Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) is the only long-distance ferry service in the United States that offers sleeping cabins and multiple-day journeys. There are a variety of routes and, therefore, different itineraries to develop. Unlike a straight cruise, you can stop over for a day or two or longer, and the main routes operate year-round, though the frequency will decrease in the off-season.
Why the 24/7 over 365 days? Well, the capital city Juneau has no highway connections to the outside world nor does Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg or Sitka plus a whole bunch of small towns. It’s ferry or fly, when available.
Alaska Marine Highway’s flagship Columbia. * Photo: John Rain The Alaska Marine Highway is in a category by itself in more ways than one.
Here is an update to the current and planned service, given that the State of Alaska’s Marine Highway funding has been substantially reduced. As most Panhandle communities have no road access to their neighbors, nor to the rest of the state, some level of service continues for the off-season, but with drastic cutbacks. The summer season is shaping up to be more normal, though reduced capacity will require early bookings. All references are for the longer-distance ships with overnight accommodations and therefore popular for cruises over the 3,500 miles of routes.
The most profitable service (and most popular with visitors) is between Bellingham, Washington and Southeast Alaska. This service currently operates with the Columbia from Bellingham to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines, and Skagway. Tustumena, the only ocean-class vessel operates between Southeast Alaska and across the Gulf of Alaska South Central ports. The Matanuska and Kennicott are in layup.
Tustumena operates from Homer, Kodiak Island to the remote Aleutian Island chain. the Columbia will operate in the summer. The Malaspina needs millions of dollars for repairs and may not operate again. She dates from 1963.
The smaller vessels without overnight accommodations operate locally between the islands in Southeast Alaska with Juneau, the state capital the most important port.
When planning an itinerary using the Alaska Marine Highway with more than one ship, it is best to start early if traveling in the high season. Then keep up to date when it comes to laid-up vessels returning to service on schedule. Changes due occur because shortage of labor (shipyard workers and onboard crew) and insufficient overhaul funds. Many of the services are essential but plannedfrequencies may fall short.
Historical Background
When Alaska became a state in 1959, transport by land or sea to most of the Panhandle cities did not exist as the former Alaska Steamship Line had recently ceased operations. One short-sea route did operate, a small day ferry between Skagway and Haines to Juneau. Then in 1963, the state inaugurated regular ferry services with three brand-new vessels — Malaspina, Matanuska, and Taku — that offered cabins, a restaurant, cafeteria, bar lounge, heated solarium and lots of deck space.
Road and rail access from the Lower 48 connected to a weekly ferry from Seattle (now Bellingham, Washington) to the Panhandle; by road and rail from Prince Rupert, B.C. located just south of the Alaska state border; by road from Haines if coming from Anchorage or Fairbanks; and eventually from Skagway when a road opened to/from Whitehorse.
The Yukon Territory capital straddles the 1,523-mile Alaska Highway providing road connections through Canada to and from the U.S. Lower 48. Two of the three original ships are still running (not Taku) along with others, and some relatively for short interport trips. All the state ferries are named after Alaska glaciers, and the state flag — the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star on a deep blue background — provides the ship’s funnel marking.
RELATED: For a first-hand account of cruising on the AMH, have a gander at Ted’s wonderful article, “Finding My Route to Alaska.”
Petersburg is a thriving fishing and yachting port. * Wild Iris Photography
Ship, Year Delivered & Passengers
- Columbia (built 1973 & 298 cabin berths)
- Kennicott (b. 1998 & 306 berths)
- Malaspina (b. 1963 & 233 berths) – N.B. may not return to service
- Matanuska (b. 1963 & 222 berths)
- Tustumena (b. 1964 & 59 berths)
Deck passengers are not included in these figures. The outstanding longevity of this fleet is a testimony to good initial engineering and maintenance over the decades.
Passenger Decks
Columbia & Kennicott have four passenger decks and the others three. All vessels with cabin accommodations have an elevator.
Passenger Profile
Alaskans traveling to and from the Lower 48, Americans, Canadians and foreign tourists, especially in the summer months. All ages in all categories.
Taking that constitutional. * Photo: Ted Scull
Price
$ to $$ – The lower end of the fare schedule would include transportation as a deck passenger, then extras such as cabin berths, meals, vehicle, bicycle, kayak, and a pet add to the total cost.
Itineraries
The length of the ferry routes stretches from Bellingham, Washington and go north through the Inside Passage, then arc west into the Gulf of Alaska and southwest along the Aleutian Island chain to Dutch Harbor, adding up to some 3,500 miles. Basically, the individual routes are the Inside Passage (Washington State via Panhandle cities to Skagway); Southcentral Alaska; and Southwest, Kenai Peninsula and Aleutian Islands.
The most popular trip is from Washington State (a port north of Seattle) to the Panhandle and return (7 nights). Others involve stopping over. For instance, in the high season use the twice weekly service in either or both directions between Bellingham stopping at numerous Panhandle ports between Ketchikan, and on via Juneau to Skagway. The map below lays out the routes including spurs to more remote communities that have no road access.
Some cutbacks in funding for the ferry system provide less frequent services, making stopovers more difficult to arrange. Many interport passages are a short few hours in the daytime and do not require a cabin.
The route from Washington north to the Alaska Panhandle & Skagway. * Photo: Alaska Marine Highway
- The mainline route begins at Bellingham, Washington, some 90 miles (150 km) north of Seattle, with the first stop in Alaska at Ketchikan (38 hours), then Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines, and Skagway, and return generally the same way to Ketchikan and then non-stop Bellingham, WA.
- Note: The port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia offers alternative service by road (see the dotted line route in the map above).
- Day ferries service other small Panhandle towns, also all isolated from the highway system.
- A regular route operates (every two weeks) from Bellingham, WA via Juneau and Panhandle ports then crossing the Gulf of Alaska to several ports including Whittier (42 hours).
- Southcentral ferries serve towns such as Cordova, Valdez, Whittier, Homer; a Southwest ferry operates from Kodiak on Kodiak Archipelago to ports along the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Island chain to Dutch Harbor. This last route, using the well-strengthened Tustumena, may encounter some of the roughest weather in the world; some adventurers actually sail the route hoping to experience extreme weather conditions.
Included Features
Everything is a la carte except the basic fare. Senior fares are available. Cabins, food and drinks extra. Tipping is minimal or non-existent.
Why Go?
Majestic mountains, deep fjords, glaciers, seascapes, forests, wildlife (birds, animals, whales), history (Russian occupation especially at Sitka and the gold rush), Native Alaskan culture, kayaking, hiking, fishing, totems, and Juneau (Alaska’s capital with an excellent state museum).
When to Go?
Mainline routes operate year-round, and every season has its positives. Ferries are most crowded and packed in the summer months between certain city pairs. Spring and fall will be chilly especially around water, and in winter months the Panhandle will be as cold as the coast of Maine and much colder in the interior areas, such Anchorage and Fairbanks. Winter will also see very little daylight, more in the Panhandle than in the interior parts of the state.
Anan Creek, Wrangell. * Photo: Wrangell C&V Bureau
Cabins
If traveling in the main season, book as far ahead as possible (months ahead) as cabins sell out fast (some cabins have windows and some do not). Vessels with cabins are Columbia (45 4-berth, 56 2-berth, 3 wheelchair accessible), Kennicott (48 4-berth, 58 2-berth*, 3 wheelchair accessible), Malaspina 45 4-berth, 26 2-berth, 1 wheelchair accessible), Matanuska (21 3-berth, 79 2-berth, 1 wheelchair accessible), and Tustumena (6 4-berth, 17 2-berth, 1 wheelchair accessible). *Kennicott has some 2-berth cabins without wash basin or linens supplied.
Public Rooms
The Columbia has two forward observation lounges. All ships (except Tustumena) have a cafeteria for all meals, observation lounge, solarium, a movie lounge and a children’s playroom.
Dining
The Columbia has both a table-service restaurant as well as a cafeteria and Tustumena has a dining room only. The rest of the fleet operates with a cafeteria. The food preparation uses high quality ingredients, and the selection is varied.
Activities & Entertainment
The staff may present some wildlife information and on-deck talks in the manner that the National Parks guides used to in the summer time. Budget cuts eliminated the latter, along with separate bar service, and souvenir shop, and hopefully that may change.
Skagway, the most northerly stop on the Inside Passage and a place full of activities. * Photo: Skagway C&V Bureau
Special Notes
If traveling between late May and early September, be sure to book cabins and vehicle space as far in advance as you are able. The main services from Washington State and throughout the Panhandle are protected from Pacific Ocean wave action, the exception being two short stretches along the B.C. coast, the first of two hours and then just 30 minutes.
Along the Same Lines
While there is nothing else like the AMH in North or South America (except small vessels along a protected inside passage in southern Chile), the Hurtigruten along the Norwegian Coast serves much the same basic functions — port to port passengers, vehicles and cargo. However, the Norwegian ships are nearly all larger, newer and also geared heavily to cruise-type passengers, and they offer more cruise type amenities than on AMH.
Contact
Alaska Marine Highway, P.O. Box 112505, 6858 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99811-2505; 800-642-0066; www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/.
— TWS
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