Testimonials
Every Great Day on the Water Has a Story.
For many guests, the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour becomes the highlight of their Alaska vacation. Families, cruise passengers, wildlife enthusiasts, and Deadliest Catch fans from around the world have shared their experiences across Google, Tripadvisor, Facebook, Yelp, and other trusted review platforms.
Read their stories below—and if you’ve joined us aboard the Aleutian Ballad, we’d love to hear yours too.
Featured Reviews
A few guest favorites from across our review platforms.
Hands down the best excursion we’ve ever taken. I’m told that we were fortunate and not to expect this on every cruise, but we saw bald eagles, deer, humpback whales and orcas.
Not to mention the intent of trip, we saw and held crabs, starfish and other aquatic creatures. They had an octopus that they were able to show off.
In addition to all of that, we got to hear the stories of the fishermen on board. That line of work takes a special breed of men. Thanks for the great trip.
Not to mention the intent of trip, we saw and held crabs, starfish and other aquatic creatures. They had an octopus that they were able to show off.
In addition to all of that, we got to hear the stories of the fishermen on board. That line of work takes a special breed of men. Thanks for the great trip.
Absolutely the best cruise excursion ever! Crew was very personable and very knowledgeable. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. They shared their personal stories of Deadliest Catch and allowed us to hold and take photos with the crabs, starfish, shrimp and an octopus!!! Seeing bald eagles while on the trip was incredible. There were literally 20 + eagles flying all around us and gathering fish from the sea. Will definitely go again someday!
This guy! Not only did he put on a great show along with the rest of the crew - they personally made sure I was able to see and touch all the sea creatures but while on the tour my electric wheelchair quit working and he personally pushed my chair up a very steep ramp!! Thank you for the best experience ever! ( we FaceTimed a wheelchair technician and with his guidance got it working again! Whew!!’
One of the best things we did visiting Ketchikan! The captain, Andy, Big D, and the gals of this crew were so wonderful. From the time you get on this boat to the time you get off, you learn so much about crabbing, the amazing history of the boat, and have fun interacting with everything and everyone on board. They also offer delicious crab on board! Highly recommend this if you have kids.. honestly recommend it in general. Hubs and I also had a blast!
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All Reviews
This excursion is perfection! The crew is very knowledgeable and they truly seem to enjoy sharing their experiences. Loved the sarcasm from crew. They seem like a real family and the banter between them is glorious. My respect for the ocean and Mother Nature in general has elevated to a higher level!
Have never seen the show and knew nothing about this tour, but a couple at our table on our Disney Wonder cruise to Alaska last week told us about this trip, and we were lucky there was still room available.
The entire trip was three hours. It was educational, funny, enjoyable with lots of interesting information: the history of the boat, the area; the ability to hold different types of crabs and other sea life, eat some fresh crab, all provided by the exceptional crew of the.Alutian Ballad.
We saw a ton of eagles by Annette Island, and were given plenty of photo opportunities throughout the trip.
Really cannot say enough positive things about the trip, and the entire crew, specifically, David, the big D, and Captain Ron. Also, the nicest restrooms I have ever been in on a boat, other than a cruise ship lol
I would definitely go back on this trip again in a heartbeat. Thank you to the entire crew.
The entire trip was three hours. It was educational, funny, enjoyable with lots of interesting information: the history of the boat, the area; the ability to hold different types of crabs and other sea life, eat some fresh crab, all provided by the exceptional crew of the.Alutian Ballad.
We saw a ton of eagles by Annette Island, and were given plenty of photo opportunities throughout the trip.
Really cannot say enough positive things about the trip, and the entire crew, specifically, David, the big D, and Captain Ron. Also, the nicest restrooms I have ever been in on a boat, other than a cruise ship lol
I would definitely go back on this trip again in a heartbeat. Thank you to the entire crew.
Fabulous! Big D and Andy were very engaging. We really kept busy the entire time we were on the ship. We got to watch things in action and touch the crabs. Their stories of fishing were great to hear. Very knowledgeable. Ketchikan is notorious for being RAINY. Be ready for rain (they will give you a rain coat too)... they also have heaters on the boat. Loved the experience. Saw lots of bald eagles too!
Highly recommend this tour. It's a must when going on Alaskan cruise. It makes the ultimate Alaska experience.
Capt David Dan and their team were knowledgeable and funny and very nice. Their stories were fascinating.
My hubby is a big fan of Deadliest Catch so he knows this Aleutian Ballad ship.
They also took us to Annette Island to see the bald eagles swoop down their food.
This was a wonderful experience. A MUST when going to Ketchikan, Alaska.
Thank you Capt David for transforming this ship to a tour boat so we get to experience the life of crab fishermen.
Capt David Dan and their team were knowledgeable and funny and very nice. Their stories were fascinating.
My hubby is a big fan of Deadliest Catch so he knows this Aleutian Ballad ship.
They also took us to Annette Island to see the bald eagles swoop down their food.
This was a wonderful experience. A MUST when going to Ketchikan, Alaska.
Thank you Capt David for transforming this ship to a tour boat so we get to experience the life of crab fishermen.
Best excursion ever!! The crew was amazing and offered an unforgettable experience.
Fantastic Tour! So much more than we expected, fantastic crew, would recommend it to anyone at any age.
Great excursion better story! I was expecting a Cruise ship “tourist “ day that I would find a little pleasant and a bit cheesy. The ride was beautiful and well organized as well as their attention to the guests. The historic story of multiple life events were both moving and a monument to the efforts to make this a “Must do” on your itinerary. Their marine presentation of Bering sea crabbing stories were sad but enduring thru their strength and resilience. The partnership with the Tlingit native community is heartwarming and the price of admission was repaid upon the spectacular experience of simply feeding an abundance of healthy eagles displaying their natural abilities to hunt and feed, absolutely beautiful and possibly a once in a lifetime experience.
Absolutely the best excursion of our 7 day Alaska inside passage cruise! The whole crew was friendly and engaging, and in addition, we saw the highest concentration of Bald Eagles I'd ever seen!
This is a must due excursion!
This trip was extremely interesting and I had a great experience. It was a fun time. I would recommend it as a bucket list item.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you've ever watched Deadliest Catch and thought, "That looks exciting, but I'd prefer significantly less chance of being launched into the Bering Sea," this tour is for you.
The Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour was one of the highlights of our Alaska trip. The crew was entertaining, knowledgeable, and had enough stories to make me question every career choice I've ever made. These guys willingly went out into some of the roughest waters on Earth to catch crab, and somehow they're still smiling about it.
Seeing the fishing equipment up close was fascinating, but the real stars of the show were the marine wildlife. Eagles swooped in like they owned the place, sea lions showed up looking for free snacks, and I learned more about crab fishing in a few hours than I ever expected to know.
The crew did an amazing job mixing education, humor, and storytelling. You can tell they're passionate about what they do, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
I came aboard expecting a boat ride and left feeling like an honorary crab fisherman.
If you're visiting Alaska, don't miss this tour. It's fun, informative, family-friendly, and comes with a 100% lower chance of hypothermia than the actual job.
If you've ever watched Deadliest Catch and thought, "That looks exciting, but I'd prefer significantly less chance of being launched into the Bering Sea," this tour is for you.
The Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour was one of the highlights of our Alaska trip. The crew was entertaining, knowledgeable, and had enough stories to make me question every career choice I've ever made. These guys willingly went out into some of the roughest waters on Earth to catch crab, and somehow they're still smiling about it.
Seeing the fishing equipment up close was fascinating, but the real stars of the show were the marine wildlife. Eagles swooped in like they owned the place, sea lions showed up looking for free snacks, and I learned more about crab fishing in a few hours than I ever expected to know.
The crew did an amazing job mixing education, humor, and storytelling. You can tell they're passionate about what they do, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
I came aboard expecting a boat ride and left feeling like an honorary crab fisherman.
If you're visiting Alaska, don't miss this tour. It's fun, informative, family-friendly, and comes with a 100% lower chance of hypothermia than the actual job.
Absolutely phenomenal tour. The guides are real fishermen with true, heartfelt stories. The views on the boat are breathtaking. The eagles alone are worth the price! Still in awe of all the eagles. Learning about crab fishing and seeing it done was very interesting. Would 100% do this tour again and would recommend to everyone!
Big D and the crew were genuine, authentic and phenomenal. The kids and whole family had a great time!
Once in a lifetime experience don’t miss.
Must do in Ketchikan, whether from a cruise or just being in town. Educational and hilarious the crew is a delight. Each member is personable and has a great story to tell. Great for kids & adults, they have heat lamps/warm jackets if it gets cold and very clean/warm bathrooms. Crab tasting was also delicious. 5 stars
Tons of fun! We enjoyed fascinating stories from the crew and access to lots of sea creatures and amazing bald eagle viewing!
This is an actual crab fishing vessel which was outfitted for tourism. Run by actual Bering Sea fisherman that demonstrate how the equipment actually works. A half pound of Bering Sea King Crab was for lunch. Awesome tour & crew, highly recommended!
Excellent tour! They were so accommodating and offered an wonderful experience.
The is was the best excursion on our entire Alaskan adventure. This is a must do! Big D, Capt. Ron, and Dave were exceptional in providing their personal stories and experiences with crabbing, long line fishing, and so much more. There’s surprises along the way and I’m not giving them away! You must book this tour to experience it all for yourself. 10/10
Fantastic! Learned a ton. The bald eagles and scenery can’t be beat. Held crabs and saw octopus. Kept the whole family entertained, even teenagers. So glad we did it and would do it again.
This tour was exceptional, absolutely loved it.The crew’s experience ,knowledge and commitment to their profession was outstanding.