How can I reach you guys?

We would love to hear from you! E-Mail us from our contact page, or look there to see our phone and address information.

What kind of Kayaks do you have?

We have wide and stable kayaks perfect for all levels – 3 doubles and 3 singles. We have plenty of life jackets for all sizes along with skirts and dry bags.

What kind of fishing gear do you have? Do I need a license?

We have saltwater gear for both bottom fish and salmon. Additionally we have fly fishing gear for the Alaskan streams and rivers. Although our adventure tours are not always focused on fishing, many guests seem to find time to catch that sometimes elusive halibut or salmon from time to time! You can purchase a fishing license in your arrival port or we can sell you one onboard Sundance. In addition, the Sundance carries all the gear and bait you will need to fish for crab and shrimp.

How "in shape" do I need to be to enjoy my trip?

Sundance vacation cruises are designed for all abilities and activity levels! Do as little or as much as you like. The stairs to the staterooms are narrow and steep so you do need to be able to navigate them. Our oldest guest however was 91 years old and she was able to navigate the stairs just fine and was even able to get in and out of the shore boat.

How do you accommodate guests of varying abilities?

Each cruise has participants of varying abilities so there's usually someone else traveling at your speed. This makes for an optimal arrangement for friends and couples as they can spend the day with similarly fit travelers. Whatever the activity, you're free to go at your own pace, and there is always time to stop and smell the wildflowers.

What will be our itinerary for our trip? What are the highlights of our tours?

We have several itineraries available for you to review. Our itineraries are completely customizable and are in no way set in stone.You simply need to confer with your captain. There are some time constraints to consider but we will accommodate your wishes the best we can. In order to determine the best itinerary for your family or group, we recommend that you counsult with us at 907-723-4491 or email us. Depending on our schedule availability you may be able to exclusively reserve a departure of longer than our regularly scheduled tours. We feel 7 days is the least amount of time that is needed to enjoy and see what SE Alaska has to offer.

Please browse through our sample itineraries pages to get an idea of the activities and highlights our trips offer.

How long will we be active each day?

It's up to you to decide how active you want be each day on your cruise. Our itineraries are customized to your group. Each day you can choose to kayak, hike (depending on bear activity), fish, and explore either using the shore boat or walking along the beach. You can also simply enjoy yourself relaxing on Sundance with your favorite book and taking in the serenity of your surroundings.

How many people will there be on board during a stateroom booking week?
What kinds of people usually come?

The average number is 8 although the maximum number of guests is 12. Each stateroom can sleep up to 3 guests but we base the tours on 2 per room. There is a minimum of 6 guests needed to sail.


Guests that travel with us are usually active and interesting people who come from vastly different walks of life. They live in all corners of the world, work in a variety of occupations and have many different hobbies and interests. More than 80% are between the ages of 30 and 60 but many guests are older (90) and younger travelers (7months) as well. Some have been on small vessel cruises before and some have never been on a cruise. Some are even from Alaska!

We charter to groups of all kinds, families, friends, women groups, men groups, team building, special interest groups and more. We also have some weeks each season that are for individual stateroom bookings for the couple or solo traveler.

Above all our guests have one common interest –they don’t want to be with the herds of travelers on the large cruise ships being crowed into canned tours of 50 to 100. They are adventuresome and want to see the real Alaska in a way that allows them to fully immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the experience. They choose private adventure travel to fulfill this interest, and they choose cruising with us because our Alaska ties and local knowledge allows us to create itineraries that assure them a memorable vacation experience.

Are there trips my whole family or group of friends can enjoy privately?

Yes. The Sundance Cruises are all about chartering exclusively for families or your own group of friends. These trips are great for kids and adults alike. Our activities are designed to cater to varying ages, interests and abilities. Enjoy the luxury of having your own adventure yacht and crew available to you!

If I am traveling alone will you find me a roommate? Can I get a private room?

If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will match you up with another trip-goer.

If you are traveling alone and wish to have private accommodations, you will be asked to pay the private cabin rate. Look at our rates page for more information.

What kind of accommodations can I expect on board?

The Sundance is like a home away from home - very nice and comfortable. The floors are made of recycled fir, and maple walls. The bathrooms are custom tiled and our cedar sauna is made for two.

Sundance has four staterooms below deck each with a large double berth and a single berth over the top. The berths are 7’ long. Each stateroom has a sink, mirror, blow dryer, linens and storage. There is a shared bathroom on the stateroom deck with a full sized shower.

On the main deck is a nice salon with wonderful viewing windows, built-in settees, dining area, card table area, flat screen TV which you can view your digital photos on at the end of the day or movies from your movie camera. We have a DVD/CD stereo that you are welcome to play your favorite music or movies on. There is a nice toilet room and a separate shower/sauna room, yes sauna, on the main deck. The modern galley is all the way aft (in the back) and emits wonderful smells of delicious pies, homemade bread and wonderful hearty meals. Additionally we have a barbeque on the outside deck for grilled salmon and more.

The wheelhouse is the best place to see all the action and has two settees for guests to watch the spectacular scenery and even learn to navigate if they want.

Please take a look at our About the Boat pages for more information and photos of the MV Sundance.

What kind of safety equipment do you have?

Sundance has all USCG safety equipment required by the Coast Guard, certified and inspected annually. This includes a 20 man life raft, the appropriate number of USCG approved life jackets for adults and children and fifteen survival suits. There are fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in each stateroom and throughout Sundance along with carbon monoxide detectors. The Captain has taken all approved safety training classes required to run 400’ passenger ships. Additionally the Captain And crew will thoroughly familiarize you with all safety equipment and demonstrate their use before we depart port on our voyage.

Is smoking allowed on board the Sundance?

No. Smoking is not allowed inside the Sundance, although guests are allowed to smoke outside in a designated area and are expected to be courteous to non-smoking guests and properly dispose of their butts.

Do you have guest references for your trips?

Absolutely! Don't just take our word for it that our trips are a once in a lifetime experience. Visit our Travel Log to see what recent guests have to say about our latest voyages or visit our Info for Travelers page for links to articles written about Alaska Exploration Cruises and the MV Sundance.