Well organized, better food options than on train to Whittier, and they had what they advertised…read more Up close with 2 glaciers, many, many others from a distance. Logistics well done, from check in to disembarkment. Took the 3.75 hour trip, plenty, if you ask me.

We had a wonderful cruise ship tour with these folks on 5.8.2025. It was an absolutely gorgeous…read moreday, chilly in the wind but sunny. The scenery was stunning and we saw many sea otters, birds and goats on the bluffs. We had the chowder lunch which was perfect. They have a snack bar for beverages and other snacks. The crew is outstanding, very courteous and informative. The skipper brought us through the ice field and nice and close to a glacier. This is really a must do cruise tour.

I just returned from a 3-day trip out of Seward aboard the Sound Crazy with Captain Butters, and it…read morewas an incredible experience. We were very fortunate with calm seas and great weather, but we still had to work hard to catch high-quality fish--which made the success that much more rewarding. I've lived in Alaska for over 10 years and have been on several fishing charters, but I've never been on one where both the captain and deckhands worked so relentlessly to give their guests the best possible chance at catching fish. On many charters, you'll hear, "This is fishing, and sometimes they just don't cooperate." That's absolutely true, and I understand that patience is part of targeting larger halibut. What set this trip apart was the dedication of Captain Butters and his crew. Seeing the captain himself up at midnight chumming and soaking lines to improve our odds was something I've never experienced. He wasn't satisfied with us catching a couple of small "chickens"--he wanted to help create memories. Thanks to that extra effort, the last two halibut we landed became fish that my family members, who traveled all the way to Alaska for this trip, will never forget. The team at Crazy Rays is first-class, and their commitment to their guests is obvious. They genuinely care about providing the best experience possible, and it shows in everything they do. Going forward, this is the charter company I'll recommend to friends and family and the one I'll choose whenever I book another trip. Thank you, Captain Butters and the entire Crazy Rays crew, for an unforgettable adventure and memories that will last a lifetime.

Ray I tried calling…read moreyou, left you my number so you can call me back all I got was your automated email asking for a review....So here you go! Fishing Experience what it comes down to is a Minimalist as you described in your email by checking the boxes vs Maximumizing the experience which is my goal. I take 10 to 15 Fishing Charters per year all over North America, I am taking 5 this week. I don't book party charters because I want to ensure I control who I fish with, I often fish a 6 pack with only myself or 1 or 2 friends. FV ICrazy 2 was disappointing and did not measure up to expectations. 1. Mechanical Failure at 1:00pm Prop fell off the engine. Then we spent an hour looking for a spare prop and contacting you. 2. One windshield wiper working, other completely missing. All of the compartment doors are held shut with a dish rag folded over 2-1/2 times and jammed in the crack to keep the doors from falling open since none of the latches would hold the doors closed. 3. The water hose did not work, so everything had to be washed down with a bucket on a rope. 4. The bathroom door would not latch and had to be blocked so it wouldn't keep swinging open. 5. Seat back in the cabin across from the driver would not stay in place 6. And in general the boat lacked good maintenance that you would expect from a 1st class charter operation that is charging its customers premium rates for a full day of fishing. 7. Next issue, I booked a Private 6 Pack Fishing Vessel, only to be told by the captain that the boat could only handle 4 rods at a time plus it was only him no deck hand. So in reality we got a 4 pack and our catch was limited by only having 4 people fishing at any given time. 8. Next, we wasted valuable time in 2 ways, 1st we didn't depart the boat dock until 7:30am and 2nd we went on a wild goose chase scouting a waypoint for the Captains "Boss" on the way down that he never intended to fish because it was too deep, this was over an hour of time we could have been fishing. My points are we could have fished more rods earlier and limited on Halibut sooner, moved on to Rockfish sooner and limited and had time to target cod and other species to Maximize our Fishing Charter had it not been for the limitations within the control of Crazy Rays Charters. The way I see it is I got 2/3 of a Charter for 2/3 of the Time, so I should pay 44.4%. Jeff Miller

our experience with the lazy otter charter was incredible. The captain Steven and the tour guide…read moreAubrey were knowledgeable and friendly. we saw tons of wildlife and glaciers up close. The boat was warm and stocked with hot coffee, snacks, hot chocolate and water. The cabin was warm, dry and very comfortable. 10/10 would recommend! Our whole family had a great time!

This charter was tied for our favorite activity during our trip to Alaska. It was a bit…read morenerve-provoking given how windy the weather was but the captain assured us that we'd be safe, and she was right. There were no issues and it was a smooth ride. The beautiful scenery and periodic wildlife were amazing. I think the best moment was stopping off at a beach at low tide where numerous large pieces of ice from a glacier were sitting on shore. Just something I never imagined experiencing. The crew were awesome and friendly and you can't beat free snacks, tea, and hot chocolate on the boat. Definitely an adventure you should incorporate in any trip to Alaska.

I have been out with kristen a couple of times it was a blast.You never come back empty handed. you…read morealways get your fish.She knows where to go.So if you are looking to catch fish go with salt water excursion

This is my glowing, unsolicited review...many, many thanks to Ben and Satchel for an unforgettable…read moretrip. You should know that despite being a born-into-it coastal Mainer, I'm a middle-aged occasional couch dweller who's never fished in my life, and I would have totally enjoyed the awesome trip into Prince William Sound even without catching anything. But Ben and Satchel truly went above and beyond for me and everyone else onboard, finding bait balls (and therefore salmon) left and right and walking us all through exactly what to do. The result was that I managed to reel in a large (let the photo suffice) silver on my first try. I'm still speechless. The vessel is great--extremely comfortable and well-equipped. Ben and Satchel were utterly competent, affable, kind, funny, and had endless patience with me and the other people onboard, including an obnoxious kid who lost his bait about a thousand times and snarled his line with everyone else's at least twice. Satchel also went above and beyond after we got back to Whittier, walking us through getting our catch cleaned and packed for the trip home. For more serious fishermen, you WILL go away happy. For clueless but appreciative newbies like me, you'll go away amazed and very likely with fish as well. Highly recommended, with gratitude.

Awesome charter - Weather was not the best but the captains on the ship were great! Not too many…read morebig catches, but we went home with a some nice cod and halibut!

I completed the26-glacier cruise aboard the M/V Bravest on Summer Solstice 2026…read more The first thing that I noticed was that there was no Internet access and cell service was spotty at best. However, that had nothing to do with the cruise. It is just something that visitors to Whittier should be aware. Checking in and boarding went smoothly and on schedule. The crew were courteous and professional. The seas around Whittier are very calm, similar to the Inland Passage in Alaska's panhandle, due to the outer break-water islands. Adding a catamaran makes it as stable as it gets on water. There was zero pitching or rolling motion moving at 30 knots. When coming to a stop there were a few seconds when the vessel pitched and/or rolled in its own wake. Nobody got seasick on my cruise. The meal of salmon chowder was not bad. Nothing really to write home about. The meal is served shortly after leaving the dock. There are also other hot items that can be purchased, like a Buffalo Hotdog, or a Cheeseburger. I would not place any of their meals higher than fast-food quality. The bar also opens after leaving the dock. There are were several beverage choices, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. There was one humpback whale feeding near the shore of Esther Island. The vessel stopped for several minutes to watch the whale using bubble-net feeding techniques. The whale only made an appearance on the surface twice. There were no sea lions, but there were a handful of sea otters in the Port Wells passage and in College Fjord. The vessel also stopped for a few minutes at the Kittiwake Rookery which is directly across the bay from Whittier. I have absolutely no complaints about the crew or the vessel. They all performed exactly as expected and were very professional. I am also not going to dispute that there were 26 or more glaciers visible while on the cruise. Alaska has more than 100,000 glaciers. If you stand anywhere in Alaska you are likely to see a glacier somewhere. My only complaint is with their chosen route. I had previously taken the exact same cruise in 1996 when they were based in Seward instead of Whittier. In 1996 there were a dozen or more different tide-water glaciers, with no less than six or or seven actively calving. We stopped at four of them and spent several minutes watching them calve. This time, however, there were only four (barely) tide-water glaciers with only two actively calving and only stopping at one - the Harvard glacier. The wildlife can be unpredictable, but glaciers are not. We know exactly where they can be found. They need to include no less than three tide-water glaciers that are actively calving and stopping at least at two of them. Or the tour isn't worth the price. People are paying to see glaciers calve up-close and personal. Wildlife viewing is always an option, but it should not become the primary purpose of the cruise. We stopped longer and more often for wildlife (three times) than we did for any active tide-water glacier. I took this cruise primarily because I had never seen that portion of Prince William Sound in the 35 years I have lived in Alaska. So I was not that interested in the wildlife or the glaciers. However, I could sense the disappointment of the other passengers on our non-stop return to the Whittier docks.

I would 100% take this cruise again - we chose the option for the motorcoach to take us from…read moreAnchorage to Whittier and back . The driver was friendly and punctual. The actual cruise was amazing, entirely staffed by knowledgeable women, and was everything I could have hoped for. In addition to the glaciers we saw humpback whales, otters, seals, bald eagles, and a swimming black bear. I had the veggie chili which was closer to a bean soup than a chili but it was very tasty. The boat was extremely clean and well maintained and the captain was super informative. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who is visiting Alaska.

I love, love, love this picnic park. It's well hidden and unknown by most people unfamiliar with…read moreWhittier (well, I've gone and ruined that now haven't I?) The park is tucked away in Shotgun Cove at the confluence of a glacial stream and Prince William Sound. The protected cove offers a lovely vista of mountains, water and trees (ok and a parking lot.) It's got several grills, tables and a picnic pavilion that is perfect for small gatherings. Midweek, the park is an ideal place for contemplation. The only issue here is the mosquitoes, which are significant. But if I could plunk a house down anywhere in the world, it would be right here, a little piece of paradise.

One of my absolute favorite places to spend time in Southcentral Alaska. I didn't actually…read morediscover Lu Young Park in Whittier until June of 2016. I happened to have a day off and decided to drive down to Portage area for some photography and enjoy a beautiful summer sunny day. Even though I have lived in Alaska for over 45 years, I didn't visit Whittier or go through the tunnel all that often. Maybe only a handful of times since I was young. A few times included taking the train while another was driving down there with a friend where I was riding shotgun. But something that day made me decide to pay the money to go through the tunnel and do a bit of exploring. And given I'm one with an insatiable quest for exploring, I found myself on the road to Shotgun Cove. And that is where I found Lu Young Park. To access Lu Young park drive up Blackstone Road and then turn right on Salmon Run Road just past the abandoned Bucker Building (hard to miss, one of the tallest buildings in Whittier). Continue on the dirt road for about a 1/2 mile and you will see a pull out with a covered picnic area. The area has a couple of picnic tables, bathrooms and an overlook. It is a great place to explore both at high and low tide. Additionally the area is teaming with thousands of pink salmon during their run in August. It is not uncommon to find kayakers and SUPs in the cove. There is always something different to see and experience here. During the evenings after work during the summer I like to grab a bit of food from somewhere and drive down and catch the tunnel opening and then have a picnic. It is always serenity to me.

As far as I know, 20 Mile River is the only place in Seward Highway that is officially equipped to…read morelaunch a boat from. That being said... the boat launch is pretty tore up. The asphalt ramp is essentially washed out and all that remains is our famously dangerous quicksand. So make sure you check the tide charts. I definitely wouldn't try to launch anything too large from here. This location is famous as a hooligan spawning ground, so if you like those greasy little fish, hooligan fishing here is hot when they're in season. Always check the regs, but silver and red salmon also have a bag window in 20 Mile as well. The parking lot here is adequately sized for boat trailers and RV's, however you don't get much warning on the approach. If you miss it, good luck finding a place to turn around.....

Spectacular is one of the superlatives to describe the experience with Captain Al and the Northern…read moreExplorer. We hiked, saw bears, doll porpoises, and the most amazing scenes of glaciers from Blackstone Bay. The food was a culinary delight, Christian out did himself each night. Rena oozed hospitality and exceeded our every need.

We just returned from our two week trip to Alaska. The middle part of that was 5 days and 4 nights…read morewith Captain Al and his crew for our cruise. Unexpectedly, we ended up being the only guests as others had backed out. We started out of Seward with a nice trip from Anchorage with Joan and Jeff as our shuttle team. They were both very personable and a pleasure to make the trip with to Seward. We were greeted with champagne and quickly got underway. Our accommodations were exactly as described in the Master suite. After two days of being wined and dined, we finally had to say, the "food is amazing, but we don't eat this much in a day. We need to slow down on the amount" LOL Certainly all you could possibly eat and nicely prepared. En En set beautiful tables for every meal and and our wine glasses were never dry. The weather was not the best for the first few days, so with everyone's agreement, we decided to roll the dice and cross the Gulf of Alaska to head towards Whittier. At that point, the weather became amazing, we did kayaking and had a 13,000 year old cocktail (Bourbon on Glacier ice). Who knew we would go to Alaska to get a tan? We spent the entire time cruising out on the deck getting sun. Captain Al and his team were wonderful hosts. I guess I could address every complaint that has been posted, but I'm not going to give it much credibility by spending any time on it. Yes, the boat is not brand new, but we had no issues on board (except the battery, but that's a little joke between Captain Al and us.). I can't speak to any of the other accommodations because we did not see or use them, but there were absolutely no complaints with ours. We are already considering the possibility of taking friends and going again some time. Thanks for everything Captain Al, En En and Christian! It was the trip of a lifetime! Thanks for being a part of it! Lori and Bob