Calgary To Skagway/Ferry to Bellingham Aug 08

[QueenOfTheRoad]

So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law as well as canceling your trip.

We traveled (as you can see in my signature) with a large dog and two cats. By making the stops along the Marine Hwy (we'd disembark with the bus and toad, head to an RV park for a few days, then get back on), we never had a ferry ride of more than 12 hours (that was the longest by far). We also got to see scenery and places we never would have (the towns are inaccessible by car from the interior) and, in our opinion it was the highlight of the entire Alaska trip.

For the longer ferry rides (I believe 10 hours and up, but the number is in the article I posted), a ferry employee will bring all pet owners down to the hold to walk, feed, etc. their animals.

Do consider it whenever you reschedule.

[0533]

So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law as well as canceling your trip.

We traveled (as you can see in my signature) with a large dog and two cats. By making the stops along the Marine Hwy (we'd disembark with the bus and toad, head to an RV park for a few days, then get back on), we never had a ferry ride of more than 12 hours (that was the longest by far). We also got to see scenery and places we never would have (the towns are inaccessible by car from the interior) and, in our opinion it was the highlight of the entire Alaska trip.

For the longer ferry rides (I believe 10 hours and up, but the number is in the article I posted), a ferry employee will bring all pet owners down to the hold to walk, feed, etc. their animals.

Do consider it whenever you reschedule.

Thats interesting, I did not know that you could get on and off the boat at will. This would make a huge difference in our future plans, and I bet for others as well with pets or who want to see the hard to get to regions of Alaska.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Not quite "at will" - you have to include all your ons and offs when you initially make the reservation. (In fact, I would guess that for the 5 day trip you canceled, it was not 5 straight days of sailing, ie the boat stopped several places, so passengers - with and without vehicles - could get on and off.)

Do check out the Alaska thread in this travel forum - a lot of people have posted great info. My first article there (posted last week) goes through the general info of getting there, including the Marine Hwy and the stops we made, why we chose to leave from Canada and not WA, etc.

[0533]

Not quite "at will" - you have to include all your ons and offs when you initially make the reservation. (In fact, I would guess that for the 5 day trip you canceled, it was not 5 straight days of sailing, ie the boat stopped several places, so passengers - with and without vehicles - could get on and off.)

Do check out the Alaska thread in this travel forum - a lot of people have posted great info. My first article there (posted last week) goes through the general info of getting there, including the Marine Hwy and the stops we made, why we chose to leave from Canada and not WA, etc.

I was wondering how a bus and toad could just get off at will and not cause a mess each time. basically you pay an extra fee for your planned itinerary??

[QueenOfTheRoad]

As I posted in the Bus Conversions article (that's now in the Alaska Trans Canada thread):

"To get on and off at the various stops, staying several days at each does not cost significantly more than just staying on board the entire time and we would highly recommend it, as each town is quite unique."

Hope that's helpful.