We want to take the 8:30 train (Lugano-Fluelen) and 11:00 boat (Fluelen-Lucerne) at the end of July. It's basically the Gotthard Express route, but we want to do it with the regular train.
My question is, at the end of July (high season) would the regular train and boat have room if we turn up with our Day Saver pass tickets purchased for that day? Do these train/boat routes ever fill up with passengers?
Trains that are not all reserved tourist trains never sell out, although seats may be in short supply, but that would be extremely rare on a long distance train. Boats could technically fill up because they do have a legal load limit. However, your train arrives 1 hour before the Gotthard Panorama Express, so the boat will not be the one that fills up with GPE passengers. So I would expect a light loading.
The 8:30 departure requires a train change in Bellinzona to the Treno Gottardo. That train is going to Zurich, so people riding it to Luzern are most likely changing at Arth-Goldau to Luzern, as that will get them there a lot quicker than taking the boat.
