Like the cruise ships the Alaska state ferry travels the inside passage from
Bellingham ,Washington to Skagway Alaska stopping at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Peterstburg, Juneau, Haines, Sitka. One advantage is you can set your own schedule. The cruise ships typically spend 8 hours in a port of call and the ferry you can spend days as you wish and then go on. Sailing on a foggy day