We travel a great deal, and this was among the best tours we have ever taken! The boat was comfortable, the included lunch was tasty, and the warm cookie at the end was heavenly. But the BIG difference was Captain Mark L! He provided narration during the excursion that was enormously informative, interesting, humorous, and even thought provoking. He's extremely knowledgeable, provided salient info that was clearly organized and timely, and his delivery was so precise we thought he must be reading it (frequent peaks into the bridge and surprises on the trip proved this wasn't happening). He's a truly gifted, professional presenter. You'll see if you ride with him! We loved all the wildlife and nature we saw on our trip and appreciated the deep-seated emotion invoked when experiencing this is in person. It was hard to choose which of the variety of tours would be best for us, and we're thrilled we chose the Northwestern Fjord. We gave up dinner on the island for a longer time on the water and more opportunities to see wildlife. WELL worth it!! We will do this trip again, when we return to Alaska, and we have NEVER repeated an excursion. It was just that good!