Experiencing the Inside Passage of Alaska really is a bucket list travel adventure for many people, and even though we’ve done it several times, we keep it on our list because it’s such a beautiful, exceptional destination. It’s so amazing because the Tongass National Forest covers nearly all of what you can explore and see when you’re cruising through Southeast Alaska, and the Boat Company has made it their mission to save this incredible place through their non-profit actions and awareness. Yes, the Boat Company is actually a non-profit sailing experience when the money you’re paying is directly doing good in Southeast Alaska. I didn’t understand this fully until we got to sail with the Boat Company and now I get to share just what this means.
With weekly sailings between Sitka and Juneau, the Boat Company offers a unique take on the Inside Passage cruise, being an expedition rather than a luxury cruise. Yes, it’s all inclusive and full service like you would expect, but it’s so much more. After spending a week onboard the Mist Cove, one of the Boat Company’s ships, we got to learn about the Tongass National Forest daily, watch wildlife everywhere we went, get up close with a glacier and enjoy top-notch dining and a community spirit. We’ve got the full scoop on what you can experience sailing with the Boat Company and how they fight for the environment in Southeast Alaska through their non-profit work. If you have any questions about either the experience sailing on the Mist Cove or the specifics about how the Boat Company operates, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a wonderful, meaningful trip to Alaska!
The Boat Company Alaska Review
I wanted to share my review of the Boat Company in terms of what makes this a different small ship sailing than the other options in Southeast Alaska. There are several companies that offer this sort of smaller boat to explore the Inside Passage, and they all do it through the lens of conservation and expedition, but the Boat Company has two big factors that I see as really setting them apart from other small ship cruise operators: non-profit action and fishing.
I know that may seem odd to talk about being a non-profit and also a wonderful option for being able to fish, but it will all make sense as we go. To say that the Boat Company experience is just another cruise to do in Southeast Alaska is not accurate. We’ve experienced all sorts of travel here from bigger ships to doing the Inside Passage on our own, and each trip is unique, but what made our week with the Boat Company so different was how in every activity we did, in each conversation with our guides everything came back to the surrounding ecosystem of the Tongass National Forest. When you build a company and a complete experience around teaching people the value of the natural world and how it all works together, it makes for an engaging and impactful trip.
As somebody who’s lived and worked in Alaska, has traveled extensively in both Southeast AK and the rest of the state, I can say that our week with the Boat Company crew of the Mist Cove was unlike any other travel experience we’ve had. The onboard naturalist and expedition leader really believe in both the work they do and the guest experience, which shapes the overall influence the trip has on its guests.
What Is The Boat Company and How Is It Different
Of course the scenery and the wildlife is amazing when you’re sailing through Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest; that’s a given. To highlight what makes the Boat Company experience so different we have to dig into the non-profit side of the company and what experiences are a part of sailing with them.
Being a Non-profit Cruise Experience
Over the last 40+ years there have been repeated attacks on the Tongass, which covers nearly all of Southeast Alaska and into Canada. This means logging and development on land which then impacts that sea, and in turn the communities reliant on the waters of the Inside Passage for their livelihood.
Between researching and actually getting to talk to the leader of the Boat Company, Hunter McIntosh, I learned so much about when the non-profit does. From championing legal battles to stop logging in the Tongass National Forest to contributing to local conservation and tourism projects, the Boat Company reinvests into the land where it operates, continually improving the communities and preserving the natural environment for the future.
If you’ve been on a big ship cruise or talked to locals in Alaska about what the cruise industry means to their communities, it’s a mixed bag of responses. Some people love the tourism dollars pouring into their towns and others understand the strain that 20K new visitors a day can put on resources, not to mention the ships that have been caught dumping their sewage in the waterways and ports. The Boat Company is very small and gently visits the towns it ports in and leaves no trace in the coves it visits. This gentle approach paired with putting money and action back into the Tongass National Forest make the Boat Company truly unique among cruise operators in Southeast Alaska.
The BEST Fishing Cruise
The other big element that sets the Boat Company apart from others is the option to fish. Other small ship sailings have activities like kayaking and hiking, which are available with the Boat Company as well, but the many opportunities to fish are something very unique. And it’s not just fishing, but when it’s available, shrimping and crabbing are even options. Here are all the fishing options you can choose from when you do a sailing with the Boat Company:
- Saltwater fishing from a skiff (halibut, rockfish, cod, salmon…)
- Saltwater fishing from the big boat (rockfish, salmon…)
- Flyfishing on land (trout, steelhead, salmon…)
- Crabbing (dropping pots overnight)
- Shrimping (dropping pots overnight)
The guides are avid fishermen (fisherpeople) and they know their stuff when it comes to regulations and techniques. They exercise proper conservation methods, including sinking fish like rockfish that tend to float after they come to the surface. For species that look similar to other types of fish, only fish that are 100% identified and within season and region are kept. They’re very strict about following every legal and conservation guideline.
And now here’s the best part about fishing with the Boat Company: they make it EASY to enjoy every part of it. They get you registered with Alaska Dept of Fish and Wildlife (fishing licenses), they take care of all the gear and bait, they report catches, and the best part is that they clean and vacuum pack the fish for you! They have the equipment onboard to be able to pack and flash-freeze your catch, and then upon departure they freezer-box it for you to bring home. And it’s all included when you sail with them. The Boat Company is very unique in this offering.
What Is the Experience Like Onboard The Boat Company
Most people I talk to about Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage are familiar with what it’s like to go from port to port on a large cruise ship, and they don’t really understand the travel style of small ship sailing that doesn’t visit port towns like Ketchikan or Haines. Instead of disembarking in a small town, shopping and eating crab legs, cruising with the Boat Company is dropping anchor in a calm, undeveloped harbor and then going ashore via skiff or kayaking through the rocky coves. Instead of cute towns and fudge shops, it’s watching bears walking on the beach and dining in the fantail of the ship. You can see it’s a completely different way to experience Southeast Alaska.
Cabins on the Mist Cove
The accommodations on the Mist Cove are very nice, but simple and functional. The rooms are designed for comfort rather than excessive luxury. The Boat Company cabins have limited space with basic furnishings and practical layouts as the focus of the trip is time spent off the ship exploring Alaska.
We enjoyed our cabin with a queen bed and a twin above and found it to be plenty of space to relax as well as full unpack into the armoir and drawers, and then be able to have our luggage out of the way. The bathroom in our Boat Company cabin was also a good size, larger than other small ship sailing bathrooms we’ve had (both in Alaska and sailing in Croatia). It was well maintained and stocked with Aveda products. As far as what you could hope for on an expedition cruise, the Mist Cove met and surpassed all of our expectations.
And of course every night’s sleep on a boat is great with the gentle rocking, but the memory foam beds also added to the comfort. Servicing the cabins happens daily when you’re out and about enjoying the Tongass National Forest or fishing, and it’s always perfect and non-intrusive.
Food and Dining with the Boat Company
Many people think about the food and all the dining options when they talk about doing a cruise, and I think what makes the Boat Company and small ship sailing experience so different from the big boats is that the meals are either plated or home-style, and always freshly prepared from scratch. The menu often includes local seafood (maybe even caught during the trip) and regional ingredients. And there are always Alaska food products and condiments available.
Dining is communal, which means guests eat together in the fantail of the ship and the atmosphere is social rather than formal. There is no fancy night and you’ll likely be wearing whatever is most comfortable and warm rather than dressing to impress. I liked that for each meal we were able to choose who we sat next to, and when I didn’t feel like being social, my husband could just do all the talking while I looked out at the water.
Something I appreciated as a person with tons of food allergies is how thoughtful the kitchen and stewards were. I was able to provide all my dietary restrictions in advance and once we were onboard I met with the crew to review everything. Each meal they made sure I didn’t have anything plated for me that I couldn’t eat, even making me alternative meals at times. This sort of attention to detail made sure I had a pleasant and SAFE trip.
Daily Activities Onboard Boat Company SE Alaska
Being on an expedition boat with the Boat Company is so wildly different than being on a major cruise when it comes to your daily activities. The excursions are exciting and always in small groups. Here are the main activities offered throughout the week, and everything is always location dependent (and sometimes weather too):
- Kayaking – can be guided or on your own
- Hiking – sometimes on established trails and sometimes it’s bushwhacking
- Fishing – it can be saltwater fishing from a skiff, fly fishing onshore, or spincasting from the big boat; sometimes crabbing and shrimping are options too
- Skiff tours – I think of these as mini water safaris
Each afternoon or evening the guest services / expedition director will talk with everyone at mealtime to share a bit about where the boat is heading and the types of activities available there. The crew is really good about choosing recommended activities based on the weather patterns, what wildlife has been doing and what fish species are open.
Because there are usually two big activities each day, you can have multiple adventures to vary your activity level and feed all of your interests. One of my favorite days sailing with the Boat Company was when we had an incredible morning of saltwater fishing and then a mystery activity in the afternoon. The mystery ended up being a hike to a half frozen lake for a polar plunge and then a dip into the Baranof Warm Springs. It was a full day of fun and it was all beautiful. The other side of the coin is that if you just want to stay onboard and read or lay out on the top deck, watching for birds and whales, that’s fine too and nobody will hassle you about it.
Wildlife Viewing with the Boat Company
A major part of the experience doing a small ship sailing in Southeast Alaska is spotting wildlife in natural habitats, up closer than you get when you’re on a cruise ship. Each day when you’re sailing the Inside Passage or around Baranof Island we’d see whales, sea otters, seals, bald eagles, and even bears, depending on location. There are times set aside during the travel between Sitka and Juneau where the captain will trawl about where he knows the whales are most active. I love doing this! And the humpback whales tend to be pretty curious and come very close.
With daily activities usually using the skiffs to explore, these small boats are able to navigate some of the smaller coves and channels that you would never get to see from a big boat. And this where the wildlife can get surprising. Whether it’s your skiff captain drifting downcurrent from a pod of orcas (they cannot legally approach them) or if you’re being shown a sea cave covered in sea stars, the wildlife watching is unique and flexible based on what the creatures in the area are doing. And you may see a raft of sea otters at any given moment, so keep your eyes peeled!
We really lucked out during our trip with the Boat Company because it was early in the season and the bears were just coming out. We had one morning where we got to watch a mama black bear and three cubs from our skiff, and then as the day went on we saw five brown bears from the big boat, and ended with another black bear walking the shoreline of the cove we called home for the night. The wildlife opportunities from a small ship are just remarkable.
Atmosphere Onboard the Boat Company
When you’re decided to do a small ship sailing that’s very much expedition-focused, you know you’ll be with like-minded people. We discovered this sailing with UnCruise in Hawaii and in Southeast Alaska, and it is very much the same with people who pick the Boat Company for their adventure. The overall feel is quiet, educational, and nature-focused with a lot of conversation around conservation. My vibes, 100%.. There are no casinos, shows, or nightlife onboard, so downtime is usually spent relaxing, socializing, or learning from the naturalists.
There is plenty of space to relax beyond your cabin, so whether you’re in the mood to hang out in the Bridge and chat with the captain or if you want to quietly read in the salon (living room), you have freedom to explore the ship and find your place. It is very lowkey.
How Much Does The Boat Company Alaska Cruise Cost
The first question we get when we talk about trips to Alaska, and in this specific case, is how much does it cost to sail with the Boat Company. Yes, this is a premium experience at a premium price, but also what you get is remarkable. Before I say the cost of sailing with the Boat Company, let me preface it by saying that it is truly all-inclusive, and that includes all of the fishing trips and processing, which is one of the most expensive things to do in Alaska. If you break down the total costs of planning a mega-ship cruise and then add on all the activities you want to do you’ll see that a small ship sailing is actually an exceptional value.
To show the costs of doing a Southeast Alaska cruise with the Boat Company in comparison to a major cruise line and a smaller luxury cruise line, I made a table with the Double Occupancy $8,250 to $12,250 (per person) and compared with like sailing dates of three other Inside Passage sailing options. **Prices are based on 2026 sailing itineraries
| Base Fare | Fishing x4 | Wildlife Tour x2 | Guided Hike | Kayaking x2 | Zodiac | Glacier Trip | Drink Package | Total | |
| Cruise Ship (standard) | 3000 | 2000 | 500 | 250 | 450 | 260 | 300 | 600 | 7360 |
| Crusie Ship Lux | 5200 | 2000 | 500 | 250 | 450 | 260 | 300 | 0 | 8960 |
| NatGeo (base) | 15737 | x | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15737 |
| Boat Co | 8250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8250 |
| Boat Co (peak) | 12250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12250 |
At the end of the day, if you’re coming to Alaska to do a cruise through the Inside Passage, you’re either planning a big boat to visit cruise ports or you’re planning on an expedition. The two experiences aren’t very similar except in location. It boils down to the price-point of being 1 of 3500 passengers or 1 of 24 passengers, and just what that means for your day to day experience onboard and during your excursions.
Pros of The Boat Company Alaska
I love making lists after we do a trip, from what our activities were to all the things we enjoyed about the actual experience. As we departed the Mist Cove to come home, we talked about the pros of spending a week in the Inside Passage with the Boat Company and were able to pinpoint what made it so exceptional for us.
Intimate experience
I’m not one to want to hang out with people every day, but if I have to I’m happy to do it on a beautiful ship with like-minded travelers. Spending a week visiting different islands and kayaking through quiet waterways is a great way to recharge your mind, and we found that this sort of travel experience helped us feel comfortable with our fellow shipmates. Being in nature with individuals and couples who see the same pristine world and want to embrace it, and going fishing with people that are just as in awe of the beautiful fish you can’t keep as the regulation ones you get to take home, it really allows you to connect with others onboard.
While the dining setup of community meals made me nervous at first, after getting to spend time with other passengers and find the people we really gelled with made our trip extra special. The intimate experience of the Boat Company meant that we also got to spend time with several crew members repeatedly and that made each adventure more fun. Jess, our expedition leader, was such a great spokesperson for the Tongass National Forest and made each conversation so comfortable and relatable. Ben, our repeat fishing guide, was full of knowledge and fun, and he cared just as much about the wildlife as the passengers onboard. It’s this sort of personal connection that set our Boat Company trip apart from other sailings we’ve done.
Access to remote areas
I am always down for going off the beaten path or making my own trail, so the option to have that experience as a boat trip is really special. When you start your voyage with the Boat Company all you really know is your final destination, which is either Juneau or Sitka (opposite of where you began). Each day the captain and expedition leader look at the weather, the tides and where the ship has been thus far and they choose a different place to visit. Sometimes you’ll go a whole day without seeing another boat of any size because the small ships have the ability to go nearly anywhere they want.
Thinking about some of the fishing we did, we were in remote enough places that at times we weren’t even near the other small groups from our own Boat Company sailing. It’s like we had the waters of Southeast Alaska all to ourselves. This is the sort of access that makes a sailing like ours on the Mist Cove really stand out.
Strong environmental mission
We keep coming back to the non-profit and environmental activism side of the Boat Company as we talk with people about our trip. It’s one thing to follow the rules and leave no trace as you take your guests out into the protected waters of Southeast Alaska, but then to take the profits from these luxury expedition trips and reinvest it into protections and legal battles is something else. I found this quote on the Boat Company’s website about their mindset in leading regenerative tourism efforts:
“Every dollar beyond operating expenses is reinvested into conservation, advocacy, and long-term stewardship of the Tongass National Forest. That structure gives us the freedom to travel slowly, limit guest numbers, and prioritize the health of place over growth or volume.” I love that, and the care is clear when you’re onboard.
I may sound cheesy in my admiration, but it really is exceptional when you understand the scope of what these people do.
High wildlife encounter rates
Back to the reason most people are planning trips to explore Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage: WILDLIFE! No, the specialized experiences and small groups don’t mean that you get to pet orcas or snuggle brown bears, but it does mean that access to the areas more likely to have wildlife is much easier. From navigating waterways full of glacial ice to staying a safe distance from bears onshore, the way the Boat Company daily excursions make wildlife encounters special and respectful is unique.
It’s tricky to put a wildlife spin on any activity since wildlife is exactly that: wild. The remote access and wildlife sightings we had each day reflected how gently our skiff captains and expedition leaders approach exploring Southeast Alaska.
Things to Consider with The Boat Company Alaska
If you’ve made it this far (I know, I write a lot) then you must have your interest thoroughly revved up to experience a Boat Company sailing yourself. I have to include some points that bring things back to reality now, even though the whole trip seemed unreal.
Luxury, not lavish
Keep in mind that this is much more of an expedition sailing than a lavish cruise experience. Yes, the ships with the Boat Company are beautiful and very well maintained, but they are also built and outfitted for Southeast Alaska, not the French Riviera. The cabins are very nice and the public spaces are comfortable with ample crew to assist you with any and everything onboard. With that, there is no turn-down service, cabin champagne service, hot tubs and luxury loungers on the sun deck, and there’s no in-cabin massage. This is a very comfortable, experience driven expedition through remote waters. The ships of the Boat Company are appropriate to a luxury week full of adventure.
Limited amenities
Again, we must remember that this is NOT an Alaska Inside Passage cruise in the traditional sense. There are not multiple restaurants; it’s community meal time with delicious local flavors. There aren’t fitness facilities onboard; you’ll be hiking, kayaking, and reeling in fish. There’s no beauty boutique or spa; you’re wearing long underwear and stocking caps for many of the daily activities, and nobody’s keeping score of your fashionableness. A week with the Boat Company is a chance to let it go.
Speaking of letting it go, communication with the outside world is also quite limited. To fully immerse in the beauty of the Tongass National Forest and let it have its full impact on you, there’s no wifi onboard the Boat Company ships. Cell service is also very minimal or non-existent in most of the places you’ll visit. It really is a chance to disconnect. **Note that wifi availability may be something that’s added in the future, but as of 2026 it’s not a standard.
Weather-dependent activities
I know that our photos of blue skies with orcas and sunshine on bears are amazing… but that’s not the norm for the weather in Southeast Alaska, and while most activities will go out rain or shine, severe weather is possible even in the summer months. The captain and crew are very mindful of weather reports when planning where to visit, as weather systems will often only impact a small area due to the topography of SE AK, so they are usually able to stay away from the worst weather. Having said that, the earth can be unpredictable so there may be days that you’re hoping to go fishing but it’s a safer option to go hiking or enjoy a naturalist talk.
Higher price than mainstream cruises
Hopefully you looked at the price comparison that I did (above) and you can see the difference in value between sailing with the Boat Company or booking a mainstream big boat cruise. Yes, the fare for this experience is much higher on the surface, but the overall inclusions, and in particular the fishing and fish processing, brings the values closer together. When you account for the very small number of passengers on a Boat Company sailing and how tailored the experience is, that’s more value to consider.
Finally, knowing that “every dollar beyond operating expenses is reinvested into conservation…” That’s a big part of what makes this a special type of travel. It’s very unique to have a non-profit operation like this, and giving back via your sailing fare is something to feel good about.
Is The Boat Company Alaska Worth It?
So is sailing with the Boat Company through Southeast Alaska worth it? If you can afford this level of luxury travel experience, yes, you’ll find doing one of these expedition trips on the Mist Cove or the Liseron (the other ship) is absolutely worth it. It’s worth the time, the journey to get to Alaska, and it’s worth the money in terms of the overall product and the non-profit actions that passage supports. If you’re hoping for a fun, party cruise with a DJ and van tours, this is NOT what you want. But if you want a unique, bespoke adventure with like-minded people and a caring crew, this is for you!
When Is the Best Time to Book The Boat Company Alaska
Since we’ve made it to that last step of planning, like with any trip to Alaska, you’ll want to set it up plenty in advance. You can always hope for availability within the upcoming season, but being such small ships with limited space, this sort of experience does need to be planned at least six months out. For some sailing dates, you may even need to book a year out. If you want to have the option of booking but you can’t fully commit, you can put a deposit down for your preferred sailing dates and then complete your payment when you’re certain of your plans.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our time on the Mist Cove with the Boat Company, and if this is the right trip for you, I’d encourage you to get to planning it today. This is a premium type of travel that also does a tremendous amount of good for the very special Tongass National Forest. Sailing with the Boat Company really showed off the Inside Passage at its best, and I hope you’ll be able to make your own stories on your own expedition!
Please let us know if you have any questions about our trip, the Boat Company or need additional recommendations for Southeast Alaska. Please leave a comment or send us a note and we’ll be happy to follow up. And don’t forget, we also have a whole website dedicated to travel in AK: MyAlaskaTrip.com!
