Moss and moose, thunderous glaciers and tiny potato birds on the wing – Alaska will simply take your breath away. A once-in-a-lifetime, dream holiday and a cruise is the best way to experience the range of places, sights and towns of this amazing destination.

Although larger cruise ships cover more territory and give you a better overview of the area, a small ship experience allows you to get closer to nature and most have experts onboard to teach you about the region’s flora and fauna.

They head to where the big ships can’t go.

Why we like it:

Flexibility. Do as much or as little as you like, and cruise Alaska in comfort. You choose – kick back or get up and go. Small-group travel puts you right up close and in the action – you won’t believe how close. There are set itineraries on each cruise, but nature and opportunity lead the way and those wonderful in-the-moment changes do happen.

Comfort: Small ship cruises are on well-appointed and very comfortable craft. Small ships are intimate, and it doesn’t take long for guests and crew to get comfortable. Plenty of laughs are shared during meals, cocktail hour, and on excursions.

Connection. On a journey this intimate, you can’t help but feel connected – to the earth, to yourself, and to friends new and old. No matter how you travel – with a companion, family, solo, or in a group – adventure, place, and connection are at the heart of your exploration. Uncover hidden treasures, meet locals (the human, feathered, and wild-and woolly ones), and learn while you cruise Alaska and have fun.

All sorted. From transfers and baggage handling, to cruise cabins and pre- and post-cruise extensions, you’re taken care of. Zero hidden costs: excursions, hand-crafted cuisine, and a wide array of beverage options including alcohol are included in your trip.

Be sure to cruise Alaska with a go-with-the-flow attitude. With warm-hearted people and wild places guiding your adventure, no two UnCruise departures are ever the same.

Alaska Fjords & Glaciers – small ship cruising

Uncruise Adventures – Juneau to Ketchikan or vice versa. Cruise Alaska on this 7-night coastal adventure.

Cruise Adventures AlaskaExplore:
Juneau
Endicott Arm
Fords Terror
Stephens Passage
Thomas Bay
Wrangell Narrows
Wrangell
Behm Canal
Misty Fjords National Monument
Ketchikan

 

The highlights of this small ship cruise with UnCruise Adventures include:

  • Dawes Glacier and ice-rich Endicott Arm
  • Whale watching in Stephens Passage
  • Adventure exploration in Misty Fjords National Monument
  • Tlingit cultural presentation
  • Kiksetti Totem Park and Chief Shakes Tribal House visit
  • Tongass backcountry by kayak, paddleboard, skiff, and hike
  • Search for wildlife including bears, Sitka deer, sea lions, eagles, mink, porpoises, mountain goats
  • Navigate winding Wrangell Narrows and Behm Canal

Your home away from home

Three ships from Uncruises travel this route:

Wilderness Adventurer | Wilderness Discoverer | Wilderness Explorer

These small ships are designed for action and to bring the outside in. Their shallow drafts mean exploration and access to places bigger ships can’t go. They are compact and everywhere onboard – cabins, public spaces, decks – is accessible within minutes. All cabins are outside (either the window faces the water or one step through the door and you are out in the fresh air). From a kayak launch platform or swim step, to a lodge-like feel with creature comforts (no internet, but you’ll survive), each one is there to deliver.

Guest numbers range from 60 to 76 with a crew ratio of 3:1.

Ship layout

Welcome to the Wilderness Adventurer. As with all their small ships, prices vary depending on the cabin you select and the time of year you choose to cruise Alaska. 

Itinerary:

DAY 1
  • After a hearty welcome from your crew, get acquainted with your shipmates and set sail for Endicott Arm.
DAYS 2-7
  • Snow covered mountains, glowing blues, and the white thunder of calving ice take your breath away at the face of Dawes Glacier. Gliding through Endicott Arm, spot seals taking respite on the glacier’s smaller “bergy bits” and, tides permitting, explore narrow Fords Terror. Poetic in every sense of the word, Thomas Bay offers up some of the finest paddling and hiking in Southeast Alaska. Take it easy on a lush forest trail or intertidal shore walk. Or get down and dirty in the muskeg and mud. In Wrangell, totems and a sacred tribal house tell legends and lore of the Tlingit and Haida. Wildlife is everywhere. In Stephens Passage and along Behm Canal, it’ll likely take shape in the form of bears, wolves, harbor seals, sea lions, orca, and humpbacks. Soak in Misty Fjords National Monument—affectionately called “The Yosemite of the North.” Glacial valleys filled with sea water and sheer 3,000-foot cliffs are a haven for sea birds, bears, mountain goats, Sitka black-tailed deer, moose, and other wildlife. At the end of the last day, body well exercised and soul well filled, celebrate! Swap stories with your captain at the Farewell Dinner and share laughs with new friends over a slideshow recap.
DAY 8

Say it’s not so—all good adventures come to an end. After breakfast, transfer to the Ketchikan airport or your UnCruise extended stay

All packages include:

Every cruise fare includes:
• Exclusive activities*, shore excursions, presentations
• Entry fees to national parks, preserves, and monuments
• Narration and expertise from expedition guides
• Meet/greet services, transfers, and baggage handling (between airport/vessel on embark/disembark days)
• Onboard meals
• Spirits, wine, and microbrews
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Wellness amenities: hot tub, fitness equipment, and yoga mats

ALASKA FJORDS & GLACIERS

7 NIGHTS, JUNEAU TO KETCHIKAN (or reverse)
Approximate cost in $US

2020 Saturday Departures
Wilderness Adventurer
NAV TRB PAT   SGL*
Apr 4*; Sep 26 $3,195 $4,095 $4,495   $4,795
Wilderness Discoverer NAV TRB PAT XPL SGL*
May 30; Jun 6*; Aug 22 – 29* $4,195 $4,995 $5,395 $7,195 $6,295
Jun 27; Jul 4*, 25; Aug 1* $4,695 $5,495 $5,995 $7,795 $7,045
Wilderness Explorer NAV TRB PAT XPL SGL*
Apr 4*; Sep 26 $3,195 $3,995 $4,395 $5,495 $5,295
May 9, 16*; Jun 6,13* Aug 29; Sep 26* $4,195 $4,995 $5,395 $6,395 $6,945
Jul 4, 11*; Aug 1, 8* $4,695 $5,495 $5,995 $7,195 $7,745

Ready for a once-in-a-lifetime, dream holiday? To see the stunning scenery, glaciers, panoramic views and wildlife from the comfort and convenience of a floating all-inclusive hotel, call Michelle at Bucket List Travel in Red Beach on 09 426 1490. She’ll find the ideal Alaskan cruise for you and then the Bucket List travel team will get you there.