Alaska Class Ferry (Seward, Metlakatla: leases, school, maintenance)

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

Bummer about the lack of bar. Something about being on a boat with a bunch of strangers for days on end makes me want to have a few beers. I do plan on a eventual ferry trip on the marine highway, hopefully this coming year. Have never been.

Can you bring a few beers of your own to consume on board? Can you smoke tabacco and/or legal cannabis on board? Can you transport legal cannabis on board within the state? Say you lived in Hoonah but wanted legal cannabis from a store in Juneau? Just curious.

I think there may be an area on the deck designated for tobacco smokers to huddle outdoors in the cold wind and rain. No smoking at all inside.

Not sure about weed. Back in the Stone Age, the solarium section of the ferry was a fairly relaxed environment where smoking and drinking happened, but I wouldn't try it now. I don't know about the transporting laws, but they don't rifle through your stuff or scan it to my knowledge. They just sort of looked in the back of my truck through the window for about five seconds last time I came up from Bellingham.

ETA this is what it says about weed on the official website:

Please note that regardless of recent measures in the states of Alaska and Washington that decriminalize recreational use of marijuana, it remains a prohibited substance under federal law. Federal law prohibits possession and transportation of marijuana.

I brought a bottle of wine to consume in my stateroom -- ferry rules say that's okay. But I ended up saving it because drinking alone in a tiny stateroom was was more pathetic than I wanted to be.

I take the local ferry fairly often over to Ketchikan (to the tune of $300 round trip ffs) -- we splintered off from the Alaska Marine Highway quite a few years ago because they only wanted to provide twice-per-week service. Our ferry goes every day, so I guess the extra cost is worth it.

The whole "put the tourist season before the locals" is a two-sided-sword. Many of the businesses on my island and other outliers depend heavily on tourist trade. Locals are also doing more traveling during the summer with school out and all.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

The whole "put the tourist season before the locals" is a two-sided-sword. Many of the businesses on my island and other outliers depend heavily on tourist trade. Locals are also doing more traveling during the summer with school out and all.

Oh, trust me, I am very sensitive to how important tourists are to our economy, particularly in our current economic climate. I do not enjoy them, but when I see busload after busload of tourists every summer, I see the dollar signs very clearly.

Still, there is something really crass about prioritizing tourists over local needs, even though I understand the sort of symbiotic relationship.

[Metlakatla]

I think it's a little different out here. Once you get off the main Ketch/Juneau/Sitka/Skagway main drag, the tourists that come to SE by ferry tend to be people who spend entire summers here -- they get to know people, they become an actual part of these communities, and they've got real money to spend compared to bargain cruise shippers. It's refreshing compared to what you see in other parts of the state. I remember sitting on a bench in front of the liquor store in Talkeetna a few years ago when I was accosted by a tourist fresh off a bus. She asked me, "what do they do in the winter, just close the town?" FFS.

The ferries are jam packed during the summer and often run at half-capacity during the off season. I wish there were an easy way around that, but the whole system is running at a loss.

[riceme]

That is nice to know because I have a very negative association with tourists, and have to constantly remind myself of how much money they bring to the state, and even to Fox via the Gulch.

I had a friend from -48 ask me the same thing a couple years ago. After a stunned silence, I answered, no ("cabin fever," let's all say it together!). He then asked me if we stayed home from work when it was cold. Uhh, no. Jiminy crickets

[Metlakatla]

I told the tourist that no, Talkeetna actually comes to life when the tourists stop coming because people can go out in public without being annoyed by rude ****sticks.

It gets better when you get past the cruise ship/inland tours thing. Most of that is owned and operated by Outside interests.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

en.

Can you bring a few beers of your own to consume on board? Can you smoke tabacco and/or legal cannabis on board? Can you transport legal cannabis on board within the state? Say you lived in Hoonah but wanted legal cannabis from a store in Juneau? Just curious.

Yes, yes, yes.

People regularly smoke cigs off the back, and occasionally pot.

Transporting pot on the ferries could
be prosecuted by the feds, but only if state law officials decided to turn over a case to them-which they won't unless you do something really outrageous and stupid.

[riceme]

Regarding the weed, etc., on ferries, see below for similar circumstance on a commercial flight

8 grams of marijuana surrendered at Fairbanks airport clarifies rules on flying with pot in Alaska
http://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/...pot-in-alaska/

[Arktikos]

^Interesting story.

"Fly out with it, at your own peril."

Well, no one will be inspecting your luggage on the other end of your flight, nor will anyone be checking your possessions on the ferries interstate.

Not likely that the feds will be looking to bust someone for pot upon arrival in Bellingham either.

[phlinak]

So, some of you guys and gals are seriously complaining because you either can't or don't want to take a simple boat ride without an adult beverage in your hands.


Seriously???


I appreciate adult beverages but honestly, that's pretty weak.

[6.7traveler]

I was halfway kidding around. Although I would prefer if there was a bar available on board, I never said I can't or wouldn't want to take the ferry because of the lack of one. The other questions were just because I was genuinely curious with the new laws.