Has anyone had any experience taking the ferry down the Inner Passage? Doesn't look luxurious but looks like fun!

There have been numerous posts on it here. We did it in stages, getting off at several different places and taking another ferry a day or two later. It was surprisingly nicer than we expected, but we were on the just relaunched Columbia. No it's not a cruise ship, but a lot nicer than the various ferries we've traveled on from Italy to Croatia, or going to Sardinia or Sicily.
There is usually an "expert" who also lectures in the main lounge and points things out as you travel.

That last post sound confusing. Obviously we were on several different ferries, but the one we were on the longest and the one that was the nicest was that relaunched Columbia.

Patrick -
Did you have a stateroom?

Yes, on two of the legs of the journey. Both had upper and lower bunks, clean and stark. Decent enough bathroom with tiny shower. As I said, a cruiseship it wasn't.

First a quibble - most people call it the Inside, not Inner, Passage.

The ferry can be great fun or it can be tedious - really depends on your mindset and tolerance for long hours with not much to do besides look out the window. I think it's great; kids and others can get seriously bored. Remember, it's Alaska outside, so standing outside can be a seriously wet experience some of the time.

Cost-wise, it's not too great a bargain compared to cruise ships when you add everything in - the cruise ships give you a (much, much) nicer cabin, food, entertainment (which, yeah, might not be the best, but you can watch TV in your cabin worst case), and they stop in ports during the day, as opposed to the ferry which stops when it gets there, even if it's in the middle of the night.

Some people like to save money by camping out on the sun deck; in the summer it can be quite crowded up there and kumbaya happens. It can be a hoot or irritating, depending on your curmudgeon scale.

IMO the ferry is at its best in the winter, when Carnival et al have moved on down to the Caribbean. The scenery is fabulous - misty, snowy mountains, and the passengers, lots of locals from SE Alaska, are very interesting. If you go from Bellingham to, say, Juneau in the winter you can have a few days' relaxation that you'd pay a fortune for at Hilton Head. Highly recommended.

Gardyloo makes great points. A true bargain it's not. The port times are guided by tides and not port excursions. The banging and unloading of cars can be extreme, even in some cabins. It's a notch below the newer Blue Stars in the Cyclades, but better than the older Hellas I was on in Sept.

But the last time I did it was wonderful.

We did the sun deck with no tent for a couple of nights, all the fresh air makes it easier to sleep through the assorted nightly noises. We got a cabin for the Ketichikan-Bellingham leg and it was sparse but fine. Eating on board isn't glamorous, but pack a few special treats and you'll be fine.

If you go in with an adventurous attitude, you can have a great time. If you going in thinking you're trying to save money over a cruise, all you'll do is make comparisons of the ``shortcomings.''

Thank you for the insights. I really don't like the artificial cruise ship atmosphere very much and am a fairly adventurous sort. The ferry might just fit the bill!

I slept on the solarium/deck a few years back on a straight trip from Seattle to Juneau. One of the best experiences of my life and met some incredible folks from all over the world. Amenities are sparse but if you bring your food it can be economical. It is certainly the "anti-cruise".

Crazy...-I don't understand your comment of an 'artificial'cruise ship atmosphere. Is there some 'real' atmosphere on another ship?

The cruise ship is 'real' for itself just as the ferry is 'real' for itself.

Is there a real and artificial for Hawaii-and-where would I find either one ? Thanks.

Easy maryann. Apparently you're a cruise ship fan & took offense to crazy4hawaii's "artificial" comment. I don't think she is degrading cruises but just stating that on cruises there is a fairly set itinerary onboard the vessel geared to pampering the guests. The dinner with the Captain is planned for a certain hour with planned seating & a set course, onboard activities are planned for children & adults at set times, etc. Of course a person doesn't have to partake in all the planned activities but why go on a cruise if you don't want to pampered.

Fortunately, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I don't like the feeling of being herded that I have experienced on cruises. A nice resort provides plenty of pampering - and you can always leave at will to explore...

THAT'S what I mean. And there is most definitely a "real" Hawaii if you bother to look for it. But, it's not on a cruise ship.

It was one of the best trips I ever took! Everyone was some friendly. The views were great! It stopped at a variety of islands. I can definitely recommend it. Get there early to either get one of the thicker plastic lounge chairs or to put your tent under the overhang (to keep the wind away). You can also get a berth, but that would take some of the fun out of the adventure.

We also traveled on the Columbia on it's first trip north from Bellingham after refitting. It's the largest and, I've heard nicest. We opted for a cabin. The only thing I didn't like was that we had two bunks so we had no sitting space except for bag chairs which we had brought along. There were 3 of us in the cabin. If you have a double without bunks, it would be better. On friends' recommendations we brought along extra food. We thought the food in the cafeteria was better than the dining room (and less expensive). Since we were going straight thru to Skagway there wasn't much time at some ports and nothing open on a Sunday. We didn't get off in Juneau due to the short time element. Since the Columbia was late going back into service, there weren't as many passengers as usual. (A smaller ferry had been doing service.) The solarium and tent area were still full to capacity. We were told to board quickly if we wanted to grab a deck chair for sleeping. Should you plan to tent, bring your own duct tape.
I very much enjoyed the speakers. It was very relaxing. Read. Listen to the speaker. Walk around the decks. It would be better to spend some time in the ports, travel light and get on the next ferry. The Columbia books up very quickly for the summer. Cabins and car space may already be fully booked for many dates. One travel agency I spoke to said they take reservation requests early and then when the ferry opens for reservations, they have someone full time making all the bookings. I think the ferry system starts taking summer bookings in December.

dfrostnh -
There are three of us. I noticed they have 2 bunk, three bunk, and four bunk rooms. One of them says "four bunks with a sitting area". That might be the way to go. Our trip plans are not for sure, but I guess I'd better go ahead and book the ferry part even if I end up having to cancel later?

A fantastic way to experience the Inside Passage (not Inner passage). You can get on and off in about a dozen different port towns. You just wait for the next ferry to arrive. Its very flexible and inexpensive. We didn't have rooms and stayed on the upper decks where the party people hang out. Sleeping in a sleeping bag on a lounge chair on the deck is very popular.

Every ship I was on had a restaurant and a bar. Two had a theater and all had an enclosed forward deck with National Park Service lecturers telling you about what we were seeing.

The trip to the former Russian capital of Alaska called Sitka was like traveling up the Amazon river for 22 hours. Only you are traveling around hundreds of islands in ocean water many miles from the mainland.

The only down side I experienced was that the Marine Highway ports were sometimes not at the heart of the port towns like the cruise ship ports are.

I really recommend it.

PS. Both cruise ships and ferries stop in Wrangle. DO NOT get off in Wrangle unless you want to see bears up close on a side trip at $160 per person. Otherwise its the most boring little pit you would ever not want to get caught dead in. After sleeping on foam rubber on the floor of a church for 15 bucks a pop (with church ladies hanging around) we got on the next ferry out of town at 7 AM. Two alarms clocks were set and we kept our pants on.

jor -

Hilarious! I can just picture the church floor experience! Our ferry is Juneau to Ketchikan with one two hour stop in Sitka about 3 pm. I can't decide whether to take the quickie bus tour or walk about 15 minutes over to this trail area I've heard about. I guess I could spend a night in Sitka but it would mean giving up one of my two nights in Juneau or Ketchikan...

When you get to Sitka, hightail it to the Russian Orthodox St. Michael's Cathedral. Beautiful icons.

Haines is also an underrated port, although there aren't many towns in SE Alaska other than Juneau where I'd want to spend more than a night or two . . . unless I was on a boat or in a fishing lodge.

Crazy4Hawaii: we didn't have any choice because we didn't book our trip until March for a late July trip. We were lucky to get a cabin. A sitting area would have been perfect. However, there are plenty of places to sit during the day and areas with tables for playing cards. Sleeping was allowed in the theater but there was a sign that said you needed to clear out during the day. Basically, people claim a deck chair for the whole trip. Our friends encouraged us to "camp out" but we were reluctant. It's very popular though. On the Columbia there were public bathrooms and laundry for people without cabins. Keep in mind that the ferry system is the way many people commute between towns so a good percentage of your fellow travelers are Alaskans. (I like the cabin setup on the Nova Scotia Prince out of Portland ME better. The top bunks fold up during the day.)