Alaska for Adventure Seekers with UnCruise

We started out driving past the large cruise ships in port to our home for the next week, the Wilderness Legacy. The itinerary was "Wild, Woolly, and Wow with Glacier Bay" for seven nights, round-trip from Juneau. As we were greeted at the airport and taken to the reception area for UnCruise, we realized we were in for a truly all-inclusive experience. At boarding time, we met most of the crew personally, and we soon found out that the crew was absolutely incredible. We had 50 fellow passengers this week.

I got to see an otter raft!

I had preconceived ideas that I would be the oldest on this adventure voyage, but I was surprised by the variety of ages and abilities. The love of wildlife was the bond, and the crew did an amazing job of providing a variety of experiences, from more vigorous all-day "yak-and-whacks" to a slower-paced shore walk to find bird species, starfish, and sea anemones. We explored places in this region where 99% of Glacier Bay visitors never go, including hiking in the expansive outwash field of glaciers winding down the Fairweather Mountain Range. You’ll also have the chance to snorkel in Alaska’s chilly waters, but don’t worry; wetsuits will be provided onboard. The night before, you are able to decide which activities to take part in, or you can choose to stay back for a quiet time reading a book on board. The plans are held loosely, which we liked, because the crew watches for the best wildlife opportunities. I am not sure if we were just lucky, but I got to cross off my list of hopes-to-see in abundance.

Shore walks were wonderful if you don't want to bushwhack.

Time to just take in the scenery without the crowds

The meals on board were thoughtful in every way; not only were they delicious, but we also had a choice of meat, fish, or vegetarian, and they always asked if we had any allergies or preferences. My favorites were lamb chops and scallops; they even brought me half portions of each to try. In the mornings, I always ordered bacon with either the special or with eggs my way. I found out later the bacon was hand-selected by the company—it would have been fun to be at that tasting! My favorite meal was the all-you-can-eat crab, where they brought out bowls of crab until we said no more!

The meals were excellent and we enjoyed the selection of wines.

The cabins aren’t luxurious, so if this is your priority, there may be better partners to book. But I will say we were in there to change, shower, and sleep, and the bed was very comfortable—and I am very picky about my mattresses.

They provide excellent suggestions for packing so you can enjoy everything!

We left Juneau and really didn’t see any other ships except in the main channel traveling back to Juneau and another UnCruise ship, which shared the location of the orcas they were following. That evening, the captain pushed dinner out so we could experience whales that were swimming off every side of our ship. One day, we had just boarded our skiff after exploring a forest and fish ladder in the afternoon when the captain said we could return because a grizzly had wandered onto the beach. I truly appreciated this unique experience that I could never imagine happening on a large cruise ship. Our adventure leaders were highly knowledgeable, trained, and passionate about Alaska, making life off the ship incredibly enjoyable.

Rachael was a fun, passionate, and knowledgable adventure leader.

UnCruise has other itineraries in Alaska, Hawaii, Baja Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Galápagos, and they're coming soon to Panama. Small ships, but huge adventure!

Our ship, the Wilderness Legacy, was the only one with an elevator, so keep this in mind when booking if there are mobility issues. They offer free Wi-Fi, but only just before dinner—it shuts down every night. Meal times are set (depending on the vessel) at 7:30, 12:30, and 6:30 with snacks and cocktails before. There are nightly talks if you want. Meals change with the itinerary, focusing on locally sourced ingredients.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Alaska page.