Un-Cruise Adventures: An Active Exploration of Southeastern Alaska

An Alternative Alaskan Cruise Experience

• 🚢 The "Un-Cruise" offers a stark contrast to traditional large cruise ships, focusing on active exploration rather than onboard entertainment.
• 💡 This expedition-style cruise, aboard the 86-passenger Safari Endeavor, emphasizes kayaking, bushwhacking, and wildlife viewing over formal dining and shows.
• 🗺️ The itinerary focused on the islands, inlets, and glaciers of Alaska's panhandle, starting and ending in Juneau without visiting any other cities.

Exploring Southeastern Alaska's Wilderness

• 🐻 The region is rich in wildlife, including Alaskan brown bears (grizzlies) and abundant bald eagles, which were a daily sight.
• 🌲 Bushwhacking, or forging trails through undeveloped wilderness, was a key activity, often following game trails and involving creek crossings.
• 🛶 Kayaking, both guided and free, provided intimate access to bays and inlets, with a unique "easy dock" system making launches and landings simpler.

Glacier Bay National Park Immersion

• 🧊 Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight, with the smaller Un-Cruise ship allowed to overnight and explore more extensively than larger vessels.
• 🧑‍🔬 A park ranger joined the ship for two days, offering insights into the glaciation history and local wildlife.
• 🌊 The ship's flexible itinerary allowed for spontaneous stops to observe humpback whales, orcas, and dolphins playing in the wake.

Unique Expedition Activities

• 🥾 A third bushwhack explored areas showing plant succession on land recently uncovered by receding glaciers, featuring alder bushes and cottonwood trees.
• 🐳 A particularly memorable experience involved a whale repeatedly slapping its tail on the water, a behavior believed to be a signal to other whales.
• 🧊 Zodiac excursions took passengers close to active glaciers in Endicott Arm, witnessing calving ice and marveling at the deep blue hues of glacial ice.

Un-Cruise Value and Crew

• 💰 While not inexpensive (ranging from $4,000 to $7,000+), the cruise is all-inclusive, covering excursions, meals, and alcohol.
• 👍 The crew, largely American, was noted for their hard work, enthusiasm, and sense of fun, contributing to the decision to book a future cruise.
• ☀️ The trip experienced an unusual amount of sunshine, reducing the need for rain gear, though the landscape remained remarkably green and spongy, with guides explaining local flora like skunk cabbage.
• 🦈 Future cruise plans include a winter trip to Baja for swimming with whale sharks and observing humpback whales.