Alert HAL cruise tours to Alaska

[ranles]

Alert: Holland American tour/cruises which include Yukon Queen II and or White Pass & Yukon rr route, note recent flooding in Alaska has eliminated the boat ride for now and wiped out material amounts of the rr tracks. Our early June (09) trip will no longer have the boat transport and the rr ride will be abbreviated.

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

True, my FIL just returned from this trip yesterday. He still had rave reviews despite the change in plans.

[Robin7]

My son is a cruisetour bus driver on that route. Eagle, AK, has just been devastated by ice and flooding. The waterfront was pretty much destroyed. Governor Palin declared it a disaster area. (Thankfully no one was killed.) It's going to take them a while to recover. Do a google image search for Eagle+AK+flooding. The scenes are just devastating!

 

Robin

 

 

From: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://home.nps.gov/applications/photos/Front%2520street%2520%25232%25205-3-09%2520Stapler.jpg&imgrefurl=http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm%3Ftype%3DAnnouncements%26id%3D7640%26urlarea%3Dnpsnews&usg=__KahnRIYbfHQPiaxJ8Zg_rkZjcyg=&h=398&w=620&sz=65&hl=en&start=11&sig2=_1NrNbCwrs--v7_vGMqkZA&um=1&tbnid=bRYlpJonl11EyM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deagle%2Bak%2Bflooding%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=w-ohSpPqB5aStAOCjt2PBA

[patrick65]

I cannot speak to the excursion involving the Yukon Queen II but I contacted the White Pass Railroad by E-mail and they quickly reponded to the rail trips from Skagway to the Summit of White Pass. Their response is

posted below.

 

 

We have had a washout on our tracks that is not affecting our Summit Excursions, as you have booked this tour you will not be affected. The washout has only halted our Fraser to Bennett runs.

 

Thanks for your interest and we look forward to having you ride our rails!

 

Sarah Phillips

Reservations Agent

 

White Pass & Yukon Route

Ticketing, Information, Reservations

231 Second Avenue

P.O. Box 435

Skagway, AK 99840

(800) 343-7373

(907) 983-2217

Fax (907) 983-2734

info@whitepass.net

Visit our website at: www.wpyr.com

[ranles]

Sarah

 

Thanks, but our tour included a ride on the WP&Y from Carcross to/with a lunch stop at Lake Bennett. This will not be happening because of the track washout. "The tracks are in good shape between Fraser and Skagway, enabling us to still offer an excellent itinerary including this historic railway". Lunch will now be at Caribou Crossing.

 

We will be "enjoying a scenic tour along the beautiful Top of the World Highway between Tok & Dawson City." (replaces Yukon Queen II).

 

That is the information HAL has provided us. All that I know. Not be then before.

 

Randall

[Krazy Kruizers]

My son is a cruisetour bus driver on that route. Eagle, AK, has just been devastated by ice and flooding. The waterfront was pretty much destroyed. Governor Palin declared it a disaster area. (Thankfully no one was killed.) It's going to take them a while to recover. Do a google image search for Eagle+AK+flooding. The scenes are just devastating!

 

Robin

 

 

From: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://home.nps.gov/applications/photos/Front%2520street%2520%25232%25205-3-09%2520Stapler.jpg&imgrefurl=http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm%3Ftype%3DAnnouncements%26id%3D7640%26urlarea%3Dnpsnews&usg=__KahnRIYbfHQPiaxJ8Zg_rkZjcyg=&h=398&w=620&sz=65&hl=en&start=11&sig2=_1NrNbCwrs--v7_vGMqkZA&um=1&tbnid=bRYlpJonl11EyM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deagle%2Bak%2Bflooding%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=w-ohSpPqB5aStAOCjt2PBA

 

Thanks for providing the picture.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can remember back in 1989 when we took our first Alaskan cruise.

It was in July -- hot and the glaciers were melting -- even Mendenhal Glacier was flooding onto the roads nearby and the buses couldn't get close by.

That was one time we wish we had brought bermudas -- wool slacks were just too warm!!

[ranles]

I posted in case anyone else may be impacted anor needed to check. It is a minor loss to us, versus the pain and suffering the town of Eagle and surrounds must be have. My heart goes out to them.