Baranof Dream

The 1980-built MV Baranof Dream cruise ship was formerly operated by the company Cruise West as "Spirit of Alaska". The vessel provides a comfortable home base in the Inside Passage.

USA-built (by Blount Boats Inc in Warren RI USA) Baranof Dream has passenger capacity 49, total 25 staterooms, bar lounge, outside viewing platform, sundeck. The boat is casual, the food - fresh and delicious, the staff - helpful and friendly.

The vessel (IMO number 8963715) is currently USA-flagged (MMSI 367573580) and registered in Seattle WA.

The Sitka-based Alaskan Dream Cruises company purchased the Cruise West's vessel and re-launched it after an extensive drydock renovation in 2013. The company is owned by the Allen family - respected members of Southeast Alaska's marine shipping industry. The line's cruises in Alaska promise that travellers will explore "real Alaska", with Inside Passage itineraries revealing the region's exceptional and unique beauty and cultural heritage. 

Baranof Dream's sistership is Admiralty Dream (1979-built).

Decks and Cabins

The ship has 4 decks and total 25 passenger staterooms. Cabin sizes range between 9-20 m2 (105210 ft2), the largest being the Owner's Suite.

Shipboard facilities

The Baranof Dream ship has a shallow draft for navigating the intimate coves and passages of Alaska, and a spacious bow for viewing glaciers and fjords. The ship also offers a covered outside deck and low cruising speed for relaxed viewing of wildlife and wilderness. The dining room and lounge offer intimacy to get to know your fellow cruisers. Daily social hour with drinks, hours d' oeuvres and daily recap by Expedition Leaders foster the onboard sense of community. Complimentary shore excursion gear includes pants, boots and jackets.

Itineraries

Baranof Island is included in the Alaskan itinerary program of the Baranof Dream ship, which is also often chartered by Adventure Smith Explorations (Alaska). The cruise ship offers two 7-night / 8-day long itineraries - themed as "LAST FRONTIER ADVENTURE" (from ~USD 4000 pp) and "BECOME A TRUE ALASKAN FAMILY CRUISE" (from ~USD 4800 pp).

"LAST FRONTIER ADVENTURE" itinerary visits Sitka AK (embarkation, Day 1), Baranof Island’s Waterfall Coast (Day 2), Wrangell Narrows (between Mitkof Island and Kupreanof Island, and Wrangell AK, Day 3), Thomas Bay and Baird Glacier (Day 4), Endicott Arm Fjord (Dawes Glacier, Day 5), Southeast Alaska coastal cruising and Orca Point Lodge (Day 6), Glacier Bay NP (Margerie Glacier and Bartlett Cove, Day 7) and Juneau AK (debarkation, Day 8).

"BECOME A TRUE ALASKAN FAMILY CRUISE" itinerary visits Sitka AK (embarkation, Day 1), Kupreanof Island Bay (Day 2), Mitkof Island, Petersburg AK and Frederick Sound (Day 3), Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm Fjord (Day 4), Juneau AK, Mendenhall Glacier and Orca Point Lodge (Day 5), Southeast Alaska coastal cruising and Glacier Bay NP (Day 6), Glacier Bay NP (Day 7) and Juneau AK (debarkation, Day 8).

In 2019, Alaskan Dream Cruises introduced a new 7-day itinerary (themed "Last Frontier Adventure") between Sitka and Juneau. The new voyage offers to spend more time in wilderness zones (Glacier Bay Park, Petroglyph Beach Park (in Wrangell AK), Orca Point Lodge in Juneau). Daily planned shore tour activities include rainforest trail hiking, fjord kayaking, Baird Glacier trekking (Thomas Bay), Baranof Island's coastal explorations. The "Last Frontier Adventure" itinerary is offered on the boats Baranof Dream and Admiralty Dream. For 2019 (May through August) were scheduled 6 departures, with prices from USD 3800 per person with double occupancy.

Baranof Dream's schedule 2024 included the new "Ice of the Inside Passage” itinerary (from Sitka to Juneau) featuring cruising along seven glaciers in the Glacier Bay NP (Margerie, Grand Pacific, Mendenhall, Sawyer, South Sawyer, Dawes, LeConte) with LeConte visited on a jet-boat excursion. For the new "Ice of the Inside Passage Cruise" were scheduled 7x departures (May-August) with prices from USD 5670 pp.