I also know that the White Pass and Yukon special train serves ships which show up in Skagway. I also note that a White Pass steam powered excursion train is sometimes operated.

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
It is well-known on these pages that Cruise Lines which regularly serve Alaskan Ports have some mighty spiffy private railway cars which are operated on shore excursions on their behalf. I assume these cars are proprietary and cars which serve, and are emblazoned with, the logos of HAL do not serve Celebrity etc.

I also know that the White Pass and Yukon special train serves ships which show up in Skagway. I also note that a White Pass steam powered excursion train is sometimes operated.

I am looking North on my 2010 cruise agenda, and would appreciate guidance (and photos?) of what rolling stock is available for what trips?

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We took the train from Anchorage to Seward and booked through the cruise line and was a private charter. It was a lovely trip with good company and good food. The rail stops right up to the ships and a very short walk.

I think picking an Alaska Cruise-Tour inland portion based on the lodge accomodations would be more important than which had the nicer rolling stock in their rail fleet. All three (Celebrity, HAL, and Princess) have very nice double-decker, giant domed rail cars. All three cruise lines rail cars are hooked together to the same engine and travel the same path. And all three serve meals based on the cruise lines food suppliers, yet while eating all three have the same views out the rail cars. I would recommend focusing on the lodge aspect, location of the lodge in proximity to Denali (or whereever you are), and the amenities and tours the lodge/cruise line offers. The trains are very nice no matter which one you pick, but you wont be sleeping on them!

I have done the WPYRR trip 3 times (all afternoon) and enjoyed it emmensley. All the cruise lines offer the excursion and can be booked through the shore excursion desk on the ship, which I would recommend, unless you know for sure you are the only ship in town that day and you have the train to yourselves.

Skagway is a very very small tourist trap (I mean town) and has little to offer so depending on the length of time your are there you can plan on two shore excursions. After my first visit to Skagway I would just get off the ship, go into town and eat a fat pancake breakfast at the local restaurant, walk around or head back for my first shore excursion, come back for lunch, do the train trip, then get ready for dinner.

Alaska R.R. offers it's own daily service between the two towns too. That service is not as convenient for the cruise traveller though, but for the rail fan may be of greater interest. These trains offer two levels of service with second class being less costly than the charter's one class fare. This service starts and ends downtown and not at the airport or cruise docks. I can not comment on the rolling stock other than what I read on the Alaska R.R. web-site. Also first class service here is more costly than the cruise line charter, and it appears to be in two level dome cars.

[ 10-28-2009: Message edited by: Frank X. Prudent ]

"All three cruise lines rail cars are hooked together to the same engine and travel the same path."

"All three cruise lines rail cars are hooked together to the same engine and travel the same path."

This cannot be so! Do not the cruise liners arrive at differing ports on differing schedules. There would be an unholy mess if Celebrity, Holland-America, Regent etc all show up at the same ports with mega-loads of Pax, at the same time! How then can their dedicated cars all travel on the same RR schedule? Or do I misinterpret?

[ 11-05-2009: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
YES, but!!

"All three cruise lines rail cars are hooked together to the same engine and travel the same path."

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Celebrity chartered the train for our particular cruise. There were many passengers who did a land tour before the cruise and/or got to Seward on their own.

Also keep in mind that all those passengers on the train out of Fairbanks will stay, depending on their tour, different lengths of overnigths at the various lodges. The train drops the off, another comes by the next day and picks them up.