I had no idea that you could take a ferry to Alaska until I started researching travel to Alaska.  It’s a remarkable way to travel and a great way for me to have my RV, Abeona, along for the ride for the road trip back home.  I had just finished a week in Sequim, Washington for my family’s celebration of my mother’s 90th birthday.  I had secured a ticket for the 3-day cruise from Bellingham, WA to Skagway, AK. My entire goal in going to Alaska was to visit my 50th state.  I had crossed off North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa about 5 years ago so finishing this item on my bucket list was pressing. 

Bellingham Washington is a beautiful town on the water.  I really thought I would have had time to explore but my focus was making sure I was on that ferry. I was surprised that, even though I had arrived 2 hours before departure, almost 80% of the cars, trucks and trailers were already lined up before I arrived. I’m glad I didn’t cut it close by exploring Bellingham.

Loading the vehicles on the Kennicott ferry is like Tetris on steroids. There were 16 number lanes (I was in lane 14 and the only RV headed to Skagway).  I started to question my selection of Skagway since there were no other RV’s or trailers headed there.  Like, what’s the problem with Skagway? When I was told to head down to get loaded on the ferry, I was shocked by some of the vehicles being loaded in the opposite direction.  I figured out, when I got off in Skagway, that loading is more like a circle instead of other ferries I’ve traveled on where the first car in is the first car off. In addition, we loaded from the back of the ship in Bellingham but every other port, the vehicles go off on the side (crazy right?).  I can’t imagine the mastermind that figures out where all the vehicles go.  There were trucks with campers on the back, motorcycles, cars with trailers and some motorhomes larger than mine with tow vehicles.  The menagerie of vehicles was mind boggling.

Once on board, I took an elevator to the cabin floor which was two flights above the vehicle floor.  There the purser gave me a key to my berth.  This was a no frills, metal bunk bed with a 4-inch-thick mattress in a narrow soulless windowless room with a small chair and a sink.  Once I dropped my bag, I went up to the observation deck which is where there was seating, tables, a cafeteria, a movie theater and a playroom for small children. We all gathered at the front of the observation deck because it was a warm, sunny day and waited expectantly for the ferry to finally get underway.  We were about ten minutes late departing but once we left the dock it was a terrific view from Bellingham Bay and the Rosario Strait of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker and the Pacific Range above Vancouver. 

The ferry, Kennicott, travels via the inner passage.  It’s remarkable that a ship the size of Kennicott can manage traveling all the way to Skagway without being in the open ocean. One thing that messed me up for the first 36 hours on the ferry was that all the ships activities were on Alaska time.  My watch, my laptop, and my phone were all on Pacific Time as we traveled through British Columbia.  This caused me to be early and frustrated on car checks (times allocated to go down to your vehicle), movies and the cafeteria.  In addition, the ferry had no wifi.  This in retrospect was relaxing.  For the first 24 hours we were never close to any town or city so, no cell coverage.  So, time was spent looking out at the coastline and islands passing you by, reading or as many people did, doing puzzles.  I was amazed at how many 1000-piece puzzles I saw completed by various, changing groups and individuals.  

There was also something called mustering.  I had never heard this term before but there is a place, based on where your berth was, that you gather on the observation deck in case of emergency.  So, there are signs all over the boat on how to get to Muster A or B.  There are also some hearty souls who camped on the solarium deck.  These folks tape down their tents or brave the elements in a sleeping bag.  As you can imagine, it’s an eclectic group that takes the ferry to the various ports of Alaska on what is called the Alaska Marine Highway.  There were Alaskans returning home, comfort travelers like myself traveling in motor homes, folks on bicycles, motor cycles and some backpackers.  

There were several whale and bald eagle sightings.  Traversing the Wrangell Narrows a bit nerve racking.  This very narrow passage that cruise ships do NOT travel seemed about 50 feet wide.  As we arrived to travel the 22-mile passage, there was a spotter at the front of the boat for the entire length. It is from this passage that we arrived at the tiny town of Petersburg.  Without these ferries traveling this route, these isolated towns would not receive products from the outside world.  It was amazing to see how these tiny towns exist where, if you don’t have a boat or seaplane, you will be stuck.

As we arrived and departed at the various ports, Ketchican, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines and Skagway.  People would get on and off the boat.  So, when I finally arrived in Skagway, there were many vehicles getting off as well.  It also meant that when we were in the preceding ports, it would be about 45 minutes so I couldn’t afford to get off the ship to explore.  It was a terrific, interesting, journey where I met a friendly group of travelers. The last day was spent overwhelmed by the beauty of the snow and glacier capped mountains that encircle the inner passage.  Simply breathtaking. I highly recommend taking the journey via a ferry.