Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness

We had a terrific trip! We awoke Sunday to whales bubble feeding and ended Friday evening with the ship surrounded by the largest pod of whales the captain had ever seen. 40-50 individuals would not be an exaggeration!

In between, we saw magnificent glaciers and spectacular rainforests. We observed mother brown bears with their cubs catching salmon, and saw a black bear feeding on seaweed. Sea lions were close enough to the zodiacs to make me nervous, and otters and bald eagles were frequently sighted.

The cabin was small but efficiently designed and comfortable. Best of all it was just a few feet away from the lounge coffee station, and as my body was four hours ahead of Alaska time, I was the first guest to partake in the morning. The food was very good. The crew was wonderful, well trained, personable, and fun to be around. They really cared about making your trip special.

The piece de resistance of the trip were the naturalists! They made the animals, plants and magnificent scenery so interesting. Pete and Gretchen Peterson are SUPERSTARS.

Thank you for your help with the planning of this wonderful trip. We will certainly recommend the trip, and you to anyone interested.

— Greg and Sandy, South Carolina

Here is our review of our experience on Lindblad’s new ship and visiting Alaska. We had been on the Sea Bird in Baja a few years ago so I knew the Lindblad ways and means.

We were thrilled to sail this boat as so many prior sailings were canceled due to some malfunction at putting it in the water. I know this is a benchmark spot for Lindblad as being their very first ship built for their purpose. That said…I don’t think it has gone as totally expected. (get to that later).

We had the most wonderful naturalists and crew. Their excitement was contagious. We saw many whales, some of the same we might have seen years ago in Baja. I would say we saw whales every day which I understand is unusual. Glacier Bay was pristine and gorgeous with cloudy skies which is best for photos. Enjoyed the expertise of the National Geo trained photographer on board, a nice added plus. Tracy Arm spectacular and Fords Terror tides amazing. Kayaking was great, jumping salmon at one point. Transfers and excursions all went without a hitch. Many crew who were experienced from prior boats and a mix of new youngins.

The ship itself is gorgeous with so many open spaces and windows galore. You feel you are inside outside. Windows in the dining room are appreciated for all meals, as it is never dark. Our cabin was lovely, a new feel and a modern and nice color palette. Heads and shoulders above the Sea Bird. We very much enjoyed the advanced technology of the Bridge explained to us by the Captain. Overall, a wonderful adventure in the wilds of Alaska.

Now the ship…I think it was missing a “punch list” after it was launched. I hear it is going into dry dock after the Alaska season which should fix things. The air conditioning is uneven throughout the ship. Some top-level cabins had water problems at one point. Some cabins I heard were very noisy. The food didn’t seem up to a level I remembered from our prior sailing. The elevator had problems. Some of the lounge seats were funky. Our shower water was uneven in temperature and pressure. These were all just minor annoyances like a new house. The Punch List needs to be fixed.

A great time was had by all. Thank you Linda for your help and friendship.

— Mel and Meg, Dallas Texas

Linda, we are back and so soon it was sadly over. Good memories and lots of photos. We made a reservation in Seattle to visit my sister and then flew up to Juneau and met the group. Transfers went perfectly on both ends.

The ship was lovely. Lots of little things that made it comfortable for us. Small areas to hang out, large areas to socialize. A comfortable chair to read my book in the evening between activities. The cabin was large enough for the two of us, Cabin 324, enough storage space, and good lighting. The bath was small but worked well. Enjoyed the pull out line for drying clothes. Food beyond expectation for such a remote area and small galley. They work magic in there.

We had good weather most of the time. Two days of drizzle but otherwise sun. Staff said we were fortunate for so much sun. We saw and we saw…when we thought we had seen it all the next day showed us we hadn’t. Whales, not too many up close which was a disappointment. I hoped to be squirted by one. Many eagles of all kinds, a few bears and all sorts of other sea and wildlife. My forever memory, I was in a kayak and watched a bear swim from island to island pretty much in front of me. Not close but close enough. The Naturalists are so knowledgeable and everywhere you want them to be. Anything someone asked got an answer either on the spot or after some research. One passenger we met was a chef and she would ask for the recipes. She said every morning under her door was the recipe from the night before that she had asked for. The staff goes so much out of their way to make all everyone comfortable. They add a whole added dimension to the experience.

As this was our first small ship, first time n Alaska, the first time with Lindblad, we were very very pleased with the whole experience. Linda, you prepared us well with your past experience. You had great patience with us as you knew we knew nothing when we first called you. We thank you … now to save enough for Galapagos with Lindblad.

— Robin and Gloria, Las Vegas

We had unusually good weather. I think the most impressive aspect of the trip was the crew … they were knowledgeable, accessible, and personable. The entire trip was well organized. We were kept informed about every event both before and after. Guest speakers from the park service, the Tlingit tribe, and environmental advocacy groups came aboard in the evenings. The crew was attuned to wildlife sightings and altered the daily schedule to linger, observe, and educate.

One highlight was a group of seven whales bubble feeding. The captain maneuvered the ship to give us our best view and stayed in place for a very long time. The Zodiac trips were fun and brought us closer to floating ice, glaciers, and marine life. The only frustration was that land animals like bears and sheep were spotted infrequently and were so far away that only the folks with 400mm lenses got a good look. Generally, we were kept safe, happy, and well informed. The food was good and the newer ship was lovely.

Thank you, Linda.

— Martin and Vicki, North Carolina

Just got back from the most wonderful trip through Alaska. This was one of those last-minute trips and we were so lucky that Whitney found a cancellation and were able to fit us on the ship.

We took the National Geographic/Lindblad, Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness trip on the National Geographic Quest in the middle of August. It was quite an adventure. Getting to our room was quite a unique experience. We were in cabin 202, which was right up at the bow of the boat and we kind of had our own private entrance to the room. Only downside of the whole trip was the fact that the stateroom was right next to the anchor, but somehow, even though it was loud, we were almost always out of the cabin and never heard it.

The food on the ship was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. It was nice to be able to meet new people every night and experience the different cuisines of the area, such as a crab feast! No saving seats, everyone mixes and mingles.

We started out at a hotel the night before the trip started at the Four Points Sheraton in Juneau. Right across where the ship docks. It was beautiful and just what we needed to do a little shopping and relaxing before we embarked on the ship. In the morning we set off on what we didn’t know yet, was going to be a trip of a lifetime. First place we went to was Tracy Arm Fjords. Lots of wildlife greeted us as we sailed around. The waterfalls and Glaciers were absolutely breathtaking.

Next day was Petersburg. Before we got there we saw some amazing humpback whales and watched as they played and we even saw one come straight out of the water. Breaching they called it, something they like to do apparently. Petersburg itself was a small quaint town that really gave us an insight into a true Alaskan village. Definitely not a place a big ship would stop so it was really wonderful to stop in a place off the beaten path that still holds the charm and history of the Alaskan natives. Then we were off sailing again and watching out for any wildlife we could see. Even saw a couple bears down by the water’s edge with their cubs, even though they were not so little.

Fast forward a day or two, Glacier Bay National park was one of our favorite. We got to get up close and personal with the Glaciers of the area, and even got to witness them Calving. That’s when a large chunk of ice falls off and crashed into the water. A remarkable sight to witness. We got to hear stories of the area by a true Alaskan Native, and were also joined by a park ranger to give us knowledge and history on the area. It was breathtaking.

The next day we got to get off the ship and explore the beaches and some of the smaller wildlife that you can’t see from the ship, like the tide-pools. We also got to examine some bear footprints which were larger than we thought they would be, compared to our tiny little footprints. Bald eagle sightings were everywhere, all day every day, which was fascinating to see them in their natural habitat. They are quite majestic when they fly.

Sitka was the last stop. This last day was quite bittersweet but it was a perfect way to wind down from a fantastically rich experience of wildlife and knowledge. It was a very Russian inspired port. We got to go to the Raptor Rehabilitation Center, and got to get up close and personal with the bald eagles that we had only seen from afar on the trip. It was shocking to see how BIG they were in person.

All in all this was the most fantastic trip, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

— R and K, Colorado