Planning an Amtrak/cruise trip

[rogers55]

We are planning an Alaska cruise in May.

Taking the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle, arriving a day early of course.

The travel agent told us that the cruise line has a hotel deal for just such occasions.

Yesterday we got an e-mail from Amtrak about extra points for an Alaska cruise, will have to check that out.

 

[railiner]

First, let's compile a list of Amtrak stations that are close to cruise ports. If I miss one, please let me know.
East Coast

Boston

New York

Bayonne

Baltimore

Charleston

Jacksonville

Fort Lauderdale

West Palm Beach

Miami

Gulf of Mexico

Tampa

New Orleans

West Coast

San Diego

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Portland

Seattle

The following are too far for what I would consider to be a normal "transfer" from a rail station to the closest cruise port, therefore I am intentionally omitting:

Galveston (from Beaumont or Houston)

Port Canaveral (Popular cruise port with regular transfers from Orlando airport but not from Orlando Amtrak, so far as I am aware)

Mobile (Oh, they WOULD be a contender if the SSL was still alive E of NOL)

You can add Philadelphia and Norfolk, and since you differentiate Bayonne from New York, you can add Brooklyn, and you can also add Montreal to East Coast.

Although its on VIA, you can add Quebec City.

Los Angeles is actually San Pedro, so you can add Long Beach to West Coast. And also Vancouver, B.C.

There are also a number of other ports of call for ships not listed here , but special arrangements would have to be made to join/or leave a cruise from one of these.

Oh, I misread your question....sorry, you are listing Amtrak stations, not cruise ports. In that case it should be Newark, not Bayonne....

 

[TampAGS]

The Port of Tampa offers the easiest "Rail to Sail" access via Amtrak of any Florida cruiseport. Beautiful Tampa Union Station is literally adjacent to the city's Channelside District, where the Tampa Port Authority Cruise Terminal facilities are located.

 

Amtrak service into Tampa via the Silver Star (or Silver Meteor & Thruway Motorcoach) conveniently delivers cruise passengers to within one mile from their respective ship. Tampa currently is serviced by:

Holland America Line
:


MS

Ryndam
 
Royal Caribbean International
:


MS

Grandeur Of The Seas



MS

Radiance Of The Seas
(coming fall 2010)
 
Carnival Cruise Line
:


MS

Carnival Legend


MS
Carnival Inspiration
The Port of Tampa also offers the most direct access to lodging and entertainment. From Tampa Union Station, hotels in downtown Tampa or Ybor City (a National Historic Landmark district) are less than 5 minutes away. The historic charm and multicultural heritage of Ybor ("EE-bor") comes alive at night with an eclectic mix of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife.

 

Tampa's TECO Electric Streetcar System offers yet another rail experience, offering convenient service connecting Ybor City, Channelside (and the cruise ports), and downtown. Tampa's is the only Florida cruise port with direct passenger rail access. Channelside Bay Plaza offers its own mix of dining options and entertainment (including an IMAX theater) literally right next to the ships, as well as The Florida Aquarium and the SS American Victory Museum Ship. Also close by are the Starship dinner cruise, the Tampa Bay History Center museum, and the St. Pete Times Forum (home of 2004 Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning).

 

Cruise passengers out of Tampa also get the unique experience of sailing under the enormous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a cable-stayed concrete bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay. Selected by the Travel Channel as #3 among the world's "Top 10 Bridges", the Skyway is the world's longest bridge using a cable-stayed main span design.

 

 

 



 

 

 

[Rumpled]

railiner

San Pedro is actually a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. It is not its' own city. The original listing would be correct.

Fullerton actually might be the closest Amtrak station to both LA and LB terminals.