A beloved small-ship cruise line has suddenly shut down operations, leaving travelers with canceled vacation plans. Alaskan Dream Cruises, a Sitka-based company known for intimate Alaska voyages, announced on Wednesday (February 4) that it would immediately halt all operations and cancel all future sailings.

"Since 2011, Alaskan Dream Cruises has had the privilege of sharing the wonders of Alaska and the richness of our Alaska Native heritage with incredible guests from across the globe," the company stated on Facebook.

The Alaska Native-owned cruise line, which operated four vessels carrying between 40 and 80 passengers each, specialized in 5-to-10-night sailings through Southeast Alaska's remote fjords and narrow channels inaccessible to larger ships. The company typically sailed from May through September, so no voyages were active at the time of the announcement.

The cruise line's parent company, Allen Marine Tours, will continue to operate its day excursion business. Founded by the Tlingit tribe family, Allen Marine has been offering wildlife and sightseeing tours in Southeast Alaska for about five decades.

Passengers with existing reservations will receive full refunds. "Our guests are being fully refunded any deposits or payments they've made, but we sincerely hope they choose to visit our state with another company if they're able," Kirkpatrick told Fox News Digital. The company has also offered a transfer program with UnCruise Adventures, another small ship expedition line.

In 2025, Alaskan Dream Cruises employed 95 seasonal workers and about 10 year-round employees. With the closure, Allen Marine won't be hiring for the overnight boats this cruise season, though its other services employed 305 seasonal workers and about 100 year-round workers.

The shutdown comes amid broader challenges in the cruise industry, including rising fuel and labor costs and higher port fees. Even with the global cruise industry reporting a record 37.7 million passengers in 2025, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, many operators faced financial pressures.

Gregg Stone