alaska testimonials

"I appreciated the complete information packet and felt well prepared with clothing, equipment and itinerary. The crew, naturalists and planned activities were just outstanding; they far exceeded our expectations. Our guides, particularly Eric and Mark, had an impressive depth of knowledge."

Kenai & Denali Backcountry Safari plus Kenai Fjords Explorer

"The Kenai Explorer and your Denali Backcountry Safari were all beautiful and a great choice for us. The Kenai Backcountry Lodge was superb, one of the best we have experienced. Our guides were outstanding, knowledgeable and professional. We highly recommend this trip because the overall itinerary was well constructed and planned while our custom planning logistics were outstanding. AdventureSmith Explorations did an excellent job of orchestrating a total tour package which met all of our specific needs."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"The entire trip was awesome! We were well prepared, the vessel and food were great. Mark and Sean were excellent naturalists and Kim was the perfect Cruise Director. We always wanted to go to Alaska but wanted a high activity level trip. Your Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise was perfect."

Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness

"I'm very happy to highly recommend both AdventureSmith and the Alaska cruise itself. Todd Smith could not have been more helpful, efficient and responsible. It really makes a difference that he has had so much personal experience leading & organizing Alaska cruises. That enabled him to help choose just the right cruise for us from the options available. Our experience from our first contact with Todd to the day we arrived home from the cruise was flawless. We still find ourselves feeling sorry for people who go to Alaska on the big cruise ships. We loved being on a smaller ship that could go right up to waterfalls, follow the whales, and offer treats like twilight kayaking, We didn't go for the food, but that turned out to be an unexpected bonus - fabulous. The staff was outstanding too. I hope you too get to experience Alaska in this wonderful way."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"The meals were outstanding! The chef was superb and the food was plentiful with wonderful choices. The entire crew staff was excellent as well. Everyone was extremely cheerful and helpful."

Prince William Sound Active Discovery

"The entire trip was outstanding! The crew, staff, and everything was great. And of course the scenery was wonderful. It definitely exceeded our expectations."

Ultimate Expedition

"This trip changed my life!"

Classic Inside Passage

"The staff was outstanding, the itinerary was great (we loved Glacier Bay and Tracey Arm), and the pre-trip information was very helpful - we had a wonderful trip!"

Wilderness Inside Passage Cruise

"The overall trip experience was excellent! The captain was outstanding in putting us in the best places to see glaciers and wildlife, and had a great personality. The vessel itself was outstanding, and for our tastes far superior to one of the floating cities that cruise the area."

Active Inside Passage Cruise

"We enjoyed the remote areas on kayak the most because we left our concerns and world problems behind"

Active Inside Passage Cruise

"What an experience!! I tried to be a stowaway on the next trip. My favorite experience was kayaking with a Humpback whale only 40 feet away. The Sawyer Glacier was awesome. Our meals had excellent presentation, variety and were always delicious. The naturalists were great. They even stayed on deck with just my husband and I in the wind and rain so we could take pictures. AdventureSmith gave us excellent suggestions about tours in Juneau and clothing options. Follow the checklists, they're great."

Prince William Sound Active Discovery

"Julie and I had an absolutely perfect time on the Wilderness Explorer. It simply could not have been better. Crew and naturalist were perfect. Boat was very, very good. Food was excellent. The setup was ideal where we cruised at night (zzzz) and dropped anchor in time to get up for breakfast and go paddle. Here is my favorite picture. I would do it again in a heart beat!"

Denali Backcountry Explorer

"The AdventureSmith preparations were excellent. The packing list was very helpful. We were comfortable, and had less baggage than anybody on our tour. Thank you for a well organized trip!"

Active Inside Passage Cruise

"We enjoyed the remote areas on kayak the most because we left our concerns and world problems behind"

Active Inside Passage Cruise

"The naturalists were great! They stayed on the deck with just my husband and I in the wind and rain so that we could take pictures. We took over 2,500 digital photos and over 7 hours of video!"

Wilderness Inside Passage

"The experience I enjoyed the most was watching my wife smile and enjoy everything. The entire crew was five star!"

Active Inside Passage

"Getting amongst a pod of humpback whales was remarkable for all the obvious reasons. Spending a lot of time off the Dawes glacier watching it calve was great. All the kayaking was wonderful, especially the day at the mouth of the inlet leading to the Dawes where there was a humpback about 0.5 miles away and the day before a little bit up the inlet where we kayaked to w/in 100 yards of an iceberg that cracked! The boat was in beautiful condition. There were enough different places to "hang" between the cabins, the two tables, the pilot house, and the fore and aft decks. The meals were truly outstanding. All four of the staff were excellent -- captain, cook, engineer, and naturalist. In particular, they were very flexible and supportive of the physical and mental needs of my elderly father. Truly we could not have dreamed of a nicer or more professional bunch of people to run our trip."

Active Inside Passage

"This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. People of all ages were able to share in this experience and everyone was amazed at the beautiful land and animals that we saw. I'd urge anyone thinking about going to Alaska to do a small ship cruise so you can see for yourself how amazing this place is up-close and personal. We would definitely recommend AdventureSmith Explorations. All of my questions were handled very efficiently. No question was too silly or difficult for AdventureSmith to follow up on. Overall it made the process of booking this trip extremely easy."

Active Inside Passage

"Our trip was fantastic, and we had a great time! The crew was amazing and the scenery and animal habitat was unbelievable to see. Our cook was an amazing chef! The food could not be faulted. It was like dining in a 5 star restaurant every night. We had a huge variety of food available to us. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. People of all ages were able to share in this experience and everyone was amazed at the beautiful land and animals that we saw. I'd urge anyone thinking about going to Alaska to do a small ship cruise so you can see for yourself how amazing this place is up-close and personal. Thanks AdventureSmith Explorations."

Active Prince William Sound Discovery

"AdventureSmith did a great job preparing us for our trip, although, nothing really prepares you for the mere size & beauty of Alaska! Thank you AdventureSmith, this was a trip of a lifetime."

Alaska Safari Quest

"As for our vessel, excellent doesn't go far enough to describe it. All I have to say about the meals is "gourmet"! The crew was exceptional! My advice to anyone even thinking about this trip is "GO". We had the trip of a lifetime. It was far better than we ever expected"

Alaska Safari Spirit

"You said "we intend to exceed your expectations." You did! It seems as though if we thought of something the crew was aware & it would happen."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"The boat was handled so well! We didn't feel like we were on water. The crew was extremely professional & safe. Our most favorite experiences were, Glacier Bay, Marjorie Glacier, the whales, sea otters, Puffins. It was unlike anything we have ever experienced before."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"AdventureSmith prepared us so well! We used your information & were totally prepared! Thank You so much. Our transportation was awesome, buses were always on time & drivers were on time as well."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"Glacier Bay & The Icy Straits 2-day cruise was outstanding! There were lots of opportunities to see whales, otters, seals, etc., plus bears! Glaciers were awesome. Kantishna Roadhouse stay & the hiking trips were great. We loved the sled dog activity."

Glacier Wonderland and Denali Backcountry Explorer

"Our trip was beyond excellent! Our only disappointment was having to cut the trip short by 50% due to a family emergency. The small vessel cruise was definitely the way to explore the Alaska water regions. All the accommodations were great! Just can't tell you enough how I loved the small ship experience. AdventureSmith did a wonderful job staying on top of our trip plans. I was totally comfortable with the arrangement, and you communicated everything completely. I love you guys & will definitely be recommending you to everyone I come across. As far as transportation went, everything was timed as promised. The delivery of the services met all our expectations."

Glacier Wonderland and Denali Backcountry Explorer

"There were no unenjoyable places or experiences. We were very pleased with the AdventureSmith crew's attention to detail & responses to any questions we had. Thank you so much for organizing a marvelous cruise. My advice to future a traveler, is don't wait to long before you do it- avoid the large cruise liners! I would recommend AdventureSmith to anyone. Thanks again."

Glacier Wonderland

"Our overall trip experience was unbelievable! It was well organized, with a friendly atmosphere, clean rooms & the food was outstanding! Being able to get so close to the glaciers is something that we would have never been able to do in a large cruise ship. It was breathtaking. Our cabin was great & our grandson's room was better than we expected. Megan was incredible, she was very helpful & had a beautiful wake up call voice! Our fellow trip participants were wonderful! Our grandson had a blast with 12 other well behaved teenagers. If I were to give any advice to future travelers, it would be to let them know that they will have a once in a lifetime experience."

Active Inside Passage

"The experiences I loved the most were definitely the GLACIERS! The trip in La Conte was magnificent & beautiful. I enjoyed the whales bubble feeding followed by the researchers visit & Information. Every night the Captain found a safe, flat water harbor. Anne Catherine is a Phenominal! She was friendly& patient w/ endless questions & observations-even teaching us! Eli Bailey was very knowledgeable, patient & his background level of skill & experience led to my total confidence. I never felt fear w/ whales, bears or on the ice. AdventureSmith did an outstanding job for such short notice. We booked 2 weeks before our departure. I made excellent, life-long friends. AdventureSmith well matched our level of interests w/ our other participants."

Denali Backcountry Explorer

"The bus ride to Kantishna was excellent! Our driver Kristy was the best naturalist I've heard in a longtime & drove the bus w/ complete confidence as well."

Kenai & Denali Journey

"All I have to say is WOW!"

Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness

"This trip exceeded our expectations in every aspect! We loved experiencing the Red Bluff Bay, Ford's Terror scenery & Indian Pass w/ all the sea lions. It was amazing seeing wildlife as nature intended, especially the whales. We loved our cozy room, but were on the bow most of the time looking at wildlife. We had fish & seafood every night, the freshness & quality were superb! All of our naturalists & guides shone, especially Dave & Linda- she is the absolute best guide ever! We met some wonderful people. From teenagers to senior citizens- all were a pleasure. No need to bring snacks along, the Seabird fed us quite well! Remember no food in packs (bears). We always wanted to go to Alaska, especially to have the small boat experience- there was more wildlife & physical activities. We intend to recommend this trip to all of our friends & family. AdventureSmith was right on target in suggesting clothes & gear to take- we used everything we took."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"Everything ran smoothly. We loved every segment! The crew, naturalists & guides were fantastic. We didn't know who we were going to be traveling w/ (fellow guests) until we arrived on the ship, all I have to say is that they were great. The advice I would give future travelers is, CALL ADVENTURESMITH. We just loved the adventure & natural beauty."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"We saw so many animals & wildlife, it was astonishing. The ship staff was so fun- Faith Grant was so interesting. We enjoyed hearing about her living. Keith, the local guide, did such an excellent job explaining everything. We just had a grand time."

Glacier Bay Highlights

"Our overall trip experience was amazing, everyone knew their job & did it well. The food was so great. The experience was just so awesome, we can't think of anything negative. The rooms were clean & very comfortable. This adventure is like nothing else, my only recommendations would be, GO ON IT!"

Wilderness Inside Passage Cruise

"Chris was great at answering questions, following up on plans, and sending photos regarding our cruise. This Cruise West trip, booked through Adventuresmith Explorations has to be the best deal going."

Active Inside Passage

"In Alaska I really enjoyed being able to access isolated places, being the only ship moored in a bay, and falling asleep to the sound of whales."

Active Inside Passage

"I can't decide what my favorite experience was; was it the whale watching, bald eagles soaring through the trees, or the glaciers calving into the sea. Their were too many experiences to mention, we loved it all. All crew members were great. The captain, engineer, cook, and naturalist, all made it fun and informative. My contacts at Adventuresmith Explorations were very helpful and available for all of my questions. They were a good group to deal with. Thank you."