The Trip of a Lifetime to Alaska – Land and Sea – Trip Report - COMLETE!! 4/13/12 - Page 18 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Day 6 – Thursday June 30th – Train to Seward and Kenai Fjords Cruise – Part 1
Another early morning awaited us today. We were taking the train to Seward (Goldstar service) and were supposed to be at the train station by 5:45 AM. I think we were up at 5 again, brought all our stuff to the lobby and then had breakfast in the breakfast room. We hopped on the 5:30 shuttle to the train station, which in reality we could have just walked, but who wants to drag a bunch of luggage around when you can just take a shuttle. Check in went smoothly. They put a destination tag on the bag (hotel we were staying at) and it would be delivered to the hotel for us. Neat! Then we checked in to get our boarding passes. They say Goldstar service is supposed to have priority boarding and check in, but we never saw any of that (not that it mattered). Goldstar service is the domed cars. There was a dining area below us (fee) and we would get complimentary soft drinks and coffee/tea/water at a station at the back of our train car. There was also a “lookout” platform at the back of the car so you could go out there and take pictures as well.
Since it was an early morning again, Colin ended up sleeping on top of me for the first two hours of the trip, which limited my ability to take pictures. But it was fine. We saw lots of scenery, a bear up in a tree, a Dall sheep, some eagles as well as some glaciers. Supposedly this is the most scenic run for the Alaska Railroad. I believe it. I’d highly recommend it, even without Goldstar service.
Marnie, you are making me want to go to Alaska even more than I already did! DH & I agree, though, we'd need to go for a longer amount of time than a cruise would allow - much as you did. And I guess that would rule out DCL, since they sail out and back from Vancouver......I'll wait and hear about your cruise portion, and maybe we'll have to think about venturing out from DCL!
GREAT pictures from the train!
Wow, getting to the train and boarding couldn't have been easier, and how great to have the equivalent of DME for your luggage! I love a train ride and that domed car looks like it was worth paying extra for. You were surrounded by all that scenery!
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I love your train ride. I've only rode in Princess Cruises rail cars in Alaska & not the Alaskan Railroad cars & have only done a shuttle (aka bus) from Anchorage to Seward or Whittier. Your view from the train is so much better!
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Marnie- I'm so excited about your trip! I made my first trek to Alaska when I was Alexis' age (although we drove in a tent trailer on the Al-Can highway from California for 6 weeks, so not quite so glamorous ) and it has stuck with me for the rest of the life. I think she's the perfect age for it! Can't wait to hear about your plans and I'm crossing my fingers early for a McKinley sighting for you!
I did that too! I was 11 so that's going back to 1979 and we had 6 cars with tent trailers in our caravan - so much fun and lots of memories. We drove across Canada from Ottawa then up and back in school vacation.
So glad to find your TR Marnie. We are recently back into cruising after a decade or two and I am very interested in your experience and in how you compare Royal Caribbean to your Disney cruise.
WOW the pictures on the glacier hike... unbelievable!! It must have been something to see that in person. the train ride with the glass cars for a scenic trip... too cool. What a great time. I can see why the kids want to go back.
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Great updates, got to catch up today, love the cabin, it was so quaint and I love that it was stocked up for breakfast. The Glacier hike sounded amazing, loved the pictures what a great adventure, but it sounds tiresome, think I would have went on the 1.5 over the 3 hour as well.
Love the domed train cars, there is not a picture that was not beautiful, the scenery is breathtaking, how cool to be able to sit on the train and have such a great view.
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) and it has stuck with me for the rest of the life. I think she's the perfect age for it! Can't wait to hear about your plans and I'm crossing my fingers early for a McKinley sighting for you!
Guess where we were headed??
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