Our experience is a number of years old, but we traveled the PR to Haines and loved the trip. We stopped at Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway and then Haines. We spent 2-4 days at each stop, mostly camping dry, for free, and each stop was unique and different. Meals on the ferries were cafeteria style, relatively inexpensive and good. Due to the short leg length we did not take any cabins and our refrigerator did not need special treatment when the gas was turned off. We were also able to spend a night in the AMHS parking lots when there were not ferries scheduled. Just ask inside first.
I agree that you are probably late in getting your reservations in for the 2016 season, so I'd get on that immediately.
