It means long driving days that wear down vehicles and drivers. Or catch these craft in Seattle. Or take a ferry from Vancouver or Port Angeles to Victoria and drive north on Vancouver Island to Port Hardy for a two-day trip to Prince Rupert on B.C. Ferries. You enjoy lots of options. However, the largest Alaskan ferry, is the Columbia.
Canadian ferries run smaller too.
Prices on both systems are roughly comparable. You have a choice of cabin options and hearty if hardly spectacular food. If you just want to look at the scenery and sample day or, half-day excursions, cruise ships look good. More than a dozen cruise ships voyage up the Inside Passage to Alaska. Big ships with stabilizers also reduce the risk of seasickness.