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Alaska Marine Highway System

MV Kennicott

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Reviewed by: Sean C. McDermott
# previous cruises: 5
Date of Trip: July 25, 1998
Itinerary: Alaska

This year the Alaska Marine Highway System brought on its newest ship, the M/V Kennicott. The new $80-million vessel visited Southeast Alaska ports a week before debuting in regular passenger and vehicle service between Bellingham, Wash., and Skagway, Alaska, with once-a-month service to Valdez and Seward. She is the first ferry built for the Alaska Marine Highway in 21 years and the first ocean certified passenger ship built in the United States in well over 30 years.

The public areas on the M/V Kennicott are superb. The forward lounge is well designed for viewing Southeast Alaska's scenery, with a raised platform in the center of the lounge so you don't have to watch Southeast Alaska through someone else's head! She also has two viewing lounges behind her car elevator. The ship also features a walk-around promenade, a large art collection, and a glass-enclosed solarium.

The dining room on the Kennicott is served by a walk-through, self-serve food court. The actual dining room is fairly large, seating up to 170 people at one time (although small for a ship that carries up to 748 passengers on inland trips).

Kennicott cabins come in three basic types, four-bed, two-bed, and "roomette." Only four-bed cabins feature full facilities--the others have shared facilities down the hall. Four-bed cabins actually have two lower beds (one converts to a sofa) and two upper beds that fold against the wall. Two-bed cabins have a sink, but no toilet or shower. These have one lower bed and one upper bed. Roomettes, on the sun deck, have a table and chairs that convert to a bed and an upper bed that folds from the wall. There is no sink, and linens must be rented from the purser's counter or you can use a sleeping bag. There is plenty of room for one or two people though. The last sleeping option on this and other Alaska state ferries is to roll out a sleeping bag on deck.

There is no Las-vegas style entertainment on the ship. Musicians do play onboard sometimes, and there are lectures from U.S. Forest Service naturalists on Alaska.

In 1998 the Kennicott will operate part of the summer between Bellingham, Washington, and Skagway, Alaska, calling at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka (northbound only), Juneau, Haines, and Skagway, and visiting these same ports on the southbound run.

Many passengers are from Alaska, although during the summer, there are many people from the "Lower 48" (the rest of the United States), Canada, and other parts of the world who use the Alaska Marine Highway System. There are passengers of all ages on board.