36 Hour Ferry Ride To Alaska - Alaska Marine Highway Full Tour ( Bellingham, WA → Ketchikan, AK ) 

Lol that was me the chief cook at the time of the video. Passengers remember me from many many years ago. Most are shocked at how long I’ve been working for AMHS, because I look young, but I’m not as young as people think I am :)

Let me know what you think about this type of video - Hope your days going wonderful - Cheers!

I hate overprogrammed, over-designed cruises to nowhere, so this would be the exact perfect speed for me. Lots of time to read, lots of time to rest, loads of open decks, nice food, nice people, nice views...perfection.

Awesome video, my friend! Me and my late wife lived in Montana and planned our 15th anniversary to do this trip, but sadly sha passed away suddenly after our 13th. THANK YOU for giving me a glimpse of what could have been....and for all your efforts in this upload!

When you send a thank you note to the crew, please tell them we thank them for allowing you access. It was so cool to see how things run on a ship like this. And to even see the hard workers behind the success of the line!!! Amazing! PS. That machine room looks soooo complex!!!! Much respect to the people who design such things and those who run them seamlessly!!! The competence is wonderful!!!

Watching your video is so relaxing that I really feel like I just got off a mini vacation. Thank you for filming us and allowing us to tag along.

This was like the American version of Solo Travel Japan. (He takes a lot of ferry trips to various parts of Japan for his channel.) Seeing the engine room reminded me of The Poseidon Adventure.

I have done this trip on all the original three ships, the Taku, Malaspina, and the Matanuska. Each time to go down to Seattle to purchase a car and bring it back to Ketchikan or Juneau. I knew crewmembers on all three boats, as I had gone to high school in Juneau with them. For a couple years I was an accounting clerk for Marine trans, then worked in the food warehouse in Juneau for them. Had to meet the ferries and deliver groceries to them. I sure miss those days!! Thanks for your videos, this long time old Alaskan appreciates them. retired ol ron.

This ship is now permanently moored in Ketchikan. It's officially an employee housing setup for the Mill at ward cove company. I plan on working for them next summer! This video really helped me get the feel of where I'll be living for 6 months! Much appreciated! Well done!!!

when I left Alaska years ago we left on a ferry from Ketchikan and that night the northern lights shimmered across the sky intently, looking out from the sun deck as the waves of the ship was were making an slight blue green glow has left a forever impression on me.

I love this. Love the old boat, ferry, whatever. Seems like quiet nerd is the only passenger and the crew enjoys someone taking interest in what they do. Quiet nerd seems to love simple pleasures & treasures. We need more of this ❤

I have lived in Seattle my entire life. I have always wanted to ride the Alaska Ferry.

This was an absolutely fascinating video Jason ! Excellent work highlighting all the different areas of the boat, especially the bridge and engine room ! So interesting !!

This was really enjoyable. I like how laid back you come across. I doubt I’ll ever get up to Alaska, so I’m living vicariously through this video for the ferry ride!

Thanks !! It is a SHIP, not a boat !!

Nice comfortable room, no frills but you get a sink,shower and toilet for yourself. Those fish and chips look wicked good! Thanks for the tour, I always wanted to see Alaska.💕

Great video Jason! Probably the best travel video yet. Yes, I’d like to see more like these. You go and travel all over rating Ferry’s & Train’s all over the USA. I was expecting you to order the pasta not the seafood. Ha! 🖖🏽 This Ferry was super clean!

I’ve ridden this very ferry….after living in Sitka for 2 years…. Brought our car back….and stayed in same exact style room…. What’s interesting is the passengers who don’t need rooms but rather pitch tents on the outdoor decks… great experience….

Did this 23 years ago, pitched tent on deck but winds and rain drove me inside to the comfy chairs. They pulled out into a bed. Turned out just fine, highly recommend. Got out at every stop and overnighted in youth hostels. Will do again but bring the RV and spend a few days in towns along the way. Seasonal pass allows unlimited rides and highly recommend buying one. Thanks for this ride down memory lane. BTW, loved dog bowls stove!

Thank you again for the hard work and effort it takes to entertain your growing fan base, I recognize and admire the progress Hoot 🦉 Hoot !

Very nice. Thanks for the ride along. Might be the only time I ever see the sights you're seeing. Love the train rides and the cruise. You’re becoming one of my favorite yt channels.

From Seattle. I love hearing people talk with joy about what is a daily form of travel to work for us! Enjoy!

As an Alaskan, I've probably been on these ferries 50 times over my life time, for everything from school trips, to short weekend getaways. It can be chaotic during the summer, not everyone has or wants a room, so you pick your spot and thats where you sleep. But the chaos is part of what makes it so memorable. Hanging out in the gally, talking to random people at 3am, you meet tons of neat people. Lots of locals, going all over southeast. Some on short trips to funerals, or gatherings, like celebration. But in it all, we love seeing tourists on a ferry. Those are the ones that really wanted to be here, take their time, experience things. Not just rush through, look at something and take a selfie and rush to the next place. We want you to see the "real Alaska", not this weird tourist trap the cruise industry is. It's hard to define what the "real Alaska" is, we just want you to love it as much as we do, and a tourist on the ferry is a different kind of traveler. The kinda person not in a rush, and is open to what Alaska is. If you want some tips on when to travel, go during celebration, or up to Haines during the festival of eagles, or over to Sitka during herring egg season. Bring a laptop, with movies on it, and during the summer, show up early and rush to the solarium for a spot. The rooms are nice, but the solarium under the stars in the middle of the night is it's own experience.

This is such a great, well done video. Really enjoying the calmness. Also the crew showing you the bridge was amazing. Thank you for sharing.

Thoroughly enjoyed the video, so calming again. This ferry seems to know how to make passengers happy, if it is with food or with just being nice. Glad you had such a good time. What are you doing in Alaska? I hope more filming and showing us the city and their cuisine a bit. 😊 Thank you for this amazing chill video.

I have made the trip from Bellingham to Juneau and back a big handful of times- it is hands down one of my favorite trips that I’ve ever taken. Looking forward to doing it again soon and going home😊

You forgot the binoculars! I do wish you would have done some experience with the theater and some conversations with other travelers. That seems so much of the traveling experience to me. To meet other travelers.

Im really impressed to see how clean that engine room is.

Being a Bellingham native this was incredible to watch. I've never got the chance to take the boat to Alaska, but just relish the opportunity to see the larger ferries. I've always been weirdly proud that we have a huge ferry system. Thanks for visiting!

Did this on my way to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. Such a fun ferry ride. I remember being at that exact station. Thanks for the blast to the past!

The boat takes the inside passage because the Northern Pacific can be very rough. Therefore faster and safer to sail between the islands

Even numbers are starboard/odd port

Well I stumbled across this and it was very enjoyable. I imagine you have brought awarness to tthis fine service for many more people to experience. I have a motorcycle trip to Nome on my bucket list so I think I will use this ferry as well. What a clean, well run ship and friendly people!.

For everyone looking for ferry prices go to Alaska Marine Highway System. All information is listed there.

This guy fuckin RULES I'm so happy to have found this channel, yet tinged with a bit of upset for not having found it sooner.

Thanks for the tours of the bridge and the engine room. It is amazing how all the millions of bells, whistles, cranks, bulbs, levers, and doohickeys all work together to move us. We truly sit upon the shoulders of giants and geniuses when it comes to modern conveniences and innovations.

The tour of the engine room and generator was a treat. I was a boiler operator in a hospital for some years and getting a look at the ships boiler was great.

It's pretty impressive how clean everything looks, even the engine room looks amazing. Thank you for sharing your journey.

With a small car this trip is $1200. Yikes

I was fortunate to travel to parts of Alaska every 3 months for 10 years. Awesome scenery and great people. Can’t believe I got paid to go there. If you have a chance go.

Great video. Thanks for all the details. Really appreciate the all the sights.

I lived in Alaska back in the early 70's, and it's on my bucket list to go back. I think a ferry ride from Bellingham might be a good place to start. Excellent video.

This channel is awesome! Keep doing what you do :)

Faraday Test Labs of Plymouth Michigan pledges support if you need any test equipment.

How fun! I love train travel and this looks like something I should definitely try next. Thanks for the video!

I didn't even know this ferry existed! Thanks for the video! I will definitely try it myself someday.

Took this ferry MV Columbia from Juneau to Bellingham in September 2011. Amazing journey through some of the most beautiful coastal areas of Alaska, BC. Loved it. Loved your journey. Hope to do it again sometime in the future.

Its a SHIP not a boat! First thing you do is find your life vest! Then the life boat areas for abandon ship! Then you can act like a landlubber!

Thanks! This was fun. I’ve lived in Alaska since the early ‘70s, but I’ve never taken the ferry, and have always wondered how that trip would be. Now I feel like I’ve experienced it! Awesome.👍🏻

This is like a discount Alaska Cruise! I loved Ketchikan and if I wanted to return again I would think hard about doing this!!

What a cool and wonderfull trip on that ferry❤

That fish and chips looked soooooo good. Thanks for the fun vid. I enjoyed our travels together

I took the ferry from Prince Rupert to Juneau. Great, sunshiney weather. So relaxing. Nice, casual conversations with other travelers. A special experience. Thanks for sharing. Brings back great memories

New sub Hello from Siesta Key Florida

Great behind the scenes tour of the ship. I remember that view pulling into Ketchikan on a cruise ship last year.

First video I have seen of yours. Got some talent! Very detailed. I see a producer on the horizon.

I took that journey from the other direction, juneau to Bellingham. You’re not kidding about the difference in rocking from the open ocean to the inside passage. It was intense when we took it

13:20 I see you're running Windows 11 on your laptop. Same here.

I took the inside passage last year from Vancouver all the way up to Skagway. Stayed in Skagway for a couple days then made my way back down. I stopped in Juneau and then Ketchikan on the way back. It was the best trip I’ve ever taken. It’s amazing how close you get to the mountains as you go through some of those fjords. We ended up heading down Endicott Arm just south of Juneau and took it all the way until it dead ended into Dawes Glacier. That fjord got so narrow that there were mountains only about 100 yards from each side of the boat at the end. I didn’t get nearly enough time while there and I’m already planning a return trip for the near future. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

Jason, thank you for this! Never seen your channel before, but I'll watch now! I'm from Michigan, rode on ferries, but nothing like this! How much does something like this cost? I would love to personally book passage on one of the ore freighters that travel the Great Lakes. I hear there's a way. Maybe you could, and show us all around. I'll keep watching, hopefully you can 🤗

I really enjoyed your video. Yes very informative and cool things to see. I am happy or you to have seen the bridge and engine room. I liked the eerie effect you put on like you being alone on the ship. When and how much was your ticket great adventure to take. I would like too see what other things you do, PS l subscribed be safe.

Mr NERD.. That is not a boat, that is a ship. I was always told, if it’s over 100 feet it’s a ship..

Brooooo i always love your content since day one but these videos are out of this world, its i just travelled to Alaska with you. Every step of the video is unique, simple and wonderful to watch, the best parts is when the crew allowed you on the bridge and in the engine rooms. It's amazing to see their hard work, dedication and brilliance behind he scenes. I would definitely love to see more of this type of content. I know its a lot of work but I appreciate all of it. Enjoying from all the way in Kenya.

I love that they are a true transportation system as well as product transport. They do not require you to pay for more than you need and you can bypass a room or upgrade...its up to you. It is meant to get people and things back and forth rather than be a cruise of sorts. People can meander and stay where they wish with in reason and set up tents to save some cash and still have needs met. Its so basic a concept but I am not quite sure how to properly convey what I mean lol

Thank you again for the video. You brought back a lot of very, very good memories. I don't miss the rain, but there are some very good people that live in Ktkn. Look at the map and see how far it is from Ketchikan up to the North Slope. Alaska is a tremendous state!!

I like how well planned out your adventures are. Proper planning is not a easy trait to learn.

Would LOVE to see more ferry and or train trips. 😊

Great to see the ferrys keeping on the move regularly again. Love from Wrangell island.

If you ever decide to do this again, go a little further. Up to Skagway on the boat and then transfer to a Bus that takes you over to the Yukon, where I happen to live. Can give you a pretty good tour of Whitehorse.

This was a neat little video … thanks for sharing. What is the approximate cost for taking a ferry?

Dude you are living my dream 😭 I’ve been wanting to travel to (and around) Alaska by sea for so longggg. If you ever need a travel partner in the future just let me know 😂😂

What a wonderful adventure you are having!

I’m renaming your channel- the coolest nerd 👍👍👍

Great video! It was so cool to be able to get a tour of the ferry. The food looked amazing. Why are you going to Alaska? 😊

Smallest cabin I have ever seen, but I love it!!! Great Video!!!

Great job young man! I usually find these kind of videos a bit irritating... your voice and your presentation is so relaxed pleasing I have subscribed and look forward to seeing all of your projects! You are a very real personality🤗

I enjoy the many videos you share about your camping and traveling experiences. I can hardly wait for each new video. Thank you for doing such a great job, keep those videos coming!

In 1969 my Navy officer Pops, chose 1 of 3 destination to be stationed. He chose Kodiak, Ak. He drove us kids( 4 of 7) up the still completely unpaved Alaska Highway, to Homer, where we stayed 2 nights while waiting for our ship. The ship we boarded was called the Tustamena, one of the Alaska Marine Highway's beautiful ships. Kodiak was one of the " Trusty Tusty's main ports of call. Bear in mind, we were moving from Corpus Christi, Tx- so the complete opposite in every way except they are both on or near oceans😂 The ferry ride took 2 or 3 days- that was a LONG time ago and i was 9 so memory does not serve😂 One highlight of the trip was my Pops got us invited to dinner at the Captain's table, they had bonded over ship knowledge, my Pops was an enlisted man on the Aircraft carrier Ticonderoga, needless to say, they had plenty to yak about.lol. Arriving in Kodiak was amazing- i instantly fell head over heels- and still am to this day. I actually moved to NW Idaho because it reminded me of Kodiak- i still call Kodiak my hometown lol

I’ve cruised a few time and Alaska was one of my destinations I’ve been to. It was wonderful. Your video just popped up on my feed today. This was fun to watch. I love how the crew showed you around, that was awesome. When you passed land and other boats, it brought back sooooo many amazing memories. Great video, thank you for sharing your experience. 😊❤

i am planning a AMHS trip from Bellingham to Juneau.

Very nice! Grew up there. Clouds and rain is Ketchikan weather. The last syllable is pronounced "can." Like can of soup. Peace and love.

How was the cell service? wondering how much coverage you get on the journey

Balled my eyes out watching your video. I’m from Juneau, lived there 48 years. We’re down in Missouri spending time with our granddaughter. You never know till your not there, how much you really miss Alaska. Will be back in the summer, hopefully for July 4. Juneau has wonderful festivities. Hope you have a wonderful trip., whether your just visiting or going to work. There are many tourist jobs for the spring until October. We love riding on the ferry. That’s how we came down. Enjoy!

Thanks for the Excellent video, especially the tours of engine room and bridge. I took this trip last week, but missed those tours.

This video showed up on my feed. I'm glad I stopped to take a look. It was very enjoyable and relaxing. I love watching the RU-vidrs from Japan who film their ferry rides but it's really nice to see a ferry ride in the US. And the salmon looked delish!!

A ferry that size can hold a semi and trailer.

enjoyed the video. Reminds me of the old days of the ferry to and from the Shetland Islands in Scotland where I grew up. The ferries they have now are a little more modern, but there’s a certain magic to the older ones, and this looks to be the same :)

You're eating your fish & chips with a FORK? Philistine! Fish & chips are finger foods!

Your videos are pure therapy. Makes me feel good.

Love it! Made me subscribe, hoping to see more like this! How much did the trip on the ferry cost?

Thanks for sharing this video! I love learning about unique ways to travel that I might not have ever thought of, if it weren’t for this video :) I’m putting this ferry ride on my bucket list now ❤

i enjoyed that . ron from hull england.

Fantastic video, very well narrarated.

Are the fish and chips still good?

Totally honest intro to the ferry. Can’t wait to experience it. Thanks to you and the crew.

25:16 Pancakes or French toast, sir? Answer: Yes (I would've picked both, too! Lol)

This looks like the same boat I took with my dad around 20 years ago. Sure brings back a lot of good memories, I do remember one of the boats had an arcade with one free game. We played that the whole time. Would be great to take my son and retrace our footsteps. Miss ya pops.

Fairbanksian here! I rode on the Columbia back in…November 77, 78? My father ate the seafood place three times before we left, I just got fries, got a burger soon as we left, he got the runs and I was fine. How much for your stateroom!

I don't know why this came up on my feed, but I am so thankful for you for sharing this with us! I had NO IDEA this was even possible, and your kindness and sense of fun and adventure is exactly the right attitude and one I share! I have never wanted to cruise, but I do love ferries and this is just the ticket!! I'm subscribing and can't wait to see what else you're doing! 🥰💗🙏🏻

That's a big ferry??? I've been on plenty in Europe and haven't seen a long-route one that small for forty years. The Color Magic which runs Germany-Norway is four times the size of that thing, has ten times as many cabins, carries five times the passengers, double the vehicles and isn't fifty years old. Where are the pool, night club, childrens play areas, bars etc etc?