Hi.
We're looking for a nature-focused Inside Passage + Gulf of Alaska cruise. We're not interested in a traditional cruise (lavish food, entertainment, big crowds, etc.); preferably a small ship entirely focused on the natural environment. If the Bellingham ferry was available, we'd take it, but it's full. Our priorities are a comfortable bed and as much exposure to nature as we can get.
Any suggestions?

If the B-ferry is full- there are others from Seattle and Vancouver.

Anyone can have a nature-based trip just standing on the deck of any ship all day, every ship has a buffet-type restaurant-no big dress-up, don't go to the shows-just stay on the deck looking at nature.

When you get to a port, take an adventure tour, rent a car, or walk-whatever.

Any 'traditional' ship will give you a warm cabin and 3 meals a day- or- find a ferry and sleep on the deck. There is something for everyone.

There are small ship companies that specialize in the type of travel you are looking for. One is called World Explorer Cruises (www.wecruise.com); another is Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises (www.glacierbaytours.com). there's at least one more, but the name escapes me. The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry system is a fun way to travel. You don't have to pitch a tent on the deck (although people do); we had a cabin on our overnight ferry ride. A naturalist gives lectures several times a day. We took the Whalecoast 17 day trip (www.whalecoast.org), but I'm not sure it's running this year, as the leader has been living in New Zealand.

Abram:

Thanks for the info. Just what we're looking for. The Bellingham ferry is full (or we'd do it), whalecoast.org doesn't currently exist, and World Explorer isn't running Alaska cruises (lost their ship's charter). We'll check out Glacier Bay.

Mary Ann:
I wasn't aware that there was Inside Passage ferry service other than from Bellingham. I'll check it out.

The only other ferry service is on BC ferries from Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert BC, where you can switch to the Alaska ferries leaving from there. If you want to cross the Gulf of Alaska on a ferry your only choice is the AMH 2-a-month (in summer, one otherwise) service between Juneau and Valdez/Seward. Go to the BC Ferries website at http://bcferries.com/ and/or the AMH website at http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.html and see what you can see.

Plan B would be to fly to Ketchikan or Juneau and do some local ferry or sightseeing boats from there. You won't see the Inside Passage, however both the ferries and cruise ships roll straight through anyway, so you won't be missing any shore time. From Juneau you can take a passenger boat to Glacier Bay, or you can piece together some other route.

Plan C is to save the Inside Passage for another time, fly to Anchorage, rent a car, and spend your time exploring the area around Prince William Sound. The scenery and natural environment is just as grand as southeast Alaska, but it doesn't suffer from cruise ship impact (10,000 visitors a day in some cases in small SE Alaska towns - how's that for rapport with Mother Nature?)

Frankly IMO the best time for the Inside Passage is in the spring or fall once the cruise ships have gone south. The weather may not be the best (seldom is) but the experience will be the real deal. The whales and bears and other critters will still welcome you.

Sorry my info was out of date. The whale coast trip is July 1-17 this year, and the web site is www.uuwhale.org

Gardyloo:
Thanks for your excellent suggestions. I'm finding it challenging to put a trip together that will appeal to us. The ferry would work (we can probably find dates); however, we don't have a vehicle, and I'm told the transportation from the debarkation point to Anchorage is difficult. Perhaps the ferry to Juneau and then a Glacier Bay trip would work.

The Boat Company in Washington, ph: 360-697-4242, operates a small 20 passenger ship in Akasja during summer months. You might check it out on:
www.theboatcompany.com