Page 284 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

282  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Alaska Marine Highway Ferries
Eleven different ferries of various
Often called the “Blue Canoe,” the state-run Alaska Marine sizes regularly ply the Southeast,
Highway provides year-round access from Bellingham in Southcentral, and Southwest
Washington state and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Alaska routes. Traditionally and
Canada. It also connects the mostly roadless areas of the legally, the vessels in the fleet
are named after Alaskan glaciers.
Southeast, Southwest, and Prince William Sound. The route The largest of the ferries, the
is so beautiful that it has been officially designated a flag ship MV Columbia holds
National Scenic Byway, a term usually reserved for highways. 625 passengers and is usually
The Marine Highway is also an easy, if expensive, way to used on runs between
trans port a vehicle to Alaska, and with advance plan ning, Bellingham, WA, and Haines, as
is the MV Malaspina. Both ships
it is possible to stop off in any of the ports of call along the boast a dining room, gift shop,
way. Schedules, how ever, can often go awry, so it is wise cocktail lounge, solarium, and
to allow a bit of buffer time. observation lounge.
The MV Aurora and the
catamaran MV Chenega run
Routes William Sound via Yakutat, shorter routes in the Southeast
The Alaska Marine Highway Cordova, and Valdez. The and also serve Prince William
has three main routes: Southcentral route con nects Sound. MVs Kennicott, Taku,
Southeast, Southcentral, and Whittier to Cordova, Valdez, and Matanuska, LeConte, Lituya
Southwest. The Southeast route Chenega Bay, and also to Kodiak, and the catamaran MV Fair-
is the longest one, following Port Lions, Homer, and Seldovia. weather do a variety of runs
the spectacular Inside Passage On the Southwestern route, the in the Southeast. The fleet’s
up the west coast of North MV Tustumena (see p215) sails oldest, sturdiest ship, the MV
America from Bellingham in between April and September Tustumena, popularly known
Washington state to Prince from Homer to Seldovia, Kodiak, as the “Trusty Tusty,” does the
Rupert in Canada, and then and Port Lions, and down the turbulent Aleutian Island run.
northward through Southeast Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians
Alaska’s islands and chan nels to to Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove,
Haines and Skagway. Ports of call Cold Bay, and Dutch Harbor. Facilities
along the way usually include Access to Prince of Wales Island In general, the long-haul ferries
Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, from Ketchikan is provided by are better equipped than the
and Juneau, with some sailings Inter-Island Ferries, while British ones doing day runs. Except
calling in at Sitka. The MV Columbia Ferries sails from for the fast catamarans MV
Kennicott does the cross-Gulf Port Hardy, near the northern Fairweather and MV Chenega,
run, from Juneau in the tip of Vancouver Island, to which have only snack bars, the
Southeast to Whittier in Prince Prince Rupert. larger vessels have cafeterias that
serve snacks, hot meals, and
bever ages. The MV Columbia and
MV Tustumena also have full-
service dining rooms, where
both American and Continen tal
breakfasts are available, and
lunch and dinner menus usu ally
offer a daily special or choice of
main dishes, featur ing seafood,
salad, and veg etable dishes.
Sandwiches and snacks are
always available. Mixed drinks are
sold only on the MV Columbia
and MV Tustumena, but beer and
wine are available in the snack
bars on the fast ferries.
MVs Columbia, Malaspina,
Matanuska, Tustumena, and Taku
offer cabins with private bath-
room facilities, while the MV
Kennicott has a few two-berth
unserviced rooms without
facilities. The five short-haul
ferries do not have cabins. All
Marine Highway ferry sailing away from Valdez in Prince William Sound ferries have public showers.

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