A GREAT ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISE ALTERNATIVE.
 

A GREAT ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISE ALTERNATIVE.

Instead of choosing a comparatively expensive cruise ship to experience Alaska’s Inside Passage, I highly recommend booking passage ($246 per adult) in a cabin (a total of $263 for a 2-berth unit) on the Alaska Marine Highway System’s M/V Columbia for its three-day voyage between Bellingham WA and Skagway AK. As a veteran traveler and adventurer, here are my reasons.

In contrast to voyages where an abundance of on-board activities and special amenities are useful diversions to pass all the time you spend on the open sea, traversing the Inside Passage is unique in that there is a constant parade of ever changing scenery to keep you fully entertained and awed - - glaciers, mountains, forests, wilderness, whales, orkas and the beat goes on. Overview tours at Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau cost just $10/person. Other interesting little ports of call are Petersburg, Wrangle, and Haines - - and then delightful Skagway which is a compact beehive of fun activities where tourists do not need a car.

No cruise ship provides a more ideal viewing platform for enjoying the wonders of nature along the Inside Passage than the 418 ft. M/V Columbia - - and aboard this 750 passenger vessel you will experience the breathtaking Wrangle Narrows which cumbersome cruise ships do not attempt to navigate! Forest Service experts provide informative lectures in the large forward viewing lounge and can answer all your questions about the countless natural wonders you will see. The attractive dining room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and features an excellent panoramic view for savoring the scenery while feasting on delicious food. Dinners range from $10 upwards. There also is bar and a good cafeteria open most of the time. Because the very attentive and friendly employees work for the state of Alaska, tipping is prohibited - - and there is no sales tax.

As compared to a cruise ship, we discovered a casual mix of unpretentious passengers from all walks of life, income levels and ages. They varied from those like us who prefer a stateroom to outdoor enthusiasts camped in colorful tents and sleeping bags on the fantail - - but all sharing the common bond of a lust for adventure involving nature’s wonders. About half of us had our own vehicles stowed on the car deck ($692 for our van) so we leisurely could free-wheel through Alaska to really see it, and then travel down the historic Alaska Highway on our way home. For those traveling without a vehicle, I’d recommend flying from Skagway to Anchorage and renting a car there. This will avoid a sizeable vehicle drop-off fee and Anchorage will be a convenient departure point for your flight home.

Anchorage is a lovely city to walk and an excellent base for touring Alaska by vehicle, rail and flight-seeing excursions. For example, use your vehicle to leisurely tour the beautiful Kanai Peninsula down to Homer, Portage Glacier and Seward. Make reservations with the AMHS (800-642-0066) to drive your vehicle onto a railroad flatcar at Portage and then sit outdoors in it for a scenic 35 minute trip to the port of Whittier with connections to the 7-hour ferryliner voyage through Prince William Sound to Valdez which includes a close-up encounter with the huge Columbia Glacier. Enjoy Valdez and then travel scenic highways which circle back to Anchorage. Consider driving or taking the Alaska Railroad (800-544-0552) tour to Denali and Fairbanks, too - - or enjoy a flight-seeing experience over Denali Park’s glacial and wilderness wonders.

Although the M/V Columbia’s Inside Passage voyage does not go to Glacier Bay, Alaskans offer lots of convenient ways to see glaciers up close by air, water or land as there are more glaciers in Alaska than in the remainder of the world combined. Also, don’t assume that a cruise ship’s abbreviated four-day add-on land package to Fairbanks, Denali Park and Anchorage cannot be improved upon immensely via your rented car or the Alaska Railroad - - and more economically.

In Alaska your options are many. All are explained clearly in the bible for northland travelers called THE MILEPOST. It is an invaluable tool no matter how you decide to travel to, from and in this region. I ordered our copy by calling 800-726-4707. If you are on the Internet, the Alaska home page (http://www.state.ak.us/tourism) has hyperlinks leading you to all kinds of information about Alaska. Be prepared to spend many enjoyable hours surfing these hyperlinks, ordering free vacation literature, calling 800 numbers and printing copies of these useful pages. Bon voyage!

ttt

Donald, Thanks for the detailed info. I've cruised twice on the big ships and am ready to check out a different venue. We're thinking of taking the M/V Columbia in mid May and am wondering if this is too early. I've been to Alaska in Late June and August. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks..

Why this EIGHT year old post was brought up, I'm not sure; but it did contain some helpful information for those who are interested in this alternative. (Almost sounded like an advertisement!) We will be taking an overnight ferry from Ketchikan to Juneau in August. The only obstacle I encountered while planning was the very short time the ferries stop at most of the ports - or else you can get off and wait sometimes for days until the next one is available going in your direction. That's why I settled on spending several days in the two towns holding the most interest for me.
Saturday - Seattle to Ketchikan via Alaskan Airlines
Sunday - all day in Ketchikan
Monday 8pm - board ferry
Tuesday noon - arrive Juneau
Wednesday and Thursday - Juneau
Friday - Juneau to Seattle via Alaskan Airlines
After studying the schedules for a couple of days via their VERY helpful website, this is the one that worked out best for me. Future trips will hopefully find me exploring other parts of this beautiful state but this way I think I'll get a real feel for the few areas I will get to visit this time. I've learned not to stretch myself too thin on these one week trips!

Anyone think Alaskan Airlines tickets will go down - or offer some deals - between now and August? The cost of my proposed flights are $381. each!

No I doubt if tickets will get cheaper. Why would they with summer tourist season in the offing, and fuel prices rising every day, and with AS having a monopoly on air travel in the region?

The old post at the top is outdated in more ways than one. In addition to the fact that you can now drive to Whittier, the prices cited are...er... shall we say a bit out of date?

The ferry is a fun way to see SE, but adding everything in, in many cases the cruise lines can beat the price. Plus you don't arrive in some ports at 4 AM and leave at 6.

Traveling on the Alaska Marine Highway was one of the best trips I ever had. I traveled alone and met lots of folks from all over the world. Alaska is sooo beautiful.

I read about this in Frommer's Budget Travel a couple years ago. Definitely looks like a great way to see Alaska.

I agree with everything Donald has said. I did this excursion two years ago and stopped at all the ports he mentioned. A fantastic and inexpensive way to experience the inside passage.

My only diagreement would be stopping in Wrangle. Booorring.

Thanks to whoever brought up this eight-year old post. It is very informative. Rick Steves would be proud.

Anyone have a recomendation for a very small ship that does the Inside Passage? The ferry listed seems like an OK alternative and has peaked my interests, but I would love a small ship to take this route.

Check out Cruise West - they have small ship cruises and Alaska is one of their routes. It looks pretty interesting, beyond my budget though.

See aaclsmallships.com, americancruiseline.com, clippercruise.com, cruisewest.com and expeditions.com.

I traveled on the Alaska Marine Highway in '96 and it was just great. There was nothing better than sitting out in the deck soaking in the sun and views. We occassionally saw a pod of orcas. The food's not so great on the boat, but going this route vs. a cruise ship gave us more flexibility in staying in towns longer.

ttt for vacation 2006 planners!

I am so glad this post from "long ago" showed up. As some of you know, I am trying to decide if we will travel from VA to Alaska by car in June 2007. If we go, my plan is to drive the Al-Can to Fairbanks, see all I can of the Interior, then take the Ferry from Skagway or Haines to either Prince Rupert or Bellingham then head for home.

We have 5 -6 weeks we can spend (as long as the money holds out). My husband will not fly so driving is the only option. We spent 4 weeks on the road last summer and really enjoyed it.

Anyway, I was so glad to "hear" from someone who actually has done the Ferry.

We LOVED our overnight on the ferry last August (between Ketchikan and Juneau)! I got up about 6 am to see both orcas and humpbacks putting on quite a show! By the time my family got up about 45 minutes later, it was over. Our accommodations were comfortable, the views spectacular... It was one of the highlights of our trip.

crazy4hawaii:

Thanks so much for sharing. That gives me confidence to perhaps go ahead with our plans.

Maybe I could check it out if I ever cruise Alaska again.

But when i checked the prices, I didn't find the AK marine hwy to be cheap at all. You have to buy the tickets and then buy your cabin and food, etc.

I found a really good ticket w/ Holland America: 7 days trip from Vancouver to Seward w/ Glacier Bay and College Fjord and three other usual stops at the end of May for only $560 taxes included.

I fully intend to seeing the outside sceneries and maxing out my days on shore, where I'll do all shore excursions myself.

And I welcome the fact that at the end of the day, I'll come back to a nice cabin w/ good food awaiting me.

For first timer to AK, I think this is a cheaper alternative.

Once again I failed to look at the date when I started reading and thought the original poster must have misplaced a decimal point in the price for the cabin.

I did enjoy my trip with several overnight stops along the way on the Marine Highway System, but I suppose for those who like the luxury of the cabins on real cruise ships it could be a major disappointment.

Just a few thoughts...the Columbia is the top-of-the-line; reserve the longest leg (if you are doing the debarkment for several days at each port of call and switching ships) on that vessel.

Have to agree; there's not much to see in Wrangell. Ketchikan definitely worth a visit--make sure you visit Saxman Village outside of town and take the time to take the tour of the totem carvers' center and see the native dancers while there. Their Souvenirs are authentic and as good a price as you're going to find (stuff where the cruise lines dock is either really cheap **** or way overpriced). If you're tired of ship's food, Petersburg has a great pizzeria, Papa Bear's, right in front of the Marine Highway terminal where you can call 30 min ahead as you come down the Narrows and have your pizza ready for pick-up. No problem making it back onto the ship with time to spare. Juneau-don't miss the glacier (see the great free movie at the glacier visitor's center), Mount Roberts tram, St. Theresa's shrine, free concerts at Marine Park, 2 excellent museums.

Lastly, in the summer there are Forest Service Personnel on the vessels that give presentations on varied topics in the forward viewing area. It's not cheap, but it is fun and relaxing and an experience like no other. Be sure to bring binoculars!!!