Small Ship Alaska Cruise Reviews (2024)

Carol S. - Portland, OR

"Enjoy the Majesty of Alaska!"

The whole trip including itinerary, organized outings, FOOD, and wildlife contact and sightings were top notch.

Barbara D. - Roswell, GA

"We Felt Protected with the Safety Protocol & Arrangements"

After 18 months of social distancing because of COVID, it was an absolute pleasure to be on a small boat cruise in Alaska's Inner Passage with 36 fellow travelers. We were all vaccinated and tested and welcomed the opportunity to get to know each other on-board without masks and distancing.

Robin D. - Altoona, IA

"This Trip is Beyond Words!"

This trip is beyond words!...My 21 year old and my 18 year old had the time of their lives and didn't even care that they didn't have phone or wifi access the whole week...We have all thought about a large cruise ship - but no longer!

Mary R. - Boulder, CO

"Everything About This Trip Was Extraordinary"

Everything about this trip was extraordinary - the crew, the food, the ship, the kayaking and hiking. It's hard to identify a favorite as all six days aboard were fantastic.

Kira L. - Kensington, MD

"Gorgeous Mountain Views, Lots of Wildlife & Glaciers"

Most enjoyed Glacier Bay National Park with gorgeous mountain views, lots of wildlife, and glaciers. Liked the variety of activities available from strenuous hikes for the super fit to easy ambles for the less ambitious.

Leilani W. - Dover, DE

"Most Wonderful Vacation"

This was the most wonderful vacation my husband and I ever had. Everything was well organized and FUN. We enjoyed our cruise on the Alaskan Dream--the smaller boat was just perfect.

Estelle R. - Casper, WY

"Trip of a Lifetime"

The trip was exceptional! It was the best trip we have ever taken. On a scale of 1 to 10, this trip was an 11! Be prepared for lots of smiles, this was a trip of a lifetime.

Accommodations Review

The bed was really comfortable and I loved looking out of the large picture window at night to see the light....LOL and also on occasion when I would wake up early in the morning I would see the night sky and the moon. The shower and toilet combo worked well but was a bit of a tight squeeze but makes sense for this type of transportation. I really liked the nightly sheet left on our bed about the following day's activities. I could read up about what we were going to see and do. I also liked the intercom in the room to alert us to various wildlife or geological sightings.

Meals Review

The food was OUTSTANDING. Great choices, so carefully prepared. The baker also did an outstanding job of keeping everyone in fresh, hot, delicious goodies. The afternoon cookies at the bar were very popular. Pounds were gained but who cared!!! As I am lactose intolerant, I was amazed at how the chef and her staff created incredible alternatives for me to eat as did the baker.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I am use to organizing our trips so it was nice to have someone else advising on what we needed to take and things (such as waterproof pants and jackets) etc. would be provided. Aaron cheerfully answered all of my questions.

Crew & Guides Review

Larissa and Simon were the two naturalists who guided us through the daily activities and provided evening slide shows on topics of interest. Both were wonderful and knowledgeable. Not only was Larissaknowledgeable about nature but she was an accomplished photographer and artist. At the end of the journey she created a DVD of photographs with music for all of us to take as a great memory of our journey together. Simon was remarkable. He is so eager to learn. He was substituting for the other naturalist who was assigned to us for the trip. It was his first stint at this and honestly his enthusiasm was so huge and his passion for his work so strong. He was funny, a great communicator, and a real joy to share time with. Both were always there to answer any questions and guide us to books in the ship's library for additional information.

I loved my time spent with Alice who shared her Tlingit history with us. She and I had a quiet talk at the end of the day that she spent with us in Glacier Bay. She drummed and sang a welcoming song as we sat in the corner. My goal was to call the Orcas to us and sure enough...the last day we were on water a WHOLE POD came by and accompanied the boat. My dream for the trip. We had a great staff server for food, Mystique. She was light-hearted and fun and personalized her service regarding meals..she remembered the special things we liked when eating the delicious foods. Capt. Erik was, of course, on a mission to find me my Orca experience and sure enough, he delivered.

Traveler Advice

Take time to just enjoy the majesty of Alaska!

• Inside Passage Sojourn

Accommodations Review

The size of the Alaskan Dream ship allowed easy access to all areas, plentiful places to relax and enjoy the other passengers.We appreciated the extras like the binoculars and wet suits provided. The staterooms were tight but well equipped. Bedding excellent. Loved the on-board talks and captain's making changes to take advantage of weather or wildlife sightings.

Meals Review

Food on the boat was surprisingly good and plentiful.I ate way too much and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Crew & Guides Review

Could not have asked for better - for our Captain, crew, trip leader, and guides on board and at various small town stops. Their obvious knowledge of the area and culture was evident.Such a delightful combination.

Transportation Review

All arrangements were provided and documented in advance and worked as intended.Making a change mid-trip because of an avalanche in Denali was handled professionally and with compassion.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

From the very beginning of our planning, all communications have be thorough, thoughtful and helped identify the right combination of trips to Alaska, including a small boat trip and a planned backcountry trip. We appreciated the pre-trip communications and arrived with the recommendedclothing and gear for anticipated weather.When an avalanche made the Denali Backcountry trip impossible, we were notified immediately with suggested alternatives.At their recommendation, we were booked into a quality resort outside Denali Park and sorted through various add-on adventures, including white water rafting and a helicopter ride.

We were provided with sufficient information about what to expect as to weather and time of year. Our daily schedule outlined the high points and included information about meals and lodging.Transfer between points was included. The list of what to bring was very helpful.Including information about how tohandle anticipated wildlife helped allay fears.

Traveler Advice

Heed the advice of the trip planners to ensure the best experience. Look for trips that include local narrative and guides and have a track record of melding small groups into long friendships through shared experiences.

• Alaskan Dream
• Denali Backcountry Explorer

Accommodations Review

The beds were surprisingly comfortable!!Loved having the window cracked and having the fresh air at night.Very clean cabins and we were really only in our rooms at night to sleep :)

Crew & Guides Review

Again - beyond excellent!!Sarah (with an "h") was the BEST!!She was so friendly and fun!My kids and I really enjoyed her. She did a great job planning the activities and offered a good variety of options. She was also so enthusiastic about everything and she was really easy to approach and talk to. She was a blast when she was our guide.She and Julie were quite the combo!!!

Julie - she was my daughters favorite!!She was a great guide and so much fun!! She always made sure Syd was at the front of the boat to get the best pictures!!She knows her stuff and when asked questions - she had an answer for everything!

Ted - I went kayaking with him the first day.He was awesome!!Very helpful and knowledgeable too.He was fun and very easy to approach and ask questions.He did a presentation on loons - and taught us how to call birds.We are still trying to master that!My daughter is the best one out of all of us.

Gray - he was my son's favorite.I had him for the fish hatchery.When I saw the bear - he came right to the front and "read" the bear and allowed us to take pictures and have that experience.Very respectful to the wildlife - I wanted to just stay there and watch the bear and baby - but he had us continue on after a few minutes to leave the bear be.

Andy and Adelia - they drove the skiffs for us a few times.Very nice and fun!We saw orcas with Andy and she got us safely (very fast) lol - to the orcas in time to see carnage with the sea lions.That was a great experience (sad) but awesome.

Dakota - he was our waiter.HE WAS THE BEST!!After one day - he knew our drinks for every meal.He had drinks in place in the morning and then different drinks for lunch and dinner.We and our tablemates adored him. He was a highlight of our day.He asked us about our adventures at night - that was appreciated.

Matt the bartender ...... what a guy!!Any drink we wanted he would make..My son is 21 - not a drinker but wanted to try some things.Matt was up for it.Now that I am home and I am not sure I can have a margarita - Matt made the best margaritas!!!He made drinks of the day - and was more than happy to tell how he made it.At the end of the trip he wanted to make me a new margarita.He made a jalepeno, orange cinnamon one.It took a while to make it and it was well worth the wait.I am sure I am missing someone - but EVERYONE was great!!!

Transportation Review

It was a smooth transition on and off the boat and with our luggage.No complaints!

Itinerary Review

I think every place we went had it's own unique experience.My son LOVED the bush whacking tours!!!!He loved seeing things that even people on the ship (me) didn't see.They found blueberries every time and stopped and ate them.He raved about how good they were.He also was able to eat salmon berries which he loved also. He would have done that every day for both excursions!My daughter loved the skiff rides because she wants to be a photographer and what a great place to get good pictures!!She was in heaven and 14,000 picture or more later - she found her happy place.

I liked everything I did - going to the fish hatchery I think was my favorite though because that is where we saw a mamma grizzly and her baby!!They were right there and didn't seem to mind us a bit!I think my mom enjoyed the skiff rides and the one day it was open kayak - my son took her out on one for about an hour and she loved that.She has never done that before so she enjoyed that.My kids also loved the polar plunge.What a way to end the trip - and they can say they jumped in glacial waters!!!Everything was so beautiful and wonderful!

There was nothing we didn't enjoy - and I am saying that honestly!I think the only thing is one morning we anchored in a really rocky (back and forth) spot and my mom got sea sick and missed out on the days activities.After the morning excursions - they did move the boat to a calmer area - and Matt the bartender made my mom a drink that settled her stomach so she was able to join us for dinner and the evening activities.

Meals Review

Beyond excellent!!I packed snacks for the kids for in between meals - mistake!!I brought them all back home.There was way more than enough food!The food was excellent!The choices were great with a great variety.My son is soooo picky and he tried new foods and found out that he actually liked them.Breakfast was always exciting because we got to hear what we were having for lunch and dinner!No one can say they went hungry or didn't have anything they wanted.If we didn't like any of the options - they offered other items also - but we all tried something that was offered.I found out my self that I like scallops and my son decided he liked crab with the all you can eat crab night!Amazing!! The desserts were to die for also!!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Very good!!The packing list was spot on - our fault we didn't listen to all if it - most of it - but a few things we didn't think we would need - but we did need.That was our own fault!!

Traveler Advice

Listen to the packing instructions :)A strap for your phone and a camera and a sense of adventure!!!

• Wilderness Legacy
• UnCruise Adventures

Accommodations Review

Comfy beds and warm comforter. We didn't spend that much time in there anyway so the small size of the space didn't matter to us.

Meals Review

Megan was a fantastic chef. We loved the fresh seafood that she served in all manner of ways for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The dungeness crab dinner was truly a FEAST!!!

Crew & Guides Review

Monika was so knowledgeable, it really made the trip. We love this sort of trip with the activity of hiking and kayaking and learning so much about the terrain, plants, animals. Monika and Beth were a great team, keeping us engaged and safe at all times.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Aaron did a great job keeping us on task with submitting paperwork and providing a lot of advance information to help us prepare.

Traveler Advice

Follow the instructions on what to pack. Buy a pair of Neos. Enjoy the lack of internet access and always have your binoculars at the ready. Thanks for such a wonderful experience. I'll never forget this. Oh, and jump in the water if you can (47.2 degrees is really cold but it's also a once in a lifetime chance).

• Sea Wolf Glacier Bay Adventure
• Sea Wolf

Accommodations Review

I had sailed on Wilderness Discoverer before, so it was like coming home again.

Meals Review

The breakfast bacon on UnCruise ships is the best in the world, and I always eat more on my trips than I do all year at home. A big plate of perfectly ripe fruit available at the pre-breakfast made it easier to resist the two baked offerings that were there too. The variety and imaginative combinations of ingredients--who knew you could do so much with kale! Impressive how the single gluten intolerant guest had her requirements met at every meal.

Crew & Guides Review

Kelly was enthusiastic beyond words, and very knowledgeable. Our guide at Glacier Bay National Park who spent two days with us was a pleasure to have along, and I think she enjoyed us as much as we did her (sorry don't have her name) because we were a very receptive audience for all the information she had to share.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Adventure Specialist Andrew has arranged all my trips over the years, and he is as good as it gets. He even advised on which side of the ship was a better choice of cabin on this trip, and he was spot on.

• Wilderness Discoverer
• UnCruise Adventures

Accommodations Review

The Alaskan Dream was, quite simply, a dream boat. Everyone on the staff, from Captain Eric to the crew onboard, went out of their way to make sure everyone was comfortable and happy. The beds were very comfortable.

My husband had been wanting to go on an Alaskan cruise for quite some time. I was the one dragging my feet because I didn't want to be stuck on a giant cruise ship. My husband's cousin and wife had made arrangements through AdventureSmith and just raved about it. I was particularly taken by the small boat--I figured a 104 foot catamaran holding 40 passengers was much more my speed (I hate crowds). It was the size of the boat that made me decide to go with this trip. My husband and I thought it would be more like a floating B & B, and we were right!

Meals Review

Oh, my word! We ate like KINGS! The seafood was absolutely to die for! The menus onboard the Alaskan Dream were varied, and everything Chef Garrett made was incredible. I was impressed that each meal offered a seafood, meat, and vegetarian option; and if someone had special requirements (lactose or gluten intolerance, for example), the chef made special meals for them. Everything--the soups, the appetizers, the main courses, and the desserts--were delicious and plentiful.

Traveler Advice

Pack for ALL kinds of weather--hot weather as well as "Alaska" weather. We had nine days of sunny, hot weather (totally unexpected, I know) and were really not prepared for it. I'd been looking forward to nice, cool Alaska weather!

Crew & Guides Review

Everyone was wonderful. Alex and Kari were both enthusiastic and knowledgeable, very personable and friendly, and just plain nice to be around. Alex was great at identifying birds, land animals, and sea animals. Kari was great at explaining about the Tlingit culture and the local areas we visited. The most wonderful thing she did was "sing up" a pod of orcas. We came upon the pod, and they promptly dived underwater. Kari got a drum and sang a Tlingit killer whale song, and the orcas immediately popped back up! They stayed for as long as she sang; and when the song ended, they dived back down again. It is the most spiritual experience I've ever had, and many of the guests who witnessed this agreed with me. I'll never forget this as long as I live.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Everything was SO enjoyable, so well organized, and so much fun. I've been telling all my friends just what a wonderful job AdventureSmith did and strongly recommending you. I especially appreciated the fact that you folks took care of EVERYTHING from the plane flights to ground transport. It's the first trip I've been on where I didn't have to do every-darned-thing myself. It was great.

We got lots of good information on what to expect while we were in Alaska, what to pack, etc. What we didn't expect was the totally unprecedented heatwave. We had only one day that was below 75 degrees--thank God the humidity was very low! We'd packed our long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, jean, knee socks, waterproof shoes/boots, windbreakers, and rain gear...and didn't need them! Thank goodness, we'd packed a few summer things in anticipation for our stay in Washington after our Alaska trip--those are what we wore most often! It was amazing.

Accommodations Review

We knew the cabins would be small and that was perfectly adequate for us. We were totally comfortable in the cabin. However,new carpet is needed on the stairs, as it was frayed in several areas. Pillows (I felt as did other passengers) need to be replaced. Bed linens in our cabin did not match.

Meals Review

Overall meals were really good and plenty of it. The chef made every effort to have a variety of meals, especially for all the kids onboard as well as those who needed gluten free, etc. The improvement, in my opinion, would be using wild caught seafood 100%. The use of the farm raised seafood was tasteless & mushy. Also would suggest perhaps a greater variety/imagination on the breakfast menu (hot foods-i.e. the eggs, bacon/sausage/potatoes was a bit boring daily).

Crew & Guides Review

Annie was our principal trip leader. She was outstanding. She made sure everyone's needs were met. Annie had all kinds of programs planned for the kids which they totally enjoyed. We enjoyed the nature guides, Mark and Annie, as they were very informative. We usually were with them as they were leading the less intensive group. The other leaders did an excellent job as well, we just did not have as much interaction with them. And oh! the Captain. Captain Mike Bennett was personal, engaging, and such a pleasure to get to know.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Having a background in the travel industry, I would say that AdventureSmith did an outstanding job. I would highly recommend your company to others and plan to book with you again. Andrew was very professional to deal with. Andrew was definitely very tuned in to my family's needs and objectives.

• Andrew Browning