AdventureSmith Conservation

Meals Review

Unbelievably top-quality service and amazing food, both at the EcoCamp and on board Quark's Sea Adventurer. In fact, all of us guests spontaneously cheered the chef during one of our EcoCamp dinners, and the service on board the Sea Adventurer was on par with any Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City (where I live). Both venues did an excellent job managing my dietary restrictions (pescatarian).

Crew & Guides Review

Franco, Sebastien, and Pablo were simply extraordinary, with a passion for Patagonia and a genuine desire to make every guest's experience extra-special. Franco even dived after my backpack as it was rolling off a cliff; Sebastien made time to get to know each guest over dinner and drinks deep into the evenings; Pablo has an encyclopedic knowledge of local flora and fauna that turned every day trek into an unforgettable experience.  

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Andrew was great at providing advanced reading materials, packing lists, and answering all manner of pre-trip questions quickly and accurately. He had great advice and I consider Andrew to be primarily responsible for ensuring that this 2-in-1 trip combo worked so beautifully.

Traveler Advice

Bring twice as much camera film as you think you'll need. Prepare to be stunned by your fabulous surroundings.

Meals Review

Lynn is an excellent chef. Her meal choices, preparation and presentation can't be beat.  It was great when one of crew joined us for dinner

Crew & Guides Review

Captain Jay was very personable, welcoming and always cautious about safety. We enjoyed times in the wheel house talking with him about the ship and the local area. We couldn't have asked for more knowledgeable and eager naturalists. Monica and Julie were always eager to share mountains of information about the wildlife, plant life, history of the glacier movement and re-vegetation after glacial retreat as well as conservation of the area.  They were always eager to point out points of interest as well as wildlife. The engineer, Keith, always greeted us with a smile and was eager to meet any need. The tour of the engine room was very interesting as was the history of the ship itself. What a great  summer experience for the intern- Olivia and the deckhand - Jordanne.  Both were very eager to  help make this cruise an enjoyable journey for us. What a great way for the Sea Wolf to give back to the community. We enjoyed meeting them. Everyone was always very professional, knowledgeable, helpful and it was obvious that they genuinely love their work.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Aaron was incredibly helpful in helping us plan this great trip. His attention to detail and follow are to be commended. 

Traveler Advice

Dress warm.

Accommodations Review

Small quarters, but well kept.

Meals Review

I liked everything, especially the fish!!

Crew & Guides Review

OMG they were fabulous. Karin, Tobias, Andreas, Phillip, Johanna, Miriam, Ben, Christian, and Monique. Deeply kind, professional. Generous with their time and attention. They were a highlight!!

We experienced an emergency evacuation. The crew handled this situation with clarity, courage and compassion. I always felt we were in competent and professional hands.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Thanks to Taylor we were well prepared. She answered all our questions promptly and accurately. It all went very smoothly. No problems. Thanks so much!!

Traveler Advice

Dress in layers.

Accommodations Review

Discovery - small cabin (we knew that going in), adequate common area; overall experience well worth the tight fit.

Meals Review

Discovery - loved the seafood; cook was challenged by our special dietary requests (no cheese; eggs OK as ingredient, but not separate dish).

Crew & Guides Review

Discovery - Captain Dean's years of experience on Prince William Sound was evident as the weather directed our itinerary. He found sheltered coves and fjords where we calmly enjoyed hikes, kayaking, and sightseeing from the boat, while across the Sound we could see swells crashing into other islands. On each of our excursions, Dean had a story to tell about the natural history of the area or a colorful figure who had previously explored/visited there. We felt like we were the guest of a modern Mark Twain.

Transportation Review

Transportation went smoothly.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Pre-trip communication was timely and accurate. Your packing lists were spot-on. We combined two of the AdventureSmith offerings into a single trip. I usually book trips on my own, after exhaustive internet research. This trip involved combining two trips with limited start and end dates. AdventureSmith helped ensure that the trips were compatible and also worked with me to adjust the itineraries for some self-directed travel at the beginning of the trip. I also appreciate the reassurances that AdventureSmith provided when wildfires threatened some of the transportation plans. They assured me that they were in daily contact with the service providers and that backup plans were available in case there were any disruptions.

Traveler Advice

DO IT! We spent three years vacation budget on this trip. And it was worth it! The five day trip on the Discovery was a good length. I would have enjoyed an additional day. I think I would have been disappointed with a 3-day/2-night trip, in that it would have been hard to get in enough of the activities that we enjoyed so much. (Like eating an appetizer when you want a full meal).

Accommodations Review

We were aware Sea Bird was very small, and therefore its cabins would be correspondingly small. The beds were too narrow to be comfortable and secured, especially on the days driving through rough water in the open ocean.  Ordinarily, this would not be a much problem because we spend most of the day in larger public rooms (i.e., lounge, library or gym).  Due to Covid we voluntarily wore masks at all time from the start of the expedition and stayed away from other passengers. Also, because it was Alaska, it was too cold to sit and spend any amount of time on the sun deck. So we spent a majority of time in our cabin, except for occasional spotting of whales and other wildlife or meals in the dining room. We realized we prefer bigger, newer ships with larger rooms and beds.

Meals Review

Steaks and beef dishes were excellent and much better than the other main courses, which was unexpected. Being on an “Alaska” cruise and we were looking forward to more seafood, especially fresh fish mains and King Crabs. Therefore, we were generally disappointed. Meals need to be improved like those on other Lindblad cruises.

Crew & Guides Review

Steve (expedition leader) and Linda (botanist) were both knowledgeable and friendly.  Michelle Leon (doctor on board) was very considerate, kind and friendly. We felt safe and confident with her and will go other expeditions anywhere with her.

Itinerary Review

The itineraries could have been enriched and improved by more Zodiac rides, hiking activities and kayak paddling chances since there were a plenty of opportunities and down time. By surveying the ship we quickly realized the cruise was geared toward older and less active passengers. We too are seniors, but much more active, very curious and interested in discovering the new...[We least enjoyed] the Petersburg town center visit - most of the stores and museums were closed because it was Sunday. This visit could have been planned/scheduled better to arrive on weekdays or Saturday.

COVID Logistics

Since it was the first trip after 3 years of the Covid outbreak, we considered it to be a good "practice run" before we will start really traveling like we used to prior to Covid.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We can always rely on Andrew Browning. He is always very responsive, informative and very friendly. He carefully and timely informed us about the updates on Covid protocol, etc.

Traveler Advice

Alaska is a great destination and one should visit at least once in his/her lifetime.

Accommodations Review

Navigator Cabin was fine but with added life jacket and kayak jacket and not much storage for all the gear!

Meals Review

Galley team did a fabulous job with menu as did the service team. Good variations and dietary help for those that needed it.

Crew & Guides Review

Captain Todd, chef, Nick the hotel manager as well as Ben Ben the bosun all had outstanding teams. All the leaders were great!

Itinerary Review

[I most enjoyed] The smooth water and seeing the whales and orcas. Hearing the whale was extraordinary. Choices of activity. Pacing of the day kept everyone engaged. Visit to Petersburg. Visit to Five Points light house. Being in the wilderness.

[I least enjoyed] Not knowing how unstable the earth would be under foot on hikes. Many places the guides had not been to and not familiar with the terrain. Encourage people to bring walking sticks to help on walks/hikes! The other was the tandem kayaks are not well suited for taller people or plus size woman. The Old Town brand kayak was slightly better for my size. I am used to the sit on top style kayaks. I went twice and it was excellent but very hard to get out. Guides were very helpful to assist exiting the kayak.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Great preparation provided but need emphasis on time of year and what is really needed. For example, August trip we took didn’t need layered clothing until the last two days seeing the glaciers near Juneau. I’ve already told several people that this is a great way to see Alaska and recommended using UnCruise and AdventureSmith. We look forward to doing another small boat cruise!

Accommodations Review

The ship is not fancy but was clean and comfortable. Our B Deck cabins were clean and comfortable with nice view windows. Our kids were in the cabin next door and it was nice they didn't have to walk outside to visit our cabin. My favorite place to relax was on the sundeck, get there early to secure a lounge chair. 

Meals Review

The food was great with lots of seafood and steaks. I even tried Kangaroo. Our kids are not picky eaters, but they are kids and there were always lots of options for them or the crew would suggest a kid friendly meal if they didn't like that days options. 

Crew & Guides Review

The guides were fantastic and made the trip very educational. Lectures were interesting and they were available in the water to identify fish and coral. The scuba guide was especially great with our kids. He made my 13 year old very comfortable and got him diving right away.  Our 11 year old was too young to scuba dive but he allowed him to try the gear and get a feel for diving in shallow water. Now he wants to go back to scuba. 

Transportation Review

Our cruise was part of a larger package and AdvenutreSmith handled all the transfers and arrangements seamlessly. It would have been a challenge to find the ship on our own but directions from AdventureSmith made it easy. 

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We were well prepared and knew exactly what to expect. Many travelers on board were envious of the extensive documents we showed them. 

Traveler Advice

The reef is alive and fantastic so go see it. Be prepared for a lot of snorkeling and time in the water. Practice at home so you can spend as much time as possible on the reef. 

Accommodations Review

Seaman Journey was a palace, a floating five star hotel. Our spacious room had quite a big bathroom for a boat. The sundeck up on the very top was the best lounging area, day and night. We had two outdoor meals, which made it seem like a super special occasion.

Every night before dinner we would have a briefing of the next day’s activities. I must admit that seeing a disembarking time of 6:15am made me a little nervous. But I felt for the Australians that chose to sleep in and miss out because it was a magical introduction to the island of Isabela. Our guide grew up on this island and shared stories of swimming in shark channels. Now the Galapagos are extremely regulated and not only for tourists, but locals have strict hours when they can go to certain places. I felt fortunate to have seen these sleeping sharks, definitely worth getting up early for! Yes the days were filled with quite a lot to do; yet there was time to relax as well.

Crew & Guides Review

Not sure how everybody felt when my daughter drove the panga back to our boat, but it was one of her highlights as she laughed the whole way.

Itinerary Review

Rabida island was one of the raddest reddest beaches I’ve ever been to! Also, this is where the sea lions played the most with us.

Transportation Review

We had been in Ecuador for over a month and all the traveling finally turned into a vacation on this trip when a local guide at the airport greeted us at 5:00am and took care of us. Then again on arrival in the Galapagos a local guide showed us the way. Being taken care of was relaxing.

We were assured that our luggage would end up on our boat and not to worry about anything as we hopped on a public bus to a small boat to cross between the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz. Then we had our own mini bus to take us an hour from the north to the south where our ship awaits. I enjoyed this ride, as it was the greenest part of our journeys with a stop to meet the giant tortoises. Arrived just before dark to see the lively town of Puerto Ayora cheering on the volleyball game and all the kids on a fun playground (including my daughter).

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I had plenty opportunities in Ecuador to book a ‘cheaper trip’ like I did before. But honestly I started to recall how poor my first trip to the Galapagos was. I started hearing travelers share their experiences about their boats in the Galapagos. I heard horror stories about different boats; bad service, poor gear, guides unable to speak English, and even hunger from running out of food! The wise mother came out in me as I was traveling with my 8 year old this time. It now seemed vital that I book with someone I trust. AdventureSmith Explorations really knows what kind of trip people desire and they only work with the very best world-wide!

Traveler Advice

I sure hope that if you’re reading this you go to the Galapagos with the best, and honestly the next time I go I want to bring as many family and friends as I can to fill the boat so I can share the memories all the time! No other place is like this in the world!