Category: UnCruise

Six Reasons a Small Ship is Best Way to Cruise the Panama Canal

8/31/2017

Panama Canal on UnCruise Adventures' Safari Voyager

UnCruise Adventures' Safari Voyager enters Gatun Locks as we prepare to transit the Panama Canal.

By John Roberts

The Panama Canal is a technological wonder that is vital to modern commerce and shipping. The route that cuts through the isthmus of Panama has been open for more than 100 years, and its history is fascinating. People with an interest in history, engineering and travel in general all have good reason to seek out cruises that transit the Panama Canal.

I have done this on a large cruise ship and a small expedition ship. My verdict is that it's an overwhelmingly more pleasing experience to cross the Panama Canal on a small ship. My cruise on Celebrity Infinity (2,100 passengers, 950 feet long) was enjoyable enough, with a lot of entertainment options and an overall nice program for the canal. The large ship offered a good perspective from its high decks as we transited the locks and Gatun Lake, and we also enjoyed time viewing from our balcony.

But the limitations of cruising the Panama Canal on a large ship become apparent after my recent crossing with UnCruise Adventures on Safari Voyager. During this voyage, I discovered six reasons you should cruise the Panama Canal on an expedition ship.

No Crowds -- Safari Voyager sails with a maximum of 62 passengers on its itineraries in Panama and Costa Rica. We had even fewer on our trip, and the lack of crowds allowed us to get a viewing spot anywhere we wanted without having to arrive to the top deck hours ahead of the transit to stake out a spot on the railing. This is how it's done on the large cruise ships that transit the canal, and you can't leave your spot without losing it to other passengers ready to pounce.

On an expedition ship, this is no problem. There are plenty of good spots for pictures for everyone, and people can move more easily from area to area, unhindered by crowds.

All the Views -- The small passenger count and the modest size of the vessel also means that you can go from one end of the ship to the other -- and even change decks or wander to other viewing platforms -- in a matter of moments so that you can enjoy views from the bow of the ship as well as perspectives off the sides and at the aft. This means you can see how the canal locks open in front then close from behind and watch the "mules" (powerful vehicles on tracks on each side) tie up ropes to your ship and work to keep you on course within the lock system.

On large ships, you pretty much have to choose your perspective for the whole process. If you want to go from aft to bow, for example, it can take a long time to walk from end to end to reach a new position.

Dinner in a Lock -- On Safari Voyager, the ship's chef and crew put on a top deck barbecue for us so that we wouldn't miss a thing while we were transiting the canal. Passengers ate grilled shrimp and other fine cuisine while drinking sangria and cocktails served right outside under sunny skies. It was amazing to be eating our dinner right inside a Panama Canal lock during the whole process.

Ask the Captain -- The bridge is off limits during the crossing as a pilot from the Canal Authority comes onboard the ship to oversee the transit. But the ship's captain will generally be accessible to passengers right up to the time we enter the canal and will gladly explain what is going to happen. Our fellow cruisers on Safari Voyager peppered Captain Kamin Lambertson with questions throughout the day of the crossing to find out how many times he had done this, how long it would take, how much it costs, etc.

Expedition ships generally have an open-bridge policy, and the captains will welcome you in to see how they navigate. They love to chat with passengers and answer questions, and many have a big bowl of candies to offer as an incentive to come visit. They get lonely up there and love the company.

Time Lapse -- I was able to affix my GoPro camera to a rail just in front of the bridge to document the crossing as a time-lapse (see video at bottom of this post). This is a fun way to save a memory from your Panama Canal crossing, and it's easy to find an unobstructed area on a small cruise ship to place your camera with good views of the journey. This is not as easy to pull off in any good way on a large ship.

Naturalist Talk -- Expedition guides give a talk about the Panama Canal, its history and the process of the crossing. They provide a play-by-play that can be heard over a loudspeaker and will also walk the decks to answer any questions. The format may be fairly informal and flexible with such a small group, and the intimate setting seems more like a classroom with all your fellow passengers. This differs from the large cruise ships, which feature an expert giving commentary over a loudspeaker that is sometimes hard to hear and will not vary from its formalized presentation.

A Panama Canal cruise is something to try at least once. You'll have fun on any type of ship, but for me, I really love that expedition ship experience. Have you done a transit? What type of ship were you on and what did you like about it?

Let us know in the comments below.

Happy travels!
JR

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We're Off to Sail the Panama Canal with UnCruise Adventures

8/15/2017

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Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures

By John Roberts

Nothing is better than an expedition cruise. Of all my adventures, I would choose this style of travel over and over. You get to explore in smaller groups of like-minded travelers who are seeking fun challenges and go into regions of still-pristine wilderness that are typically unreachable by any other means.

UnCruise Adventures specializes in expeditions and does it as well as any other company -- and much better than most.

Last year, a went on back-to-back sailing with UnCruise Adventures to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Those voyages were action-filled and left me wanting to get back on an UnCruise Adventures ship as soon as possible. Well, that time has come, and we'll be sailing through the Panama Canal from Panama City to San Jose, Costa Rica, on Safari Voyager.

Here's the day-by-day sailing itinerary for our destinations and all the activities.

On embarkation day, we will have an evening transit of the 48-mile-long Panama Canal.
Sailing the Gulf of Panama, on a search for marine life and seabirds as we cruise among islands and islets.

At Granito de Oro and Coiba National Park in Panama, we can choose to snorkel, kayak and explore trails on the uninhabited island. We'll be on the lookout for howler monkeys, eagles and turtles.

At Coiba National Park, for a morning of swimming, snorkeling or hiking options before afternoon sailing.

Golfo Dulce is a paradise for bird fanatics. Now, in Costa Rica, we'll visit the tropical reserve -- filled with monkeys, hummingbirds, butterflies and exotic plants -- on a walking tour and also have the chance to explore mangroves by skiff and kayak.

Osa Conservation Area is the location of Costa Rica's largest national park. Corcovado is blooming with biodiversity of plants and animals. Fully 2.5 percent of the world's plant and animal species can be found at Corcovado. We'll try to spy as many as we can on a trail hike.

At Curu National Wildlife Refuge, a number of exotic creatures could appear. The gnarly mangroves are home to birds, colorful frogs, army ants and crocodiles. Activities include crossing a swinging bridge on a trail hike to spot monkeys. We'll also jump into the waters at Isla Tortuga to kayak, snorkel and paddleboard.

Colleen and I will be with about 60 other passengers on the ship, which features modest staterooms amenities, a sun deck, EZ dock for launching into the waters for skiff tours and kayaking, open-seating dining room and a lounge area with a bar. The ship features an outdoor viewing area at the bow, which will be a popular gathering place for viewing wildlife, and UnCruise offers each traveler a complimentary 30-minute massage (I'll gladly pay for a second or third massage, too, after all the activity I am anticipating). I'll return with a full review of the ship and adventure experience.

Thanks for reading and please follow out UnCruise Adventures trip on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook via the #TBIN hashtag (Travel Bloggers Influencer Network).

Cheers!
JR

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For Alaska, UnCruise Adds Ship and Seven New Itineraries

4/9/2017

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UnCruise's SS Legacy will join the line's Alaska fleet for 2018 expedition sailings.

By John Roberts

Much of the vast wilderness of Alaska remains untamed, and it could take a lifetime to see just a slice of the outdoors paradise. UnCruise Adventures is expanding its offerings, though, making is easier to explore more of this great destination.

UnCruise Adventures' schedule of 2018 Alaska cruises adds a seventh ship to its Alaska fleet, plus more visits to Glacier Bay National Park and seven new itineraries. The 88-guest S.S. Legacy, a replica coastal steamer that has been freshly outfitted with kayaks and skiffs, joins the Alaska fleet in 2018 to sail the line's popular adventure cruises. My adventure voyages with UnCruise in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska were the most thrilling cruises I've had so far.

Check out my stories and video recaps from my two cruises in 2016 with UnCruise Adventures.

An UnCruise Adventures Wilderness Discoverer cruise in the San Juan Islands:

An UnCruise Adventures Wilderness Explor er cruise in Alaska:

Also new for 2018, the remote adventure town of Haines has been added to five itineraries. A full day of activities in Haines includes a float trip down the Chilkat River (on most itineraries), a guided hike, bikes for riding into town and a shipboard presentation by Chilkat Tlingit members.

From April to October, travelers may choose from 10 adventure cruise itineraries on 160 departures lasting from one week to 14 days. These depart from homeports of Seattle or Ketchikan, Juneau, Petersburg and Sitka, Alaska on ships that carry 22 to 88 passengers.

"Seven of our 10 itineraries visit Glacier Bay National Park in 2018," said Dan Blanchard, CEO on UnCruise Adventures. "There are many outstanding wilderness areas in Southeast Alaska, but Glacier Bay is iconic. With multiple days in the park, we're able to actively explore more, including access to rarely visited, pristine outback areas."

Travelers visiting Glacier Bay see the sights up close on the smaller expedition ships. For example, you might spot sea lions at Marble Islands and tidewater glaciers and mountain goats at Gloomy Knob. The ships often stop at Bartlett Cove Visitor Center for a short hike, and a Glacier Bay National Park ranger boards the ship to provide narration in the park. Cruises with two or three days in the park have time to explore deeper with guided kayak and hiking excursions.

Check out these enticing voyages that are new for UnCruise in 2018:
Alaska Yacht: Bears, Bergs and Bushwhacking -- The 22-passenger Safari Quest sails 15 departures on an itinerary targeted to past cruisers and travelers seeking out new adventures in rarely visited wilderness areas. The eight-night itinerary out of Petersburg begins with an included hotel night in Petersburg, followed by a choice of fishing or flightseeing in the morning. Four wilderness areas are explored -- South Baranof, Admiralty, Tebenkof, Stikine-LeConte Glacier -- plus a visit to the native village of Kake and a guided tour to the Fortress of the Bear on Admiralty Island.

Alaska's Glaciers and Whales -- The 88-passenger S.S. Legacy and 84-person Safari Endeavour sail 13 departures from Juneau to Sitka to see glaciers in Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, Thomas Bay, Baird Glacier, Le Conte Glacier, Ideal Cove, Frederick Sound, Baranof Island, Sergius Narrows and the native village of Kake.

Whales, Wildlife and Glaciers -- The S.S. Legacy and Safari Endeavour sail 13 departures on an upper Inside Passage-focused itinerary from Sitka to Juneau. This route explores Krestof Sound, Icy Strait, Glacier Bay National Park, Chichagof Island and Lynn Canal. A day in Haines includes a float trip down the Chilkat River, a guided hike, biking and a shipboard presentation by Chilkat Tlingit members. The two itineraries are combinable for a new two-week Alaska Glacier Cruise Ultimate Expedition.

Alaska's Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise -- Five ships sail nine departures on spring and fall transits between Seattle and Juneau (and reverse). Two additional days in 2018 create a 14-day itinerary with added days spent exploring Washington's Olympic National Park and San Juan Islands, as well as Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park.

Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise -- The 60-passenger Wilderness Adventurer sails 19 departures roundtrip from Juneau with three days in Glacier Bay National Park for travelers intent on exploring lesser-visited nooks and crannies with more opportunities for hiking and kayaking in the park. It also explores Icy Strait and spends a day in Haines for included adventures ashore: bikes, hiking, a float trip on the river and a shipboard presentation by Chilkat Tlingit members.

How about these classic UnCruise trips?
Glacier Bay Small Ship Cruise -- Four ships sail 23 departures on weeklong cruises -- roundtrip Juneau with two days in Glacier Bay National Park. Other areas explored are Chatham Strait, Kuiu Island, Frederick Sound and Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm.

Northern Passages and Glacier Bay -- The 76-passenger Wilderness Discoverer and 74-person Wilderness Explorer sail 20 departures on weeklong cruises from Juneau to Sitka (or reverse). Areas explored include Chatham Strait, Glacier Bay National Park, Icy Strait, Chichagof Island, Peril Strait and Sergius Narrows.

Alaska Fjords and Glaciers -- Three ships sail 19 departures from Juneau to Ketchikan (or reverse) visiting Misty Fjords National Monument, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Thomas Bay, Stephens Passage, Wrangell Narrows and a stop in Wrangell for a visit to the totem park and Chief Shakes Tribal House. Travelers may combine it with the Northern Passages and Glacier Bay cruise for a new 14-day Fjords of Alaska Cruise Ultimate Expedition.

Every Alaska cruise includes adventure activities in remote wilderness. I loved the hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding and skiff excursions. Oh, and the whale watching, of course.

With few port calls and flexible itineraries, travelers spend the week exploring remote wilderness and searching for wildlife. Expert and passionate expedition guides lead tours and activities, give topical nightly presentations and answer all your questions along the way.

Which one of these trips catches your eye? It's OK to say "all of them." That's my answer, too.

Thanks for reading,
JR

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Six Reasons a Small Ship is Best Way to Cruise the Panama Canal

We're Off to Sail the Panama Canal with UnCruise Adventures

For Alaska, UnCruise Adds Ship and Seven New Itineraries

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