Custom Alaska Cruises Reviews

Amazing trip. Crew was outstanding - very knowledgeable, accommodating, and a lot of fun! We saw humpbacks bubble netting, orcas, bears feeding on salmon, seals, sea lions, sea otters, glaciers, everything there was to see and enjoyed every moment! Food was terrific, we even caught and ate fresh halibut and crab. Thank you very much Alaska Uncharted!

We took a family cruise that was unforgettable in large part due to the wonderful crew onboard with us. James and Mindy detailed our trip every day with where we were going, what we could do and just really personalized every moment. Mike was super helpful and fun, making great center pieces for every meal and attentive to needs. Mike also made us a super cool video of our trip that we will cherish. Chef Mark was top notch, every meal(and pre meal) was delicious and unique. Mindy elevated every day with her knowledge of all things land, sea, and animal. She made the trip 100 times better. I can't say enough great things about this once in a lifetime cruise of Alaska, it really is THE only way to experience it. Thank you so much! Curtis and Stephanie Oie

Our family (6 people) took a long-awaited Alaska vacation this summer, with the centerpiece being a 6-day cruise on the Golden Eagle. It was magical. The accommodations, food and attention from the crew were all 5-star quality. Having the boat to ourselves meant it was a private and personalized trip, away from the large ocean liners. Frankly, for most of the trip, we felt like we had the Inside Passage to ourselves. James and Mindy (captain and first mate) were terrific at introducing us to Alaska. We hiked, kayaked, halibut fished, crab-potted, whale-watched and glacier gazed. Some of us even took a polar plunge in 38-degree water! Every day was a new adventure of our choosing, with the highlight being witness to humpback whales "bubble net" feeding. I'd recommend Alaska Unlimited to anyone looking for a small group trip that gets you away from the tourist runs to see the best of Alaska. As one of our kids said ... "the trip of a lifetime".

I contacted Custom Alaskan Cruises inquiring about cruise options and I would love to point out their customer service, above and beyond. Chelsea answered my 1000 questions with ease, made me feel like i was family right from the start. If you are searching for a personal cruise suited to all your wants and desires look no further, this is where you belong.

We’ve just returned from our trip on the Golden Eagle……Thanks to Captain Josh and his crew, we had the best week ever! The tour that the Captain planned for us was fantastic. Our experiences far exceeded our expectations. We were in awe of the beauty of the Alaskan waters and shore lines and the wildlife we experienced was awesome. The crew was always ready to help and share their knowledge of Alaska, the wildlife, plants, etc. They were so accommodating, cordial and professional. Chef Chris prepared 5-star meals. Every dish was a delicious experience, from his homemade pastas to classic sauces to beautiful food presentations to fresh baked breads to just down right great food combinations…….we were in foodie heaven. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Captain Joshua, Lauren, Albert and Chef Chris, we had the most rewarding, relaxing, educational and first-hand experience of the beauty of God’s creation……thanks so much! And thanks to Custom Alaska Cruises for providing a trip like this to us on such an amazing comfortable boat!

We went on this cruise with our family and had an amazing experience. The crew was very attentive and made sure we had the best possible experience. They worked to ensure we saw all the wildlife and views we could want as well as experiences including fishing, hiking, kayaking, and beach fires. Everything was custom to what we enjoyed and wanted to experience. The food was phenomenal and every meal was new a exciting. We loved having a chef onboard to create delicious meal and desserts. Every single staff member we interacted with was friendly, helpful and ensured we had the best possible experience. This was an amazing way to experience Alaska would 10/10 recommend!

We had a terrific time with Custom Alaska Cruises! My wife and I did this trip with our 12 and 18 year old daughters. The trip far exceeded all of our expectations. We hiked, fished, kayaked, observed glaciers, lots of wildlife and more. The crew was a lot of fun to be with and the food was incredible! This was the trip of a lifetime and my entire family fully recommends them.

This was a trip of a lifetime! Chelsea, Keegan and the rest of the crew were wonderful! Something for everyone to do and so flexible...fishing, kayaking, marine mammals, hiking and great food and company. We hope to do this again and we will be recommending this trip to all of our friends!

Amazing trip with Beautiful Scenery!! My dad and I had the opportunity of boarding the MV Sikumi for the week June 11th - June 17th as well as the rarity of being the only passangers on board. This trip was the trip of the lifetime! Beginning with the boat itself, the MV Sikumi was comfortable, well-kept and very homey. The beautiful boat rode smooth on water and allowed us to sleep comfortably without getting seasick. The amazing crew made sure all our needs were covered by providing extra blankets and pillows when requested. Speaking of the crew, We could not have asked for a better crew for our Custom Alaskan Cruise. Kete, our Naturalist never hesitated to answer any of our questions and filled our days with fun facts about Alaska and it's natural foilage. April, the firstmate on board, made sure to include me and my dad every opportunity she could and met all of our needs. Lucas, the captain, allowed us to spend quality time with him in the Wheel house and offered us tours of the engine room as well. John our chef was phenomenal! Every course he prepared was well-balanced, full of flavor, and just overall delectable. While on the cruise, we also had the pleasure of having one of the Owners, Chealsea, aboard the boat for the first voyage as the stewardess. Chealsea, along with the rest of the crew met our every need and expectation making this a trip to never forget. Throughout the week, several different excursion opportunities are available. Some of these include wildlife viewing, fishing, riding in the skiff, collecting glacier ice, hiking and my personal favorite, Kayaking.The MV Sikumi cruise allowed us to see glaciers calve, sea otters play in the water, approach a sea lion rookery and much more all within our own personal kayaks. Another wonderful activity on thr boat is the shrimp and crab potting. You are given the option to set and pull up your own shrimp and crab pots and if you catch anything, the chef will prepare your catch almost immediately after it is brought aboard. All in all, the MV Sikumi and crew offers you a trip and memories that you will cherish forever!

Trip of a Lifetime! 6 STARS! We recently returned from Alaska having booked a cruise with Custom Alaska Cruises. In planning for a inside passsage cruise I did extensive research as I was looking for a small ship experience. I initially started looking at at cruises with less than 100 people until I happened to find a website called Custom Alaska Cruises. I found exactly what I was looking for, a beautiful boat for only 8 passengers that would provide a unique private experience for my family. I was excited to find this gem of a private cruise experience and started reading all the reviews prior to booking and making a financial commitment. First let me tell you that no review can do justice to what we experienced. The trip was better than we ever thought and hoped for. We chartered the Golden Eagle, a magnificent 100ft yacht with 4 large rooms each with its own bath and shower for our family of 8. It all starts with the Captain and Captain Kurt is exceptional! His crew of 4 were outstanding and very well trained. Captain Kurt knew exactly what we wanted to do and see and he planned out each day with activities and private experiences you cannot find anywhere else. Kurt's vast knowledge of the inside passage is exceptional and he knew where to be at the right time to see everything the inside passage has to offer. We saw Glaciers Calving, we kayaked through Ice Bergs while Seals were lounging on them near by. We saw massive Humpback Whales Bubble Feeding and Breaching, Sea Lions in massive proportions as well as kayaking and having them swoop by our kayaks to smell us and check us out. A large pod of Orca's, one with a fin 9ft high out of the water. Majestic Soaring Bald Eagles, Fishing for Halibut and Rock Fish, hooking stream Rainbow Trout and Salmon. Pulling up Crab Pots so full we could not keep them all! Nature and Rain Forest hikes, a beach bonfire, tour of a remote lighthouse. Bears! We watched Bears fishing in streams and saw them tusseling over catches. Words cannot truly describe how much and did everyday. Again all because of Captain Kurt knowing where to be at all times to experience everything. His crew of Nicole, Elaina, Peter and JR were so nice, friendly and knowledgeable we were all best friends by trips end. The food was to die for and is like eating in a 5 Star restaurant everyday. From Crab and Halibut feasts to some great New Orleans creole! I highly recommend Custom Alaska Cruises, the Golden Eagle, Captain Kurt and his crew. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Between our group of 8 we now have over 4000 photos to sort through if that gives you an idea of everything we saw and experienced!

What a great trip!! We were one of the first groups on the Golden Eagle and all had a great time. We were a mixed group from all over the country and we quickly bonded. There was something for everyone including fishing, wildlife viewing, hiking, crabbing, whale watching, area history, gourmet meals, and fantastic attention from the crew. The food was indescribable and I was happy that when I got home I had only gained 8 pounds. Every meal was different and ranged from fresh caught fish and crabs to gourmet pasta, meat, meals with fantastic deserts that none of us could refuse (even though we all knew that we were gaining weight). One of the best advantages of taking a small boat cruise of Alaska is the ability to look at the spectacular wildlife and scenery. We watched glaciers calve for as long as we wanted. The crew even served lunch on the back deck so that we would not miss the big calving. Kurt, the captain, was determined to show us a group of Humpback Whales bubble feeding (a sight that is seen by few people). It was fantastic!!! We hiked to hot springs with the locals. We watched brown bears feeding on grass for quite some time at a close but comfortable distance. I got wildlife pictures of seals, sea lions, brown bears, whales, sea otters, eagles, oyster catchers, and other wildlife that were fantastic and I never felt hurried to leave an area where we were having fun. The Golden Eagle was a fantastic boat that gave us a smooth ride and made us feel like we were on our own luxury yacht. We also had access to a Zodiac that took us hiking, crabbing, and photographing wildlife. Kayaks were available to paddle among the icebergs and watch the seals bask. The crew attended to our every need and provided us with history of the area, naturalist information, etc. The cook was fantastic and his delicacies had everyone lining up for recipes. It was the trip of a lifetime that will be remembered for many years to come.

The family and I had the trip of a lifetime aboard the Golden Eagle. Custom Alaska Cruises kept us busy exploring all that South East Alaska had to offer. The captain and crew made it a fantastic experience. If you want to see Alaska you need to book with these folks!

Nancy and I enjoyed the most incredible cruise we could possible imagine. Our expectations were very high to begin with, but the experience went far beyond anything we expected. First is the preparation the crew did for us, and our group of friends. They read all the descriptions of our expectations and knew what we hoped to do and see. This impacted our schedule and how we spent our time. Kurt, the Captain, never hesitated to explore something we were interested in and we stayed as long as we wanted. Sight seeing, kayaking, wildlife viewing, glacier watching, and fishing were never rushed and we spent all the time we wanted enjoying those activities. We did EVERYTHING we wanted to do during the cruise, plus there were a few surprises! Kurt’s knowledge of the area is superb. Secret fishing spots, sea lion rookeries, hot springs, bear habitat and just beautiful places are all pieces of his knowledge of the area. We can’t imagine a better guide. The crew was always there to make our trip enjoyable. Brett’s attention to detail and ready smile were always there for us. Lucy was always there to make sure if there were anything we needed, she had it in our hands. Ben is an incredible chef (more about the food later). Brody was there to learn and help us as well as bring up the rear of the kayak adventures, making sure we were happy and safe. The quality of the food during the cruise was quite amazing. The seafood was always fresh since we were catching it during the trip. The crab and shrimp pot adventures provided Chef Ben with super fresh ingredients that produced some of the finest meals we have ever enjoyed. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all 5 star meals. We urged Ben to create a cookbook and he was always willing to share his methods, skills and insights if we wanted to know how to create such wonderful meals. We weren’t expecting a chef from New Orleans but Ben has incredible talents for taking Alaska seafood and adding New Orleans cuisine and style to those super quality ingredients. We began considering this as the trip of a lifetime. After about 3 days I decided it wasn’t really the trip of a lifetime because I want to do it again in a few years. So, I guess you can call it the “trips of a lifetime”. Thanks to Chelsea, Keegan, Kurt and the incredible crew for an experience we will talk about the rest of our lives. When we get together with the friends who joined us on this adventure we will always find time to remember these days and the experience.

This was truly the vacation of a lifetime...from the moment we met the crew until we said a tearful goodbye. We always wanted to take a cruise but couldn't get past all the thousands of people. Not only did we avoid the hordes but we got to see places that the big cruise ships can't get into. And we had first class treatment every moment - with gourmet meals every day, and amazing up close bear, whale, sea lion, otter, porpoise, seal.....watching. The trip is over but the memories and the pictures will last a lifetime!

Incredible Alaska cruise company. Keegan and Chelsea provide an amazing experience on-board the MV Sikumi. I would highly recommend to everybody looking for more of an intimate private cruise setting.

This was the trip dreams are made of....beyond words, beyond photos & beyond any expectations that I could have imagined. From the first moment aboard the MV Sikumi, I was excited and elated that this trip was really happening. The crew were amazing and catered to our every whim. They were very knowledgeable, personable and fun. Having never been to Alaska, I was overwhelmed with the incredible beauty, the quiet and the diversity of so many different types of experiences to come. The spectacular humpback whales, surrounding us in the Skiff, trumpeted like elephants as they danced and played in Fredrick Sound. The captain would always let us know if there was something to come and see, such as, bears on the shore, orca, pupping areas for harbor seals, the sea lion rookery and the beauty of the glass like water. Being able to stay and watch the glaciers calving for as long as we wanted and then kayaking up the fiord among the icebergs. The 3000 foot granite walls with waterfalls rushing into the emerald green water. On the hikes, the foliage of the rain forests we so different than the plant life here in Southern California. We hiked to a pristine lake and then to natural hot springs, next to the top of a raging waterfall. The food was excellent and many of the meals included salmon, crab, halibut and shrimp prawns caught from the deck of the Sikumi. Not being much of a seafood lover, there was always a dish made for me, sans seafood, although I loved the halibut, shrimp and even tried the salmon. We were taken care of by the crew who made the cruise very personal and cozy. We had a bonfire on the beach one night, which was a wonderful way to end that day. Overall, there is no possible way to relay how wonderful this trip was for me. It was an adventure that can not be duplicated. I am an avid photographer and took about 2000 photos, and each one triggers one or more of the 5 senses. If you want to experience a cruise with no ports-of-call except for the shore....if you want to interact with whales, bears, sea mammals, eagles, the waters and the unique land...this is the perfect way to explore Alaska. It truly was the trip of a life time....and more.

Our trip aboard the Sikumi was a 10 out of 10! We can't think of anything that would have made it better. The captain took us to beautiful and remote areas that the big ships will never see. The wildlife was non-stop from whales breaching, seals with their pups, eagles, porpoises and bears. The fishing was so much fun. We never imagined we'd get to set crab and shrimp pots in addition to the salmon and halibut fishing. The 205lb halibut was pretty exciting! Plus the dinners prepared with our catch every night were amazing. The kayaking around the icebergs was something we'll never forget. The crew was exceptional! Everyone worked their hardest to make sure every guest was enjoying themselves and having a trip of a lifetime. And we all did! We hope to be able to enjoy a trip aboard the Sikumi again.

We appreciate the superb level of support and comraderie received from the crew. Matched with Kurt's exacting attention to every detail, and made into a smooth flow by Mike, Sarah, Scott and Ashlee, we enjoyed every moment of our stay aboard the MV Sikumi. We felt it was a first-hand experience; not only catching the fish on that wonderful daylong fishing portion, but then to have a fine dinner served so admirably by Sarah and the staff. We did opt to have some of the catch sent home to us and even managed to stow it all in our freezer. Imagine our pleasure to prepare a meal with the same catch here at home. Now there's a unique souveneir of our trip to Alaska we have never had before! Now playing catch up with the hundreds of photos taken personally, complimented by the CD Ashlee burned for us from the group's offerings, we remain both grateful and pleased we reserved a valued place aboard the MV Sikumi. Would we do it again? Absolutely! Would we recommend and invite others to experience the same? Yes. Every step along the way we were taken care of. Regards and Cheers, Joe and Nalini Karp Walnut Creek, CA

The Sikumi is awesome, my wife and I feel fortunate to have cruised on it more than a few times. You are in total comfort and luxury on the boat. But you are in the middle of the Alaska wilderness most of the time. Surrounded by Glaciers, Icebergs, Whales, Bears and all sorts of things. Recommend to all, a trip on the Sikumi really is the trip of a lifetime.