Ferry from Otaru to Niigata

I plan to take a ferry from Otaru to Niigata in October. I'll be traveling with my wife and son. Does the ferry have any room for three people (with beds) so that we can all stay together without having to have a stranger in the same room? What are the ferry fares for adults and children? I've visited the ferry company's website, but the contents are in Japanese only. Any useful English websites to suggest? Thanks.

Also, can I purchase ferry tickets online?

I just took that ferry a year or so ago. If you go first or better you get some privacy. The basic 1st class is a double bunk room. Deluxe is like a motel room and the Suite is pretty nice.

You can book online but only from the Japanese web page. You might have to find a Japanese travel agent or friend to do that for you.

It wasn't very full when I took it and I had no problem getting tickets at the ferry ticket office at the docks in Otaru.

The basic 2nd class fare is Y6500 per person and it goes up to Y12,500 per person. The Shin Nihonkai Ferry site is at:

http://www.snf.co.jp/index2.html

but in Japanese only. You might try babelfish or google translate to explore it a bit.

Thanks, Anaguma for the very useful information. A few more questions here. How many passengers does a second class bedroom accomodate? If there are four beds in the room, can we request the ferry company to only let the three of us stay in that room? Do you know if there's any extra charge for that?