Inside Passage Small Ship Recommendation

When initially planning this trip we thought about taking our truck camper and using the ferry system. The more we studied the ferry's sailing route and options to get "up close & personal" with the AK islands and passages, we thought it would not offer the level of exploration that we wanted. Also, taking a camper on the ferry is pricey - though sleeping accomodations are solved when on shore. I must confess that we are chronic impulsive travelers and don't like to be tied to fixed schedules on trips. I've read that taking the ferry presents a potential issue of needing to schedule our route to get the camper on board. Alternatively, I suppose we could do a walk-on and pot luck the lodging at various ports - but, that could also pose a problem of room availability. Hummm.... will need to think more about this.
Bob

MTBob, a small-ship cruise in Alaska is bound to be quite pricey, but it is a fantastic experience if you can swing it. The line we cruised on is (very) sadly no longer in existence, but there are others. American Safari Cruises has been operating for quite a few years now, and experience in the area counts. We have never taken the ferry, but that might be a great option for you.

You might consider booking through a travel agent who specializes in Alaska and/or cruising - especially if they are familiar with the various small-ship lines. They will know, probably more than you can tell via various websites, what each cruise line's atmosphere and focus is, and may be a big help in choosing the trip that's right for you.

Incidentally, our fellow passengers on our small-ship cruise were more focused on what we all came to see - Alaska - than on making friends with each other, and that's ok. Despite not having made any longtime fast friends, we still have very fond memories of the experience.

Thanks folks for all the recommendations & comments, very helpful. The comments about being "locked up" on a small boat with people that we might not get along with is indeed a concern. Hadn't really given that much thought until these postings. Having a few people that are not too socially adjusted could be a real drag. We'll give that issue more thought.
In the mean time, I've found a listing of some small cruise ships (motor vessels & sail boats) that are shown on the Sitka tourist website: http://www.sitka.org/plan/cruises/index.cfm?sfilter=ALL&catID=3&subCatid=0&RegionID=0&startRow=1
Though I've not contacted them yet, I see the Tongass National Forest requires a registration of all ships that enter their coastal waters. So they may also provide a listing of registered boats.
Bob

We did the Alaska Ferry trip a few years ago. Flew into Juneau for a few days and got on the ferry to Sitka. A few days there, which included salmon fishing, and then took the ferry south, overnight stopping at various ports until we reached Ketchikan. Flew home from there.

I know we saw far more of the "real" Southeast Alaska than those folks who came off the giant ships for a few hours in town before heading back out the same evening. We never felt the need for a car in any of the ports, but used public transportation and our feet. We also spent two weeks and didn't gain a single pound even though we ate ourselves silly.

One of the most memorable days in Juneau was spent at the .Alaska State Museum where we had the opportunity for a behind the scenes tour with a lovely lady who was very interested in the Alaska photo album we brought along. It was my Dad's and had photos from a number of Alaskan towns that were taken prior to WWII. I got my photo taken in several of the same spots that were shown in his photos.

jessjerr1831 wrote:
We have Alaska Marine Ferry reservation for this July going from Prince Rupert-Ketchikan-Wrangell-Juneau-Sitka-Juneau-Haines. Have reservations for a few day trips in those towns. We are no longer RVing so just doing B&B's, hotels, cabins or whatever. We just want to see the inside passage that is better then what we saw on our 14 day cruise in 2009. Did a 2 month RV trip in 2010 that was great, so now we are doing something different. Headed to the Kenai Peninsula after Haines. The Alaska Marine Ferry is another option for someone to check out.

While in PR try to arrange a visit to Haida Guai (Queen Charlotte Islands). You will be truly rewarded! This is a spectacular place.
Vic

jessjerr1831 wrote:
We have Alaska Marine Ferry reservation for this July going from Prince Rupert-Ketchikan-Wrangell-Juneau-Sitka-Juneau-Haines. Have reservations for a few day trips in those towns. We are no longer RVing so just doing B&B's, hotels, cabins or whatever. We just want to see the inside passage that is better then what we saw on our 14 day cruise in 2009. Did a 2 month RV trip in 2010 that was great, so now we are doing something different. Headed to the Kenai Peninsula after Haines. The Alaska Marine Ferry is another option for someone to check out.

While in PR try to arrange a visit to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). You will be truly rewarded! This is a spectacular place. Their are ferry connections from PR to Haida Gwaii.
Vic

We have Alaska Marine Ferry reservation for this July going from Prince Rupert-Ketchikan-Wrangell-Juneau-Sitka-Juneau-Haines. Have reservations for a few day trips in those towns. We are no longer RVing so just doing B&B's, hotels, cabins or whatever. We just want to see the inside passage that is better then what we saw on our 14 day cruise in 2009. Did a 2 month RV trip in 2010 that was great, so now we are doing something different. Headed to the Kenai Peninsula after Haines. The Alaska Marine Ferry is another option for someone to check out.

Ivylog wrote:
Expensive to do that (get off the boat) in France, next to impossible to get off in AK.

You can fly or ferry out of any of the Alaska ports quite inexpensively.

joe b. wrote:
Murray, I remember at one time you were working on the cruise ships as a docent or some other job title, that involves you speaking to, BSing, the passengers. Are you still working for the cruise lines?

On 9 my 13 cruises from 2006-2012 I was either the ship naturalist or the Destination Speaker, working for Holland America, Costa, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (I worked through an agent, and just picked the sailing I wanted). I retired from that as well as tour coach driving, and now pay regular fares to cruise.

Murray, I remember at one time you were working on the cruise ships as a docent or some other job title, that involves you speaking to, BSing, the passengers. Are you still working for the cruise lines?