Accommodations Review
The beds were surprisingly comfortable!! Loved having the window cracked and having the fresh air at night. Very clean cabins and we were really only in our rooms at night to sleep :)
Crew & Guides Review
Again - beyond excellent!! Sarah (with an "h") was the BEST!! She was so friendly and fun! My kids and I really enjoyed her. She did a great job planning the activities and offered a good variety of options. She was also so enthusiastic about everything and she was really easy to approach and talk to. She was a blast when she was our guide. She and Julie were quite the combo!!!
Julie - she was my daughters favorite!! She was a great guide and so much fun!! She always made sure Syd was at the front of the boat to get the best pictures!! She knows her stuff and when asked questions - she had an answer for everything!
Ted - I went kayaking with him the first day. He was awesome!! Very helpful and knowledgeable too. He was fun and very easy to approach and ask questions. He did a presentation on loons - and taught us how to call birds. We are still trying to master that! My daughter is the best one out of all of us.
Gray - he was my son's favorite. I had him for the fish hatchery. When I saw the bear - he came right to the front and "read" the bear and allowed us to take pictures and have that experience. Very respectful to the wildlife - I wanted to just stay there and watch the bear and baby - but he had us continue on after a few minutes to leave the bear be.
Andy and Adelia - they drove the skiffs for us a few times. Very nice and fun! We saw orcas with Andy and she got us safely (very fast) lol - to the orcas in time to see carnage with the sea lions. That was a great experience (sad) but awesome.
Dakota - he was our waiter. HE WAS THE BEST!! After one day - he knew our drinks for every meal. He had drinks in place in the morning and then different drinks for lunch and dinner. We and our tablemates adored him. He was a highlight of our day. He asked us about our adventures at night - that was appreciated.
Matt the bartender ...... what a guy!! Any drink we wanted he would make.. My son is 21 - not a drinker but wanted to try some things. Matt was up for it. Now that I am home and I am not sure I can have a margarita - Matt made the best margaritas!!! He made drinks of the day - and was more than happy to tell how he made it. At the end of the trip he wanted to make me a new margarita. He made a jalepeno, orange cinnamon one. It took a while to make it and it was well worth the wait. I am sure I am missing someone - but EVERYONE was great!!!
Transportation Review
It was a smooth transition on and off the boat and with our luggage. No complaints!
Itinerary Review
I think every place we went had it's own unique experience. My son LOVED the bush whacking tours!!!! He loved seeing things that even people on the ship (me) didn't see. They found blueberries every time and stopped and ate them. He raved about how good they were. He also was able to eat salmon berries which he loved also. He would have done that every day for both excursions! My daughter loved the skiff rides because she wants to be a photographer and what a great place to get good pictures!! She was in heaven and 14,000 picture or more later - she found her happy place.
I liked everything I did - going to the fish hatchery I think was my favorite though because that is where we saw a mamma grizzly and her baby!! They were right there and didn't seem to mind us a bit! I think my mom enjoyed the skiff rides and the one day it was open kayak - my son took her out on one for about an hour and she loved that. She has never done that before so she enjoyed that. My kids also loved the polar plunge. What a way to end the trip - and they can say they jumped in glacial waters!!! Everything was so beautiful and wonderful!
There was nothing we didn't enjoy - and I am saying that honestly! I think the only thing is one morning we anchored in a really rocky (back and forth) spot and my mom got sea sick and missed out on the days activities. After the morning excursions - they did move the boat to a calmer area - and Matt the bartender made my mom a drink that settled her stomach so she was able to join us for dinner and the evening activities.
Meals Review
Beyond excellent!! I packed snacks for the kids for in between meals - mistake!! I brought them all back home. There was way more than enough food! The food was excellent! The choices were great with a great variety. My son is soooo picky and he tried new foods and found out that he actually liked them. Breakfast was always exciting because we got to hear what we were having for lunch and dinner! No one can say they went hungry or didn't have anything they wanted. If we didn't like any of the options - they offered other items also - but we all tried something that was offered. I found out my self that I like scallops and my son decided he liked crab with the all you can eat crab night! Amazing!! The desserts were to die for also!!
AdventureSmith Explorations Review
Very good!! The packing list was spot on - our fault we didn't listen to all if it - most of it - but a few things we didn't think we would need - but we did need. That was our own fault!!
Traveler Advice
Listen to the packing instructions :) A strap for your phone and a camera and a sense of adventure!!!
