Live Aboard Fishing Cruises – The Future of Adventure Travel
Being fortunate enough to be in the adventure travel and sportfishing profession, I have the opportunity to speak with anglers from all over the country. I hear accounts of Blue Marlin fishing in Costa Rica, or Bone fishing the flats off Midway Island. There is a plethora of amazing destinations to explore and fish, and I am always amazed at the lengths anglers will go to exercise their love for sportfishing and travel.
In recent years, I have noted a trend developing in the adventure travel universe. That new trend of course is sportfishing cruises which are found operating primarily in Alaska’s southeast region or Inside Passage. This phenomenon seems to have originated on a few of Alaska’s more traditional yacht charters which offered fishing and crabbing upon request as part of the overall guest experience. These activities were offered to compliment a host of activities such as whale watching, glacier excursions and wildlife viewing. Naturalists often were on staff and offered insight into a guests unfamiliar surroundings.
Where the live aboard sport fishing cruise really differentiates itself from the traditional yacht charter is the focus on hardcore fishing and the ability to professionally process your catch while at sea. These excursion vessels typically cruise with a compliment of two or three cabin cruisers which transport up to four anglers each to the fishing grounds. These smaller boats (20 -26 feet) are the preferred platform to reel in Alaska’s bounty of great seafood. After your limits are in the bag, the cabin cruisers return to the “mother ship” which has now moved ahead and has anchored in a protected cove for the night. In the galley, chefs prepare sumptuous meals of crab, premium meats, and Alaska seafood for the returning guests. Deck hands ready themselves to process the days catch, while appetizers and refreshments await you in the dinning area creating the ideal setting to share your stories of the day’s adventures.
There are certain foods or experiences that just seem to compliment each other. For example, soup and sandwich, warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream, etc. The live aboard fishing cruise is another example of a natural pairing. Live aboard cruises can be either a whole boat charter or passengers can book a cabin and join up to eight other guests with whom to share the experience. The cost of booking an Alaska live aboard cruise is typically no more than an Alaska lodge stay or a yacht charter for the equivalent number of days which is typically six days and five nights. I am convinced that the sport fishing cruise is the most fulfilling Alaskan experience available.
Live aboard cruises are also available in Panama’s Coiba National Park. Panama’s live aboard programs are warm water counterpart to Alaska sport fishing cruises. Because of Panama’s tropical climate activities include big game fishing, surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving. If you want your cake and want to eat it too, consider an Alaska live aboard fishing cruise or a Panamanian multi live aboard excursion. In either case you’ll see more and have a more interactive experience than either a cruise or land based vacation could ever offer alone.