SEATTLE, January 6, 2026 –  As Alaska cruising becomes increasingly popular, with more than 20 companies offering cruises – large and small – throughout the region, one tiny, 45-year-old company stands out as the only organization that not only offers luxury small-boat cruises but also funds conservation efforts to protect the waters and land it explores: The Boat Company.

With two boats – the M/V Mist Cove and M/V Liseron - serving 24 and 20 passengers respectively, The Boat Company takes a “slow sail” approach with weeklong expeditionary cruises between Juneau and Sitka, Alaska. Each day, cruisers have a choice of experiences, from fly fishing to glacier walking, in the company of just a few other passengers and a whole lot of wildlife. The experience, guests say, can be lifechanging.

As the only non-profit cruise company in the world, The Boat Company's mission is to preserve and protect Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest, one of the Earth's last substantially intact temperate rainforests. The vast natural resources of the Tongass are increasingly threatened by special interests such as logging and drilling companies.

While many Alaska cruises are aboard large cruise ships, often with precisely planned large-group excursions, the small boats of The Boat Company can maneuver through tiny bays and close to glaciers and waterfalls, allowing guests to see and experience Alaska up close.

“Alaska is largely wild and unpredictable, and travelers who prefer whimsy, surprise and more solitary exploration to carefully planned tours will find that these small cruises allow them to have an Alaska adventure of their dreams,” said Hunter McIntosh, president and CEO of the company. “A week of adventure in the Tongass National Forest aboard the Mist Cove or Liseron often leads to a lifetime of dedication to preserving the forest's many natural resources and abundant beauty.”

Here are 26 examples of adventures The Boat Company cruise passengers can have in 2026:

1. Hear the sound of climate change. That whooshing, crashing, and sizzling sound of melting ice that summer cruisers often hear is the sound of climate change. The state's 20,000 glaciers have shrunk nearly 8 percent in 25 years and are melting faster than ever. The state is warming as much as three times the global average, contributing to rising global sea levels.
2. Explore up close one of the last remaining temperate rainforests on Earth. The Tongass National Forest is characterized by biologically rich and diverse growth including massive evergreen trees and lush plant growth, high rainfall and mild temperatures.
3. Go places the big boats can't. The Boat Company's small boats, at just 145 feet long and 157 feet long, are designed to move quietly into smaller spaces and linger longer than big cruise ships can.
4. Talk turkey, actually salmon. The first meal of each cruise is always a salmon dish, and this ultra-local ingredient is also a great conversation-starter about migration, cultural importance, sustainability, dams, adaptation and other topics.
5. Go shrimping and contribute to the dinner table. One of guests' favorite days aboard the small boats is shrimping day. Guests have the option of helping with every step of the process, from setting up the pots and checking them later to enjoying the bounty of fresh-caught shrimp, deftly prepared by onboard chefs, at dinner. Some say that it's the best shrimp they've ever tasted.
6. See blue ice up close. Because the boats are small and agile, they can get close to glaciers and stunning natural phenomenon like the blue ice of a glacier meeting water.
7. Go fly fishing where few humans venture. The pristine waters of the Tongass National Forest are accessible only by small boats like the M/V Mist Cove and M/V Liseron, fishing charters, float planes and other special tours, and relatively few humans experience the thrill and solitude of fishing in these cherished waters.
8. Send your catch home and cook it up later. Cruisers have the option of having their catches packaged and shipped home so they can enjoy the taste of Alaska after they return. Try some of the onboard chefs' favorite recipes, like Bourbon Maple Glazed Salmon, or Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut. Both recipes were concocted by Chef Amber Kitka.
9. Welcome an Arctic tern as it returns home after a world tour. Arctic terns have the longest migration of any known bird species on Earth, traveling between their breeding grounds in the Arctic (including Southeast Alaska) and the coast of Antarctica each year, and averaging 20,000 – 25,000 miles round-trip.
10. Listen to the sound of a waterfall thundering straight out of a sheer rock wall. When an unexpected waterfall is spotted, the captain idles the engine so guests can experience a sound large-ship cruisers rarely get to hear.
11. Observe the antics of a harbor seal. These highly social creatures communicate with each other through body postures. Seals have the remarkable ability to dive to depths of up to 1,500 feet, with dives lasting between three to seven minutes. Seals spend as much as 12 hours a day on land to regulate their body temperature.
12. Kayak in the world's largest intact temperate rainforest. Cruisers step right off the boat into a kayak where they can paddle into remote coves and past thundering waterfalls and experience the thrill of being a very small fish in a massive pond.
13. Watch bears at play. Yes, really. Brown bears can often be spotted from the boats, and sometimes, especially in the spring, they fight. But it can sometimes be more like middle-schoolers taunting each other instead of an all-out fight to the death. That's because bears like to play fight, an instinctive ritualistic rehearsal for the big show, when the salmon are running and bears are actually competing for their dinners. It's loud and a little scary, and a lot of fun to watch through binoculars from the safety of the boat.
14. Photograph the colorful Black Oystercatcher. This shoreline bird species features a distinctive bright orange beak and orange-rimmed eyes, making them an especially popular subject among photographers. They have a distinctive call, too, and passengers can often hear them as they search the rocks for mussels and limpets.
15. Spend a week on a one-time minesweeper. Built in 1952 in Tacoma and sold to France as a minesweeper, the M/V Liseron was restored and made into a cruise ship in 1989. The boat is 145 feet and 28 feet wide with a draft of 8.5 feet. Serviced by a crew of 12, the boat has 10 staterooms and can accommodate up to 20 passengers. A few years later, The Boat Company built the slightly larger M/V Mist Cove, at 157 feet long. Serviced by 13 crew members, the Mist Cove has 12 staterooms and can accommodate up to 24 cruisers.
16. Take the wheel and drive the boat. Occasionally, when the water is calm and the sky is clear, the boat captains allow passengers into the wheelhouse to briefly take the wheel and feel the thrill of steering the boat through the Inside Passage.
17. Explore America's Waterfall Coast. The Inside Passage is known for its stunning waterfalls, and in the spring when the snowfields are melting, the region becomes known as Waterfall Coast. Every day is different, as cruisers observe these thundering falls from the boat, kayaks and on hikes along the shoreline.
18. Hike to a Polystichum munitum (Western sword fern) and learn about its unique reproductive method. Unlike flowering plants that rely on seeds and pollinators, this common and bizarre-looking Alaska plant found throughout the forest reproduces by releasing spores into the air.
19. Get off the boat. While large-ship Alaska cruises keep passengers on board most of the time, The Boat Company encourages guests to get off the boat daily for forest hikes, kayaking, fishing and just wandering the shoreline. Guides accompany passengers and watch for wildlife so guests can safely observe plants, birds and landscapes.
20. Cruise the Inside Passage with up to 23 friends. The Boat Company offers all-boat charter cruises for all 12 staterooms on the M/V/ Liseron and 10 staterooms on the M/V Mist Cove. Charter cruises can be customized to emphasize passengers' interests, such as fly-fishing, hiking or kayaking.
21. Take your top talent on an exclusive team-building and enrichment retreat. Companies seeking a way to reward their top talent and enhance team performance can charter either boat for a customized adventure that fosters collaboration and inspiration.
22. Support justice for Planet Earth. As the world's only non-profit cruise company, The Boat Company partners with Earthjustice, an organization that files – and frequently wins – legal battles to preserve the Tongass. Thanks to support from The Boat Company and its passengers, other organizations and private donors, Earthjustice won legal battles against Roadless Rule repeal attempts in 2005 and 2020.
23. Get to Know the Crew. At the beginning of every cruise, crew members introduce themselves and do their best to get a feel for what the guests like to eat, do in their free time and want from the cruise. At the same time, many guests enjoy hearing the crew members stories and finding things in common. Lasting friendships are common occurrences.
24. Reevaluate Your Attitudes Toward Fish. The most common reason some people do not like seafood is the “fishy” taste. According to The Boat Company's director of food and beverage, that is most likely because they have not had fresh fish. It does not get much fresher than what come out of the ships' galleys, and chances are chefs will change your mind.
25. Really. There's no Wifi and sketchy cell service aboard the M/V Mist Cove and the M/V Liseron, so guests have no choice but to ignore the all the maybe-not-so-pressing emails and world news for just a few days. There are a few times when traveling through certain areas that coverage is a bit better, and the crew will alert guests when sailing in those areas.
26. Continue the mission. The Boat Company president and CEO Hunter McIntosh, son of the company's founder Michael, reports that many cruisers become lifelong advocates for Southeast Alaska, and they continue to contribute to conservation efforts throughout the region. There are numerous ways for people to easily contribute, including automatic monthly monetary contributions and kayak and skiff sponsorships where supporters can name a skiff for an entire season for a $300 contribution.

Reservations for cruises and more information are available by visiting The Boat Company's website or calling 1-360-697-4242.

About The Boat Company
Founded in 1979, The Boat Company is a non-profit, conservation-focused luxury cruise operator specializing in sustainable tourism in Southeast Alaska. Through unique itineraries and a commitment to environmental stewardship, The Boat Company offers transformative travel experiences while advocating for the preservation of the Tongass National Forest.