Alaska Marine Highway schedule for summer 2008 (Anchorage, Juneau and: environment, hotels, travel)

[mapcat]

My dad & I are planning a trip to Alaska next year and I have been reading the threads here. Thanks for all the info you've provided to other travelers--it really helps.

I'd like to know when the ferry schedule for next summer will be available. We will probably be traveling in June-July, and would like to take the ferry for part of the trip home. As I understand it, you need to book early to get cabins and/or space for a car (which we may or may not need), and the earlier we know the ferry schedule, the earlier we'll be able to book our flights & hotels for the rest of the trip. Right now the schedule at ferryalaska.com only shows the schedule thru May 2008.

Any help you can provide will be much appreciated!

[DannyL]

officially, probably in late Dec.
But call the 800# anyway, they're very helpful. And as far as booking early, yes, especially if you have to have a cabin and car space.

[Xa'at]

If you take a look at this summer's ferry schedule, it will give you a pretty good idea of how often boats leave, how long trips take, costs, etc. It's not exact, but it's a start.
Where are you going?

[mapcat]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give them a call. I saw last summer's schedule and wondered how closely they stick to that. Since boats don't leave every port every day, we figured we would want to build the rest of the trip around the ferry schedule.

Ideally, we'd like to board in Juneau and stay on all the way to Bellingham. Of course, this could only be done without a car, so we're trying to find someone willing to rent a car to us in Ohio who doesn't mind us driving it through Canada and leaving it in Alaska. None of the rental agencies we've talked to so far seem to be very gullible, I mean, flexible. We'd fly to Juneau from Anchorage the day before we got on the ferry.

Actually, I'd planned on posting some more questions in another post after we'd worked out a few more details.

[mal_flisk]

It can be done with a car. Drive to Whittier or Seward from Anchorage and catch the ferry on one of those places to Juneau. You get off of one ferry and get on the other to Bellingham.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by mapcat

We will probably be traveling in June-July, and would like to take the ferry for part of the trip home.

ok, one more thing.
the ferry is not a cruise line. they will get you from point A to point B, then from point B to C.
But while you're waiting to go from B to C you're on your own.
And getting a good motel room in juneau in june takes a reservation. Double check the schedule, it's not uncommon for a day layover at times when you change boats.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by mal_flisk

It can be done with a car. Drive to Whittier or Seward from Anchorage and catch the ferry on one of those places to Juneau. You get off of one ferry and get on the other to Bellingham.

You could also drive to Skagway and ferry down from there, if you so desire.

[mapcat]

Originally Posted by mal_flisk

It can be done with a car. Drive to Whittier or Seward from Anchorage and catch the ferry on one of those places to Juneau. You get off of one ferry and get on the other to Bellingham.

True, but that would add too much time on to the trip. We *might* be limited to 3 weeks, and I want to drive up the Alaska Hwy to take pictures of different environments for classes I teach.

[mapcat]

Originally Posted by DannyL

ok, one more thing.
the ferry is not a cruise line. they will get you from point A to point B, then from point B to C.
But while you're waiting to go from B to C you're on your own.
And getting a good motel room in juneau in june takes a reservation. Double check the schedule, it's not uncommon for a day layover at times when you change boats.

Oh, I sure hope they're not a cruise line. The prices sure didn't look like cruise prices.

But I was under the impression that, if we get on in Juneau, we can take that ferry all the way to Bellingham. Not true? It seemed like some of the ferries went all the way, making stops occasionally.

Oh, and we'll definitely make hotel reservations, in Juneau and everywhere else. That's why we're planning now!

[mapcat]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

You could also drive to Skagway and ferry down from there, if you so desire.

That's another possibility, if we keep the car. I had also considered going there on the way up--detouring off the Alaska Hwy down to Skagway, taking the ferry over to Haines, and then driving back up north again.