruises.  We toured separately with them to Kantishna and were transported in the Holland America dome cars (a nice treat).

 

In my experience a few years ago the railcars used for transport between Anchorage and Seward to meet the ship were not luxury.  Alaska Railroad has different levels of service so choose the more expensive luxury service.

Edited January 7, 2023 by oaktreerb

[SkeeterPilot]

We are doing a cruise this June on the NCL Jewel that is a one way from Vancouver to Seward Alaska.  When we disembark in Seward there is an excursion through NCL that is the train ride from Seward to Anchorage.  We did a similar cruise a few years ago that went in the oposite direction.  We we took the train from Anchorage to Seward it was one of the highlights of the entire trip.  The rail cars are a domed glass type and the scenery was amazing.  We seen several glaciers some mountain goats and even a black bear on the train ride.

[misguy]

They will have a rail transfer to Anchorage that will take you to the airport and then you can from there if you want to spend some time in Alaska.

[misguy]

Here is a playlist of videos about cruising in Alaska, it has interviews with the local visitor's bureaus, Alaska experts, and so much more.

 

[Cruisefanatic71]

2 hours ago, misguy said:

Here is a playlist of videos about cruising in Alaska, it has interviews with the local visitor's bureaus, Alaska experts, and so much more.

 

Thank you for the video..

[jeromep]

I strongly recommend a cruise tour.  You are looking at a cruise that is a bit like Princess' Voyage of the Glaciers, which are one way northbound or southbound cruises going from Vancouver to Seward or vice versa with an additional land tour to one of Princess' lodges in inland Alaska.  There is a lot of variety in terms of combinations of land tour, lodges and cruises.  My preferred approach would be to start the vacation by flying to Alaska and having the land based portion of the cruise and then completing it with a southbound cruise and flying home from Vancouver.

 

Anytime somebody says "bucket list" to me, the first thing I ask is, do you have a good travel agent?  Bucket list travel, especially something which may have a lot of moving parts, flights, land tours, cruises, etc., really do benefit from having an experienced travel agent, a real person that you get to know a bit and is your one and only contact for booking this trip.  It is enticing to think you can do all this coordination on your own, but I've found TAs to be invaluable in doing all the leg work to ensure that your flights dovetail with your cruise with plenty of time to accommodate for delays with air transport, and finding pre and post cruise lodging that is convenient to the port or airport, and much much more.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Many passengers fall in love with Alaska, and the ease of traveling there by cruise ship.  While this might be a 'bucket list' trip now, you quite possibly might find that it is just your first trip to Alaska.

 

If train travel is important feature for your wife, do check out the Rocky Mountaineer across the Canadian Rockies.  That would be on my bucket list:

 

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

[RocketMan275]

On 1/7/2023 at 12:16 PM, Cruisefanatic71 said:

We are in the planning stages of our 2024 Alaska bucket list cruise. We are looking at cruiselines and itineraries to see what will fit into what we would like to see and do since this is our first time cruising Alaska. My wife's only request is that she wants to go on an excursion on a train that has the glass top. Has anyone gone on this train excursion and if so could you let me know what cruiseline you used and if it is cruiseline specific or is it port specific to be able to do this excursion? Thanks in advance for all input. 

Most of the 'excursions' discussed here have been only available if you actually cruise to Alaska.  Many Alaska cruises do not go all the way to the main part of Alaska but only go part way and then return to either Seattle or Vancouver.  The other cruises are between Seattle/Vancouver and usually Seward.  It's not clear which type of cruise you're looking at.  Obviously the cruise that are between Seattle/Vancouver and Seward also may include a multi-day land tour to Denali or other places.  These are significantly more expensive.

 

If you want to do something cheaper, you might consider a round trip cruise from Seattle and return.  One of the port stops would be Skagway.  There is an excellent rail excursion in Skagway, the White Pass railroad that follows the path the old miners took to the Yukon.  This railroad does not have glass observation cars but it does have a VIP/luxuary option.  This option is one railcar with maybe 12 or 16 guests.  It features some very good food and an open bar.  Seating is in swivelling arm chairs.  There is a dedicated person who only works in that car who narrates the trip and answers questions.  This is far better than the non-VIP option where the guide may not even be in the same car which obviously limits interactions with the guide.  

 

There is also a non-VIP option which isn't as comfortable but is considerably cheaper.

[Ferry_Watcher]

OP, if you take the White Pass Rail excursion, make sure that you pay attention to any passport requirements needed for the excursion. 

[RocketMan275]

18 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

OP, if you take the White Pass Rail excursion, make sure that you pay attention to any passport requirements needed for the excursion. 

Yes, at least one does enter into Canada.

Others do not.  

[Cruisefanatic71]

Thanks for all the recommendations from everyone. We booked our 2024 7 night Alaska trip leaving from Vancouver to Seward. I have searched the internet and am able to book the rail excursion that takes you to Denali which is the train my wife really wants to take which leaves from Anchroage to Denali through the tour company directly. I was also looking at the rail excursion in Skagway also. We always travel with passports no matter where we go when leaving the US so we will look at that excursion also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, Cruisefanatic71 said:

Thanks for all the recommendations from everyone. We booked our 2024 7 night Alaska trip leaving from Vancouver to Seward. I have searched the internet and am able to book the rail excursion that takes you to Denali which is the train my wife really wants to take which leaves from Anchroage to Denali through the tour company directly. I was also looking at the rail excursion in Skagway also. We always travel with passports no matter where we go when leaving the US so we will look at that excursion also. 

I really recommend the White Pass Rail excursion.  

Those miners wanting to enter the Yukon had to travel up that route.  You can see the path they wore from train.  Here's a link you might find interesting:

 

https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/white-pass-history.htm

[GTJ]

On 1/14/2023 at 11:04 AM, Cruisefanatic71 said:

We booked our 2024 7 night Alaska trip leaving from Vancouver to Seward. I have searched the internet and am able to book the rail excursion that takes you to Denali which is the train my wife really wants to take which leaves from Anchorage to Denali through the tour company directly.

You should do at least one more bit of homework. Your vessel will dock at Seward, and the train to Denali will be departing from Anchorage. Thus, you will require a transfer from Seward to Anchorage. It is likely that your cruise line will offer a transfer via cruise train departing Seward on the morning of the vessel's arrival. This train utilizes Panorama Dome cars. Note, however, that this train arrives at the airport in Anchorage, rather than downtown Anchorage, so you would need further transportation to get from the airport to your hotel that is, presumably, in downtown Anchorage (there's good local transit bus service to make that connection, as well as other transportation). Additionally, there is the regular train, the "Coastal Classic," departing Seward on the evening of the vessel's arrival. This train utilizes Ultra Dome cars, as well as ordinary coaches. This train arrives in downtown Anchorage. Of course, there is also motorcoach service between Seward and downtown Anchorage, several times daily.

 

On the trip from Anchorage to Denali, keep mind that there are three train services that use Ultra Dome cars: Denali Star, operated by Alaska Railroad; Wilderness Express, operated by Premier Alaska Tours; and McKinley Explorer, operated by Holland America-Princess. Tickets for all train services are available to all persons, regardless of the cruise line utilized (if any). There are minor distinctions between each train service. The first two train services, Denali Star and Wilderness Express, operate as a combined train, and have the same timetable; the latter train service, McKinley Explorer, is a separate train operating on its own timetable (departing Anchorage one hour later than the first two train services).

[GTJ]

On 1/11/2023 at 7:24 PM, jeromep said:

T]he first thing I ask is, do you have a good travel agent? Bucket list travel, especially something which may have a lot of moving parts, flights, land tours, cruises, etc., really do benefit from having an experienced travel agent, a real person that you get to know a bit and is your one and only contact for booking this trip. It is enticing to think you can do all this coordination on your own, but I've found TAs to be invaluable in doing all the leg work to ensure that your flights dovetail with your cruise with plenty of time to accommodate for delays with air transport, and finding pre and post cruise lodging that is convenient to the port or airport, and much much more.

The qualifier here, a travel agent that is experienced and good, is essential. Online agencies that do not have a real person do not count . . . they provide no service and can be frustrating if things were to go wrong. But simply having a real person is not enough. Too many "travel agents"--a substantial majority of all travel agents--are inexperienced people who simply like to travel, and know only how to push keys on a computer. Even many experienced travel agents are "gee whiz" agents, who might know a bit from the fam trips they've taken, but they've never actually worked for a transportation company--preferably in its operations planning department and someone who studies timetables intensely--so as to really understand what is going on beyond the pretty color brochures. You really want a person who knows travel generally, and knows how transportation operations work. These people are rare, but if and when you find you will do well. A good starting point is to locate a travel agent that specializes in railroad travel. There are a few of these, nationally, and the railroad people behind them really know how travel and transportation work (not just for railroads but other modes as well). I use such an agent located in New Hampshire, and his advice has been invaluable, and competence excellent, for my travels by railroad, cruise vessel, and motorcoach.

 

The above said, I will not discourage individuals who, themselves, also know travel and transportation well to book arrangements themselves. Doing so provides greater control than handing over the responsibility to a travel agent. However, one should be sufficiently capable and knowledgeable, and have patience, to deal with systems that are usually more focused in selling services than in providing exactly what you want. This is a niche with which I am well familiar, and I edit and publish a bimonthly timetable of railroad, bus, ferry, and cruise line services throughout Canada and Alaska, as a tool for individual travelers to plan out and book their itineraries independently.

[Coral]

On 1/14/2023 at 10:04 AM, Cruisefanatic71 said:

Thanks for all the recommendations from everyone. We booked our 2024 7 night Alaska trip leaving from Vancouver to Seward. I have searched the internet and am able to book the rail excursion that takes you to Denali which is the train my wife really wants to take which leaves from Anchroage to Denali through the tour company directly. I was also looking at the rail excursion in Skagway also. We always travel with passports no matter where we go when leaving the US so we will look at that excursion also. 

 

The train ride from Seward to Anchorage is incredibly scenic - one of the most scenic trains I have taken in the US. I would make sure to include that.

[nolegirl01]

On 1/14/2023 at 11:04 AM, Cruisefanatic71 said:

Thanks for all the recommendations from everyone. We booked our 2024 7 night Alaska trip leaving from Vancouver to Seward. I have searched the internet and am able to book the rail excursion that takes you to Denali which is the train my wife really wants to take which leaves from Anchroage to Denali through the tour company directly. I was also looking at the rail excursion in Skagway also. We always travel with passports no matter where we go when leaving the US so we will look at that excursion also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which cruise line did you book?

[Cruisefanatic71]

2 hours ago, nolegirl01 said:

Which cruise line did you book?

We booked with Royal Carribbean for this cruise. We cruise more with Carnival but are now looking at other lines for itineraries versus the ships themselves.  

[Cruisefanatic71]

23 hours ago, Coral said:

The train ride from Seward to Anchorage is incredibly scenic - one of the most scenic trains I have taken in the US. I would make sure to include that.

We saw a video about that leg of the trip after the cruise and will most likely be doing that train ride also. 

[misguy]

One thing I would look at as well, is does the cruise you booked go to Glacier Bay, not all northbound cruises do.  That is something we will look at for our next Alaska cruise (#4)

[Cruisefanatic71]

I don't believe on this cruise we go to Glacier Bay. Here are the ports and areas we will be going to.on this Northbound Alaska Cruise.

 

 

 

Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska 

 

 Juneau, Alaska 

 

 Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska 

 

 Sitka, Alaska 

 

 Skagway, Alaska 

 

 Cruise Hubbard Glacier 

 

 Anchorage (Seward), Alaska

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Cruisefanatic71 said:

I don't believe on this cruise we go to Glacier Bay. Here are the ports and areas we will be going to.on this Northbound Alaska Cruise.

 

 

 

Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska 

 

 Juneau, Alaska 

 

 Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska 

 

 Sitka, Alaska 

 

 Skagway, Alaska 

 

 Cruise Hubbard Glacier 

 

 Anchorage (Seward), Alaska

 

 

If you have a long day in Juneau - you can see Tracy Arm via Adventure Bound. I would try to send more time in Seward after your cruise. Seward is a gem - I would try to spend an extra night or two there before going to Anchorage.

[Italy52]

On 1/15/2023 at 4:45 PM, Coral said:

The train ride from Seward to Anchorage is incredibly scenic - one of the most scenic trains I have taken in the US. I would make sure to include that.

Agree, the ride is beautiful especially if there is still snow on the journey.