Alaska by FERRY ????

[koalas2]

Yes you can take the ferry from various points starting or ending in Bellingham, Washington just north of Seattle near the Canadian border.

 

I need to start by emphasizing that I have not taken an Alaskan State Ferry in many years

 

PROS: Cabins 2, 3 & 4 berth cabins which includes service, they have a cafeteria restaurant, nice viewing area at the front of the ship, and hopefully lots of wildlife.

 

CONS: Ferry is slow (great for seeing wildlife) makes various stops in ALASKA only, does not serve alcohol (but you can bring it on board and consume in stateroom only).

 

The ferries are getting old but could be an option for those intrepid individuals who would like to see beautiful Alaska from a different angle.

 

Ferries are run by the Alaskan government who regulate the fares for passengers, cars, trucks etc

 

Once in Alaska connections can be made,  to other ferries serving Alaska such as Kenai peninsula, and the Aleutians.

 

Happy Sailing 

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

I am going to bet this gets moved to the Alaska board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

 

where the ferry system gets discussed from time to time, or to the West Coast Departures board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

 

where it was just discussed the last few days. Not sure why it got posted to the Florida board.

 

The Ferry system has been frequently described as "spartan", but certainly is a way to spend some interesting time seeing Alaska from different angles. If you had the time, and the desire to travel in this manner, its a good way to see Alaska.

[Donald]

You missed only one very important point - price.

The Alaska Ferries are good enough, but just very expensive - especially compared to a cruise ship. Considering that many posters on CC are extremely price-sensitive, this could be a deal breaker.

[VMax1700]

Why is this in the 'Florida Departures' forum?  Has Florida moved across the continent?

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Why is this in the 'Florida Departures' forum?  Has Florida moved across the continent?

 

Part of continental drift?  A piece of the North American continent has been "on the move"?  😁

[gotta cruise again]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Part of continental drift?  A piece of the North American continent has been "on the move"?  😁

Or could be because Florida has a lot of anchorage…

😂

[Cienfuegos]

My wife and I took the ferry from Skagway to Haines, and On to Juneau back in 2010. Basic transprtation, snack bar, short stops (45 minutes, was typical). Great views. 

 

After years of under investment, only three of the six ships are operational per their website.

 

http://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/