There is a kind of luxury that has nothing to do with thread counts or champagne on arrival. It is the luxury of having an island to yourself, of stepping off a boat into a cove where the only sound is the water and the only agenda is one designed especially for you. In Southeast Alaska, experiences like this have become almost impossible to find. Bumble Expeditions quietly made sure one still exists.
The company, co-founded by Sara Hadad-Dembs and Cole Dembs in Sitka, Alaska, owns Mertz Island, formally named Mertz Island of Misfit Toys, a private Alaska gem set in Sitka Sound with a forested interior, a teal-colored cove, and a coastline that faces the kind of scenery Alaska makes look effortless. The experience is offered only five times during Alaska's cruise season—not because demand requires it, but because the company has chosen to preserve the solitude and sense of discovery that define the island.
Exclusivity is the experience; scarcity is the luxury. Meals are part of the experience itself. Menus are prepared by the culinary team at Bumble's own Misfit Island Café, using regional ingredients, and served where the only soundtrack is the wind through spruce trees and the tide below. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for guests who want to explore the cove. The island can host bonfires, engagement celebrations, vow renewals, and private dinners — making it a popular setting for a private Alaska shore excursion built entirely around the traveler.
The Transition: A Mental Decompression
The true Mertz Island experience begins as a vital mental decompression from the high-energy environment of the cruise terminal. From the moment Bumble's team meets you at the dock, the experience begins before the island ever comes into view. Minutes after leaving the cruise dock, conversations soften. The engine settles into a steady rhythm. Cell service fades. The only interruptions are an eagle overhead or a sea otter rolling through the kelp.
The route adjusts based on ocean conditions and wildlife activity, which means no two crossings are identical. Cole, who has spent years on these waters, adjusts the route instinctively. He is as much a naturalist as he is a captain, and for travelers arriving by cruise who are looking for something genuinely private, the crossing itself becomes part of this bespoke Alaska travel experience rather than simply a transfer between stops.
What Hadad-Dembs adds is something the island cannot provide on its own: thoughtful hospitality. The rare privilege of being alone in Alaska is where this experience begins. Service remains highly personalized, calibrated to presence rather than performance — attentive without ever interrupting the feeling of solitude.
A Philosophy of Curated Exclusivity
"We're not trying to welcome thousands of people here. We're trying to make a handful of people feel like the island was waiting for them," Hadad-Dembs said.
In an era of scale, Bumble has chosen restraint. It is a curated boundary designed to protect the journey's intimacy. This exclusivity reflects a deliberate commitment to preserving closeness, a refusal to maximize throughput in favor of maintaining a meaningful, personal connection to the landscape. By limiting seasonal bookings, the island remains a sanctuary rather than a destination, prioritizing the traveler's experience over volume. The company received national recognition through HGTV's "Anchoring Down in Sitka" and a USA Today feature on the Sitka private island experience.
What This Represents in the Alaska Market
Photo Courtesy of Bumble Expeditions
Most premium Alaska experiences focus on comfort aboard the ship. Bumble has built one that begins only after guests step off it, positioning itself as an exclusive Alaska experience rather than another stop on a packed itinerary.
Few travelers will ever set foot on Mertz Island. Fewer still will experience it without another group in sight. That rarity is intentional. In an industry built around moving people efficiently, Bumble Expeditions has chosen something slower, quieter, and increasingly difficult to find: enough space for Alaska to feel like it belongs to you.
The company holds contracts with seven major international cruise lines, according to its founders, making it an endorsed answer: one that multiple lines have evaluated and chosen to recommend.
For those who have spent days surrounded by crowds and schedules, Mertz Island offers something simple but rare: an immersive Alaska travel experience that feels entirely their own. It's about the quiet, the company, and the chance to stand somewhere wild and feel, for a moment, like the only people in the world. That, more than anything, is what Bumble Expeditions has built.
Article by Jessa Marie Dollesin
