Our cruise was with a company called Alaskan Dream. It is Alaskan owned by a family in Sitka that also conveniently owns a unique lodge called Orca Point. They have decided to incorporate a stop at this lodge on their Alaska cruises, and I believe that is the absolute correct decision! It was one of the highlights of our trip! Not only is it nice to have a landing to break up time on the ship, but it is simply "Alaskan". When you think of The Last Frontier, visions come to mind of being in a remote cabin surrounded by trees and wildlife. This gives guests a taste of that wild experience, but with an easy catamaran ride to shore from a luxury cruise ship.
There is a tide pool exhibit where you can look at starfish, anemone, sea urchins, and more up close. Better yet, walk along the lodge's beach where you will find piles of mussels, scurrying crabs, bladder kelp, and more! Don't forget to peel your eyes from the wildlife-rich ground every so often. You might miss the playful porpoises jumping out of the water and the numerous bald eagles soaring above your head. It's truly amazing to have so much life LITERALLY all around you, under you, and above you!
But that's not all, folks! You get to have dinner at Orca Point Lodge. And not just any dinner...KING CRAB LEGS, PRIME RIB, COHO SALMON...not to mention homemade bread, a colorfully fresh salad, roasted root vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, among other things I could not fit on my plate nor in my belly. I'm still daydreaming about those sweet, buttery King Crab legs. I would say it's because I have lived in land-locked states my entire life, but even the local Alaskans were claiming these "THE BEST King Crab" they had ever tasted. And I think just being an Alaskan makes you an expert in all things crab by default.
Your lovely evening at the lodge slowly concludes with a huge bonfire and s'mores. (Jordan was quickly recognized by his passion for constructing and roasting the "perfect s'more". I guess the intensity of his eyes and sudden silence gave it away pretty quickly.) It's the perfect time to get to know your fellow passengers a little better, breathe in the freshest of salty air, and experience time slowing down while gazing mesmerized into a glowing fire.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner