Some no-drive ways to see Alaska's beauty

Some families bound for Alaska may do just fine on the days-long drive it takes to get there.

Others may be driven to mayhem. It's almost a 2,500-mile drive from Seattle to Anchorage — and Anchorage is just a starting point for exploring Alaska.

So if you do want to roam the Far North but fear your family would implode on the long road trip, consider some alternatives:

• Hop on a plane, from jet plane to bush plane, and you can be almost anywhere in Alaska in a few hours.

• Go the slow, scenic way by ship, either aboard a cruise liner from Seattle or the Alaska state ferry from Bellingham.

Here's a rundown.

Cruising along

Seattle is becoming busier than ever as a hub for Alaskan cruises, with more than 140 ship visits scheduled for the May-September season, up from about 100 last year.

For families, a cruise can be a no-stress way to go, with room, meals, entertainment and more all under one giant floating roof.

Three big cruise companies — Holland America, Princess and Norwegian — will base ships here this year. Most ships carry from 1,000 to 2,500 passengers, but the massive, new Diamond Princess can hold almost 3,100 passengers.

On cruise ships, you probably never will hear "are we there yet?" from kids. All the ships have children's programs, swimming pools and other entertainment, from movies to musical shows and even rock-climbing walls. You may have to coax them off the floating pleasure palaces to explore Southeast Alaskan ports such as Ketchikan or Juneau.

Cruises aren't easy on a family budget. Prices vary widely depending on the stateroom, but start at under $1,000 per person for an inside cabin on a weeklong cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back. (There are substantial discounts for a third or fourth person in a stateroom.)

To find the best cruise prices, educate yourself by checking cruise lines' Web sites; watch the cruise ads; and comparison-shop with a travel agent who may be able to get discounts. Special offers can include Washington residents' discounts; early-booking discounts; early or end-of-season discounts, and more.

More information: The Web site of the Cruise Lines International Association, www.cruising.org, has an overview on cruises plus links to Web sites of major cruise lines.

The Port of Seattle Web site has a schedule of Alaska cruises departing from Seattle at www.portseattle.org/seaport/cruise

Travel agents often can give advice on specific ships, best cabins, etc.

To find out about small-ship cruises to and within Alaska, mostly aimed at outdoors-oriented or affluent travelers, see www.smallshipcruises.com

Taking the ferry

The ferry service has a cumbersome name — the Alaska Marine Highway System. But it tells the truth.

In Southeast Alaska, the focus of the state-run ferry service, there are hardly any roads because of the mountainous terrain and tangle of inlets and straits. Juneau, the Alaskan capital, and other small towns can be reached only by sea (or air), making the waterways the highways.

Board the state's long-distance ferry in Bellingham; about 40 hours later you'll be in Ketchikan, the southernmost port where the ferry calls.

Aboard the ferry, you'll enjoy the same Inside Passage scenery — mountains, islands and fiords — as a cruise passenger for a fraction of the cost. Just don't expect cruise-ship frills.

Eat in the ferry's cafeteria or bring your own food. Book a cabin if you can. They're spartan — small, bare, with bunk beds — but perfectly adequate for sleeping. If you can't get or afford a cabin, sleep in a reclining chair in one of the ferry's lounges or take your sleeping bag to the glass-covered solarium on the upper deck. Or for something completely different, pitch a small tent on the ferry's stern; in summer, there's often a thicket of backpackers' tents.

For families, camping out on the ferry is a movable feast of scenery with creature comforts unusual for campers: The ferry has public showers and lots of indoor space for kids' rainy-day play.

"About 80 percent of passengers in summer are tourists," said Alaska Marine Highway System marketing manager Sharon Gaiptman. "And there are lots of families."

Children play cards in the cafeteria, cluster around video games in a small arcade, watch movies or just have fun roaming the ship.

More information: Alaska Marine Highway: 800-642-0066 or www.ferryalaska.com

Rates vary, but the Bellingham to Ketchikan fare in July is $201 for an adult; for a child under 12 it's $103; those under 2 are free. Cabins are additional; they start at about $192 for a cabin with two berths on the two-night Bellingham to Ketchikan sailing. Ferries depart from Bellingham twice a week in summer, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Route options: You can book a seven-day round trip on the ferry from Bellingham to Skagway and back, getting off to explore small Southeast Alaska towns along the way. Or get off in Haines (or Skagway) and rent a car; you can drive to Anchorage, or Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.

Another option: Travel one way on the ferry, then fly back. Or, if you think your family could handle a one-way road trip, take your vehicle on the ferry and drive back or get a one-way rental car from Alaska back to the Lower 48.

If you want to see more of Alaska by ferry, link up to cross-Gulf ferry from Juneau to Valdez and Seward in central Alaska. It's a 48-hour trip that departs several times a month.

If you want to speed up your journey, a new 250-passenger/35-car fast ferry, the MV Fairweather, is starting service this spring within Southeast Alaska. It will cut some travel times in half.

Other ferry options: Make the two-day drive to Prince Rupert in northern B.C. and pick up the Alaska ferry there. Or to ferry-hop some more, B.C. Ferries makes a daylong sailing to Prince Rupert from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. Information: 250-386-3431 or www.bcferries.bc.ca

Kristin Jackson is an editor and writer on the Travel staff. Her Family Matters column runs the third Sunday of each month. Comments are welcome: kjackson@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2271