May Cruise in Alaska

Letter and Pictures from the First 7 Day Custom Cruise of the 2006 Season.
PHOTO GALLERY OF THIS TRIP >>>

Date of Sikumi stay: May 19 - 26, 2006

Homer Hickam party of 8, the "Mountain Marauders"
Homer Hickam is a best-selling author
www.homehickam.com

Dear Sikumi owners,

Linda Hickam here. The Mountain Marauders are just back from our May 2006 trip, but our thoughts and hearts are still with your good ship and crew in lovely Southeast Alaska. This was a birthday gift from my husband Homer, and the other six people on board are our best friends. The comment card just didn't have enough room to express our thanks or comments about this "trip of a lifetime!"

For planning, Meg was efficient and always friendly in answering all our stupid questions. The packets of information sent were very helpful and professional, like this comment card idea. Captain Mercury was even contacted during his vacation time for advise on our route and he was responsive and helpful but still let us make our own choices according to his recommendations.

We met the Sikumi and crew: Carlee, Captain Mercury, Henry, and Gabriel noonish on our travel day and Gabe had wonderful nibbles ready and yummy peppermint brownie cake just in case we got hungry before they served the incredible salmon dinner including another extraordinary dessert. Everyone was so friendly, helpful and kind as we settled in, and were briefed on safety and general things we needed to know about the ship and our trip.

We found out this was the first time these four had worked together but they seemed to be a very happy mix of easy going people who are all hard workers. They gave 110% the whole trip and we left the Sikumi feeling that we really had made new friends. The last night and morning of us leaving had us all in tears. There were poems written and read, limericks, talented recitations by Carlee, and readings by Homer from his books. Martha's sweet poem and many of our comments were left in your guest book. The crew's signed card handpainted by Henry is cherished.

The wine and beverages were generous and appreciated, just perfect. My birthday dinner the second night was very special, banners hung, candles and singing and gifts, special drinks. Menu was topside-grilled chicken, and for dessert the best white chocolate, chocolate brickle topped cheesecake I have ever had! And this gal KNOWS cheesecake! I was in heaven. Gabe made everything from scratch the whole trip, even french toast was made from bread he baked the day before. Having such generous gourmet fare every meal was a very big part of our pleasure on the trip and we can't thank Gabe enough for this. All helped to serve and clean up. One in our group takes many cooking classes and they had a good time talking as Gabe cooked.

The ship is beautiful inside and out! Everyone had noticed her in the Petersburg harbor and the crew's pride in her was apparent in the loving care they gave her all week. Windows were constantly cleaned, decks hosed, things hung and dried, the kitchen neat and welcoming. Our staterooms and baths were handsome, surprisingly roomy and the storage well appointed. I loved the good quality toiletries provided, a nice touch. Carlee came in daily to clean and fluff and vacuum when we were busy elsewhere and the ship was kept neat and tidy without it seeming they were fussing and the crew were never in our way.

We headed to Conte Glacier first and wow what a start! We were lucky - the weather was very good all week, cool, sometimes overcast, but never rainy. We had asked for lots of hiking and kayaking and that was enthusiastically provided in the most incredible locations by Carlee and Henry every day. Some of the group stayed on board to fish occasionally when others went out, but mostly we went in a group. Kayaking with the blue glaciers was incredible, and we enjoyed gathering glacial ice for our drinks, very sweet! The forest walks were spectacular with grand waterfalls and yellow skunk cabbage in bloom everywhere. Carlee and Henry carried huge backpacks with "in case of" supplies and bear spray and made us feel safe and well cared for always. We were always prepared properly for our jaunts, thanks to their attention and info on the activity boards. We loved the map marked with our journey and some special highlights.

We all spent a lot of time with Merc in the wheelhouse, a special cozy place to see the views. He was always cheerful about all the company, very skilled in his captaining, informative on our many questions and even expanded our music appreciation with some favorite CDs of his own. He was always on the lookout for whales, seals, sea lions and such to point out to us, and stopped at the best fishing holes.

One high point was Merc and Henry hauling in our own crab and shrimp pots set out earlier and then eating the catch within hours. We had a big shrimp boil dinner and bonfire on the beach with berry cobbler and ice cream (!) for dessert. The fishers in the group were happy and although we hooked the most exotic collection Merc said he had ever seen, including a starfish, a sea pen, a sea slug and tons of sculpin and some rockfish, everyone also caught halibut which was expertly filleted immediately for our take back.

We saw several black bears from the boat and once from the kayaks, where we got quite close to the bear on shore. We followed a pair of huge grizzly bear tracks in the sand on a shore walk. Whales were everywhere, humpback and minke, and Capt. Merc made sure to stop the Sikumi for us to see them closer when they were spotted. Once twenty Dall's porpoises played off the Sikumi bow for thirty glorious minutes. We spotted a huge shaggy male white goat on a cliff and got right up on him for photos. Carlee said we saw more bears and rainbows on this trip than ever before. She was very knowledgeable about all our questions on the many new things we saw. Her magnificent photos of the group and scenery were downloaded every day and played as a salon slideshow at our happy hour with tasty hor's d'ouerves. We downloaded and played our photos whenever we wanted also, a very nice feature. She kindly gave each couple a CD copy of these priceless photos she had taken as a parting gift with our neat Sikumi bags and hats, thank you!

We appreciated the many guidebooks and the library on board too. One excellent book there that I read was The Only Kayak. It began, "I live in the sunshine of friends and the shadows of glaciers." THAT is the Sikumi.

Such a happy group we were, pampered and spoiled! Every effort by the crew was made to please us and that is Sikumi's best feature. We can't wait to tell everyone about the trip in hopes they will come and have such a glorious experience as we did. Yes we would love to come back too - we only traveled 200 miles and there is much more to see and do on the Sikumi!!

All best, Linda and Homer and the Mountain Marauders