Baranof Dream

This expedition vessel promises expansive wilderness views and quiet quarters with comfortable beds and large windows that open for fresh air. Extra pillows and blankets are available by request. Each stateroom’s information binder contains important cruise protocol, ship details, and a Cruise Map & Field Guide that guests can keep to record their journey.

There are 25 passenger staterooms, and five different room configurations ranging from 109 square feet to 210 square feet.  All have picture windows, private bathrooms with showers, nightstands, and a wardrobe/closet. The sink is in the cabin’s living area.

There is plenty of storage for luggage, foot ware, and camera gear under the beds. Lots of wall hooks, and there are some drawers in the large nightstand. A small wardrobe/closet holds the life jackets and rain gear provided by the cruise line. The number of 110-volt outlets is sufficient, but sometimes located in unexpected places such as the ceiling and bed posts. Each stateroom’s speaker volume can be adjusted.

Staterooms’ bathrooms are like a nice RVs bathroom–the marine toilet and shower share the encapsulated space. Water pressure is strong, and heats up quickly. New linens are plush. The shampoo, conditioner, and soap are Alaskan-made bath products. Hair dryer provided. Bathroom sink water is potable.

Camraderie developed among crew and passengers is reflected in the security approach onboard. There are no cabin safes. The staterooms are keyless (although you can lock them from the inside). Generally speaking, guests feel comfortable leaving camera equipment and devices in view. A blue nautical knot hangs outside each stateroom’s exterior door. Bring it inside, and housekeeping knows you would like your room cleaned. Sleeping hours are typically 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. There are no guest laundry facilities or laundry service onboard. 

There are no elevators on board. Guests must be able to climb the marine vessel’s steep stairs and walk on inclined ramps to/from the ship and land. Rocky shorelines can be sloped. Forest paths are both boardwalks and dirt trails sometimes strewn with exposed roots. Helpful deck crew assists guests entering and exiting the skiff and kayaks.

The ship’s physical configuration and active itinerary require that passengers are able to walk and climb stairs with ease. Therefore, this cruise is not the best choice for people with limited mobility. 

The cruise line prides itself on creating onboard menus based on Alaskan-made and locally sourced fish and foods such as sea salt, kelp salsa, game meats, and seasonal berries. When in port, the ship’s chef purchases fresh fish from the area’s fishermen and food purveyors. The culinary staff prepares tasty meals to satisfy guests’ medical dietary needs.

Guests gather for meals in the dining room. There are no set seat assignments. Times during the day when meals, snacks, and cocktail hour appetizers are served can vary slightly based on the day’s excursions. All serving hours are noted in the daily schedule posted in the lounge, and announced over the ship’s loud speaker. The popular cookie hour is always late afternoon. An early riser’s continental breakfast is offered daily from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. It’s set up in the lounge, as is the 24-hour self-serve coffee bar stocked with locally roasted coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and hot cider.

Full breakfast and lunch are buffet-style. Eggs, breakfast wraps, pancakes, French toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, and cereals are standard morning fare. Lunch is usually assorted sandwiches, sometimes fish or meat burgers, always a hearty soup like chili or bisque, green salad, and cake or pie for dessert.

Dinner is white tablecloth service. Guests have choices within the five-course menu. During my Baranof Dream cruise, the soup and salad courses featured assorted fish chowders and broths, then fresh greens, ramen noodle, seaweed, and apple salads. There are four entrées to choose from every night.  The meat or fish entrée changes daily. Chicken breast and salmon are always on the menu. Roasted halibut, lamb chops, black cod, maple glazed pork loin, venison pappardelle pasta, and shrimp scampi are standout entrees.  Desserts include ice creams, cakes, and an artisan cheese plate. Guests received one complimentary alcoholic beverage in the evening either at the bar during cocktail hour or during dinner. Additional alcohol purchases are added to each guest’s stateroom account which is settled prior to disembarkation at the cruise’s final port.

The Baranof Dream hosts an off-ship, delicious dinner on Colt Island at the Allen Marine private day lodge (junior cruisers love the marine animals touch tank). Piled high plates of steamed crab, baked salmon, prime rib, and s’mores around the campfire make for a memorable evening.

A table in the dining room doubles as a gift shop. Guests can purchase the displayed Alaskan-made products including foods served on board such as smoked salmon, spruce tip jelly and kelp salsa; photographic coffee books and children’s books; and hand-crafted soaps, balms, and scarves. 

The lounge’s bar serves a good choice of call brand spirits, beers, wines and non-alcoholic beverages. California, Washington, and Oregon wines poured. A variable selection of Alaskan brand liquors and beers include Juneau-based Amalga Distillery’s spirits and draft beers from Sitka’s Harbor Mountain Brewing Company. On a designated evening, cocktails are made with chunks of glacial ice that the crew harvests from frigid Alaskan waters.

Cocktail hours on the Baranof Dream are like fun, basic house parties. You come for the company, and enjoy a drink. The lounge fills with laughter as cruisers gather around the intimate bar to share their days’ adventures and photos. Baranof Dream cruisers tend to be independent, well-traveled people curious about the world; therefore, lively conversation often revolves around travel. Guests share tales of past trips, travel recommendations, and their wanderlust wish lists. Cocktailing cruisers play cards. Kid cruisers hang out too playing their own games. Complimentary hot and cold hors d’oeuvres change daily. The bartender is adept at both crafting cocktails and starting inclusive conversation among guests. On a designated evening, she makes cocktails with chunks of glacial ice that the crew harvests from frigid Alaskan waters.  The bar is open after dinner for nightcaps.

The Baranof Dream’s bar serves a good choice of call brand spirits, beers, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages. California, Washington, and Oregon wines poured. A variable selection of Alaskan brand liquors and beers include Juneau-based Amalga Distillery’s spirits and draft beers from Sitka’s Harbor Mountain Brewing Company. Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary. During dinner service, guests receive a complimentary glass of house wine or Alaskan beer. Additional alcohol purchases are added to each guest’s stateroom account which is settled prior to disembarkation at the cruise’s final port. For Deluxe Suite and Deluxe Stateroom bookings, it’s all-inclusive alcohol.

Alaska’s raw, natural beauty and wildlife provide non-stop entertainment. Like the weather, wildlife viewing is influenced by when you cruise during Southeast Alaska’s cruise season. Depending on weather, location and availability, optional shore excursions such as a Stikine River speed boat excursion in Wrangell may be offered for an additional fee.

During our Baranof Dream cruise in mid-August, we saw Bald Eagles, humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters, seals, mountain goats, puffins, Sitka black-tailed deer, and multiple sea birds. While kayaking in calm inlets’ clear shoreline waters, we saw colorful starfish clinging to rocks. Seals popped up from the depths. Black and brown bears thrive in the wilderness areas we cruised. But we did not spot any. When expedition cruising in the wilderness, wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Generally speaking, Alaskan Dream Cruises guests are like-minded in that they prefer active small ship cruising from the get go. They find fun getting to know one another talking about the day’s adventures over meals and while relaxing in the lounge and on the sun deck.

The main deck’s lounge and its bar are the hub of social and enrichment activities. Board games, card games, informative books, and field guides on Alaska’s history and biodiversity fill the lounge’s library’s shelves. Illustrated children’s books by Alaska Native authors and Junior Park Ranger activities workbooks interest some kid cruisers. While there is no photo service for hire onboard, crew takes photos and compiles them in a slideshow available for purchase.

Several evenings during the cruise, the expedition leader and a lead naturalist host informative nature, wildlife, and cultural presentations. A guest favorite is the Q&A with a panel of crew members discussing ship operations and crew onboard life. Fun and friendly competitive enrichment programs including a guest team trivia night, word scramble contest, and scavenger hunt build passenger comradery and enhance guests’ understanding of all things Alaska from wildlife and geography to Native American culture and Alaska historical events.

There is no spa or fitness center onboard. An expedition vessel built to cruise in some pretty significant wilderness and intense weather conditions, there simply isn’t much spare room on the ship for facilities that are standard on more mainstream ships.

Fortunately, for those craving some heart-pumping activities, most cruise days’ outdoor activities, such as kayaking, paddleboarding, and hiking, provide passengers with ample opportunities to work up a sweat.