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Anchorage/Seward Pre-cruise; Train Questions


KJ1231

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We sail on Radiance from Seward on Friday 6/22. We arrive in Anchorage late Wednesday evening (6/20) so have a whole day in Anchorage on 6/21 before heading to Seward.

On Friday we need to get to Egan Civic Center by 11:30 AM for a 1:00 PM train to Seward. We booked the train through RC. When I called today with some questions I was told it was a 5 hour train ride which means we get into Seward at 6:00 PM, just 2 hours before sailing. Wondering now if we should get the earlier train (6:45 AM) from Anchorage with an 11:05 AM  arrival in Seward? This wouldn't be the RC train so we'd have to get bags from train to port, etc....

Pros and cons of RC train vs. regular train? And getting into Seward at 11:00 AM vs 6:00 PM?

Suggestions for what not to miss in Anchorage?

Thanks in advance....Ken

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The train booked through RC stops feet away from the cruise terminal.

The train booked through The Alaskan Railway stops at the train depot which is a 15 minute walk to the ship, or you can use the free shuttle buses they offer.

I booked Celebrity Southbound last year and booked the train directly.  It sold out months in advance.  Check availability before cancelling the RCI train. 

I did a recap blog of that cruise including the train ride here:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5211-alaska-recap-celebrity-millennium-june-2017/

The train ride is incredible.  So glad I booked it and I got the last two seats when I did.

I'd stick with the RCI booked train, suspect you'll be fine and since it's booked through Royal they won't leave without you.

Either way, have your RCI luggage tags on your bags when you arrive at the train depot in Anchorage, you won't see you bags again until on board so have all your docs and medication in a carry on bag. 

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Is the train you are currently booked on (the one that arrives in Seward at 6:00) booked through or sponsored by Royal ?  If so, you have nothing to worry about.  Even if it runs late, they will hold the ship for you.  If you book something outside of Royal, you are NOT guaranteed to get there on time and the ship COULD leave without you.  I can't imagine anything going SO wrong that you would miss the ship if you are there 9 hours early but it's possible,  I guess.

I'm just a 'fraidy cat so with something like this, I wouldn't consider doing it outside of Royal.  ....but that's just me.

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Did the non Royal sponsored train run in 2014 going from Anchorage to Seward. If I'm recalling correctly there was grocery store right near where the train drops offs if you do the non Royal run.

I personally think it worked great getting in around 11am. Gave some time to check-in  grab a quick bite and explore a nearly empty ship. Once rooms opened, drop off the carry-on bags and then explored Seward. Once nice thing in Seward is they have a free bus that goes around the city, wound up taking that bus to the The Alaska SeaLife Center. Spent some time there then walked around the town a bit. Eventually found a bus stop and took the bus back to the ship.

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Thanks!

Still debating.... the reason I was thinking of taking the earlier train is to spend time in Seward and board earlier. So here are the pros and cons of each train:

Early train (6:45 AM to 11:05 AM):

  • PRO: Cost $108 per person
  • PRO: Arrive in Seward 9 hours before sailing allowing time to familiarize with ship and spend time in Seward
  • CON: Need to be at train depot in Anchorage by 5:45 AM - long day
  • CON: 1/2 mile walk or cab from depot to port with luggage (or will RC pick it up for us - not clear?)

Late train (1:00 PM to 6:00 PM(?))

  • CON: Cost $125 per person
  • CON: Arrive in Seward a lot closer to sailing time - is the arrival around 5:30 PM? (Based on the published time for the early train) no time to spend in Seward
  • PRO: Need to be at Egan Center in Anchorage at 11:30 AM - can sleep in a bit....
  • PRO: Train drops us at the dock

Decisions, decisions......

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12 minutes ago, KJ1231 said:

CON: 1/2 mile walk or cab from depot to port with luggage (or will RC pick it up for us - not clear?)

Since that train is not arranged with Royal, they will not pick up your luggage and you'll have to bring it to the ship

12 minutes ago, KJ1231 said:

Late train (1:00 PM to 6:00 PM(?))

  • PRO: Luggage will be taken by Royal before you board the train, and will be on the ship by the time the train arrives
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Just now, CGTLH said:

Helps any... In 2014 a shuttle/bus ran between the drop off for the train and the ship. Luggage, dropped it off at the Anchorage station and didn't see it again until it was delivered on the ship.

Twangster said the same thing about the luggage...

@twangster was the train ride really 3 hours? According to the schedule it's 4+:

Coastal Classic Train

Anchorage → Girdwood → Seward
Daily service May 12 – September 16, 2018

From/To Depart Arrive
Anchorage — Girdwood 6:45 AM 8:00 AM
Girdwood* — Seward 8:05 AM 11:05 AM
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@KJ1231 Would say the 4+ hours is accurate. First few pictures where I'm starting to see the ship was around 11. Don't remember exactly when I left Anchorage.

 

Yay Google history...

Left the hotel and got to the train station around 5:30 am. Show departing around 6:45 am arrived in Seward around 11:15 am. Moving time was just under 5 hours.

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4 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Since that train is not arranged with Royal, they will not pick up your luggage and you'll have to bring it to the ship

  • PRO: Luggage will be taken by Royal before you board the train, and will be on the ship by the time the train arrives

Not sure that is accurate. 

My only experience is with Celebrity taking the non-Celebrity train at 6:45am, June 2017.  In that case, they know 98% of people on the train are cruise passengers.  I put my Celebrity luggage tags on my bags at my hotel,  took my hotel shuttle to the train depot and handed my luggage to the workers there who are set up to collect ship luggage.  I never saw it again until it arrived in my cabin.  To be clear, I booked the Alaskan Railroad direct, it was not through Celebrity.  Celebrity and Royal Caribbean International and both owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and we shared excursions at other ports with RCI so I am fairly certain it will operate the same for RCI as it did for Celebrity last year. 

In either case of booking the train through the cruise line or booking it directly, they don't load luggage on the train.  In both cases luggage is loaded on a cargo truck and they drive it down the highway to the ship.  Passengers are worth more so they would rather have more passenger cars in the train versus luggage cars.

Either way, make sure you have all your cruise documentation and passports with you on the train.  Do not leave them in luggage since you won't see your luggage again until it reaches your cabin and you will need your documentation to check in at the Seward cruise terminal.

 

4 hours ago, KJ1231 said:
  • CON: 1/2 mile walk or cab from depot to port with luggage (or will RC pick it up for us - not clear?)

 

Referencing the same Celebrity cruise in June 2017, they had free buses to take you from the train depot in Seward to the cruise terminal.  I chose to walk because it was a beautiful day, but they were very clear, the shuttle buses were free and willing to take us.  They passed us as we walked to the ship. 

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4 hours ago, KJ1231 said:

Twangster said the same thing about the luggage...

@twangster was the train ride really 3 hours? According to the schedule it's 4+:

Coastal Classic Train

Anchorage → Girdwood → Seward
Daily service May 12 – September 16, 2018

From/To Depart Arrive
Anchorage — Girdwood 6:45 AM 8:00 AM
Girdwood* — Seward 8:05 AM 11:05 AM

In places the tracks are shared with other trains, passenger and cargo, so sometimes you need to pull onto a siding to let the other train pass.  This causes schedules to be somewhat different for each trip.  I posted our actual times above, 3:58.

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Seward isn't a big town.  Here is the difference between where the train booked through the cruise line stops versus booking directly through the Alaskan Railroad:

seward.thumb.jpeg.9a7f65e79a051fb336523ec38bf92633.jpeg

The charter train is only ship passengers since the cruise line chartered the whole train so they can stop right at the cruise terminal.  The regular train station where anyone can walk up and buy a ticket requires a proper train station and employees who can sell tickets, etc.  Therefore when you book it directly the train goes to the regular or public train station 1/2 mile away from the cruise terminal.

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  • 10 months later...

OK, so this is my first ever cruise.  We have scheduled to take the RCL train departing at 1pm.  Am I understanding correctly that we will complete our check in before boarding the train and when we get there we just walk on? I'm assuming we are getting our luggage tags and boarding pass when we get to the downtown Anchorage station?

 

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Did a bunch of research, most of which seems to support the notion that your luggage can be dropped off in Anchorage and delivered straight to the ship regardless of which train you take.  here is one quote that seemed to explain it best...
"I booked the train on my own last year. When you arrive at the train station there will be lines for each cruise line. Get in the Royal Caribbean line and check your luggage. You won't see it again until it is dropped at your cruise room door. When we got to Seward we actually checked onto the ship and then left again to explore Seward, but in hindsight that was not necessary. When we re boarded the ship there was no one waiting to be processed. It took 90 minutes at 1130 am and would have taken 5 minutes at 7 pm."
 

If you look at a photo of the Anchorage depot you wil see a large whote tent structure off to the right of the actual depot.  I beleive that is where you actually drop off your luggage.  I highly suspect the luggage dropped off for the early morning train goes on the same truck as the RC train later in the day.

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Twangster,

You also booked the Goldstar service correct?  Do you happen to know if the cars that RCCL uses are as nice as the Goldstar seating?  From my own research, it looks like they are.  I think the only difference is that a meal was served in your class on your train.  RCCL is an option?

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The charter train through Royal does not offer Goldstar service.   It is all standard seating.

FNTNoTm.jpg

If you book directly with the Alaskan Railroad then Goldstar is offered but it sells out quickly.  

In this picture the one level passenger car to the right is the standard service (seating pictured above).  The two level car on the left with the skylight ceiling is a Goldstar car.

i4T3CzT.jpg

I8GjFKU.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/25/2018 at 8:04 PM, twangster said:

Not sure that is accurate. 

My only experience is with Celebrity taking the non-Celebrity train at 6:45am, June 2017.  In that case, they know 98% of people on the train are cruise passengers.  I put my Celebrity luggage tags on my bags at my hotel,  took my hotel shuttle to the train depot and handed my luggage to the workers there who are set up to collect ship luggage.  I never saw it again until it arrived in my cabin.  To be clear, I booked the Alaskan Railroad direct, it was not through Celebrity.  Celebrity and Royal Caribbean International and both owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and we shared excursions at other ports with RCI so I am fairly certain it will operate the same for RCI as it did for Celebrity last year. 

In either case of booking the train through the cruise line or booking it directly, they don't load luggage on the train.  In both cases luggage is loaded on a cargo truck and they drive it down the highway to the ship.  Passengers are worth more so they would rather have more passenger cars in the train versus luggage cars.

Either way, make sure you have all your cruise documentation and passports with you on the train.  Do not leave them in luggage since you won't see your luggage again until it reaches your cabin and you will need your documentation to check in at the Seward cruise terminal.

 

Referencing the same Celebrity cruise in June 2017, they had free buses to take you from the train depot in Seward to the cruise terminal.  I chose to walk because it was a beautiful day, but they were very clear, the shuttle buses were free and willing to take us.  They passed us as we walked to the ship. 

Does anyone have an update to this? Specifically, will the early morning Anchorage to Seward train take and deliver the RC passenger's luggage? If not, what's the usual procedure to luggage on the MORNING train?

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20 minutes ago, Baked Alaska said:

Does anyone have an update to this? Specifically, will the early morning Anchorage to Seward train take and deliver the RC passenger's luggage? If not, what's the usual procedure to luggage on the MORNING train?

I've taken it twice now, once to reach a Celebrity ship (Millie) and once for Royal (Radiance).

I'm talking about the train booked directly with the Alaskan Railroad, not the charter train booked through the cruise line.

Luggage is collected under the tent outside the train station in Anchorage.  It will be delivered to the ship and you next see your luggage outside your cabin on board the ship.  This train doesn't have a specific baggage car, ship luggage is loaded onto a truck and taken directly to the cruise terminal in Seward where they load it onto the ship for you.

When you arrive at the train station have your Royal Caribbean luggage tags on your bags.  Do not pack passports, SetSail passes, medication or anything else in your checked luggage as you won't see it again until you are onboard the ship.  

When you arrive at the end of the train ride in Seward, don't look for your luggage, it didn't ride on the train with you.  A truck took it directly to the ship.  Ride the free buses or walk to the cruise terminal and go inside to check in.  Or for that matter go explore Seward and check in later.  

Here is the luggage tent in Anchorage:

777169356_AnchorageLuggage.jpg.94b2359884f3f6a4ccc51db05e380105.jpg

To the right under the tent in the distance you can see a Royal Caribbean sign.  That is where you drop your checked bags with Royal Caribbean luggage tags already on them.  

The luggage drop area under the tent to the left is for regular train passengers who are not taking the cruise.  

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19 hours ago, Baked Alaska said:

Does anyone have an update to this? Specifically, will the early morning Anchorage to Seward train take and deliver the RC passenger's luggage? If not, what's the usual procedure to luggage on the MORNING train?

We did the morning train on our own (we diverted from the cruisetour land portion which was taking a motorcoach to Seward in the afternoon).  They had a drop-off tent at the train station for cruise luggage which they loaded into the back of a box truck.  You will have your cruise luggage tags attached to the bags, of course.  The truck took the luggage to the port.  We then took the train to Seward.  The morning train doesn't go all the way to the cruiseport, so when you get off the train you have to take a shuttle bus to the port.  We checked in and got onboard and then got off again and explored Seward.

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  • 2 years later...
On 5/7/2019 at 3:30 PM, twangster said:

I've taken it twice now, once to reach a Celebrity ship (Millie) and once for Royal (Radiance).

I'm talking about the train booked directly with the Alaskan Railroad, not the charter train booked through the cruise line.

Luggage is collected under the tent outside the train station in Anchorage.  It will be delivered to the ship and you next see your luggage outside your cabin on board the ship.  This train doesn't have a specific baggage car, ship luggage is loaded onto a truck and taken directly to the cruise terminal in Seward where they load it onto the ship for you.

When you arrive at the train station have your Royal Caribbean luggage tags on your bags.  Do not pack passports, SetSail passes, medication or anything else in your checked luggage as you won't see it again until you are onboard the ship.  

When you arrive at the end of the train ride in Seward, don't look for your luggage, it didn't ride on the train with you.  A truck took it directly to the ship.  Ride the free buses or walk to the cruise terminal and go inside to check in.  Or for that matter go explore Seward and check in later.  

Here is the luggage tent in Anchorage:

777169356_AnchorageLuggage.jpg.94b2359884f3f6a4ccc51db05e380105.jpg

To the right under the tent in the distance you can see a Royal Caribbean sign.  That is where you drop your checked bags with Royal Caribbean luggage tags already on them.  

The luggage drop area under the tent to the left is for regular train passengers who are not taking the cruise.  

I called Royal about this and knowing how much information their phone agents know, I did not get a satisfactory answer.

The agent told me that they will only take care of you luggage in Anchorage if you book your train ride to Seward through Royal.

 

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44 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

I called Royal about this and knowing how much information their phone agents know, I did not get a satisfactory answer.

The agent told me that they will only take care of you luggage in Anchorage if you book your train ride to Seward through Royal.

It wouldn't be too hard to deal with your own luggage on the train. When train stops in Seward there was a bus that went to the port.  You can go drop off your luggage at the ship and then explore Seward.

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57 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

I called Royal about this and knowing how much information their phone agents know, I did not get a satisfactory answer.

The agent told me that they will only take care of you luggage in Anchorage if you book your train ride to Seward through Royal.

 

Royal agents don't know what the Alaska Railroad does directly.  

On the two occasions I've used it the railroad used a truck to transport luggage directly to the ship when booking directly with the railroad.

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/8/2019 at 10:48 AM, AshleyDillo said:

We did the morning train on our own (we diverted from the cruisetour land portion which was taking a motorcoach to Seward in the afternoon).  They had a drop-off tent at the train station for cruise luggage which they loaded into the back of a box truck.  You will have your cruise luggage tags attached to the bags, of course.  The truck took the luggage to the port.  We then took the train to Seward.  The morning train doesn't go all the way to the cruiseport, so when you get off the train you have to take a shuttle bus to the port.  We checked in and got onboard and then got off again and explored Seward.

Question: how did you "divert" from the land tour to get the early train?  We are doing the wilderness express tour and the morning of the sailing, we will leave Talkeetna and head to Anchorage by bus. The tour info says we will have a few hours to explore Anchorage before taking the bus to Seward. 

We really want to take the train. Did you get to Anchorage early enough for the morning train? 

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1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

Our tour ended with an overnight in Anchorage so we were already there. The tour was doing a museum in the morning and then bussing to Seward. We skipped the museum and took the AM train. We let them know of our plans so they knew for headcounts.

Well dang. I guess we will miss it 😢 Ship leaves at 3:00 so afternoon train won’t work either. Boo 

Guess that leaves extra $$ to splurge on something else 😁

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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 months later...
19 minutes ago, Carotthat said:

How do you book the (later) (royal) train? I only find the early one on the alaska railroad page.

Royal/Celebrity charters a train that is a separate train.  Since it is a charter it doesn't appear on the Alaskan Railroad website.  It can only be booked by contacting Royal Caribbean since it is their charter.  

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  • 1 year later...
On 4/27/2019 at 1:48 PM, kabfoot said:

We took the RCL train last August and as you can see it was similar to Goldstar, but had a table for dinner service and drinks.  Going again this year and definitely planning the same train.  Just not enough time to explore Seward.

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Ok, we can’t seem to find out any information about the RC train ride.  I understand we have to report to the Egan center.  Is there a bus that shuttles us to the train station?  The reason I’m asking, I have to drop people off at the Egan center, then return the rental car to the airport.  

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