Cruising Alaska by Ferry
Here's an all-Alaskan suggestion for cruisers who would like to:
* travel at their own own pace;
* choose their own ports-of-call;
* lay over in any port for as many days as they desire;
* share their travel with Alaskan locals;
* have the option to bring along the family RV or auto; and
* cruise to Alaska one way and drive home by highway.
If this sounds good to you, Alaska's state-owned ferries may be
just the ticket for one of life's most memorable cruise
vacations. The Alaska Marine Highway System, as it is called, is
composed of 11 modern ferryliners, all with motor vehicle decks,
observation lounges, and food service. Most have cabins and
cocktail bars.
The ferries cruise a protected Inside Passage waterway speckled
with more than a thousand big and tiny islands, imposing
snow-capped mountains, lush forests, and picturesque towns and
villages.
Passengers with or without vehicles may embark for Alaska's
southernmost port, Ketchikan, from Bellingham, Washington or
from Prince Rupert which is British Columbia's northernmost port
community. (Motorists can reach Prince Rupert via BC's modern
highway network or by BC Ferries; see below.) Once they've
arrived in Southeast Alaska passengers can lay over as long as
they wish in the panhandle's major port cities -- Ketchikan,
Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway-- or
connect via smaller off-line ferries to more remote towns and
villages.
Larger stateroom-equipped vessels of the fleet are the Columbia
(931 passengers), Matanuska (745), Malaspina (701), Taku (370),
and Kennicott (748) -- all of which serve the Southeast Alaska
panhandle. Depending on the season, one or two ships extend
their range on weekly schedules to/from Bellingham. The others
turn around at Prince Rupert.
The Kennicott also connects Southeast port cities to
Southcentral Alaska destinations Cordova, Valdez, and Whittier
via the Gulf of Alaska. The 220-passenger Tustumena, another
stateroom-equipped ferry, sails regularly from ports on the
Kenai Peninsula to Kodiak and (less frequently) westward along
the Aleutian Islands chain as far as Dutch Harbor.
Smaller ships, operating "bush" routes from mainline ports to
smaller towns and villages are Aurora (300), LeConte (300), and
Lituya (149). Newest additions to the AMHS fleet are the
Juneau-based sleek catamaran Fairweather (250) and a similar
sized double-hulled vessel, Chenega.
Here's another option: If you want to mix a little "foreign"
travel into your plans you can book passage from
highway-accessible Port Hardy on British Columbia's Vancouver
Island and sail north on BC Ferries' Queen of the North to
Prince Rupert. More information and schedules at
www.bcferries.com.
If you're interested in taking the whole family on a ferry
cruise through Inside Passage waters, the Alaska Marine Highway
System is made-to-order. Depending on which vessel you're aboard
youngsters will find onboard play areas, casual meals and snack
bars for any age, movies, and nature talks by U.S. Forest
Service naturalists plus expansive glass-enclosed solariums.
These are ideal for spotting orcas (killer whales), humpback
whales, playful porpoises and sea lions in the water plus
mountain goats on towering cliffsides, and for the fortunate
observer the sight of black and brown (grizzly) bears on passing
beaches.
BC Ferries, British Columbia's provincial ferry system,
demonstrates its kid-friendliness even before a family boards
ship. Computer-savvy children or their parents have only to surf
the web to
http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/kidzone/establishing_shot.html and
they will meet cartoon characters Samantha ("Call me Sam") and
Cal, two seagoing canine characters who introduce young viewers
to three online activities - an electronic coloring book, a
"Match the Ferries" memory game, and a virtual bridge tour.
Alaska ferry schedules are posted at the system's website
(www.FerryAlaska.com). Printed schedules may be ordered from the
website or by phone at the Reservations office 1-800-642-0066.
Summer fares and schedules are usually posted on the internet
and available in mid-December of each year.
For a more comprehensive look at cruising by ferry in Alaska,
plus information about all the cruiselines and cruiseships
scheduled for the Alaska trade during 2006, visit
www.AlaskaCruisingReport.com,
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Copyright (c) Mike Miller 2006 - All rights reserved