Alaskan Dream Cruises

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Ketchikan

Alaska

Terrible

Excellent

Alaskan Dream

Admiralty Dream

Baranof Dream

Chichagof Dream

My sister and I cruised the Inside Passage Sojourn from Sitka to Ketchikan Aug 27-Sep 4 2023. We each booked a room to ourselves using a single supplement waiver. All cabins have a window and view. I have had little interest in a large traditional cruise, and this trip exceeded my expectations. 

I appreciated the small capacity, the intimate itinerary reaching into small places for culture, history, nature, and wildlife with a more relaxed schedule. The ages of the passengers were 12-80s. Yes, three lovely teens were onboard! They had a great time, and the crew made sure those of us older and/or with reduced mobility could still enjoy everything. They assisted us into kayaks and the skiff for animal viewing & beachcombing. There was a polar plunge at Glacier Bay that about 10 partipated in. The food was plentiful and very good. I was shocked by the variety offered for less than 40 passengers. Seafood at every meal (salmon plate at breakfast daily) plus several alternates, warm cookies and appetizers every afternoon. One night we had a great evening meal off ship at a gorgeous private island lodge with a bonfire.

They knew private coves, got us closer to glaciers, bears and whales than the giant ships could (we saw them in the distance - a Princess and a Holland America were on a similar itinerary to us), took us on several native islands to meet locals and be educated on totems, petroglyphs and lodges. Time in the port cities was a little off from the big ships, so we missed some of the crowds. 

The crew members were delightful, a few of them sang and played guitar and entertained us in the evening. Kevin the Expedition leader was knowledgeable and passionate, providing talks several evenings and during excursions. 

The boat is older, and although very clean, did show its age in places. The beds were extremely comfortable, the bedding so soft, and I most enjoyed the two outdoor decks for fresh air and enjoying the view (we had perfect weather most every day). I was in a small cabin, but there was plenty of storage and the handheld shower made the tiny RV type bathroom work just fine. Plenty of hot water with good pressure. I was hardly in my cabin anyway since the weather and scenery was glorious!

The bar was popular, and the lounge had games, a multitude of books on numerous topics, so we really did not miss the cell service or wifi. The monitor in the lounge had realtime chart location, and the Bridge was open to visiting which is fascinating.

If you are looking for a way to unplug and see a different side of Alaska, this is it! I left a more detailed daily trip report over on TripAdvisor

Amazing memories

The Baranof Dream is anything but a dream. This ship is 38 years old and its maximum speed is 10 mph. The engines are loud and shake the ship. There are no amenities. There is no cell or internet wifi except in the large ports. There is nothing to do for endless boring days while big cruise ships pass us by going in the same direction. They do not provide any board games or any other activities for passengers to pass the time.  Depending on the number of passengers, the ship grosses from $175,000 to $200,000 every eight days. The owners therefore net between $100,000 to $150,000 every eight days, and even with this profit, they charge passengers $10.50 for drinks and $7.50 for a glass of wine. Extremely greedy. The owners could install Starlink and provide free drinks and wine if they cared about their customers. On my trip, room service only included changing the sheets but did not include emptying the trash, vacuuming the floor or brushing the toilet.

There was not much wildlife to see. A few seals, a few sea otters, one whale tail. The Glacier was not worth the two days to get there. We drifted a couple of hours along side a big cruise ship about two miles away from the glacier. Pictures of passengers being taken closer on boats are fake. They don't do it. 

In Juneau, we shared the port with four big cruise ships flooding the town with at least 20,000 tourists. Our ship's big event in Juneau is to bus the passengers five miles to their whale watching boat and taking us over to their lodge across the bay. Days before, the crew was bragging about the lodge and that we would be served crab and prime rib. So the lodge is huge and looks like it is seldom used. The crab was cheap thin spider crab legs frozen so long that the crab meat was starting to dehydrate and stick the shell. The prime rib was like shoe leather and I couldn't chew it. They hired the cheapest bus to return us to the ship and it broke down half way back. The owners are cheap, cheap, cheap!

About the third day a couple reported they had covid symptoms and started staying in their room. A day later they felt OK so they were out on deck socializing but they stayed in their cabin to eat. In Juneau, a doctor tested them and they were positive for covid. The captain let them back onto the ship to finish the trip. The next day, the captain restricted access to the upper lounge deck to keep them isolated. In Ketchikan the ship did not provide covid testing for us before we all headed for the airport. I am sure that the passengers boarding for the next cruise were not informed that we had covid on board before them.

The only good thing to report is that the food was excellent and conversations with fellow passengers during dining was wonderful.

A tourist rip off

I chose Baranof Dream cruises after some serious Google searching. As I’d never been to Alaska, or on a cruise/ship, I knew I wanted something small, casual, and laid back vs a shopping mall on a boat. I went on this trip solo, but never was alone as the staff and guests made me feel right at home from Day One. 

Pros:

The excellent crew - everyone was amazing. Aside from the normal duties, I’m going to point out a few of the “going the extra mile” they did to make sure all of us had an incredible experience. You will be very fortunate if you’re able to get this crew!! 

Kevin and Chris were the expedition leaders. Kevin has an extensive knowledge of Alaska, and gave informational presentations and you can see his passion and excitement for nature. Having kayak guide experience, he was my kayak buddy - so I felt safe and learned more Alaska tidbits along the way. 

Chris has a great sense of humor, incredibly helpful, kind, and kept us all on track - which needed for some us (me) wanderers :) 

Chris, along with TJ, have natural talent as excellent photographers - and took some great shots at Nugget Falls as is they were my personal photographer :) 

TJ is super inclusive and makes you feel like you’ve been friends forever already from the first time you meet him, and gives great recommendations for food and stores to check out on land. 

Madison serenaded us, is so positive and has the loveliest wake up call announcements! 

Jared and MJ were my first impression on the boat, taking me to my cabin. They listened to any issues or requests and resolved them right away. First impressions are important! 

Marcus is by far the strongest person on that boat!! He thoughtfully helped all of us in and out of kayaks and on smaller boats all day, every day, making sure we were safe every step of the way. 

It was really cool that we could enter the bridge to ask questions or warm up for a few minutes, and Captains Neil and Connery were always welcoming. Whenever the boat stopped we knew something good was happening - and they allowed time to take in incredible scenery or to see the Orcas and whales. 

I don’t normally eat until mid-morning, so I did not attend breakfast every day, but Chef Byron noticed this and made sure I got a banana. Every fish and steak were cooked to perfection, every time. 

Lily thrives on making complicated drinks - and has her specialty “Bama” Bloody Mary mix that has the perfect amount of spice. 

Cons:

They keep Baranof Dream very clean and tidy, but it is a pretty old ship, so it is naturally a little rough and little dingy in certain places. The speaker system cannot be heard outside (they are working on this), causing the crew to carry around a karaoke machine. The decor is a bit outdated, sinks are cracked and rusty, and ceiling tiles have some stains. My bathroom had a smell upon arrival (again, maybe normal?) and needed to be sprayed daily. 

The engine is pretty loud, I didn’t sleep much throughout trip, but this is my first experience so maybe this is normal. 

Dinner time flow sometimes took longer for service, but really just a couple of kinks to work out for future service. 

Overall:

A really good experience, loved that the flow was more relaxed, the crew listened and adjusted so we could have more personalized experiences along the way. I enjoyed having a lot of peaceful moments, and enjoyed the company of the other kind guests! At the end I wished I had just a few more days (even with a “shoilet”!) on the water. 

The views were breathtaking! Waking up every day to a new view was incredible. 

Favorites:

Raptor Rescue, Glacier Bay, Kasaan, Karta Bay/Prince of Wales, God’s Pocket/Misty Fjord

Amazing scenery, excellent crew

We booked a small ship cruise to the Alaska inner passage thinking this would be a more intimate experience.  We expected to pay more than the big cruise ship but we thought it would be worth it.  After careful consideration we booked with Alaskan Dream Cruises.  We have done about 5 small ship cruises so we had some expectations.  Their website and discussion with the reservation desk made it sound just like want we wanted.  This was the most expensive cruise we have ever taken by a 2X per night margin.

Boy we're we wrong.  They failed to deliver on virtually all counts.  They say they pick you up at the airport at the start and drop you back at the end.  There was no ground transporation or pre cruise communication.  We had to track them down to find out the details for embarkation.  Items that we were supposed to receive prior to boarding were non-existent (passenger list, detailed itinerary, etc).

The ship was dated.  The bathroom sink was cracked and stained.  The promised servicing of the room did not happen unless you requested it.  There was NO lock on the cabin door.  No individual room temperature control (even in Alaska our rooms were stifling hot).  On two occasions we complained of a sewage smell in our room.  

Meals were a disaster.  It took from 60 -90 minutes to get our food after we ordered.  Even then it was cold, undercooked, or the wrong order.  One evening they advertised spinach salad with quinoa and red onion.  What they delivered was iceberg lettuce with scallions.  Some of the wait staff had never waited on tables before.

They make a big point of the cruise being "True Alaska by True Alaskans".  Don't count on it.  All the major players on our cruise had only been in Alaska for a couple of weeks.  They had no first hand experience of the area.  We were supposed to get "knowledgeable expedition leaders" and "compelling evening programs".  Typically our excursions consisted of second rate walks with a local, or being dumped at one of the ports with no guide or tour.  Our evening enrichment consisted of a trivia game, and a discussion by the crew of their aspirations.  Many advertised excursions just did not happen.

I could go on and on.  This was an expensive cruise and not worth it even if the price was a third.  If I had to do it over again, I would have taken a big cruise ship, seen everything I saw on this trip,  and spent half as much

I could go on and on

Save your money - its not worth it

We arrived on the ship and were greeted with several smiling faces. The staff were absolutely wonderful people from all over the world. From the second we arrived, they were always there happy to help and chat with us. It felt more like we were being invited into their home rather than on a cruise ship. We were gathered in the lounge which felt more like a living room than a luxury cruise lounge and given complementary cocktails. Shortly after everyone got aboard we were shown to our rooms. We learned that despite food and alcoholic drink being served on the first floor, there was no public bathroom on the first floor. The only public bathroom on the entire ship was on the top floor. Huge inconvenience considering the fact that my wife is disabled. The only way up or down the stairs was a narrow, steep flight of stairs. After dinner or presentations in the lounge, we were usually stuck standing around at the bottom of the stairs waiting for our chance to be able to ascend or descend the stairs. As far as our private cabins, they were extremely tiny. The bathroom was a shower/toilet combination that you weren’t even able to stand in with arms outstretched. The shower/toilet combination was a real inconvenience with a disabled wife I occasionally had to help in the shower. As far as entertainment went, there was none. If we were underway we typically all went to our rooms to nap or read while waiting for the next scheduled group activity. I can read and nap at home. My wife and I were pretty bored while onboard the ship and it was a common complaint from more than a few people in the group. The water went out during our stay. No one was able to shower for at least 2 days and our Skagway trip was canceled and replaced with another night in Juneau. Iv heard from other groups that the toilets didn’t work for days as well. If you can’t have a fully operational boat, maybe you should retire it. Overall, I don’t regret paying for the cruise. It was ok at best. Alaska was beautiful but I wish I had gone with a different company.

The only salvageable qualities were food and service

We chose this ship for a more intimate look at Alaska than a massive cruise ship would have provided as well as the cultural angle. Big mistake. The cultural angle was sometimes informative but it came with some of the worst ports of call, Kasan, Metlakatla and Thorne Bay. So called "native' villages were quite boring and depressing. One would have been enough. We also stopped in Skagway (as did the big cruise ships), Juneau, (as did the big cruise ships) Glacier Bay, (as did the big cruise ships) Tracy Arm, (as did the big cruise ships) Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan (as did the big cruise ships). This ship did not anchor in any remote bays and allow us to simply take in the beauty which was disappointing,  instead we drove around all night as if killing time. 

The food at times was decent but it never felt like we were on an Alaskan cruise while eating lamb chops or Jumbalaya. There was some Salmon and Halibut but it was either  overcooked or overpowered with bizarre toppings and sauce. The rooms are quite spartan and the shower/toilet is very small and hard to maneuver for me (73yrs old.)

The boat itself appeared quite worn with zero amenities but that wasn't why we came.

In summation, this cruise didn't justify the cost. In the future I would book one of the large ships (uggh!) because they go to almost all the same places with much more to offer onboard.

Terrible!!!!

I came across Alaskan Dream Cruises' web site last fall when my wife and I were researching our Alaska vacation. Without exception, online reviews were glowing, and so we decided to book ADC's Eight Day Glacier Bay and Island Adventure on the Baranof Dream, sailing mid-May. The experience exceeded our already high expectations.

The cruise began and ended in Sitka, a small town in SE Alaska. We flew there one day early on Alaska Airlines from Seattle, with a stop in Ketchikan. (Delta is now offering service from Seattle as well.) We were met at the airport by ADC staff and transported to our hotel for an overnight stay, which was arranged and paid by us separately.

Formal activities started the next morning with an optional walking tour of Sitka sites - we elected to spend most of this time on our own. This was followed by an excursion on a sightseeing boat, which ended with our transfer to the Baranof Dream in the afternoon.

For vacationers like us who've only been on large ship cruises, the Baranof Dream was a refreshing change. It accommodates up to 49 passengers (we had about 40), along with approximately 20 crew. It was small enough to let us easily reach anywhere on the boat in minutes, but sufficiently large so that we felt safe and never cramped. The lounge and dining room were comfortable and spacious. Visits to the bridge were welcomed, and I enjoyed my time there chatting with the captain and his staff, who were all very personable and eager to please.

Most of our fellow passengers were older than fifty, although a few younger people were along too. Dress was thankfully informal. (There were no laundry facilities on board, so we had to pack for the duration.)

Our AAA-class cabin was utilitarian, with a combination toilet/shower separated by a curtain, a small closet, two chairs and tables that we used for storage, and a very comfortable queen bed with an adjacent large window. The sliding metal door didn't lock and there was no safe, but we had no reservations about leaving valuables in our cabin, as all the other passengers were in the same boat, as it were. (Although it wasn’t luxurious by any means, our cabin served its purpose very well - we spent very little time there apart from sleeping – hence my high rating.)

Food was excellent: three meals a day with plenty of choices at tables shared with other passengers, served by friendly staff, most of whom performed other duties as well. A late afternoon snack was offered every day, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were always available at the bar.

Our Cultural Expedition Leader gave a summary of the following day’s events each evening, peppering his presentations with fascinating stories and facts rooted in his heritage as a native Alaskan. We also had a naturalist on board, who provided insights into Alaska’s abundant animal and plant life that we saw. Thanks to their efforts, we felt a powerful connection to all that we encountered, as opposed to simply observing it passively.

Activities during the cruise included visits to glaciers, which allowed us to view them from a safe distance from the Baranof Dream and from a small skiff (large chunks of ice that periodically calve from the glacier pose a hazard to nearby watercraft), and visits to a lodge and two small communities. We spent several hours in Juneau, where we took an optional tram ride to the summit of Mount Roberts, which we found well worth the additional cost (approximately $30 per person). We particularly loved our sunset hike through the forest at Glacier Bay National Park. Kayaking in Windham Bay was enjoyable, though we would have liked to have spent more time there.

If I can call attention to one highlight of the trip, it would be the many opportunities we had to watch humpback whales, orcas, and other wildlife, with spectacular scenery as a backdrop. Sightings prompted the captain to slow down and stop to give us ample time to photograph and observe without feeling rushed. Disembarkation was organized, and we were taken to a hospitality room before transfer to the airport.

If you’re looking for an Alaska cruise experience that follows the waters less travelled, I recommend Alaskan Dream Cruises highly.

Excellent Alternative to Large Ship Cruising in Alaska

We just finished our Alaskan Dream Cruise on the Baranof Dream. Not sure I can say enough good things to do the experience justice. First of all, this is a casual, small ship cruise - 48 passengers max. No fancy clothes, no shows, no gambling or shopping. That said, the company seems to be seamlessly and authentically integrated with the local communities and cultures. As passengers we were educated about the nature and culture of the areas we travelled by lay-experts in these areas. We learned so much, and were made to feel so comfortable in the environments we visited. The captain and crew were generous, respectful, accessible, always available to help or answer questions, friendly, (not obsequious), efficient and highly capable. The food was outstanding in every detail at every meal (and more!). The cabins, community areas and decks were always super clean and neat. The activities (kayaking, RTV, sightseeing) were all safely and efficiently coordinated. The places we went were just beautiful, and we saw tons of wildlife: black and brown bears; mountains goats; sea birds (puffins!); orcas; porpoises; and hundreds of humpback whales, sea otters and sea lions. The captain was always willing to stop and look at wildlife, pull into out of the way places for waterfalls and glaciers. We never felt rushed or crowded. All excursions, meals and activities are included in the cost, so you're not nickeled and dimed to death, unless you want to drink. (1 beer or wine at dinner is included.) This is a company with remarkable expertise and integrity all around.

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