Anyone taken Alaskan Ferry from Anchorage to Bellingham???

[synergy_58]

My wife and I are being transfered (Air Force) from Anchorage (JBER), AK in September 2014. We will be traveling via the Alaska Ferry system, leaving from Whittier, and have never taken a ferry anywhere before.

We will be in a Itasca Navion 25', 11' tall, pulling a 5x8 Wells Cargo enclosed trailer.
I am 100% DAV (Army) with a nationally certified, Gov. sponsored service dog.

We have reservations and supposedly will have a cabin to sleep in (wife, me and SD), but one can never be sure till it actually happens.

Is there anyone who has taken their RV on the ferry and traveled down from Anchorage to Bellingham before, who can give us a heads up on what to expect, the do's and dont's please?

Thanks!

[synergy_58]

joe b. wrote:
Frank, my bad on the having to change ships in Juneau. Appears they changed that and run from Kodiak, to Chenega Bay, to Whittier, to Yakutat, to Juneau and on south putting in at Ketchikan and then Bellingham, so the guns should not be a problem as it doesn't stop at any Canadian ports.

This past summer, according to the schedule, they only made one run south in September, leaving Kodiak on Sept 8 and arriving in Bellingham on the 14th in the AM. In August they ran two runs north bound and three south. They shut the route down after the run in September and don't start up till May of the following year.

Giving the AMHS a call would sure be the best way to get current information and their enployees are really good and easy to work with so far as I have seen. We did the Prince Rupert to Skagway northbound in 2011 and back in 2004, we did the Skagway to Bellingham south bound. The section from Prince Rupert to Bellingham is not one of my favorite parts as they get away from shore a bit..

You will be able to leave your trailer attached most likely. They charge by the total length so they like it connected. Many people pulling a toad, will drive them on separately to cut down the total length and the cost a bit. We found the food to be good and reasonable in cost, the cabin to be plain but clean and all we needed. I have done a few day trips on the ferry system as well.

I think you guys will really enjoy the ferry ride. Most everyone does it seems. Some feel it is too expensive for their budget and we all have to do what we have to do.

As I mentioned before, I have been so broke on some of my trips, to Alaska, when I was young and single, I have had to stop and get work to pay for food and fuel to get to where I was going. I have eaten at more than a few Salvation Army soup kitchens, in my younger days also. Since then, anytime I have a job or now my retirement income, the SA gets a monthly donations, as I remember what they did for me and many others.

According to last summer's schedule in the back of The Milepost, the charges are for Whittier to Bellingham,
Passengers - $547 each
cabin - varies between $493 to $838
vehicles - over 21 ft in length - $105 per foot from front bumper to real bumper.

Now the do show a few two berth cabins as well that are a bit cheaper. This would be on the Ferry Kennicott which I believe due to the federal Jones Naval act, can only dock at US ports, except in emergences.

joe b.,

Thanks for all the info!
I've been reading the AMHS www site, and checked last years trends and schedules, as well as this years schedule too. They have two runs planned for September this year, we're on the second run, Sept 22nd. Hopefully it will sail.
I'm going to call them tomorrow and verify the schedule, make another earlier reservation (to be safe), and find out about the RV and fuel. I tried to get some of this info from them yesterday, but the eprson I was speaking with really didn't know much, she just kept referring me to the www site. I hope to get someone more informed tomorrow.

When hurricane Ivan came through Pensacola, our home, the SA was present and providing volunteers to hand out water and food pacs; we received enough for a family of four, for a week. The Army NG also provided us with ice, water, canned foods and MRE's. Both lines were long and both groups continued every day till the supplies ran out, only to be right back at it again the next day.

We were very thankful for the SA and ANG being in our community, helping us through those hard times. I understand how you feel about their efforts and you desire to contribute. Good for you!

Again, thanks! We look forward to our trip, hopefully it will be relaxing and smooth!

[Tee_Jay]

You may want to check on the diesel. Fuel in containers are prohibited on the WA State Ferry, Alaska may be different, but ask. Since you won't need it on the Ferry, ask about an empty can as well. Also, consider just leaving the fridge empty. There are friends at JBER and stores in Bellingham. Just a thought. When you do turn it on it will take hours to get to operating temperature. I have never timed it, but we run ours on electric for 24 hours or more before loading it when we are packing to leave.

[joe_b_]

Frank, my bad on the having to change ships in Juneau. Appears they changed that and run from Kodiak, to Chenega Bay, to Whittier, to Yakutat, to Juneau and on south putting in at Ketchikan and then Bellingham, so the guns should not be a problem as it doesn't stop at any Canadian ports.

This past summer, according to the schedule, they only made one run south in September, leaving Kodiak on Sept 8 and arriving in Bellingham on the 14th in the AM. In August they ran two runs north bound and three south. They shut the route down after the run in September and don't start up till May of the following year.

Giving the AMHS a call would sure be the best way to get current information and their enployees are really good and easy to work with so far as I have seen. We did the Prince Rupert to Skagway northbound in 2011 and back in 2004, we did the Skagway to Bellingham south bound. The section from Prince Rupert to Bellingham is not one of my favorite parts as they get away from shore a bit..

You will be able to leave your trailer attached most likely. They charge by the total length so they like it connected. Many people pulling a toad, will drive them on separately to cut down the total length and the cost a bit. We found the food to be good and reasonable in cost, the cabin to be plain but clean and all we needed. I have done a few day trips on the ferry system as well.

I think you guys will really enjoy the ferry ride. Most everyone does it seems. Some feel it is too expensive for their budget and we all have to do what we have to do.

As I mentioned before, I have been so broke on some of my trips, to Alaska, when I was young and single, I have had to stop and get work to pay for food and fuel to get to where I was going. I have eaten at more than a few Salvation Army soup kitchens, in my younger days also. Since then, anytime I have a job or now my retirement income, the SA gets a monthly donations, as I remember what they did for me and many others.

According to last summer's schedule in the back of The Milepost, the charges are for Whittier to Bellingham,
Passengers - $547 each
cabin - varies between $493 to $838
vehicles - over 21 ft in length - $105 per foot from front bumper to real bumper.

Now the do show a few two berth cabins as well that are a bit cheaper. This would be on the Ferry Kennicott which I believe due to the federal Jones Naval act, can only dock at US ports, except in emergences.

[synergy_58]

joe b. wrote:
I take it that you are taking the cross gulf ferry to Juneau and changing ships there, for the run down to Bellingham. We have done the Skagway to Bellingham, run in the past and enjoyed the trip greatly. But have never done the cross gulf leg before. Believe the cross gulf runs very seldom, perhaps once or twice a month.

As far as I know, the service dog should be able to be with you in your cabin and around the ship under the ADA rules. Hotels can't keep a service dog out, so I would guess the AMHS ferry boats would be the same.

Have you given any thoughts of driving over to Haines or Skagway to get on the ferry. The cross gulf ferry stays way out in the water, a long ways from shore. Not much to see out there but water and the Gulf of Alaska is known to get very rough at times. Not unsafe with the large ferry, just uncomfortable.

Not sure about the cross Gulf part, will have to do some research on that; however, I know we do not change ships. We do stop in Juneau for a few hours, then down to Bellingham, as I understand it. I didn't want to worry about driving, so we decided to start off from Whittier.

Since we've never been on a long distance ferry with vehicles, we consider this another life experience, an adventure. Maybe its just a boaring boat ride, I don't know, but we're looking forward to it. After three years in Anchorage, we're ready to move on.

[synergy_58]

Violet, my SD, goes with me every where, and she'll be with me in my cabin and on the decks where I'm at...it's Federal Law, under ADA guidelines, protected by the Justice Dept. The ferry operations are aware of my needs.

Violet and I travel on planes, together in the cabin, quite frequently. In fact we just got back from Florida two weeks ago. She loves to fly. We have driven the ALCAN twice, and have seen enough. The drive through Canada is long and wears me and Violet out.

We thought a nice ferry ride would be relaxing. You know, leave the driving issues to them. I hope to just sit and stare the days away, read books, drink wine and snack; take pictures, etc...

I will be transporting guns and ammo, and I've already discussed this with the ship's admin folks.

I'm more concerned about the RV and trailer going on board. I'm guessing its no big deal but I was thinking there might be some do's and don't's for my RV that I need to be aware of. Like turning the propane tank off, like Sue T. shared, which is good to know, cuz I didn't. Guess I'll pack and ice chest full of ice and put the perishables in it.

I'm wondering if I'll have to disconnect the trailer or can it be left in tow? Can I have extra diesel fuel containers in my trailer, about 5 gallons? I like to travel with a spare 5 gal can.

Thanks!

[joe_b_]

I take it that you are taking the cross gulf ferry to Juneau and changing ships there, for the run down to Bellingham. We have done the Skagway to Bellingham, run in the past and enjoyed the trip greatly. But have never done the cross gulf leg before. Believe the cross gulf runs very seldom, perhaps once or twice a month.

As far as I know, the service dog should be able to be with you in your cabin and around the ship under the ADA rules. Hotels can't keep a service dog out, so I would guess the AMHS ferry boats would be the same.

Have you given any thoughts of driving over to Haines or Skagway to get on the ferry. The cross gulf ferry stays way out in the water, a long ways from shore. Not much to see out there but water and the Gulf of Alaska is known to get very rough at times. Not unsafe with the large ferry, just uncomfortable.

[alaska_dennis]

looks like you have most of it covered with the sleeping berth. Bring dog clean up supplies. The water could be a little rough that time of the year.

You will be missing a good fall color tour on the drive south by taking the ferry.

[Oregon_Ms]

I'd check on that. I would think that government certified service dogs would be allowed anywhere their companion human would be allowed.

[sue_t]

Dogs must remain on the car deck, either in your vehicle or in a carrier until the ship docks. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/pets.shtml

You can't stay with your dog and your dog can't stay with you. But visits are scheduled for humans to go to the car deck to feed and help their dog with its business. Usually no more than half an hour every few hours. Most dogs do their business on the car deck. You can also take your dog out at ports.

On Edit: the link above indicates, "...there is no charge on any route for a certified service animal traveling with a person with a disability. Service animals do require prior approval from the Traffic Manager so that shipboard staff can be properly notified."

Wonder if your dog might enjoy a flight from Anchorage to Seattle more? Then it is just a few hours of time and your dog will be done with travel. Perhaps an Alaska friend can put your dog on a flight to coordinate with your arrival in Bellingham?

Propane must also be turned off so plan your fridge accordingly.