Small cruise ships in Alaska’s Inside Passage are able to provide travelers with incredible, uniquely Alaskan vacations that the large cruise ship tours can only dream of. The southeast Alaska small cruise ship I experienced was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of my traveling life. Fantasy Cruises’ ship, Island Spirit. can hold a maximum of 32 passengers (with a 9-person crew). Its smaller size allowed us to overnight in remote, otherwise isolated bays and inlets. The captain, Jeff Behrens, installed a powerful battery: The engines are turned off at night, with no detriment to the power use of the cruise ship guests, and the sounds of Alaska’s wilderness are able to come through without the constant hum of the engine acting as a muffler. Waking up to calls of bald eagles, splashes of sea otters, or the sound of a waterfall is an incredible vacation experience. No other cruise ship, large or small, is able to provide this sense of quiet, of truly being part of a timeless and majestic part of our country.
Fantasy Cruises Island Spirit cruise ship’s size and intimacy allows for flexible itineraries; once, for example, we veered slightly off course to follow a pod of orcas for 45 minutes. The adult killer whales were teaching their babies to jump and slap the surface of the water with their tails, and we happily watched the lessons unfold right off the bow of the ship. Sure, dinner was around half an hour later that evening, but so what? We eat every day, but we certainly don’t get to see orca pods every day.
Another day, we hiked to Baranof Warm Springs and Baranof Lake, after which we kayaked around the bay. The captain had intended to weigh anchor after the hikes, but because we asked (and once he determined that the water was calm enough), he decided to change our day’s remaining itinerary for a couple of hours. This level of personal attention adds spontaneity and a feeling of casual intimacy to an Alaskan cruise vacation that was a completely welcome surprise.
By the way, Alaskan small cruise ship vacations like Fantasy Cruises are more expensive than are the large cruise lines. However, on the last large cruise vacation I took, the activity add-ons came to a lot more money than I expected. Fantasy Cruises trips are completely all-inclusive. The daily cocktail hours (which often extend past dinner, as SOME passengers enjoy more than a couple of glasses of wine at night), the shore excursions, port charges and taxes, kayak rentals, everything is included. There is no final bill slipped under guests’ doors the last morning of the trip.
The personal service and casual atmosphere, the attention to detail and real affection the crew had for the wildlife and wilderness along southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage — these are aspects of the trip I’d hoped to see. This Alaskan cruise vacation exceeded my expectations. Having the owner and captain on board, joking around with and also educating us was really, really great. The ship’s onboard naturalist gave daily lectures (voluntary to attend, this is travel, not school!) that I enjoyed as well. I also appreciated the personal relationship the captain has with several different people we met along the way. Ed, the caretaker of Five Fingers Lighthouse, was very welcoming (especially for a guy who is used to spending a lot of time by himself). Ed and Captain Jeff Behrens chatted while we toured the lighthouse, which was both the first, and last, manually operated lighthouse in Alaska.
Now, a small cruise ship vacation in southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage isn’t right for every type of traveler. В Families with small children, for example, would be better suited to travel on a large cruise ship or an Alaska land tour. Fantasy Cruises does not cater to children; the youngest kids to participate in this cruise’s Alaskan tour have been self-sufficient 13-year olds. В People who want lazy cruise vacations filled with tropical drinks and palm trees should clearly stick to coastal Mexico or Caribbean cruises. There’s no 24-hour all-you-can-eat feed lot, either.
Who are the right types of travelers to participate in a small cruise ship vacation along southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage? Well, how does this sound: Kayaking in peaceful inlets, taking nature walks and easy hikes on remote wilderness beaches and pathways, staring in gap-jawed appreciation at massive glaciers and incredible marine mammals, enjoying quiet, companionable evenings with a few drinks and a few new friends, and knowing that your travel experience is leaving a lighter carbon footprint than more popular alternatives. If those travel details sound great to you, then a small cruise trip is absolutely a great choice for your Alaska vacation. It sure was, for me. В Fantasy Cruises’ Island Spirit is highly recommended.