Category: Un Cruise Adventures

Un-Cruise Adventures Reveals Galapagos, Costa Rica Itineraries

6/15/2015

Un-Cruise Adventures begins sailing voyages to the Galapagos Islands in 2016 on the 48-passenger La Pinta ship.

By John Roberts

How amazing is it to explore new exotic places? It's what we live for here at In The Loop Travel.

High -- like at the top -- on our wish list is a trip someday to the Galapagos Islands.

So, I'm really excited that Un-Cruise Adventures has added cruises to this marvelous region of the world. What could be better than sailing in close, heading ashore and exploring this pristine area that is home to animals and plant species not found anywhere else in the world: marine iguanas and Galapagos tortoises, as well as blue-footed boobies, bottlenose dolphins, albatrosses, sea turtles and so many more.

Un-Cruise announced its 2016 itineraries with its first voyages to the Galapagos and Costa Rica/Panama included.

Check out these trips:

The Galapagos Islands: Following in Darwin's footsteps, eight departures are scheduled on a 10-day itinerary to colonial Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. This includes a two-day tour of historic Quito and a weeklong cruise among the islands. The 48-passenger La Pinta explores Isla San Cristobal, Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Bartolome, Isla Santiago,and two of the archipelago's showcase islands: Genovesa and Espanola. Island hikes, glass-bottom boat tours, snorkeling and kayaking bring you up close to wildlife including iguanas, sea lions, birds, penguins and giant tortoises. Fares include transfers, flights between Quito and Galapagos, fees, taxes, tours and adventure activities, as well as premium wine, beer and spirits onboard La Pinta. Rates begin at $8,995 per person, double occupancy. Feel even more adventurous and still need to take another couple thousand pictures? Optional tour extensions include a five-day Amazon rainforest voyage and a seven-day guided land tour exploring Peru and Machu Picchu.

If we don't get to the Galapagos in the next year or two, I might go crazy. Maybe for my 50th birthday, I'll book a big trip. This would be just amazing, obviously, and I know the Un-Cruise Adventures experience is just the type of active-travel voyage from which you'd like to see a thorough review. Let's go ahead and make plans to get on one of these journeys. Mrs. In The Loop? Are you reading this? Getting the hint yet for what I want for my birthday?

Starting in 2016, Un-Cruise Adventures also heads to . . .

Costa Rica and Panama: From October 2016 through April 2017, Un-Cruise's 64-passenger Safari Voyager sails 29 weeklong adventure cruises on an uncharted isthmus. See sloths, monkeys and mangroves on an itinerary between San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City (or reverse). Jungle hikes and watersports activities occur throughout the voyage in Curu National Wildlife Refuge, Isla Tortuga, Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica; and Coiba National Park, Gulf of Panama Islands, Panama. A full Panama Canal transit is included in each voyage. Rates begin at $2,995 per person, double occupancy.

We've been to Costa Rica and Panama before and will go to both again this year during our transit of the Panama Canal on a Celebrity Cruises sailing. These locations offer so much to see with their wildlife diversity and history. I especially love going to Costa Rica to interact with the country's friendly people who preach "pura vida," the pure life, and it shows in their near-constant smiles and welcoming nature.

Un-Cruise Adventures' fleet of yachts and small ships carry 22 to 88 people on adventure and river cruises ranging from one week to 21 nights. Adventure activities, tours, and presentations are included. Check out the rest of the itineraries at www.un-cruise.com.

Un-Cruise Adventures' Safari Voyager is a 64-passenger vessel that will sail to Costa Rica and Panama in 2016.

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A Q&A With Un-Cruise Adventures CEO Capt. Dan Blanchard

4/3/2015

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By John Roberts

It's not often that a cruise company will tell you that the ship is not the most important part of your vacation. Un-Cruise Adventures, however, is not at all like your typical cruise line. The Seattle-based line traces its history to two decades of taking passengers on exciting voyages with a focus on the destinations and experience.

And during its period of rapid growth in recent years, Un-Cruise Adventures is setting a course for even more exciting places to explore. The line owns a longtime presence in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and it has expanded operations in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Ship itineraries also include Mexico, Hawaii and Central America.

Also, Un-Cruise Adventures makes its debut in the Galapagos in early 2016.

These locations all feature spectacular scenery and wildlife, and Un-Cruise aims to enhance the experience with a full range of adventures you can enjoy as part of your cruise. Kayaking, hiking, skiff tours, standup paddleboarding, snorkeling and shore hikes are some of the options available and designed to get you up close to birds, other creatures and natural features at your destinations.

The cruise line is a perfect fit for active travelers seeking a mix of adventure levels. You can choose more hardcore excursions or a mix of soft adventure days while also enjoying a few creature comforts onboard with good food, included beverages and fellow passengers of a similar spirit, whether age 30 or 70. Ships in the fleet range in capacity from 22 to 88 passengers, and starting fares can range from $300 to $500 per passenger per day.

I chatted recently with Un-Cruise Adventures CEO Dan Blanchard (pictured above), who speaks passionately about travel in general and specifically about how his company seeks to craft adventurous, inspiring and unforgettable experiences for its passengers.

The man known as Captain Dan says voyages on his ships are "about fun and laughter and experience."

"That comes in the form of camaraderie, a feeling of doing something unique," he says. "It's off the beaten path, whether it's a physical thing on a hike or whether it's an a-ha! moment when you're out on the bow with a cup of coffee with nobody else around and just absolute silence.

"I know our guests get life-changing moments."

Here is what else he shared with In The Loop Travel in an exclusive interview:

In The Loop: You say your passengers fit a "psychographic" rather than a specific "demographic." What makes travelers who choose a voyage on Un-Cruise Adventures unique?

Capt. Dan Blanchard: When we were developing the whole idea of an adventure cruise product . . . we went to the demographic information and found that demographics didn't tell the story. Adventuresome people that get out and want experiential travel, they have a soul and spirit that doesn't really respect the clock of time. What we find is what really makes the human the person, rather than those demographic things (like age and economics). So . . . what really is the heart and soul of this person, what makes them tick? Rather than where they live. The bigger thing about people is what they have in their mind, how they like to play and what kind of things they want to experience in life. Typically, the kind of passenger that we have, maybe in their 20s, it certainly wouldn't have been uncommon for them to go to Europe on $10 a day. I hear that type of story all the time. When they were younger, they were involved in athletics or hiking. So, as they've gotten older, they still have that adventurous spirit, but they're kind of tired of throwing the 70-pound pack on. That's the kind of client we've found really attracted to us. And even though we are in the cruise industry, we are really so far away from that, so as the ships have grown bigger, it actually helps feed our business.

ITL: Specialty cruising and expeditionary adventures seem to be rising in popularity among travelers. Is this what you are seeing and hearing?

Blanchard: For the big picture, everything is indicating, from statistics and research (Adventure Travel Trade Association) . . . that there is a huge upswing for what we now call adventure travel. It wasn't that long ago, adventure travel was considered something more aggressive. It wouldn't be uncommon that you'd be roped up and in crampons or sailing across an ocean. Today, it takes in a broader aspect that's more experiential. Because of that . . . and for whatever other reasons, we are definitely seeing and all the stats are showing a huge increase in this market. And really no stopping point at this juncture. As far as growth goes, we are certainly on a growth curve. As a company, we'd like to see that stabilize. We've grown extremely fast over the last six years.

"To me, it's really about capturing the moment when the stars align and you sit there and reflect on who you are and what you're doing and the happiness of being alive and having a fast-beating heart in this world."

ITL: Where do you want to see Un-Cruise Adventures go where it isn't sailing yet?

Blanchard: There are really two or three destinations -- we're kind of heading south for the most part. I've been spending a lot of time on the Amazon, and I have to tell you, that one rocked me to the core. We've been doing the Ecuadorian are of the Amazon, the headwaters. Some of this is just feel, when you go someplace, and you have a gut reaction. When you go to the Amazon, it reminds me so much of Alaska. It's true unpredictable adventure. You're going down the river, and all of a sudden, pink dolphins are there. Or you're going into the jungle, and the bird life changes rapidly.

The other that I'm really excited about -- and it's a ways off for us. I'm very interested in what we can do eventually in the Northern Passage.

ITL: Is this type of travel more cost-prohibitive to consumers? Is growth potential limited for any reason as people age and become less active and mobile?

Blanchard: There certainly is an economic part that is demographic based. Just this last summer, I sailed with a couple for a week, one was 27, the other 29, and they were both attorneys. So, there are the few that sail when they're younger, but primarily, we're not getting that. Because they're not in a place where they can put down anywhere from a $2,500 to a $5,000 deposit. But we've tried to design and have made our itineraries where it can go from soft adventure type person to the more relaxed and truly soft adventure. In other words, people can go out on a hike during the day, a half-day or even a full-day hike. And maybe the grandparents who brought the kids are just happy to go out on a skiff and go around for a few hours to see things up close. So, we have the ability to meet that adventuresome spirit, even though their knees might not have the ability to take them the miles that they use to.

ITL: I know you have been on the water and around boats for your whole life. What have been some of your greatest memories and adventures in travel?

Blanchard: I can only answer in a very personal way. I can't say a specific destination, because to me, it's all very much in the moment. I can remember sailing across the Pacific, about halfway (he gets choked up at this point recalling the trip) . . . One of the greatest travel experiences of my life was being mid-Pacific, totally sleep-deprived and my family all asleep down below on a bright, sunny day. Just sitting on the foredeck and realizing, "My God, I've achieved a goal," which is overwhelming.

To me, it's really about capturing the moment when the stars align and you sit there and reflect on who you are and what you're doing and the happiness of being alive and having a fast-beating heart in this world.

Now, those are sentiments to spur anyone to seek a new adventure.

Thanks for reading.

Remember, always Travel fit and travel happy!

JR

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A Look at Un-Cruise Adventures

1/9/2015

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Un-Cruise Adventures photo (www.un-cruise.com)

By John Roberts

I want to tell you about a cool cruise company I have been looking into more and more lately. Un-Cruise Adventures checks most of the boxes I have for a great active adventure. I was prompted to look at the line more closely because I keep getting press releases in my inbox about cruise deals and itineraries Un-Cruise offers. It's "wave season" for the cruise industry, the period between January and March when companies offer extra-value deals. That means the email inbox gets filled with more material from the various lines. And Un-Cruise is promoting its offers on new adventure and river sailings for 2015.

The line traces its history to 1996 operating voyages on yachts and small ships with a goal of providing access to inspiring destinations while fostering a global appreciation of nature and cultures.

This is from Un-Cruise's mission statement on its website, and the sentiments and ideas behind this company resonate strongly with what I am trying to do on this blog.

"We understand that ecosystems are fragile, yet important, environments. With profound respect and admiration, we gain a renewed spirit about how amazing nature and its wild inhabitants can be on every journey. And we know first-hand the impact our adventures have on sustaining local communities.

Mission Statement: To provide our guests an enriching adventure travel experience and inspire an appreciation of local cultures and the natural world.

One of the key components of our company's mission statement is to actively promote environmental protection through education, actions and initiatives that promote responsible travel. We are members of Sustainable Travel International, which focuses on responsible travel and ecotourism.

Small group travel is the heart of what we do. Our boats serve as your platform in Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico's Sea of Cortes, Columbia & Snake Rivers, and Coastal Washington & British Columbia. Expert Captains and guides lead you on adventure -- trekking into forests and engaging in local communities; kayaking and skiff rides through serene wilderness; exploring along shore and searching for wildlife. Filled with unspoiled encounters, they focus on activities and excursions that complement the wilderness, wildlife and culture in each destination -- to change the way you see the world."

What's not to like about that mission? A lot of travelers eschew cruising because they don't find it authentic enough. I'll admit that some aspects of cruising, especially on mega-ships, are not that appealing to me, either, but I know even the most adventurous people can find a way to have a great time on almost any sailing on almost any ship.

But lines like Un-Cruise Adventures and other expeditionary cruise companies almost assure adventurous, thrill-seeking travelers will have a blast on a cruise. I have not yet been on a voyage with Un-Cruise and have not been asked to post this blog by the cruise line, by the way. I am very interested in what they have to offer, however, and I think that you Loopers might be, too.

I read through several reviews on CruiseCritic.com, and people who have cruised on the line generally rave about their experiences (95 percent of reviewers loved the line). Meals are casual, but the food is excellent. And you are able to enjoy your trip the way you want -- with more active excursions -- and a mix of pampering, if you choose (massages or a hot tub soak, for examples).

Un-Cruise has a fleet of nine yachts and small ships that hold 22 to 88 passengers for river cruises or adventure voyages lasting from seven to 21 days. I'm particularly drawn to what they call their "Adventure Cruises." You head out on an expedition vessel for a journey that could include whale watching, snorkeling, standup paddleboarding, hiking, inflatable skiff excursions, yoga sessions and more, all with the accompaniment of expert guides and naturalists.

Check them out to see whether you might enjoy an active adventure on one of their ships and itineraries. Happy travels!

JR

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Un-Cruise Adventures Reveals Galapagos, Costa Rica Itineraries

A Q&A With Un-Cruise Adventures CEO Capt. Dan Blanchard

A Look at Un-Cruise Adventures

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