We went exploring with Lily and discovered all the different decks and amenities. There are several levels with everything from an arcade, gift shop, bar, theater, showers, restaurants, viewing areas, and the vehicle deck which is closed during sailing. The vehicle deck is opened a few times a day for people to visit their cars to get personal belongings or to attend to their pets. The ferry is popular with pet owners and we were amazed at how many animals were onboard. No pets are allowed on the upper decks. We knew when the deck call was coming because the pet owners were the first ones waiting at the stairs or elevator.

The accommodations on the ferry are enough to comfortably get you there, but as one of the crew members told us, “After two day’s people are ready to get off.” They were right, but for the time we were on the ferry we enjoyed ourselves. There are various size cabins that can be rented depending on how many bunks is needed or if you want your own bathroom & shower. For the more adventurous type you can bring a tent and pitch it on the solarium deck. For travelers without tents there are deck chairs under the solarium which is remarkably warm even when it is raining. As an alternative there was a “movie lounge” where people could sleep in reclining chairs after the last movie showing. The cabin we stayed in was the size of a walk in closet with a small window, two bunk beds and its own bathroom/shower combo. It was tight quarters with our gear and 4 people but we were comfortable. We used the cabin more for storing our belongings, resting, and for cleaning up. We were outdoors most of the time enjoying the trip.

We were able to kick back and enjoy the scenery while experiencing exceptionally clear weather. A passenger tip is to take off your watch and forget about time. There is no cell service or internet connection to interrupt the experience. Bring along a book or something to enjoy while sitting. Hats or scarves can easily be blown off on the upper decks since it gets windy at times even though the sun is out. Keeping a camera handy is a good idea as whales are occasional visitors during the trip. Tariq and Tim saw whales even before they were announced over the PA system, but they unfortunately didn’t have the camera with them.

There are two options for hot meals, but bringing a cooler on board is a good idea. We had a wonderful dinner on Saturday night as the guests of Officer “Tiny” who is the ships operations engineer. Tiny is a fellow Harley rider and we had a great time talking about our various rides and experiences. Tiny invited us up to his home in Juneau for our next Alaskan road trip experience, and we definitely will take him up on the offer. Tiny is a fun guy that everyone knows before they leave the vessel, and between his duties of keeping the ferry running he’s a great ambassador. All the crew members on board looked like they enjoyed their jobs and were extremely helpful to the passengers.  We would definitely travel by ferry again and would highly recommend the experience.