Alaskan Dream Cruises

Juneau

Alaska

Excellent

Very Good

Poor

Alaskan Dream

Admiralty Dream

Baranof Dream

Chichagof Dream

Boston

The crew was hard working and friendly.  Unfortunately, the Orbridge "Expedition Leader" was a very poor leader--he had some knowledge, but clearly was 'mailing it in.' He cared little for the passengers and made no attempt to get to know anyone's name or anything about the passengers.  Often he was sarcastic in answers to questions to which he did not know the answer.  The boat was nice, but the bathrooms were filthy and often smelled--the toilets visibly had not been cleaned for months.   The sewage pump did not work, and thus one-half day of activities was eliminated because the captain had to get to Sitka as soon as possible.  This was my first cruise and I was surprised there was so little information from the Expedition Leader and the captain about the problems the vessel was experiencing.  At no time did any member of the crew wear a mask--not the servers, the cook or the bartender, who was diagnosed with COVID several days into the trip.  Although the bartender was living in the crew's close quarters, not one crew member wore a mask after this illness was discovered:  there were rumors he had COVID, but this was not acknowledged until we finally directly confronted the Expedition Leader and captain. Clearly, they were trying to keep this information from the passengers, in my opinion.  I will never travel with Alaskan Dream Cruisers or with Orbridge in the future, and neither will anyone of the folks aboard with whom I spoke about these issues.

Great crew, below average boat and poor COVID protocols

Could not fault the operation of this cruise that included pickups from airport and hotel.  With only 69 passengers and 29 crew members we were pampered with excellent organisation and wonderful food.  The wildlife performed admirably although the presence of a brown bear ambling along the shore in front of a glacier meant that we were unable to land as the crew were not keen on losing any passengers as bear food.  The scenery is great with the John Hopkins Glacier producing some impressive calving.  Apart from the voyage, a number of shore excursions added to the holiday; as did the information about the local native American tribe, the Tlingit.  A couple of kayaking sessions produced som amusement as did the sight of seeing about 15 brave souls leap into the rather cold water (they never remained in very long!).  The experts, full-time on board and those who joined us for specific shore excursions, provided some great talks, illustrated with slides most evenings.  Our cruise was amazingly lucky as we saw the Northern Lights one evening.  With such a friendly crew, it was almost like an extended family trip.  We saw a number of those huge liners (floating hotels) but none were able to travel to the places that we went.  This is the only real way of seeing the Inside Passage if you wish to see all the wildflife and some of the more remarkable glaciers.  Full, all-weather gear and binoculars that were provided meant that we neve had to carry excess gear as we flew to Juneau from New Zealand.  Having access to the bridge and with a very friendly captain added another dimension to the experience.

The information provided before the cruise was very helpful as we were not sure what to expect.

We both returned home full of wonderful memories of a truly great holiday.

Wonderful cruise

I chose this cruise because of the small size of the ship, the opportunity to visit remote areas and also because the focus was on experiencing Alaska directly and personally. We stopped at many interesting locations such as Kake and Petersburg and were able to go ashore. We were able to hike and explore the shoreline at Taku and in Glacier Park.

Every night featured a presentation by one of the naturalists aboard or other informational meeting. The food was great; chef was very accommodating for special gluten and dairy free diets. 

The crew was exceptional, they all went out of their way to make all of the passengers comfortable and to maximize our experience. 

One of the highlights of the small ship experience was the flexibility to act 'in the moment' when there were whales or bears or other interesting things. The captain would slow the engines and sometimes circle in the area so that we could see as much as possible.

This trip was better than I imagined it could be and I am looking forward to going again on one of the Alaska Dream Cruises.

Better than my dreams

My wife and I had a wonderful time on our 7 night Alaskan Dream Cruise on the Chichagof Dream embarking in Juneau and ending in Sitka.  The Chichagof Dream is a small ship built in the 1980's and overhauled in 2016 for Alaskan Dream Cruises.. It had only 37 passengers on our cruise so we got acquainted with most of them over meals and excursions.  We enjoyed the small ship experience which included kayaking and DIB boat days in Kelp Bay and Takatz Bay in eastern Baranoff island, visits to Petersburg and Kake, dinner on shore at the Orca Point Lodge, and a DIB boat tours in Endicott Arm to view Dawes Glacier as it calves into the water and to a sea lion "haul out."  

We were interested that our captain, who was very experienced and did a fine job of navigating, was hired only for this trip, and that our tour leader had only been on the job for a month or so.   A kick-off visit to the newly opened Alaska State Museum would have been informative and enjoyable with a knowledgeable guide. But the DIB boat, dining room, and lounge staff were very helpful and accommodating.  Our cabin, category A, was small with 2 twin beds and portholes but was comfortable.  The visit to the fishing village of Petersburg included an explanation of how Norwegian settlers got to Alaska and some children dancing Norwegian folk dances, a village bus tour, and a hike along a board walk to see muskeg required more time than the sights warranted.  The same was true for a visit to Kake, a Tlingit village where we saw some native dancing, the world's tallest totem pole, a presentation by a local carver, and a local fish hatchery where we watched a black bear catching a salmon.  

The after dinner presentations by the staff in the lounge on Alaska living, native animals, and Tlinigit culture were informal, well intentioned, and amateurish.  The food in the dining room was abundant and generally good but the chef didn't deliver on the full ambitions of his menus.  Not surprisingly, the visits to Juneau (where there were 4 large cruise ships in port) and Sitka which were the most interesting shore excursions, but we were partly, if not mostly on our own.  We got to see whales, sea lions, harbor seals, bears, mountain goats, salmon, and lots of birds as well as the fantastic Alaska fjord/mountain/seaside scenery.  Interestingly, in Sitka we docked at the home of the cruise line owners and disembarked from there.  So for an informal and relaxing exposure to southeast Alaska, this was a very enjoyable cruise with some rough edges which I hope will be addressed in the future.  Interestingly, several college alumni travel tours as well as Road Scholar tours use Alaskan Dream ships.

An informal and relaxing introduction to southeast Alaska.

We chose this cruise as it was smaller boat which made it easier for us as my husband Neville is blind. The crew and staff were very welcoming,and loved that the meals were not buffet. Had beautiful food. The guides on board and the ones that came on for day trips were very knowledgable about the areas we went to. Loved the kayaking and the walks we did. The polar dip was great too. Totally recommend this type of cruise. We embarked at Juneau quaint town pity it was wet. The first day was interesting looking at Mendahal Glacier on our way to our boat. Staff gave us a great welcome as we boarded. Our cabin was awesome nice and cosy. Well maintained boat. 

One of the highlights was when we had 60 Whales around the boat right at dinner time. Credit to the captain for allowing us to just hang with the whales. 

Thanks Chicgonof Dream

Awesome Alaskan Cruise

We took the family cruise with our 14 year old grandson!  This was an awesome experience.  For people that are hooked on electronics (no TV, WI-FI, etc) we were never bored.  The staff was very helpful, always keeping us informed of what we were seeing, where we were going & how to dress for the climate.  We enjoyed the intimacy of the small cruise, only 64 passengers.  If you are looking for "luxury", this is not for you.  If you are looking for an experience, BOOK. If the opportunity presents itself, we will definitely booked with Alaskan Dream Cruise again.  Be aware that there are no locks on the cabins doors, so our grandson I-Phone was stolen (not lost) from our cabin.  From the evidence that was left, we do not believe it was a crew member but another passenger (child).  With that being said, my grandson is saying this was the best trip ever!

I chose this cruise for my husband, myself, and two of our friends because of its excellent blend of natural adventure experiences, educational opportunities, and cultural enrichment, but also because it was a small ship with only about 60 cruisers.  The trip was met to be a fun adventure.  The trip far exceeded our expectations!!  Every detail was managed seamlessly from being picked up at the airport in Juneau for embarkation to be taken to the airport in Sitka for disembarking according to our scheduled flights.  

The staff was courteous, friendly, and accommodating.  The onboard director was knowledgeable, accessible, and extremely organized.  The boat and staterooms comfortable, attractive, and well maintained.  The captain and crew outstanding.  

We had adventures from whale watching in Glacier Bay (hundreds), to taking zodiac boats up close and personal to a calving glacier, to hiking waterfalls, visiting native villages, kayaking, an impromptu dance night, and the invigorating polar plunge.  (if you desired)  There was always a naturalist on board as well as a native Alaskan tribal member.  During our exploration of glacier bay we were treated to a visit all day by a park ranger.  Kids activities were implemented by the staff as well. 

There was always a choice of food for all meals as well as a well stocked bar for a minimal charge.  Food was excellently prepared and gluten free and vegetarian options were always available. 

During the cruise you had many opportunities to met new friends, socialize, and adventure together.  

Absolutely the best choice for the money!!or even for more money!  It was great!!

Filters

1-7 of 7