Alaskan Dream Cruises

Chilkoot, so glad you had great weather as we did. I totally agree with your assessment. We enjoyed the cultural experiences, but, too many...too much. Kake has been added since our trip. We would have liked more cruising/exploring. They have a way to go to equal Cruise West in total experience.

I have enjoyed reading the experiences of others on this new line

We are going the end of August and was wondering about the dress on board. Is it all casual? Did you take a coat or is a sweater enough?

thanks;)

A sweater plus a raincoat with a hood. Layers. August can be rainy and cool. Can also be hot and sunny. Be prepared. Kind of difficult with baggage limitations.

The weather was very nice and we actually had a few 70+ days. Even though the sun was out it was still cool in front of Sawyer Glacier although we were in shirt sleeves while in front of Margerie Glacier. There are times that you slowly motor along while whale watching and the best viewing spots are out on deck. It can get quite cold with the wind whipping by.

Although we were over a mile away while on the Zegos in Hobart Bay, there were several whales that were breaching over and over again. We lost count at 25 breaches. Simply amazing.

Please post when you return. Would love to hear how your experience was.

we just returned from the Alaska Dream. It was a fantastic trip with a wonderful crew and about 28 of the best passengers. The ship and the staff are top notch.

We enjoyed all of the stops and especially with ATV's and z-boats. The flood was super

We were concerned about "Irene" targeting our town and the Captain kept us informed about the unwanted visitor to Virginia thank you Captain

I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants a great experience in Alaska with seeing many many bears and whales.

We are booked on the Admiralty Dream for the 8-Day Alaska’s Glacier Bay & Island Adventure (june 2, 2012). i was delighted to find out there is a 15% early booking sale going on (ends January 31st), and it was applied to our invoice.

i believe the discount may vary based on cruise dates and itinerary, but if you're on the fence about booking, you may want to contact the cruise line and see if the savings is enough to get you to committ.

Discounts rarely happen on the small ships. There might be a few dates with an air promotion. Or like American Safari on one of their ships is offering a pre night in Juneau. The small ships try to have an added offer and try not to ever discount. The ships fill up 100%, they don't have to discount.

I've seen EXACTLY the same post as the one from "CaribSnorkler" under 2 different names in 2 other places - exactly the same, word for word. Makes me wonder if it's a legitimate review. I don't doubt that it's a great small cruise line, but this seems fishy.

I've seen EXACTLY the same post as the one from "CaribSnorkler" under 2 different names in 2 other places - exactly the same, word for word. Makes me wonder if it's a legitimate review. I don't doubt that it's a great small cruise line, but this seems fishy.

which post - there are several?

were the 2 other places within cruise critic, or other review websites? i dont use the same name on every website. and if i wanted to post a review on several sites, i might do a cut & paste to avoid the typing.

update:

i'll answer my own questions:

its the long 'review', and its also on cruisereview & tripadvisor sites. mike/caribmike (retired & 72) has multiple posts on those sites, one of which explains this professional looking review:

Thanks for the "well-written brochure" comment. It's nice that all the technical writing I did during my computer career has carried over to retirement,

Yes, Alaskan Dream is a "new" cruise line, but the Allen Marine experience seems to be getting them off to a great start.

i'm going with this being a legit review by someone who had a marvelous time and is good at putting the experience into words (something i do not do well).

The ships fill up 100%, they don't have to discount.

We were on American Safari in Alaska in 2010 and with Alaskan Dream in 2011. Neither was full. The competition is increasing this year with the addition of American Cruise Lines entering the Alaska market which may bode well for some future discounts.

I've seen EXACTLY the same post as the one from "CaribSnorkler" under 2 different names in 2 other places - exactly the same, word for word. Makes me wonder if it's a legitimate review. I don't doubt that it's a great small cruise line, but this seems fishy.

I questioned it too although looking at his other posts, on other sites, believe it to be a good post. Appears he had a wonderful time on his only cruise.

We were on American Safari in Alaska in 2010 and with Alaskan Dream in 2011. Neither was full. The competition is increasing this year with the addition of American Cruise Lines entering the Alaska market which may bode well for some future discounts.

the 15% discount is real - it was applied to our booking. we saved more than enough to pay for our flightseeing excursion later in our vacation. so now the flightseeing doesnt seem like such an extravagant splurge.

the discount is not on every cruise, mostly the shoulder seasons. contact Alaskan Dreasm Cruises to find out more.

-- it expires on tuesday Jan 31st (2012) --

We were on American Safari in Alaska in 2010 and with Alaskan Dream in 2011. Neither was full. The competition is increasing this year with the addition of American Cruise Lines entering the Alaska market which may bode well for some future discounts.

 

 

I questioned it too although looking at his other posts, on other sites, believe it to be a good post. Appears he had a wonderful time on his only cruise.

My wife and I travelled on the Alaskan Dream in August - the review seems accurate to me. Kake in August had several black bears along the salmon stream.

Our thoughts on the cruise? would love to go again.

We just reserved for the June 16 8-day tour - our first ever cruise. The discounts ranged from 15-30%, depending on the choice of room, and I was told the deadline was Feb. 10. So if you are seriously considering it.....hurry! I had a couple of nice phone calls with Thomas, who sent me pictures of several of the cabins. They will also make hotel reservations for you.....they reserve blocks of rooms at the Westmark and the Totem Pole, and have a bit of a discount.

I'm very much looking forward to this, and will report back when I'm home. Thanks to everyone here for great information.

We were passenger on the 3rd cruise of the 2011 season (their first) and I was sent an e-mail offering up to 35% off selected dates and cabins...good until Feb. 20, 2012. I have noit been able to determine the specifics. The e-mail also said that capacity on the Admiralty Dream has been reduced from 78 to 66. A very good thing. and, the forward lounge has been updated. The cruise offerings and itineraries are greatly changed from the initial season. I think they have been very responsive to the comments made by the first cruisers.

I am booked on the 10-day Alaskan Dream this year on 20 July from Sitka to Ketchikan. I got a 30 percent discount. My previous cruises were with Innersea Discoveries in 2011, and the defunct CruiseWest in 2005 and 2006 (I sure miss them). This cruise looks great and I am also looking forward to extra days on both ends. Not sure what the deal is with discounts, I got an email from my travel agent with the offer.

We are booked on the Admiralty Dream for the 8-Day Alaska’s Glacier Bay & Island Adventure (june 2, 2012). i was delighted to find out there is a 15% early booking sale going on (ends January 31st), and it was applied to our invoice.

i believe the discount may vary based on cruise dates and itinerary, but if you're on the fence about booking, you may want to contact the cruise line and see if the savings is enough to get you to committ.

To seeitallb4udie - we are also booked on the 6/2 Admiralty Dream. Hope to meet you.

can't wait after reading these comments. Thanks for posting! This will be the smallest ship we have ever sailed. Anyone else going on this one?

JulieBen, yes, my husband (Peter) and I (Janet), plus our 24 year old son (Chris), will be going on the 16th. I look forward to meeting you!

Please keep us updated regarding your trip!

Julie and Howard

We were on her when she was owned by another company. She is a great little ship.

DON

Janet,

Where are you staying when you arrive in Sitka? Are you coming in a day early? We're at the Totem Square Inn. We plan to go Salmon Fishing the day before we leave on the cruise.

Dear Hmh1949,

Thank you for posting your most thoughtful and detailed trip review. Now we are more excited than before just reading it! I'm assuming everything is casual on this trip, please let me know if that is incorrect. They told me at the office that "dinner clothes are the same as the day clothing."

Julie

Hi, Julie

We wore jeans, flannel shirts or sweaters, and sneakers, every day and all day on the boat. Everything is very casual. Don't overpack! Think layers and good light raingear, including waterproof pants, in case it rains (it will most likely rain) and you want to go on a hike or explore a town. However, they do provide rainwear and boots if you don't have them, and these will do the job, too.

Have a terrific time!

Harold

Julie, we are also staying at the Totem Pole, but are getting there the day before the cruise. Looking forward to meeting you, and to the cruise. Thanks so much, Harold, for posting such a great recap. This is going to be GREAT.

hmh1949:

Thanks for your wonderful & thorough review. Even though we going on a different cruise & ship - 8 day Glacer Bay on the Admiralty Dream - your review gives a good flavor of what we can expect. I'm so excited about our 6/2 trip.

We're sailing on the June 16th Admiralty Dream, too. Looking forward to meeting you!! This will be my 5th trip to Alaska and 3rd on a cruise. 2010 Cruise West Spirit of Yorktown and 2011 Oceania Regatta. I am really excited. I have a deep love for this beautiful piece of heaven. See you onboard.

Vickie Bennett

I would differ with HMH 1949's assessment about children. We took our 9 yr old grandaughter on a Cruise West 8 day cruise. Last year we took our 2 11 yr old grandsons on the Admiralty Dream, the 3rd cruise out for the new Alaskan Dream Cruises. We ALL enjoyed it thoroughly. The children were never bored. They were well-behaved and interacted with other passengers. They were interested, engaged and shared the excitement of the sightings. They took lots of good pictures and loved to share them. Our other grandchildren are anxiously waiting for their turn to see Alaska. all children are not dependent on electronics and all children are not nuisances.