UnCruise Adventures Appeals to Active Groups

The company’s expedition cruises offer a fresh alternative to the megaship experience. Groups can choose between Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and the Galapagos.

UnCruise Adventures is a small ship cruise line that’s all about fewer faces and open spaces. For active groups with a true spirit of adventure and a passion for cultural immersion, UnCruise merits a serious look. Just the company name says a lot about its philosophy. This is not mass tourism. Forget the lines and the crowds. Accommodating anywhere from 22 to 86 passengers, UnCruise’s nine expedition boats go to places in Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands where the jumbo ships don’t.

UnCruise passengers spend their days hiking, kayaking or wildlife watching rather than shopping, lounging by the pool or tempting Lady Luck in the onboard casino. A relaxed, casual ambience prevails on the line’s intimate vessels, each with its own personality. No need to dress up. “We are the antithesis of your typical cruise,” says Monica Sagisi, vice president of marketing & sales. “When you UnCruise, you’re exploring and immersing yourself in nature and the culture, and having a true connection with the destination – not looking at all those things from a distance from the inside of a ship.”

Further reading: For details on UnCruise group opportunities, Read More.

UnCruise guides and other crew members have a fierce love of travel and appreciation for the wilderness and heritage of places visited. Because of the small passenger capacity, it doesn’t take long for guests and crew to get to know one another. The crew calls guests by name and quickly learns their preferences, making them feel right at home. An open-bridge policy encourages passengers to chat with the captain. Your clients will feel comfortable being among like-minded travelers and will return home with great tales to share. Bonds are easily formed, and many cruisers forge life-long friendships with their traveling companions. By the end of the cruise folks feel like one big family.

UnCruise travelers hail from all walks of  life and represent a range of ages, places and lifestyles; there are couples, singles and generations of family. Thanks to the intimacy that develops and the personalized service, not to mention the incredible encounters with nature, many travelers come back for an UnCruise encore. Sagisi says, “We have a high rate of guests who return to adventure with us. So much so that we’re brainstorming now on new locations we can start to deliver to them in the seasons ahead. Our crew and the way we deliver our destinations is so special, it tends to ruin other cruises for anyone who has experienced an UnCruise.”

What types of groups travel with UnCruise?

“We’re lucky enough to have hosted many diverse groups such as alumni, those with interest in themes like photography or history, LGBTQ+, multigenerational families and more,” Sagisi says. “Our crew does such a great job of making everyone feel safe, welcome and ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Pairing that with amazing food and drinks means every night feels like a dinner party.”

Active Travel Days with UnCruise Adventures

Each ship is equipped with top-of-the-line gear for kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling and hiking. Many vessels have a custom-built kayak launch system. Binoculars are available, too. For exercise onboard, passengers can use the fitness equipment or walk laps around the deck. Some vessels have an on-deck hot tub. Members of the expedition team exhibit an infectious enthusiasm for connecting with nature; many have advanced degrees and can speak in detail about subjects ranging from whales to fungi to geology.

Their talks (often illustrated) are sometimes based on what the bow camera catches and the underwater hydrophone sees and hears. They organize adventures ashore, including guided shore walks and rigorous hikes, and explain use of kayaks, inflatable skiffs and paddle boards. The all-inclusive fare covers adventure equipment and shore excursions, plus unlimited food and beverages including alcohol, airport transfers and baggage handling.

Dining on UnCruise Adventures

The dining room offers innovative farm-to-table meals that highlight the flavors of the region visited. In Alaska, sample buttery-rich Dungeness crab caught live, in-season, by local fishermen. Or try roasted pineapple with mascarpone ice cream and banana bread crumble in the Hawaiian Islands. Most dinners are served over several courses with entrees including seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes. Chefs are happy to accommodate those who have dietary restrictions. Seating is open, so guests can join new friends and choose a different table at every meal. More mixing and mingling takes place in the main lounge, where guests have plenty of space to kick back and watch the scenery pass by. The lounge is stocked with board games, books and DVDs. The observation decks are perfect for wildlife spotting and stargazing.

UnCruise Travel Destinations: Temperate to Tropical

Though there are set itineraries, Mother Nature leads the way on these cruises, and in-the-moment changes will happen. No two departures are ever the same. In Southeast Alaska, UnCruise operates seven different itineraries (7 or 14 nights). There also is an Aleutian Islands expedition. In these pristine coastal areas, guests spend much of the day outdoors—hiking in old-growth forest and glacial outwash fields, navigating scenic fjords and tranquil inlets in a kayak or skiff, watching bears fish and whales breach, or searching for eagles, seals, porpoises and sea lions.

They can even swim and snorkel in icy waters. Seven- and 10-night Sea of Cortez outings explore remote islands off Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The new 10-night itinerary “In Steinbeck’s Wake: An Epic Journey Through the Sea of Cortez” is proving to be a hit with history and nature fans. The 7-day “Hawaiian Seascapes” program visits four islands Molokai, Lana’i, Maui and Hawaii, offering plenty of chances for water recreation and hiking off the beaten path. Guests can spot whales and dolphins alongside the boat, kayak along the coast of Lana’i, trek through lava fields, snorkel with sea turtles and neon-colored fish, and learn about Hawaiian traditions from a kupuna, or honored elder.

Also available are 7-day cruises in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, a bucket-list destination with animals found almost nowhere else. Each island is filled with discoveries and its own endemic species. The Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island provides a peek at the conservation efforts of the giant tortoise. On Isla Floreana, UnCruise guests paddle board alongside sea lions and stroll the white sand beaches as rays relax on the ocean floor. Highlights might include snorkeling with sea turtles or walking on rocky trails past blue-footed boobies, flamingos, penguins or iguanas. As for new destinations, Seattle-based UnCruise is currently developing a 5-day Salish Sea getaway that will explore the Pacific Northwest over a long weekend. Sagisi says, “We think it’s the perfect way to showcase our home, give something new to our repeat guests and introduce UnCruise to a whole new audience that may not want to commit to a 7- or 10-day trip.”

The Man Behind UnCruise Adventures

Shouldering the whole operation is UnCruise owner/CEO Dan Blanchard, a native of Washington State who has been living and working on boats since he was a kid. He spent years exploring winding waterways, beachcombing on remote shores, oyster picking, clam digging and learning to skin dive. A lover of the natural world, Blanchard received his ship Master's License at 18 and has gone on to live a storied life, from owner of Blanchard Marine to captain of sightseeing vessels to vice president of operations at Seattle-based Cruise West, a former small ship operator best known for its Alaska cruises. In 1999, Blanchard joined American Safari Cruises, another pioneer in small ship Alaska cruising, and acquired it in 2008, adding Inner Sea Discoveries as a second brand in 2009 and rebranding the company as UnCruise Adventures a few years later.

Groups are Welcome on UnCruise Adventures UnCruise Adventures, with offices in Seattle and Juneau, currently is offering these specials for groups in 2025:

• One complimentary berth (1 guest) for every 13 guests booked—the perfect opportunity for any travel agent to join in, lead their group and make them feel safe.
• $250 per person savings for groups of minimum 12 guests

Aline Burchfield, groups’ charter accounts manager, says, “When you book a group or charter, you have a dedicated account manager who will assist you all the way up to departure.” How far out should a group book its voyage? Sagisi says, “We recommend at least 12-24 months for full ship charters, 12 months for large groups or affinity groups. We’re seeing a shorter booking window post-pandemic with smaller groups booking close in at 3-6 months.

It will be interesting to see how this trend plays out in the coming years.” She said the 11-night Aleutian Islands trip in Alaska is already sold out for 2025 and there is a large waitlist for 2026. The Prince William Sound itinerary is almost sold out for 2025. “UnCruise’s Alaska products as a whole are on track to be totally sold out in 2025, so anyone reading this now should secure their space.” For information on group bookings with UnCruise Adventures, contact Aline Burchfield, groups@uncruise; 206-737-5703. For more group travel ideas, you can subscribe to Leisure Group Travel for FREE

By Randy Mink

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