FAQ

No not at all. We offer quite a different cruise, vessel and experience. Our Discovery is 87’ long and was built as a classic yacht and meticulously maintained. We really pride ourselves on how comfortable our yacht is with spacious cabins and many comfortable common areas on the main deck for guests to relax and enjoy. We love what we do, how beautiful Discovery has turned out after many years of laborious love and TLC and love to share it all with guests from around the world each season. This doesn’t just differentiate us from the other M/V Discovery specifically but we have seen many other boats come and go over the 45 years we have been chartering beautiful Southeast Alaska.  We really do care about each guests experience when choosing to cruise with us and making your week exceptional.  Our son is now a 3rd generation licensed captain and plans to continue the legacy of the Swanson family plying the Alaska waters.

All summer the variation could be anywhere from a bit chilly in the high 40’s all the way up to low 80’s which for some reason feels very hot. Most weeks seem to get a bit of it all, some sun and some light rain and a couple days in between. Average temperatures are 55 to 65 almost all summer long.

In our packing list we suggest bringing light rain gear.  If we can see rain in the forecast we may opt for a hot springs day vs. hiking or fishing instead. It is a rarity to get a week of all rain, it happens but fortunately not often at all.

May and June on average have less rain and more crisp blue days, a little cooler typically than July and August, although these months are typically warmer there are a fair few too many recreational boaters out and about and so we then play a little bit of dodging other boats and it is more work to find that secluded harbor.

No. 

The only activity that is mandatory is enjoying yourself. In some cases that means kayaking and hiking a fair bit, some not at all and most guests fall somewhere in the middle. Because we have small groups aboard it is very easy to cater to everyone’s level at which they choose to participate. It is often that we get to a bay and have some that want to kayak, some that want to hike, one or two that want to hang a line over after setting crab pots and some that just want to sit and enjoy the scenery and tranquility of the harbor with a glacier ice cocktail or glass of wine in hand. All of these are great and we want you to enjoy your special week aboard so we are happy to assist in whatever it is that floats your boat 🙂

5 of the 6 guest cabins (all but the single) have built-in vanities with sinks. Each cabin is spacious, comfortable and well appointed. Below decks the guests share two heads and separate showers. Although this seems to be an initial concern, it really is not a problem. We have plenty of guests that admit they were concerned about this being an issue and once aboard realized it just isn’t so.

With the vanities/sinks in the cabins and the showers being separate it all seems to work out just fine.  During the day most use the on deck head and the crew have their own separate head and shower as well.  The only time the crew are in the guests bathrooms are to make sure they have fresh towels and are clean.

Our maximum capacity is 12.  On a mixed group trip depending on the configuration it would be quite rare to exceed 9 guests. Although from a revenue standpoint it makes financial sense to pack 12 aboard we just choose not to do so. Many boats our size and or smaller pack people in but that just isn’t our style. We want everyone to enjoy themselves and if you join us for a mixed group cruise and decide to book another with your whole family totaling 12 that’s one thing. With say 8 or 9 guests there is lots and lots of room aboard for everyone to come together or spread out and find their own space if they so choose. All of our boat photos give an accurate depiction with no wide angle shots. Our guests are pleasantly surprised at how spacious and well-kept the boat is.

Plus with less than 12, there is room for the captain at the dinner table to join and share stories of Alaska, restoring old wooden boats and many more life experiences along the way.

Not a problem!  We have been fortunate to attract great chefs, many with years of experience in big, fast-paced kitchens with seatings in the dozens or hundreds per night. We are what most chefs would consider a very small dinner seating. They are able to accommodate food requests and dietary restrictions without any problem at all. When you make your final payment we send out a food preference sheet so the chef knows well in advance to your boarding what your needs are and is well prepared. That being said, please do let us know in advance via this aforementioned sheet or by email. Once we leave town there are no shopping options so if you forgot to mention it we are left scrambling. 

No.

Discovery is equipped with all modern machinery to include a modern quiet John Deere diesel main engine, New Northern Lights generators, battery banks and inverters. During the day you’ll hear the main engine and generators but they are VERY quiet by any boat standard.

There is not a place aboard that engine noise is problematic day or night.  At night after dinner we shut off all generators and go to a silent inverter system that converts our DC battery bank to AC power so outlets and lights work throughout the boat however there is zero noise so the sounds of a river or waterfall in the harbor may be all you hear.