Ferry Costs

[AKSuperDually]

I was participating in the other thread about taking the ferry from Whittier to Bellingham, and didn't want to derail the thread....

Since I'd love to skip canada and all the hassles of not bringing firearms, worrying about breakdowns, etc. I thought I'd look into pricing.

We'll be leaving our firearms and driving through canada....lol.

Here's the breakdown (for my family):
Adult 12 years or older $547.00
Adult 12 years or older $547.00
Child under age 6 $0.00
Child $273.00
One pet $25.00
4 Berth Full Facilities - Inside $717.00
Subtotal $2,109.00
That's passage only, one way. There actually isn't any deck space available for the date I'd need, but if there was it would be billed at $105 dollars per foot. Which would equal $5,145.00 for our camper and trailer combination.

That's $7,303.00 each way, or $14,606.00 round trip.

Here's the pricing schedule for the cardeck:

TOUR BUS $0.00 + $105.00/foot
VEHICLES UP TO 10' $735.00
VEHICLES UP TO 15' $1,247.00
VEHICLES UP TO 19' $1,481.00
VEHICLES UP TO 21' $1,882.00
LONG VEHICLE $0.00 + $105.00/foot
REC/VEHICLE UP TO 15' $1,247.00
REC/VEHICLE UP TO 19' $1,481.00
REC/VEHICLE UP TO 21' $1,882.00
LONG REC VEHICLE $0.00 + $105.00/foot
VANS UP TO 19' $2,625.00
VANS UP TO 21' $2,625.00
VANS UP TO 24' $2,625.00
LONG VAN $0.00 + $105.00/foot
ANIMAL CLEANING DEPOSIT $500.00
BICYCLE $89.00
$100 CASH DAMAGE DEPOSIT FOR ANIMAL $103.00
$50 CASH DAMAGE DEPOSIT FOR ANIMAL $52.00
KAYAKS AND INFLATABLES $132.00
UNACC VEH PENALTY $100.00
PET $25.00
ONE PET $25.00
TWO PETS $50.00
THREE PETS $75.00
FOUR PETS $100.00
FIVE PETS $125.00

The big turnoff for me is the animal policy. They must be in a crate, and can only be let out of it 3 times a day (A purser announces a pet run, and you must accompany the purser down with all other dog owners at once). For a 5 day trip, I can't see that being a viable option for most dogs. It wouldn't be for our belgian malinois, he'd probably lose his mind by the end of day 2.


Anyway, I just wanted to put some information out there for people who're considering this route. It's pretty awesome in the right situation, but likely doesn't fit very many people on this forum.

[jcsb]

We took the ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert in 2011. I got very frustrated with the web site in trying to plan our stops along the way. Called them and they were very helpful and also told us about the special deals they had going. I could not find any on the web site. As said earlier, half of the cost was the RV. Did not have an animal, or kids. Stopped everywhere possible between the two and stayed two nights at each stop. A trip of the lifetime for us in Ohio.

[PA12DRVR]

Joe b. said: "So a person has to decided over and over again on a trip to/from Alaska, is the purpose to see how cheap you can do the trip or how much pleasure you can get from the trip. We all have to compromise at times. I have mentioned there have been times I have been so broke on the trips I had to stop and find work to pay for fuel and food for the remainder of the journey"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is probably no more spot-on advice than that above. I've had a couple trips that became sleeping-in-the-car trips when my available funds went to car repair vs. motels. I've had more than one trip (by myself) when it was 72 hours or less back and forth and those trips were surprisingly cheap...but that was done to get there, not to have an enjoyable trip.

As a newly graduated law grad many years ago, DW and I took 10 days to drive from Spokane to Los Anchorage...it was a challenge to spend 10 nights of motel costs, eating at greasy spoons, etc, but it was and is one of the more enjoyable trips I've taken and while 10 days isn't unduly fast, it was a good mix of what can I afford vs. dawdling and enjoying all of the sites.

In eventual retirement, I'm looking forward to (maybe) taking a month to go from Ewe-stun to Seattle and another month from Seattle- Los Anchorage....then maybe take the ferry back down the following year. 🙂

[joe_b_]

There are many ways a person can travel and keep control over many of their costs. Is the ferry too costly for some people's budget? Probably is, as it would be for me to do every trip. I figure a round trip to Alaska with my RV, we have done 13 round trips so far by RV, costs in the neighborhood of $10,000. I burn between 1,000 and 1,200 gallons of diesel on most of the trips we have done recently. With todays cost of diesel, it is easy to see where $4,000 to $6,000 of my $10K goes.

The best way is to look at the official web site of the AMHS and plug in your information and see what you costs would be. Don't get too excited about some of the figures mentioned, as in ten years on the forum, I have never heard anyone mentioned having done a round trip out of Whittier with a 49 ft rig to Bellingham. Put the trailer on the rail barge out of Whittier and then pick it up in Everett Washington at the port. Then do the same on the return trip. Then put your 24 ft RV on the ferry and cut your cost substantially.

Just figure your own costs from where you want to get on and off, then decide it if is worth it to you. Many factors get involved, from costs, to dogs, to some people just don't like boats, or the confinement of boats. But the ferry system is the only good way to see SE Alaska, other than taking your own boat on that route. Most of the people that don't like the ferry system, for whatever reason are, for the most part, people that have never been on the Alaska Ferry system. It is not for everyone, but those that enjoy it normally describe the trip as a big part of the pleasure they got from their trip to the north country.

To some people, the Alaska Hwy is just a way to get to where they want to be, it is the destination to them, not the trip itself. I have known some residents that just consider the highway to be a long, boring dirty drive, to get finished with as soon as they can. I had a BIL living just north of Denali Park, that felt this way. They would leave home on Friday evening after work and drive straight through to Bellingham Washington arriving Sunday evening, in roughly 50 hours, and did this every trip, so far as I know. At least a dozen trips . There was the 4 of them, and 3 were licensed drivers, so they only stopped for fuel and restroom stops. He told me I was just wasting my money to take a week or two, to make that drive in our RV. But we were driving the highway for different reasons, for him it was to get to Bellingham as cheaply as possible and as quickly, for me, the trip was a big part of the summers vacation. Not a right or wrong situation, just different reasons.

So a person has to decided over and over again on a trip to/from Alaska, is the purpose to see how cheap you can do the trip or how much pleasure you can get from the trip. We all have to compromise at times. I have mentioned there have been times I have been so broke on the trips I had to stop and find work to pay for fuel and food for the remainder of the journey.

[CA_Traveler]

gmctoyman wrote:
All daytime ferries, no reservations, no delays for lack of space, no problems. One of THE trips of this lifetime. A lot of fun watching the cruise ship passengers on their canned tours trying to get back to the ship, so they could get to the next jewelry store and next canned trip.

I don't get it. They plan a trip no doubt seeing all of the great scenery pictures. Then spend the day in port and at jewelry stores and the ship travels at night.

Well I guess one saving factor is that there is really no night. So they could stay up all night while the ship travels but I expect that they are mostly asleep.

[CA_Traveler]

jamesu wrote:
I know it is a whole different experience, but after reading the exorbitant costs associated with using the Alaska Ferries it appears that the $2400 my wife and I spent on our NCL cruise out of Seattle to S.E. Alaska and back several years ago was a pretty darn good deal. Plus the food and the amenities were awesome.

I'm not convienced the cost is exorbitant. Consider that the one way price from Whitter to Bellingham for 2 people, 1 child and a dog was $2109 vs your trip.

The extra $5145 was for a 49' rig.

[gmctoyman]

2011

24'

Prince Rupert - Ketchikan - POW - Ketchikan - Wrangle - Petersburg - Juneau - Sitka - Juneau - Haines - Skagway. 6 weeks.

~$2500

All daytime ferries, no reservations, no delays for lack of space, no problems. One of THE trips of this lifetime. A lot of fun watching the cruise ship passengers on their canned tours trying to get back to the ship, so they could get to the next jewelry store and next canned trip.

[jamesu]

I know it is a whole different experience, but after reading the exorbitant costs associated with using the Alaska Ferries it appears that the $2400 my wife and I spent on our NCL cruise out of Seattle to S.E. Alaska and back several years ago was a pretty darn good deal. Plus the food and the amenities were awesome.

[AKSuperDually]

paulj wrote:

AKSuperDually wrote:
I was participating in the other thread about taking the ferry from Whittier to Bellingham, and didn't want to derail the thread.......
The big turnoff for me is the animal policy. They must be in a crate, and can only be let out of it 3 times a day ...

In other words, which would you rather take, your guns or your pets.

I took a small terrier on a 20 hr BC ferry run (Port Hardy to Prince Rupert). While the dog had done fine on shorter (2hr) ferry rides, on this one he choose to go into a quasi-hibernation after the first 4 hrs (the second deck visit). He was ok, though, on the 6hr rides to and from Haida Gwaii. I con't imagine taking a dog on a 5 day run, unless he was happy spending all day by himself in the RV. Alaska also seems to have more regulations regarding dogs than BC.

It's worth keeping in mind that the Whittier run is much longer than the usual BC or SE Alaska runs. A Prince Rupert to Skagway ride can be broken up into segments less than a day long. I suspect the real alternative to the Whittier boat is flying, and shipping the vehicle by barge.

I have a belgian malinois. I'd never do it to my dog.

I'd consider it if I had a place to leave him, and wasn't towing a trailer.

If I attend training or competitions, I'll fly. Mostly, after this trip we're hoping to not have to leave Alaska again for at least 5 years. The cost of this trip is derailing our summer, and I don't even like Oregon. Still, closing up our businesses in Oregon so we can be completely free of that state, is a priority. Especially since they audited me this year. I had to pay a lawyer to prove them wrong, which they did....and now I wait 90 days while they hold my money hostage. I can't be free of that state soon enough. I love camping in my camper, and I don't mind the drive...but I'm ready to be done with this trip...and I haven't even left yet.

[paulj]

AKSuperDually wrote:
I was participating in the other thread about taking the ferry from Whittier to Bellingham, and didn't want to derail the thread.......
The big turnoff for me is the animal policy. They must be in a crate, and can only be let out of it 3 times a day ...

In other words, which would you rather take, your guns or your pets.

I took a small terrier on a 20 hr BC ferry run (Port Hardy to Prince Rupert). While the dog had done fine on shorter (2hr) ferry rides, on this one he choose to go into a quasi-hibernation after the first 4 hrs (the second deck visit). He was ok, though, on the 6hr rides to and from Haida Gwaii. I con't imagine taking a dog on a 5 day run, unless he was happy spending all day by himself in the RV. Alaska also seems to have more regulations regarding dogs than BC.

It's worth keeping in mind that the Whittier run is much longer than the usual BC or SE Alaska runs. A Prince Rupert to Skagway ride can be broken up into segments less than a day long. I suspect the real alternative to the Whittier boat is flying, and shipping the vehicle by barge.

[AKSuperDually]

joe b. wrote:
In 2009, my wife and I put our truck camper on in Prince Rupert to Skagway,and had a two berth cabin. The cost of the trip was $1,064usd plus food which we would eat no matter how we traveled. Not sure that is much more than the cost of driving. Can't imagine where you came up with the cost of $13,000 more than driving.

Are those 9 trips one ways, or round trips, just curious?

You seem to be basing your post on your experience in 2009. The current costs, are outlined in the first paragraph of my first post. Those are cut and past costs from the booking process online. They aren't made up, and they aren't open to interpretation. They are what the ferry system was getting ready to charge me to book the ticket.

The 9 trips are one ways, I counted each trip as one. Often there were months between return trips, and obviously since we weren't born in Alaska, there is an odd number of total trips.

For anyone considering a ferry trip to Alaska, the site is very clear. Go to their site and get your quote. Don't go off a milepost advertisement. The milepost is fine for your first trip to hit tourist attractions, after that...it's a waste of paper.

[Grit_dog]

EEWally wrote:
For our 22 feet of truck camper, it's $1206 from Prince Rupert to Haines with getting off at Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau. One night with cabin on the Ketchikan-Sitka leg. I think leaving from Bellingham would have doubled the cost.

There's an additional $337 for the Inter-Island Ferry from Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island and back.

We decided to do this before we go to a 5th wheel!

Wow I got screwed last year. Was about $3500 iirc for the TC with a trailer. 41' overall length.

[joe_b_]

As I said, most people do some variation of the Skagway to Bellingham route. In 2009, my wife and I put our truck camper on in Prince Rupert to Skagway,and had a two berth cabin. The cost of the trip was $1,064usd plus food which we would eat no matter how we traveled. Not sure that is much more than the cost of driving. Can't imagine where you came up with the cost of $13,000 more than driving. But I only get about 14 mpg with my truck camper combo and not pulling anything. LOL

Are those 9 trips one ways, or round trips, just curious? If you are headed outside to haul stuff back, it may be cheaper for you to leave your cargo trailer in Kenai and buy a new one in Oregon, to haul back north and then sell one of them, if you want to ride the ferry.

[AKSuperDually]

joe b. wrote:
I am not convinced that with today's fuel prices, that the ferry is that much more than driving.

In this case (for me), it's about $13,000 more than driving. I get 17mpg with my camper towing a medium weight trailer. I generally budget for 15mpg with a little buffer space. That's about $1,800 in fuel costs from the kenai to Oregon and back. I don't expect to spend more than $2K. I've done this 9 times already.

No matter how you compare the costs, its considerably more expensive and just as long (time wise) to take the ferry on this route.

Now...2 young kids and a small (less than 10') vehicle? That would only cost twice as much as driving, maybe not...because hotels in canada cost a fortune during the summer.

[joe_b_]

The ferry rides are great for most people but very few take the Cross Gulf run to/from Juneau to Whittier. It isn't a very scenic ride, from what I have been told since the ship runs far off shore much of the time. Just not popular with tourist and probably why it runs so seldom in the summer months and not at all during the winter. You have to have a special reason to take that route. Some people don't want to do the long drive over the Alaska Highway and refuse to fly. So the Alaska ferry to Juneau and south works for them. Then they can take their RV to where ever in the Lower 48.

Mostly people wanting to avoid Canada for what ever reason. If you have a prior criminal conviction such as a DUI and want to take your RV to Alaska, this run will work. You can carry your firearms with you on it and other reasons.
There isn't enough interest in the cross gulf run, in the winter, both lack of tourists and the weather in the Gulf of Alaska. The ride would be much like a roller coaster, in one of the frequent storms, wind and waves. LOL

Most people do the Bellingham to Skagway route or some portion of it. I am not convinced that with today's fuel prices, that the ferry is that much more than driving. Plus, short of taking your own boat on the route, it is about the only way to see South East Alaska amd coastal western Canada.. The ferry is not something we do every trip, as my wife and I both enjoy the drive through Canada on the way to Alaska. We especially enjoy the Prince Rupert to Skagway route. Just long enough, lots of great scenery, the ferry is close in, most of the time, several communities to visit along the way, etc.