Camping on the Deck of a Cruise Ship

Alternative Travel of the Inside Passage

Story by Larry Padgett

What cruise line provides campers with deck space for their tents? Some may think it a stretch to refer to the ships of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system as cruise liners, but in a very practical sense, they have evolved into just that. For the more adventurous ocean traveler, many of the AMH ferries offer open-air camping space at the rear of the cabin deck. This area is sought out by the more spirited passengers who want to gain the maximum experience from their travel through the Inside Passage, which offers some of the most picturesque scenery in North America. On deck, campers find shelter in a large, glass-covered, semicircular solarium that is open on the end facing towards the rear of the ship. These passengers cast their sleeping bags on one of the many plastic lounge chairs located in the solarium and call this unique deck space "home" for the duration of their cruise.

From their berth, passengers have an unobstructed view of the passing mountains, fishing vessels, cargo barges, towns and abandoned settlements, whales, and possibly a bear foraging along the shore. During the night hours (approximately 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.) in the summer, passengers can observe brilliant stars in the crystal-clear night sky while snuggled in their sleeping bags within their little community of like-minded campers. Alternatively, campers can pitch their tent on the open deck space immediately beyond the solarium. On a recent passage from Sitka, AK to Bellingham, WA, there was only a single two-person tent on the deck. However, it is not uncommon to have twenty such tents filling up this area. Talk about finding flat ground on which to pitch a tent!

In addition to providing its camper-passengers with radiant heat in the solarium and adequately comfortable plastic lounge chairs, the ship offers showers, airport-style lockers, and toilet facilities. These facilities are conveniently located inside the ship immediately behind the solarium. Many of the AMH campers bring their own groceries for snacks or meals. Others choose to enjoy the more traditional cruise ship amenities offered by the cash-based cafeteria.

Typical of any AMH passage is a wide variety of personal backgrounds among the campers. On this voyage, the solarium campers included a very adventurous mother traveling with her two adolescent boys, an ecologist, the president of a small import-export business, and a commercial fisherman. Ann Young, a doctor from Hampshire, England, summed up the attitude of many of the travelers: "I'll be back. I like Alaskans." The woman traveling with her two pre-teen boys found the solarium camping area a safe environment where the boys could burn off energy using their creative imaginations and an area in which they could entertain themselves with the passing scenery and water-born activity. A couple from New Zealand chose to sail on the AMH ferry because of its relatively small number of passengers (198) and because it offered a unique Alaskan travel experience. "The solarium community makes it so easy to meet and chat with people," stated Fran Schmechel.

Obviously, camping on deck saves the cost of renting a stateroom. Yet, another advantage of traveling on Alaska Marine Highway ferries is the bargain fares. The passage from Sitka to Bellingham costs $245. State rooms run between $260 and $330 depending on location and the number of berths. Transporting a kayak costs $57, and a bicycle is only $18!

The Inside Passage

The Inside Passage is the waterway along the western coastline of British Columbia and Alaska. It begins just south of the U.S. border at the southern tip of Vancouver Island and proceeds north as far as Skagway, AK. A little over 1,000 miles in length, the route is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by a string of large and small islands paralleling to the west of the western shores of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. These islands serve as a buffer from the weather coming inshore off the Pacific. Depending on the size and capabilities of the vessel, the route may vary one way or the other around an island or through various passages.

The route along the Inside Passage is rich in history. In the late 1700s, the waterway provided access to explorers and hunters alike. Its abundant sea life (whales, otters, sea lions, seals, salmon, and halibut) and land animals (bears, reindeer, and fox) attracted the British, Spanish, French, and Russian trade interests as well as their interest in territorial acquisition. Mapping of the Inside Passage by Captain James Cook and Captain George Vancouver in 1778 - 1779 and 1792 - 1793, respectively, led to an inflow of traders and settlers and the establishment of many settlements. Today, some remnants of the later settlements can be seen on the shore line from the solarium campground. Most of these settlements rose when profitable trades flourished, and they then fell on hard times as demand for resources diminished or the resources were depleted.

The Alaska Marine Highway Ferries

A common sentiment expressed by all of the deck campers is their desire and appreciation for being out of doors and being more intimately connected with the wilderness coastline of Alaska and British Columbia that passes by on their journey through the Inside Passage. The ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway ply the same routes as the mega cruisers which often carry thousands of passengers. The ferries provide many of the same amenities, albeit scaled down some, and without many of the frills. Yet, what the AMH ferries lack in plush accommodations is greatly offset by the ship's unique ambiance, the character of its passengers, and the genuine caring attitude of its colorful crew. For some passengers, it is the only way they will travel the ocean route from Sitka or Kodiak, Alaska south through the Inside Passage to Bellingham, Washington or to ports in between.

You won't find any swimming pools on the AMH ferries. Nor will you be entertained by nightly off Broadway shows. However, you may be treated to an impromptu choral presentation by a traveling choir group. On this cruise, the Celebration Singers of the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Georgia were traveling to Ketchikan from Sitka as part of a 13-day singing tour in Southeast Alaska. Their practice recitals were conducted in the ship's lounge, for the enjoyment of all the passengers.

On most passages there are scheduled lectures by US Forest Service staff providing information about the history and the ecology of the passing settlements and landscapes. There are also children's story hours involving interesting subjects, such as sea otters, seen on the cruise. Regardless of whether you pitch your tent on deck or take an inside cabin, you will share your experience with passengers who also appreciate a low-key and more social way of ocean travel.

During this mid-June voyage on the M/V Malaspina, affectionately referred to by the crew as the Mal, from Sitka, AK to Bellingham, WA (a four-day, three-night journey), approximately 90 percent of the ship's crew were current or former Alaska residents. Many of the crew referred to their fellow members as "family." It is common to find the same crew members serving together on numerous passages. On this voyage, Robert Ward, the purser, and a jovial man known for his many quips shared interesting stories that stretched back over 20 years. His favorite conversation icebreaker: What was the first car you ever owned? Pat Breese was also aboard serving as a bartender in the lounge. On other cruises she may work as a deck hand, a cook, or a gang wiper (someone who wipes down the massive engines). Pat is also on call as an emergency medical technician.

The Malaspina carries a maximum of 500 passengers and provides 46 four-berth and 27 two-berth cabins, one of which is wheelchair accessible. The Malaspina is 408 feet long with capacity for 88 vehicles (20' lengths) and a service speed of 16.5 knots. Passenger services include a cafeteria, gift shop, and cocktail lounge, the solarium, and a forward observation lounge.

Final Thoughts

One of the advantages of taking passage on an AMH ferry, rather than a typical cruise ship, is its ability to travel in some of the more interesting waters. The AMH ferries are shorter and do not require water as deep as the larger ships. Passing through Wrangle Narrows, about 30 miles south of Petersburg, is a good example. It is a torturous route with many turns and occasional places where the Mal's captain has to steer the ship with the precision of threading a needle to avoid getting into water too shallow. Captain Mark Sundt, the Mal's captain for the cruise, commented, "On a night passage through the Narrows, all of the red and green channel-marker lights make the course look like a Christmas tree." From a traveler's advantage, you have to admire the skill of the crew as well as the scenic coastline.