Small expedition boats in Alaska: pros and cons

A whale tail is visible from Un-Cruise Adventures' Safari Endeavour cruise ship. Small expedition boats are also great for seeing nature on land. Photo: Cameron Zegers, Un-Cruise Adventures

Expedition boats in Alaska (boats with fewer than 100 passengers) are to their megaship counterparts what a bed-and-breakfast is to the MGM Grand. There's no casino or giant buffet, but you actually learn the names of your shipmates - and their jobs, their kids' names and where they all went to school. There's no glitzy show, but it would be difficult to outdo the show outside the windows, especially when the deck is only 20 feet above the water, so you're getting a little more eye-to-eye experience with the scenery and wildlife.

"The cruises visit more remote areas, rather than the big ship ports - you're more likely to make a Zodiac landing on a secluded beach for a nature walk than pull into port in a city like Juneau," says Cruise Critic's Erica Silverstein. "The downside is that smaller vessels have very few amenities."

Most passengers, crewmembers say, don't miss them.

The experience: There's no forgetting you're on a boat - the stairs are steep, the halls are narrow and the rooms are, in general, small. So small that on some boats, the phone-booth-size bathroom doubles as the shower (with a curtain to keep one side dry). The upside: You might wake up, open your outside door and find primeval forest, moose and eagles staring back at you. Then the scent of bacon and homemade pastries wafts up from the galley. Days are spent bobbing among the inlets on Alaska's glacier-carved coastline, docking at small fishing communities and going on light-adventure excursions. Nights are dinner, enrichment lectures, sharing a drink and finding out how many stars there really are.

Who goes? Wildlife photographers; second- and third-timers to Alaska; those looking for a little more depth than the mainstream cruise; and those with the money who are also willing to forgo the creature comforts of the luxury cruise.

Which cruise lines? Un-Cruise Adventures, seven boats ( www.un-cruise.com); Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic, two boats ( www.expeditions.com).

Likely ports: Anywhere, from Skagway to an unnamed scenic inlet on the Wrangell Narrows.

Dining: Most of the expedition boat lines pride themselves on the cuisine and individualized service that are possible with far fewer diners. Expect options at breakfast, buffet at lunch and fine dining at dinner. (And occasional batches of fresh-baked cookies.)

Amenities/comfort: This is where personal flexibility pays off. Most of the extras are related to scenery - binoculars, nature experts, photography guide. There's less chance of choppy seas on most small boat routes, but there is still a chance, so seasickness is always a possibility.

Good to know: Most of the expedition-size boats offer single rooms (at a premium), so the double-occupancy rules shouldn't deter solo travelers.

Rough cost: Weeklong trips tend to start around $2,200 to $5,200 (per person, double occupancy), depending on the itinerary, season and cabin. They go up from there.

Typical excursion: Day trips in fishing villages; kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding in secluded bays; Zodiac boat touring; wilderness trekking.

Pros: You get up close and personal with the destination.

Cons: Bare-bones amenities and could be too slow and informal for those needing to be entertained.

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