Travel in Alaska; pros and cons (law, bars, food)

[Dakster]

My internal "romantic" picture of the Alaska Marine System Ferry was just ruined.... Thanks Met... Let me scratch that off my bucket list.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

The ferry isn't for everyone. Screaming kids, people sleeping everywhere, even setting up tents on the solarium, and the cost may be more than going on a cruise ship. The cabins are tiny, and you don't really get the time in the ports of call that you get with a cruise, the terminals in Juneau and Ketchikan aren't exactly located in walkable parts of town, and the food...I guess if you liked the cafeteria stuff in middle school....yeah, some people bring their own food and cram it into coolers, and bring gross noodle things to microwave and eat out of Styrofoam containers, but a vacation shouldn't be so torturous.

What the ferry is good for (besides transportation) is when you want to get off and spend a few days or even weeks in certain places along the Inside Passage.

I love riding the ferry... But it is definitely a different experience than just being on a cruise. Maybe compare it to going through town in a limo versus being on a public bus. A public bus that serves a refuge camp. Although, I did always find the cafeteria food tasty. But then again, I have pretty low standards when it comes to food...
The terminal at Sitka is also way out of town. Ditto with Haines.
And the schedule never did make sense to me....
And in addition to the screaming kids, you've got teen running around every where.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

I love riding the ferry... But it is definitely a different experience than just being on a cruise. Maybe compare it to going through town in a limo versus being on a public bus. A public bus that serves a refuge camp. Although, I did always find the cafeteria food tasty. But then again, I have pretty low standards when it comes to food...
The terminal at Sitka is also way out of town. Ditto with Haines.
And the schedule never did make sense to me....
And in addition to the screaming kids, you've got teen running around every where.

The ferry is ok for some things. I'm taking it up in a couple of months because I need to bring a vehicle and a dog, and it's going to cost me more than a couple of K. The ferry isn't cheap when you're taking a vehicle and getting a stateroom. People going on cruises usually choose that particular type of trip because they want a little relaxation and luxury. The ferry can work as a vacation for adventurous backpacker types or if you want to bring up an RV and travel around some in the various islands.

ETA it doesn't sound like the OP is going to be "doing any driving." Looks to me like a cruise/land tour combination where tourists ride in coaches, unless she's going to skip that part and just rent a car. Besides, she's already booked her trip and wasn't asking for alternative advice.

Dakster, you might like the ferry in the winter. It's a lot more low-key then. And it's probably not all that bad if you know what you're getting into, but I don't think it's a good alternative for a cruise because people have expectations of cruise travel that the ferry isn't going to meet. Personally, the people sleeping everywhere gets on my nerves, and because the solarium is pretty much taken over with campers, going up there to enjoy the views sometimes just isn't worth the bother.

[pnwguy2]

I enjoyed my trip on the ferry. Yes, it is not luxurious, but it does have some redeeming features. As in car transport, small private cabins, and decent food/drink on board. I prefer this to cruises, but I understand why many prefer cruises.

[Dakster]

Never been on anything more than a 'day' cruise so I don't really know what to expect. I was sorta being sarcastic as well.

I plan on doing a Ferry cruise when some friends of mine go to Juneau this coming fall. I can justify the Ferry expense because I will be able to bring my vehicle back and forth.

[Metlakatla]

The ferry can be fine if you know what you're getting into. This articles explains the experience pretty well.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...40e_story.html

For whatever, reason, the nice restaurant was closed the last time I rode it and all that was available was cafeteria food.

[Dakster]

Met - There have been articles up here that the food service loses money and due to budget cuts so they are closing them. I was beginning to wonder if even the cafeteria's would close too.

[Frostnip]

I took the ferry from Juneau to Washington a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Nice scenery, peaceful, not the rush and smush of air travel. The food was unobjectionable - nothing special, a step up from fast food but down from good home cooking.

But I don't get seasick, and it was winter.

[MountainHi]

Originally Posted by Music_Man

There is a lot to do in Skagway. Take the train ride! Walk around town and look at the historic buildings. Visit the grave yard. All the places are geared towards the tourists, but I wouldn't call any place tourist trap. Bring spare battery's and chips for your camera. A trip down the Turnagin arm to Girdwood and look around town.

There are kayak rentals, so you can go kayaking on the fjord. There are hiking trails on the edge of town that go up to small lakes, and they're not long hikes. There are small, out-of-the-way quiet coffee shops in town to explore, with killer fresh pastries! Skagway has a lot to offer. It's deceptive in that way--it looks like a tiny village, but it has a lot to offer.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Met - There have been articles up here that the food service loses money and due to budget cuts so they are closing them. I was beginning to wonder if even the cafeteria's would close too.

I haven't seen anything about closing food services on the state ferries, and doing a search on the subject doesn't bring anything up. Maybe you mean the bars? They closed the ferry bars last year. Another reason it's not the best vacation option. Even for people who don't drink, the ferry bars provide a kid-free zone, and it'll probably mean even more stealth drinking on the solarium.

Idk, I took it up from Ketchikan to Haines awhile back during May, and it was a nice trip, but it was transportation and not a vacation.