The fabled waters of Southeast Alaska, including Alaska’s Inside Passage, make for excellent Alaska cruise destinations. The varied and exciting scenery combined with the many adventure activities available (most notably kayaking and hiking).
The M.V. Sikumi is an ideal Alaskan cruise vessel. The luxury cruiser is fully equipped with such amenities as an industrial style galley and state of the art electronic and navigational equipment. The Sikumi makes your Alaskan cruise ship your temporary home away from home.
As far as the terrain is concerned, Southeast Alaska is considered to be one of Alaska’s most overlooked gems. The Alaskan panhandle is home to a wide variety of exotic wildlife and some of the most pristine wilderness in the world. The Tongass National Forest is the largest forest of its kind and makes an awesome destination for hiking and exploring.
Southeast Alaska Inside Passage
Sample Trip
Our basic itineraries are just the starting point for designing the perfect trip for your group. Here is just one example of a six-day excursion in Southeast Alaska.
Day 1
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-08Our adventure begins in our home port of Petersburg, center of the Southeast Alaska fishing industry. Because of its location in the Wrangell Narrows, Petersburg is inaccessible to larger cruise ships, and its off-the-beaten-path location helps preserve its character as an authentic Alaskan fishing town.
You are met at the Petersburg airport by one of our staff, and transported to the harbor where the M.V. Sikumi awaits. There you are greeted by our Captain, hostess and crew, who assist you in transporting your luggage on board. After you’ve had a chance to unpack and freshen up, you’ll join the crew for a tour of the M.V. Sikumi and a safety briefing.
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-07At mid-day, sit down to experience your first meal, lunch al fresco on the top deck. As you dine, you’ll have a chance to take in the view across Wrangell Narrows to Fredrick Sound, with Devils’s Thumb as its centerpiece.
Glacier ice for your drinksAfter lunch, we weigh anchor for the three-hour trip to LeConte Glacier. We idle to within a few hundred yards of the glacier’s face, where we have a thrilling view of the glacier “calving,” or shedding new icebergs into the sea. Those who wish may be put ashore in our skiff for a bit of beachcombing. Others may decide to try their hand at fishing. Meanwhile, The captainretrieves a bit of 10,000-year-old iceberg to use in chilling our evening beverages.
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-05Alaska Glacier CruiseDepending on the ice conditions, we will anchor for the night somewhere near the LeConte Glacier. Relax on the top deck with a glass of wine or other favorite beverage, and enjoy a sampling of hors d’oeuvres while we fire up the barbecue grill. Keep the field glasses handy, as evening is always good time to watch for birds and wildlife.
While adults relax, the kids may wish to try their hand at some supervised skeet shooting from the deck, or perhaps enjoy videos and games in the salon.
Alaska Private yacht charter adventureDinner is served on the top deck as the sun finally moves behind the high snow-capped peaks surrounding the glacier. As it is still quite light, the scenery can be enjoyed throughout the evening. After dinner, you may wish to go ashore for a stroll, or relax in the salon with a video, games or a good book. Finally, retire to your stateroom for a good night’s sleep, lulled by the gentle rippling of the tide beneath the boat.
Day 2
Southeast Alaska history exploration Wake to a hearty breakfast served in the salon. After breakfast, we steam to Cape Fanshaw, where we stop to visit the ruins of a now-deserted fishing village.
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-11We return to the M.V. Sikumi for lunch. In the afternoon, we steam toward Brothers Island, home of Alaska’s largest “haul-out” (land hang out) of stellar sea lions, where we observe and photograph these fascinating marine mammals. Southeast Alaska Wildlife viewing – Sea Lion Later, your hostess leads the more adventurous walkers on a short hike on the island. Others in the group decide to learn to paddle a sea kayak, and the Captain is happy to show them how.
Dinner this evening is a cookout on the beach. We go ashore in the skiff, and you relax while we gather wood for cooking and for an evening bonfire. While steaks and fresh fish sizzle over the fire, we are treated to the sight of a pair of bald eagles feeding on a salmon at a nearby stream. After dinner, Andy entertains us with his guitar, and we tell tall tales as the daylight gradually fades.
Day 3
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-02Southeast Alaska commercial fishingAfter breakfast, we steam to Baranoff Island, stopping at Murder Cove to drop off a couple of crab pots in hopes of trapping some Dungeness Crab. This area is a popular commercial fishing ground, and we pause along the way to watch a commercial salmon fishing operation at work.
Southeast Alaska hot springsIn the late morning we go ashore at Warm Springs Bay for a soak in the hot springs. At lunch time, we savor the contents of the chef’s special picnic basket as we take in the magnificent forest scenery, crowned by snow-capped peaks.
Southeast Alaska Fly fishingLater in the afternoon, your hostess guides a woodland hike.
We anchor in a quiet cove for the evening. Once again, dinner is served on the top deck. If the anglers have been lucky, the dinner menu includes a sampling of the catch of the day along with the regular entree.
Day 4
We haul anchor early, cruise south along the outer coast for a few hours and steam into Whale Bay, a steep-sided 13-mile long inlet on Baranoff Island. Here we drop the anchor again, enjoy a hearty breakfast, launch skiffs and head out for a day of fishing and sightseeing. Some of us will go to Port Banks River in search of Coho Salmon in the tidal estuary. Others will go out into the bay in search of halibut. With a little luck we’ll catch something for dinner.
Your crew can custom-process your catch, vacuum pack and freeze it on board, and advise you on the best methods for shipment. The ship’s chef is happy to share recipes. If fishing doesn’t interest you, you can join a skiff tour to the head of the inlet in company with an on-board naturalist who will share insights into the natural history of the region. We are in the heart of a coastal Alaskan wilderness so we’ll keep a lookout for brown bears, often seen grazing on lush beach grasses. We’ll be sure to drop some crab pots before dark, ensuring some catches during the night.
After dinner, your crew can launch kayaks and you may paddle quietly around the secluded anchorage – savoring the wonder of your first taste, perhaps, of a day in the wilds of Alaska.
Day 5
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-09Southeast Alaska Small ship cruise boat In the morning, after a detour to retrieve our now crab-filled pots, we steam south through the Chatham Straits, one of the major commercial sea lanes of the area. The captain invites those who are interested to ride with him in the wheelhouse, where he is happy to demonstrate and explain the computerized navigation charts and other sophisticated equipment used in piloting the M.V. Sikumi.
Southeast Alaska Wildlife viewing – Brown BearOn our way to the day’s final destination, Kuiu Island, we stop at Mist Cove and Red Bluff Bay, where we have the chance to do a bit of kayaking or hiking. These areas are particularly good for wildlife viewing, and if we’re lucky we may spot a bear on shore. Also, the waters in this area are teeming with whales and porpoises, providing ample opportunities for observation and photography.
Southeast Alaska Wildlife Viewing – Dall PorpoiseEscorted by a school of playful porpoises, we eventually reach Tebenkof Bay on Kuiu Island, where we drop anchor for the night. Dinner includes an appetizer of crab cakes made fresh from the day’s catch.
Day 6
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-03Southeast Alaska Halibut FishingToday we spend the day exploring the wilderness area surrounding Tebenkof Bay. Depending on the weather and your preferences, enjoy hiking, kayaking or fishing for halibut or salmon. In the afternoon we steam to Cape Decision on the southern end of Kuiu Island, where we will spend the night.
Our chef outdoes herself for dinner as she prepares grilled halibut with ginger and sweet and soy marinade. Corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and do it yourself sundaes round out the evenings meal. Southeast Alaska – Aurora BorealisAs you linger over another glass of wine, enjoy the evening’s feature entertainment: a video with scenes of some of the most memorable experiences of your voyage.
Later that night, someone spots the northern lights from the salon window, and we troop to the top deck to watch in wonder as nature treats us to a spectacular light show.
Day 7
We raise the anchor early today to take in the sights of a glacially carved fiord. Sawyer Glacier originates between the towering peaks of the Coast Range, and as it slowly moves down steep slopes toward the sea, it gouges a great vertical-sided valley through which shattered rock and great masses of ice continually flow. The glacier terminates in the waters of Tracy Arm, and our objective is to navigate the twenty-five mile deep inlet, avoiding a maze of floating icebergs, to reach the face of the glacier where great chunks of ice, some the size or our ship, crash in a frenzy of foam and spray into the ocean.
Harbor Seals find abundant food in the nutrient-rich waters of this inlet, and for a period of time in the summer female seals will haul-out onto floating bergs here to give birth to their young. During periods of fair weather, your captain can contact a Juneau-based floatplane charter company and arrange to rendezvous a six-passenger aircraft with our ship for a never-to-be-forgotten aerial tour of the fiord. Late in the day, we anchor in No-Name Bay and enjoy our last dinner in this quiet, secluded and scenic cove.
Day 8
Southeast-Alaska-Cruises-06
Experience your very own Alaska private yacht charterOn our final day, we steam homeward in a leisurely fashion, up through the Sumner Straits and past Point Baker, allowing for stops along the way, and a final opportunity to enjoy your favorite cruise activities. The final leg of our journey takes us through the scenic Wrangell Narrows to our home port of Petersburg.
We arrive in port in the late afternoon, where our crew assists you in disembarking. From the port, we will transport you to the airport for your journey home, or to your next vacation destination in Alaska.
If you would like to make a Southeast Alaska cruise reservation or simply make further enquires please Click here to contact us.
