I had the extreme pleasure of experiencing Alaska aboard the “Single Star” with Mike and Mary late June 2016 to photograph coastal brown bears. The first class accommodations were a welcome site as we flew into Katmai NP. Mike and Mary were there to great us to begin our week-long photography excursion to photograph bears in Hallo Bay and Kukak.
The food was homemade and absolutely delicious for every meal as you would find in a 5-star hotel. Perhaps they should change the name of the boat from “Single Star” to “Five Star”. Sleeping aboard was very peaceful, quiet and calm despite harsh conditions that are found around Alaska. They were very attentive to all of our needs and provided comfort in knowing and having all of our requests fulfilled.
Mike always found the perfect spot to anchor for the night and positioned for a timely arrival to the next destination the following day. Mike’s lifelong knowledge of the area was invaluable to making our trip as successful as possible. The Norman’s goal was was to ensure we had a trip of a lifetime and we most certainly did. When we left the Single Star, they were on deck waving goodbye. It was a sad and happy moment as you immediately felt you were saying goodbye to family. It is a trip that I think about every day and long to go back to experience again!.