Discovery Voyages Avis 

My wife and I are never going to consider a traditional cruise ship trip after our time with the Discovery.

What's fantastic about traveling on a 65' boat is the comradery that develops with 16 passengers and crew! Too rainy to go kayaking, no problem, let's go over to that cove and do a hike! You want a naturalist on board who intimately knows the region's fauna, flora, and geology? They've got you covered and love sharing that knowledge the passengers.

The meals were great, far better than one would expect without a pro kitchen!

For folks thinking about Discovery: Life aboard a 65' boat like this isn't like traveling on a massive cruise ship or doing resort travel. If you need to be pampered and waited on hand and foot, this isn't for you. It's more like traveling in a oversized RV with a crew and fellow travelers that become friends.

Our next jaunt to Alaska will likely be with Discovery Voyages...but one of the longer trips!

We thoroughly enjoyed our 5 days on The Discovery. Dean and Megan immediately made us feel at home with a warm welcome, and delicious snack, when we boarded in Whittier. And each day was filled with new scenery, adventures, comraderie and great food. Julia and Hugh, our naturalist guides, were great- incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and fun. I would recommend Discovery Voyages to anyone seeking a more intimate Alaskan experience. Yes, we saw glaciers, mountains, whales and wildlife just like any other Alaskan cruise, but the scale and pace that we enjoyed was unique.

The Discovery tour is an up close, touch Alaska experience lead by experienced professionals. The four person crew made us feel welcomed and comfortable in their home, safely held our hands and guided us to the most interesting sights of Prince William Sound. We never felt left out or excluded, never felt like tourists. Forget umbrellas, rain gear is awesome. The rain never stopped our sctivities or enjoyment, and the gear was always comfortable. The food was a delight, and we always looked forward to sitting down with the other 10 folks and recounting our adventures over a wonderful gourmet family style meal. It's a trip to make life long memories and appreciate the natural beauty of Alaska. Read, listen to James Michener's book Alaska before you go!

Knowledge of the Captain and Guide was exceptional !!! The whale encounters and wildlife viewing and proximity to glaciers and waterfalls was amazing. The food - every meal - was well planned and delicious.
The accommodations were as expected. Boat was clean and well managed.
I was very disappointed at the lack of off boat activities. It seemed like we were limiting activities because a few guests were not physically able to participate. Too much just sitting on the boat for me.
It would have been nice to have a TV monitor in the lounge area to share photos or show some educational stuff, or have the guide do one or two planned presentations to the group.

The beauty ,and enchantment of Prince William Sound were presented very well aboard The Discovery. Dean ,Meg,and crew took us on a wonderful journey, filled with natural history, sights, sounds, and activities, all while being treated like Royalty! We cannot describe what a trip like this means to our well being...only time will tell.

great experience on the discovery, wasn't expecting much difference on a second cruise but surprised by new wildlife encounters and views that Captain Dean found, Megan's cooking can't be beat. Hugh provided excellent guiding on both the boat and land portion at brown bear lodge. Staff was especially accommodating to group needs adjusting activities and ordering gear so everyone had a full experience. Highly recommend all of their trips for a hands on view of Alaska.

If you have a bucket list trip to Alaska, Discovery Voyages is the way to go. Captain Dean, Meg (chef), Tori (guide), and Hugh Rose (naturalist, guide, & all around Superman) made sure this trip checks all the boxes on your list! We saw humpback whales, sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles, river & sea otters, black bears and numerous glaciers up close during the 6 days on the discovery (ship) in Prince William Sound. The food Meg prepared was absolutely delicious and healthy! We hiked, kayaked, or took the skiff out daily! It was amazing, but it didn’t stop there. We flew to Lake Clark National Park with Hugh to view and take pictures of the brown bears! That was the MOST amazing experience we have had on any trip! The crew is great to work with! Couldn’t have asked for a for a better trip!

The boat was comfortable, warm and cozy. The crew were so accommodating for our family, including 2 pre-teen girls. The boat was perfectly sized to enabled us the get close to wildlife, icebergs, glaciers, islands and other remote areas where large ships couldn’t go. The crew was amazingly knowledgeable. Highly recommend Discovery Voyages

We had a fabulous 5 day charter on the adventure cruise - we loved how there were activities each day: hiking, kayaking, even a cold plunge! The scenery was gorgeous, food delicious and crew super knowledgeable and attentive. Overall a trip of a lifetime.

Special knowledge of the area and great food

There aren't enough stars (4 on the boat -Capt. Dean, Chef & 1st mate Megan and guides Ana and Baird. The family (2 sons a daughter & spouses, 4 grandkids 12's and 14's) had a once in a lifetime experience (it was my third - all different, all terrific). It's very active, with kayaking and hiking every day. Meg is a wonderful chef - lots of fresh seafood, soups and interesting, delicious baked breakfasts. I can't imagine a more exciting and satisfying family adventure!

This was our second trip on Discovery and it was different but just as amazing as the first. Last time we were there when the salmon were running, so we saw lots of bears. This time we saw a few bears but also got an awesome show by a large pod of humpback whales bubble feeding and showing off their flukes. Dean & Meg are amazing hosts and their crews are always great. We’ve already signed up for our next trip!

My wife, brother, sister-in-law, and I recently finished our first tour with Dean and Meg on the Discovery. We went on a five day cruise of Prince William Sound with visits to glaciers, a fish hatchery, a sea lion colony, bird nesting island, and iceberg-filled Harriman fjord. We did several hiking and kayaking excursions led by two amazing naturalists, Katie and Ana. The trip was truly the ultimate Alaskan sea experience, and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough!! As others have said, Dean is a wealth of knowledge, experience, and stories which kept us entertained throughout, while Meg’s fantastic cooking kept us well-nourished every single day. We shared the boat with a lovely family from Maryland and a pair of sisters from Australia who we will all consider friends for life. We all shared meals together and two bathrooms without any problems whatsoever. Do know that the cabins are spartan; if you are looking for Seven Seas-type accommodations and high-level privacy, look elsewhere. This voyage is for those looking to travel with adventurous souls and open hearts!!

This was a wonderful trip led by the dedicated and knowledgeable team of Dean (Captain) and Meg (Chef) who could not have provided more information or more delicious food.
They were supported by Hugh and Julia who worked equally hard to make trip so special. If you love small group, informative and close up with nature tours this is for you. We particularly thank Dean who despite a severe leg injury and a full leg brace made himself available to guests at all times. His local knowledge is incredible.

We were scheduled to join Discovery Voyages for their 3-Day Sampler Cruise June 9 – 11 of 2026 (the centerpiece of our one big trip of the year). Our flight to bring us to the region was leaving early on June 5th and we received a call from Meg on the evening of the June 3rd letting us know that Captain Dean was injured and required immediate surgery (we hope his recovery goes well), and as a result, our cruise was canceled. This was a once in a lifetime bucket list trip, more than 9 months of planning and special purchases, and very abruptly canceled. My dream of kayaking in the ice cubes and getting up close and personal with Alaska’s wildlife and terrain was pretty much over. As a result of our other plans in the region and the penalty of lost PTO, we were unable to scrap the trip entirely, so we had to plan our entire Alaskan vacation 36 hours before we flew out.

Meg gave us some thoughts on things we could do while we were in Alaska, a couple of attraction links to consider, and a promise of a full refund, but we were completely on our own to research attractions and make any arrangements. We pivoted nicely and were able to book some typical tourist activities including The Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, an 8.5-hour Major Marine Tours boat cruise, and a White Raven Tours Transit Tour back to Anchorage (we recommend all). We also needed to book hotels, get reservations for dinners, rent a car for a half-day, and just walk around aimlessly to balance out our time in Alaska. In all, we had a great time and will remember it forever, but it was not the vacation that I dreamed about, and bored anyone who would listen to me about it for 9 months.

Upon our return, the big comment from friends was “they didn’t have a contingency plan”, and the response was “no”. So, if there is an injury/illness to a vital crew member, a problem with the boat, or some other thing that you may not be thinking about, you’re not going. For all I know, this was the first time they’ve had to cancel a cruise, and possibly a “World According to Garp” occurrence, but I guess there is one thing you should be asking yourself before booking….Do you feel lucky? We also had some friends who were anxiously awaiting our review so that they could book one of the cruises, they’re not going to take the chance.

Such a fantastic experience with knowledgeable captains, beautiful, up close glaciers, plenty of wildlife! super helpful, fun crew. the food was incredible, Meg is an incredible gourmet cook! abundance is the word that comes to mind. would definitely do this cruise again, wonderful to be on a boat where the captains own the vessel

One of the best trips of my life. Five days aboard Discovery exceeded all expectations in terms of the scenery, wildlife, hikes, food and good company.

Meg and Dean are fantastic hosts. Booking the trip was easy. Days onboard the Discovery were filled with anticipation and excitement as we sailed around coves, spotting wildlife and calving glaciers.

Discovery is a small boat. Sleeping quarters are compact but comfortable. Bathrooms, saloon, galley, and deck areas are immaculate. The meals prepared by Meg were outstanding. Life onboard was a lot of fun. Dean was an excellent skipper and hiking guide.

If you are after a unique experience and are a little adventurous, you will have a brilliant time on Discovery. Book earlier in the season if you can to try and catch the best weather. Pack lightly and remember to bring your camera!

The crew, food and adventures were first class. Well organized and safety was always the first consideration. Hugh our guide was full of information and stories not only about the animals, birds, geology but also the politics and history of Alaska. Very knowledgeable as was Captain Dean.

The weather could have been better but hardly noticed with all the great activities carefully planned out and executed by our captains and crew surrounded by captivating scenery. First class in every way including outstanding meals prepared fresh throughout each day by Megan. A truly enjoyable vacation.

Wow! Exceeded my expectations! What an experience of a lifetime! I found the Discovery crew friendly and knowledgeable, and always eager to open my eyes to all the wonder Alaska has to offer! Have since been recommending Discovery Cruise to anyone who will listen!!! Looking forward to my next adventure!