Ferry's from Seattle to Anchorage...

[RICKYJC]

HI IM RICKY,

PLS. HELP I NEED ALL OF YOUR INPUT

IM TRYING TO GET HELP ON HOW TO GET A RIGTH DIRECTION ON MY FIRST TIME TRAVEL TRIP TO Ketchikan ALASKA'

I LIVE IN SAN DIEGO IM PLANING TO DRIVE FROM HERE TO SEATTLE.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE MY CAR WITH ME.

I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH I NEED TO SPEND TO SHIP MY SUV WITH ME ON A FERRY & IF YOU CAN GIVE ME ALL THE INFORMATION ON A FERRY THAT I NEED TO RIDE WITH THEIR PHONE NUMBER THAT WILL HELP ALOT. MY TARGET DATE IS MIDDLE OF OCTOBER 2009. AND IF ITS NOT TO MUCH FOR YOU TO DO SO PLEASE YOU CAN EMAIL YOUR REPLY ON THIS ADDRESS ricskyjc1@yahoo.com

thank' to all of you
rickyjc

[warptman]

Ugh, cap lock.

[akck]

All the information you need is contained here:

Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) :: Official Site :: Alaska DOT&PF

[richelles]

I posted earlier that we were going to take the last ferry this year going from Bellingham to Whittier. We left for Bellingham with a pickup truck towing a 20 foot enclosed trailer with reservations for the entire trip. Getting on the ferry was in itself quite an experience. We got there early and found a dozen or so vehicles ahead of us waiting in different lines. We had two cats, some house plants we wished to take with us and a trailer full of what we needed to set up our condo in Anchorage. The cost was substantial for the pickup truck and trailer but compared with what we had been quoted it was within reason. I read that an ABF relo cube was near $3000 from the Eastern United States to Anchorage. I got the same quote for the same basic amount. Plus the 6x7x8 foot cube isn't all that big and fills up fast. Shipping a pickup truck by barge came in just under $2000 in the lowest quote I found. So the ferry with two of us, plus a cabin for the entire trip, and the two cats and house plants which the movers simply wouldn't consider, came in at about the same price as shipping everything adding on airfare for two of us.

I read an answer regarding pets on the ferry and I can assure everyone that wasn't a problem. There were regular pet calls plus whenever in port you had access to the animals. Our cats seemed to have slept most of the trip and the sensitive tropical plants made the trip in beautiful condition. We went down for each call and found the space heated and well lit. Those people with dogs walked them and I never saw a problem.

One thing I found out was you can go from Bellingham to Ketchikan and meet the next ferry there. It wasn't apparent on the AMHS schedule nor did anyone suggest it to me when I was on the phone with them. It wasn't any cheaper but some of the people who did the trip on a regular basis suggested it was easier to get reservations by making that transfer.

However after looking at Ketchikan from the boat I don't think it would be advisable to try to spend time there. There didn't seem to be much there and I was glad we went on past that stop. We got off at Juneau and spent the night in a decent hotel which allowed pets. We dropped the trailer in their parking lot and went to see the glacier and then had dinner with friends in the city. There were five cruise ships in port and the place was packed with tourons. We drove around and looked at the tourons and whatever else was of interest.

The entire trip was simply a pleasant experience. Our cabins were adequate and the food onboard was good although somewhat expensive. However based on the price in any Anchorage restaurant the food was similarly priced. We took snacks with us and had a cooler in the pickup truck. Ice was a problem since on the boat it was a quarter for a small pail which didn’t go very far in the cooler. In Juneau there was a Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer which allowed us to get things for the trip cross gulf so we didn't eat every meal in the restaurant on board. If you're afraid to drive in confined spaces you might not want to bring your vehicle on board. I backed up the pickup with a 20 foot enclosed cargo trailer on both loadings with considerable help from the ships crew. Otherwise things went well for us and we found the trip to be special seeing whales and the inside passage.

[warptman]

This is why I insist on everyone to make the drive up. Won't cost as much as the ferry rides and you get a great view all the way up to Alaska!

[akck]

richelles, sounds like your move went well. I just wanted to note that it costs slightly more to change ferries in Ketchikan. Also, you lose the opportunity to do some food shopping in Juneau for the Whittier leg.