The Itineraries Draw Plenty of Families and Father-Son Duos

Dining in the fantail on Mist Cove (Photo: Chris Gray Faust)

The Boat Company is owned by the McIntosh Foundation, a family-run charitable organization that has its roots in the A&P grocery store fortune. The cruise line’s founder, the late Michael McIntosh, fell in love with Alaska while working on a fishing boat to supply a family-run cannery; his son, Hunter McIntosh, is still the president of The Boat Company and sails on one of the ships at least once per season.

The Boat Company’s original passengers were very targeted guests that could donate to the McIntosh Foundation’s environmental projects, and the ship still draws a certain type that wealth managers would euphemistically call “high net worth individuals.” That’s partially because of the price tag – cabins on the boats start at $11,900 per person ($18,000 for a single) for the weeklong cruise.

Guests drinking port after dinner on Mist Cove (Photo: Chris Gray Faust)

And it’s also based on the experience itself, which came with more than a twinge of prep. On our sailing, at least two passengers had III after their last names; references to New England and British boarding schools were made. Plummy Southern accents dominated. The boat’s salon carried a clubby air, with worn leather sofas, dark tartan plaid chairs and an open self-serve bar heavy on scotch and whiskey. We took all our meals at a single table set up in the boat’s enclosed fantail; afterward, guests would retire for cigars on the top deck or port on the main level.

Couple hiking in Alaska on a Mist Cove cruise (Photo:Chris Gray Faust)

While this could be pretentious, I found my cruise anything but. Father-son duos (and the wives, daughters, sisters and fiancés who loved them) made up the bulk of the passengers on my sailing; the vibe leaned male. It was sweet to see the family bonding take place, particularly among men who might ordinarily stay taciturn outside a sporting environment.

What I liked about the couples and families on The Boat Company is that no one stayed clannish. One man from North Carolina, on his third Mist Cove cruise, almost served as the ship’s mayor; although he was with his wife, son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law, he made it a point to include every passenger in the conversation. Another family came together from Maine, Florida and New Hampshire to bond, yet they too were enthusiastic group cheerleaders.

Polar plunge from an Alaskan beach with Mist Cove (Photo: Chris Gray Faust)

I joined that family’s 40something siblings, along with a few fellow 50somethings in Mist Cove’s famed polar plunge. Led by the youngest member of the crew, Annie Haglin, we were driven by skiff to a rocky beach in Hamas Bay, which gave us some time to psych ourselves up.

Laying our ship-provided towels on a long log, we shucked down to bathing suits and shorts, socks and water shoes. As a group, we charged into the bay, laughing and screaming as the chilly Alaska water hit us.

Celebratory whiskey after an Alaskan polar plunge with Mist Cove (Photo: Chris Gray Faust)

Once out, we celebrated our bravery with shots of Bulleit 95, a “frontier whiskey” that seemed oh-so appropriate for our week onboard Mist Cove.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – September is underway with the start of Meteorological Fall. Meteorological seasons are in 3-month increments and always begin on the first of the month. For example, the next season is Winter, and it starts on December 1st. Meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperatures of the time period, or cycle. Meteorological seasons are different from “astronomical” seasons, which are based on the rotation of the earth around the sun.

Southcentral sees a chance of showers remaining in place through Sunday evening into Monday morning. The forecast expectation is that showers will diminish in the afternoon, leaving perhaps that afternoon or evening Labor Day gathering in mostly dry weather.

Southeast Alaska sees continued showers. And sunshine is on tap in the interior and western Alaska.

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – One of the nation’s largest airlines is raising concerns to the federal government about the planned merger between Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines.

It’s a setback in the nearly nine-month process that seemed close to being finalized. Some experts say it will likely only delay the $1.9 billion deal.

United Airlines does a lot of business in Hawaii, devoting some of its fleet’s largest and most expensive planes to the islands. It’s concerned about what a merger will mean about its existing agreements with Hawaiian Airlines.

According to United, its costumers can gain reward miles even when they fly inter-island on Hawaiian.

Its website also sells flights to and from the continental U.S. that use connecting flights “Operated by Hawaiian Airlines.”

“What it means is that their airline can sell some tickets on that airplane, and both companies make some profit on that arrangement,” said Hawaii Aviation Expert Peter Forman.

“It is a lucrative type of agreement between airlines.”

A letter from United to the DOT expressed concerns about the impact of the merger on these existing agreements.

Patrick McNamee, who flew for United and Continental for 37 years, said the concerns about business impact make sense given that the airline has a long history operating in the state.

“I started working for them back in 1987 here in Hawaii. The biggest carriers were United, Northwest and Continental,” said McNamee.

McNamee believes that other airlines operating in Hawaii will also write letters of concern.

“United shot the first bullet across the bow. Trust me, Southwest is going to be there by tomorrow,” added McNamee.

The merger has strong support from state officials, including Hawaii’s Gov., Attorney General, and lieutenant governor.

The governor wrote to the DOT saying in part,

“By the joining of these two airlines, a stronger company will emerge with Hawaiian Airlines costumers benefiting from being a part of a larger carrier with more resources, increased options for residents, and enhanced competition.”

The governor noted that even with a merger, Alaska and Hawaiian would still be “a distant 5th in size” among airlines.

Forman believes the merger will still be approved, but it will likely be delayed as the DOT works to address concerns.

“It’s not a showstopper at all because worse case situation, the DOT says Hawaiian you got to keep these agreements open to United,” said Forman.

That’s in part because the proposed merger cleared a major hurdle when the Department of Justice issued no objections to it.

There is no timeline for when the DOT will be done with its final review.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.