Reputation
The best judge of any business is its clientele. Over 50 percent of our guests in the last five years were either repeats, or referred by former guests. We will be proud to supply you with a list of past clients.
After fourteen years in the business, having shared our experience with over 1,000 guests, it is even likely we can provide you with a reference info from someone who lives right around the corner from you.
Enjoy this small sampling of what our previous guests have had to say about their experiences aboard the Alaskan Song, or our previous boat, Explorer.
The best vacation of my life! The boat was extraordinary; the captain and the crew were great; the food was unparalleled; the fishing was hot; the whales were everywhere. My notion of heaven would be waking up every morning to discover there are three days left on the cruise.
~Chuck Sheridan, Redwood Shores, California
We have literally been unable to stop enthusiastically discussing every aspect of the fabulous week that we experienced with you. We have traveled extensively – always seeking novelty -- experiencing the grace and charm of a destination, and enjoying the hospitality and customs offered by the people of the world. Our week with the three of you is simply at the top of our list.
~Jim Walters, Captain US Navy (retired)
Bellisimo! Very pleased to recommend this experience to our friends. My only suggestion is: Please come to the Mediterranean!
~Enzo Zannini - Milan, Italy
Best Boating experience of my life - and I have had a lot. Totally professional. Eminently personal.
~Richard Thiel, Editor in Chief -Power and Motor Yacht magazine New York, NY
Incomparable. Extraordinary. Memorable. Educational. Fattening. There was altogether too much hilarity on board. This was an exceptionally wonderful week. I loved every minute of it… I can't say enough about the fabulous food.
~Cissy Van Stone, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Our only complaint was the food! We all made pigs of ourselves, and put on a few pounds. All kidding aside, the menu, the variety, the preparation and the presentation were all first-class. The wines that were provided were well chosen and very impressive. I’m normally not a photography nut, but I took over 700 pictures on our trip. Pictures of the beautiful natural scenery; pictures of ourselves relaxing and enjoying each others company; picture of us catching fish; pictures of the exquisite meals; and pictures the wonderful crew that became part of our extended family by the trip’s end.
~George Schaefer, Chicago, Illinois
Experience
Alaska is what we do. We have offered luxury charters in Alaska since 1996, hosting more than 1,000 guests. We know where the whales, bears, sea lions, dolphins, puffin, eagles, salmon and halibut were last year and last week, and where they will be your week. Because we own our vessel and our business, we take extraordinary pride in the quality of the experience we provide. Because we appreciate quality and luxury we provide them for you.
Comfort
The Alaskan Song is a safe, fast, tastefully decorated and very comfortable vessel. She has large interior spaces with great visibility, and covered aft decks and side walkways for watching wildlife when the weather turns bad. The staterooms are big and bright with individual temperature controls for heat and air-conditioning. You are pampered with high thread count linens, feather beds, down comforters and pillows. Each of the cabins has it's own en-suite bathroom with shower.
Alaskan Song is built and maintained to "yacht" quality. Built not to provide for the most passengers, but to provide the most for our passengers.
Fishing
One of the great thrills offered visitors to Alaska is the opportunity to catch a mighty king salmon or a halibut. On the Alaskan Song or you can go out in one of our two Boston Whalers, complete with downriggers, radios, fish-finders and new 4-cycle outboards.
Or, if you prefer, you can fish without ever leaving the comfort and convenience of the yacht, sitting on the covered rear deck and trolling for salmon while the crew caters to all your needs -- and then nets and cleans your catch for you!
We also have both crab and shrimp traps for our guests’ use. Dinner is often fresh from the sea, caught by you and your friends, probably just hours before! As a convenience for our guests, we are a license vendor for the state of Alaska, so you may purchase your fishing license on board.
Cuisine
The food on board is exquisite -- truly a highlight of everyone’s Alaskan Song experience. The chef’s meals are matched only by the outstanding quality of the vintage wines we serve. The captain carefully pairs the wines, selected from the diverse, international wine cellar we have on board, with each night's gourmet dinner. The result? Memorable.
Permits, Licensing and Certification Taking passengers for hire in Alaska
Taking passengers for hire in Alaska requires the vessel to be American built (or specially exempted by Congress). We are a business licensed by the State of Alaska. We have all the permits required by the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game. Captain, Richard Friedman has held his Master Merchant Mariner License since 1984 and is also licensed by the state of Alaska as a fishing guide. He has completed a course of instruction at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka and is certified as an Alaskan Naturalist. All of our crew are enrolled in a random substance-testing program, and have their First Aid Certificate from the American Red Cross.
We invite you to experience the true Alaskan Wilderness from the comfort and safety of the beautifully appointed Alaskan Song. Let us give you and your family what we offer all of our guests: Memories that will last a lifetime.