Land/Cruise in Alaska

[cruzfiend]

We are on the Princess Train from Denali to Whitier before our cruise. Has anyone done this? Wondering if you have storage (like an airplane) for carryon? Also, does it make ANY stops or just one long train ride?  Is one side better than another for viewing? Thanks. 

[Steelers0854]

I’m guessing it’s the same train, we took our train trip earlier in the land portion and a bus it Whittier, but if it’s the same then there will be limited space for bags.  There is no overhead storage because of the glass top roofs and there is enough space by your feet for a backpack but thats about it.

[nasa1974]

Twice. The last time was 2017 and all we had was my backpack and the wife's oversized beach bag. They sat by our feet. I do know there was no overhead storage. It's one long train ride. The only time it stops is if there is freight going north or south. You will pull off to a siding and wait for the freight to pass. Either side is good for watching. Some cars have a dining area below the upper viewing. You can also walk between cars and get to an outside viewing area. That was used mostly by the smokers,

[caribill]

My report from a few years ago shows how the trains were at that time.

 

 

Any carryon had to be at your feet. Some people have posted that there was some room on an unused seat for carryons, but that may not be true on all tours.

 

I think they no longer use train cars with the tables, but have regular train seats for all.

 

 

[GottaLuvCruising]

On 3/24/2023 at 9:30 AM, cruzfiend said:

We are on the Princess Train from Denali to Whitier before our cruise. Has anyone done this? Wondering if you have storage (like an airplane) for carryon? Also, does it make ANY stops or just one long train ride?  Is one side better than another for viewing? Thanks. 

We did land after our cruise last year.

 

We LOVED the train ride!  It doesn't stop, but depending on your route, breakfast and/or lunch will be offered on board (a la carte, but reasonable pricing.)

 

Our bags were handled by Princess.  We each had just a backpack / small bag.  They fit under the seat in front of us.

 

Princess land portion was very well organized.  You'll received a detailed itinerary at each painless, hassle-free "check in."  

 

IMHO doing the land portion first is preferable.  It wasn't an option for us, but hoping it works great for you.

[Cali Viajera]

I agree that doing the land portion first is preferable. There are the changes in lodging, transportation, so being able to unpack and relax on the ship is so nice.

[Sea Hag]

We did this once, quite a few years ago, when they still had the table setup. We loved the train ride but hated the table setup, so I'm really happy to see that they don't have that anymore. Our tablemates disregarded the size of luggage to bring on the train, making for a very crowded situation at our table. The scenery is great. We loved every minute of that. And the food was really good. We had jambalaya, which we thought was an odd thing to order on a train in Alaska. The waitress said it was really good, and she was right.

[Jagggg]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

My report from a few years ago shows how the trains were at that time.

 

 

Any carryon had to be at your feet. Some people have posted that there was some room on an unused seat for carryons, but that may not be true on all tours.

 

I think they no longer use train cars with the tables, but have regular train seats for all.

 

 

Thank you for sharing.