Un-Cruise Trip Report Ultimate Coves & Passages

[mtlycrew1]

We just returned from the two week Ultimate Coves and Passages cruise with Un-Cruise on the Wilderness Explorer. I wanted to post this in an effort to help others considering sailing with Un-Cruise.

 

Bottom line: The trip was fantastic and far exceeded our expectations. We are definitely going to sail again with them. Now I must state this up front. We had rain on day one and day 14. In between we had the most gorgeous weather. The Captain said in all his years of sailing in Alaska ours had to be in the top 2 or 3 based on the weather. I say this so you know the perspective my comments are based upon.

 

The Ship – Wilderness Explorer. We were in 309. The room had two twin beds. I’m 6’2” tall and I had to untuck the bedding on one corner for my feet to stick out. Personally it was no big deal for me and kind of comical. The shower is a typical square shower with which I had no problems. They have a removable European style shower head which makes rinsing easier. They provided a liquid shampoo and body gel dispenser in the shower. The bow area is large and many passengers were out there enjoying the weather. The lounge is nice as is the dining room. One issue we had every night every night was that both became very warm. The crew was willing to open windows but sometimes people complained so they were closed. The engine noise was negligible as we were so high and mid ship so it wasn’t an issue at night. We brought ear plugs but didn’t need them.

 

The Crew – Nothing but glowing cudos for everyone. They work so hard with multiple responsibilities. The five Adventure Guides were VERY knowledgeable with every aspect of Alaska. Each evening they would give a presentation on Alaska history, geology or wildlife.

 

Meals – This is one area I think could use some improvement. They weren’t bad but they weren’t great either. I’d give them a 5 on a 10 scale. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style and were by far the best meals of the day. Dinner was plated and served to you. You were given a choice of a meat, seafood or vegetable entrée. If you’re expecting the French Laundry you’re going to be very disappointed. However, if you’re expecting Denney’s or IHOP you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Every morning from 6:30-7:30 there was a great continental breakfast in the lounge (regular breakfast starts at 7:30.) The continental breakfast was wonderful with fruit, fresh baked pastries and oatmeal.

 

Adventures – Lot of fun. Most days you were able to do a morning and an afternoon activity. Each evening the Expedition Leader held “Six O’Clock News” to let use know what was happening the next day and listed the available activities which included a guided kayak trip, free paddle kayak (go on your own), paddle boarding, zodiac (inflatable boat) tour, hiking or the infamous “buskwacking”. Bushwacking is a hike in the Alaskan forest where there is no trail. You’re breaking your own trail through the brush and trees. You need to be in good shape for these and they are fun. We’ve never kayaked before and it was a breeze. These are “sea” kayaks and are virtually impossible to turn over.

 

Photography – I’m an avid photographer and came loaded for bear (pun intened). I brought way too much. Leave the tripod at home. The ship is always moving, even when anchored. When the engine is off they still have a large generator running for power and I could feel it on my tripod legs. Do bring a monopod if you’re using a large lens to relieve your arms. 90% of my shooting was done with my 70-200 lens. While on hikes or the kayak I used my Olympus mirrorless DSLR but many had their large cameras on the kayaks. The other lens I used was my 24-105 during hikes. Bring lens cloths and cleaner. You’ll definitely need a dry bag for kayaking and riding on the zodiacs and some form of cover for shooting in drizzle and rain.

 

Clothing: We WAY over packed here. We took clothes for one week. When the ship docks in Juno mid trip, Un-Cruise provides you a laundry bag and they have a laundry service on shore do all your laundry at no charge. There is a commercial dryer on the top deck for passenger use. We packed a lot of cold weather layers we never used. If you have rubber boots definitely take them. If not, you can rent a pair for $25 for the trip. If you have very small or large feet consider bringing your own. We brought hiking boots and shoes. Should have left the boots at home. Bring a comfortable pair of sandals or tennis shoes to wear on the boat. Bring quick dry clothing as it will get wet. We had all Columbia pants and shirts and they worked fine. Definitely bring rain gear (jacket and pants). Bring wool socks. Bring warm gloves. There were times early in the morning or on the zodiacs where warm gloves were a blessing. Bring water booties/shoes for in the kayaks. You’re feet for the most part stay dry but you don’t want you’re regular shoes getting wet by chance. I had a warm vest I wore under my rain jacket and that was fine. Bring t-shirts as it was warm.

 

Misc: Leave your hiking sticks at home. They have plenty on the ship for you to use. Bring snacks (trail mix etc). There is NO internet on this cruise so be prepared. Every so often if the ship sailed near civilization you might pick up a weak signal but that rarely happened. There is a very nice library containing books on every aspect of Alaskan life and history. Great reading. Each room was provided a set of binoculars so no need to bring your own unless you really like yours.

 

Well I hope this helps someone.

[Chenega]

Here's a second to the outstanding experience aboard an UnCruise. My wife and I took the initial trip of the Alaska season in early May aboard the Safari Endeavor from Seattle to Juneau. It was a 12 day excursion so we literally poked our way up the inside passage of Canada and Alaska. Weather was spectacularly beautiful with no rain and lots of sunny days. The ports were Ketchikan and Wrangell but the real focus was the scenery along the way. Best two days were cruising through Misty Fjords and a breathtaking trip to Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm. Saw lots of whales throughout the trip as well.

 

This is our second Uncruise trip and we are planning one to the Sea of Cortez in the future. Have been on the "big guys" like Royal Caribbean but Uncruise has really spoiled us.

[aussiemandy]

Thanks so much for you review. My husband and I sail on August 27th for 2 weeks, the Ultimate Bays and Fjords, part of a 9 week Canada and Alaska adventure. I hope we have weather as good as you, but we are prepared for less than perfect, plenty of wet weather gear. Gum boots are bought as I always find it difficult to get shoes, so easier than worrying if they have a suitable pair. What did you do for the day in Juneau? At the moment we're just thinking of the glacier and the tram, and wander around town. Would love to see some photos. Thanks again

[mtlycrew1]

Aussiemandy, you'll have a great time. Everyone wore thick wool socks with their rubber boots. In Juneau we just walked around town. We passed up on the tram and going to Mendenhall Glacier due to the costs of each. The tram is $33 per person and the shuttle to the Glacier is $20 per person. You can save money and pay $2 for the city bus but it's a 1 1/2 hour ride and it stops about 1/2 mile from the glacier. We had already been to Dawes Glacier and would be in Glacier Bay in a couple of days. If you wander around town I'd recommend getting away from the tourist "strip" of jewelry stores and really see the town. One couple did a 5 mile hike of a popular trail that starts just in town that takes you up to the top of the tram mountain. They said it was nice.

[saxmangeoff]

Thanks for the review. Un-cruise is definitely on my "someday" list. Sounds like my kind of cruise.

Edited June 28, 2016 by saxmangeoff

[Shazzah]

Thanks for the review. We depart Saturday for two weeks with UnCruise on the Wilderness Discoverer.

 

I was surprised to read about the $25 fee for boots - as I think there was no charge on our previous trip. Not concerned about the fee, just hoping they have a good supply, since we have a large group.

[mtlycrew1]

Shazzah, Some of their trips include the boots and other equipment (eg. wet suits). Ours didn't.

[mtlycrew1]

Chenega, After Un-Cruise I can't imagine an Alaskan cruise on the big ships. We'd be anchored in beautiful bays and watch the big ships just cruise by in the distance. In my opinion they really missed a lot. Having said that, the small ship experience isn't for everyone. Some like all the amenities of the larger ships and that's fine. They just won't have an up close and personal experience like ours. When the crew would spot whales or bears the Captain would slow down, and at times, just drift up close so we could watch. They're not tied as tightly to their schedule like the big ships. Sea of Cortez in on our list with Un-Cruise.

Edited June 28, 2016 by mtlycrew1

[AryMay]

Thanks for the review. We depart Saturday for two weeks with UnCruise on the Wilderness Discoverer.

 

I was surprised to read about the $25 fee for boots - as I think there was no charge on our previous trip. Not concerned about the fee, just hoping they have a good supply, since we have a large group.

 

Shazzah...are you going to do a blog of your Un-Cruise trip that you just completed? I have read through your 2013 blog more than once (and have it book marked!) It is by far one of the best travel blogs ever!! The pictures are amazing!!

 

I just got an Un-Cruise catalog in the mail today and have been looking through it. Would love to do one of the cruises, but knowing I could do 3 mainline cruises for the price of one Un-Cruise keeps me from booking.

[Shazzah]

Shazzah...are you going to do a blog of your Un-Cruise trip that you just completed? I have read through your 2013 blog more than once (and have it book marked!) It is by far one of the best travel blogs ever!! The pictures are amazing!!

 

I just got an Un-Cruise catalog in the mail today and have been looking through it. Would love to do one of the cruises, but knowing I could do 3 mainline cruises for the price of one Un-Cruise keeps me from booking.

 

 

Oh Boy - thanks for the kind words on the 2013 report. I don't think I will do a separate blog like that - it was a ton of work :D. I am thinking about doing a trip report in here, though. Still sorting photos:)

[AryMay]

Oh Boy - thanks for the kind words on the 2013 report. I don't think I will do a separate blog like that - it was a ton of work :D. I am thinking about doing a trip report in here, though. Still sorting photos:)

 

I don't want to hijack this thread, but will add one more post before I disappear!

 

The photo reviews on Cruise Critic are a labor of love, but are so helpful to those in the planning stages of their own cruise. The only problem is that after a few weeks, the reviews drift to the back pages of the boards, many never to be seen again. Once a new year rolls around, people want the latest information and are not interested in reading "old news".

 

But...after doing quite a few photo reviews, I find I like to go back and read MY OWN reviews just to re-live the memories. Finding them sometimes takes a bit of searching and then I have to scroll through all of the other posts as I am reading. I started my blog after our Alaskan cruise in 2014 and look at it as if it were my diary. I am happy to share the blog with anyone and everyone, but the effort I put into it is for ME!

 

Since then, I am slowly going back and copying & pasting from my older Cruise Critic reviews and getting those transferred to my blog where I can have a record of all of our trips in one place. I would like to encourage you to do the same...for your own benefit!

 

I will keep my eye out for your review (pretty please?!) but if you do decide to do a blog, please post the link here on Cruise Critic so we can all find it!