Travel + Leisure
Jan 4, 2025
By Kevin West
The following sections have been excerpted and paraphrased from an article originally published in Travel + Leisure where writer Kevin West details his Alaska cruise aboard MV Swell, then goes on to recommend five other unique voyages, including the Sea Wolf, offered through AdventureSmith Explorations.
A refurbished tugboat is the perfect way to explore Alaska’s natural charisma and witness its unforgettable wildlife.
It was the boat that got me. Swell, was built in 1912 as a wooden-hulled tugboat. Refitted in 2004, it now operates as an elegant 88-foot expedition cruiser for 12 guests, five crew, and an onboard naturalist. Full disclosure: I don’t much like the ocean, but I’ll take a boat if there’s no other way to get somewhere, and I had always wanted to see Alaska’s southeastern coast.
Swell appealed because it’s not a floating luxury hotel but rather an intrepid former workboat. With a modest 12-foot draft, it can tuck into the nooks and crannies of the Alexander Archipelago, homeland of the Tlingit nation. Even the name of its midsummer itinerary had a ring of adventure: the Alaska Supervoyage. The 11-day trip is a wildlife safari through whale-rich waters, past old-growth rainforests, and into glacier-bound fjords — some of the wildest scenery on earth.
5 More Alaska Cruises to Consider
For Keeping Your Options Open
Tour operator AdventureSmith Explorations connects guests with more than 30 small ships and yachts that operate in Alaska. Among them is the Sea Wolf, a six-cabin expedition vessel first built as a U.S. Navy minesweeper that is today kitted out with kayaks and a skiff for scenic trips around Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.
