[Joey]

To sum it up in two words, sensory overload. Everything about the trip exceeded our expectations to the point where we have already placed a deposit on another trip. We went with the small ship cruise line Un-Cruise (based at Fisherman’s Terminal, Seattle) for the week from July 13, 2013 to July 20. You would have to drag me kicking and screaming on to a large cruise ship that holds thousands but the small ship experience was incredible.

CRW_9488

We did the 8 day trip that Un-Cruise calls Inner Reaches Eastern Coves which is billed as an “active adventure.” The kayaking and hiking opportunities were typically around 2-3 hours. Skiff tours were a bit shorter. Next time we might do the 8 day trip they call Alaska Unleashed which includes some opportunity for longer kayak and hiking side trips where you take your lunch. They also offer other types of cruises including 14 day cruises and luxury cruises. In addition to Alaska Un-Cruise offers trips in Hawaii, the Sea of Cortes, the coastal areas of Washington and British Columbia and the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Here is a good place on their website to start learning more but I have a favor to ask. http://www.un-cruise.com/alaska-cruises I want us both to save some money but I need your help. If you decide to book an Un-Cruise and you are new to this company then tell the sales staff that you were referred by their former guest Joseph Elfelt. You immediately get a discount of $150 per person. My wife and I will receive a $125 per person discount on our next trip. You have to like free money. The ship for our cruise was the Wilderness Discoverer which accommodates just 76 guests. While most of the guests were from across the U.S. there were also people from Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Peru. No casino, no wi-fi and no crowds. These small nimble ships go through narrow waterways and into small coves and inlets where monster cruise ships simply do not fit. To start the trip we took a morning flight from Seattle to Juneau where we were met at the airport. We turned our baggage over to cruise staff and it was in our cabin when we boarded the ship late in the afternoon. Meanwhile we were bussed to a hospitality room in downtown Juneau. On the way into town we crossed a salmon packed stream with numerous eagles hanging out nearby. After signing in we had several hours to ourselves. Tip: If you like clam chowder, have lunch at The Hanger in Juneau. It was some of the best we have ever tasted. After lunch we strolled a short way to where the monster cruise ships dock. There we bought one way tickets (one way $8 each, $16 each round trip) on the next shuttle bus to Mendenhall Glacier which is a few miles from town. The price for the “Blue” bus and “White” bus is the same and we had exact change to pay the driver of either one for the trip back. Be certain that you find out the time of the last bus back since that time depends on the number of tourists in town. Eventually we rendezvoused back at the hospitality room with the rest of the guests and then walked across the street to board the ship. A number of the ship’s crew were on the dock to greet us along with Dan Blanchard, the CEO of the company. Along the way we learned that the captain of our ship was Danny Blanchard, Dan’s son. Our cabin had a small closet with hangers and 3 shelves. There was also a small night stand with a lower shelf and a number of sturdy hooks on the walls. There is ample storage space under the bed for a typical carry-on suitcase plus more stuff. There was a combination toilet/shower space that, while small, was perfectly adequate. Tip: After taking a shower wipe down the walls and shower curtain so the area is not dripping wet when your cabin mate goes to use the facilities. We liked the fact that the cabin window opened. The door to our cabin was off of a central hallway which we see as an advantage in case of foul weather. There were more hooks in the hallway by each cabin door. Boots can also be stored in the hall next to your door. Soon it was time for dinner and all the guest wore name tags to help get acquainted. In addition there was a large world map where we all wrote our names next to where we lived. Dinner was served by staff and there was a choice of three entrees with one of them being vegetarian. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style. Since the seating is open we got to dine with many of the other guests over the course of the week. The first evening we came upon a pod of Orca whales. The ship stopped and hung out at a respectful distance so we could watch the show. Early the next morning we were cruising up Tracy Arm enroute to Sawyer Glacier. All of the surrounding area is part of the Tracy Arm - Fords Terror Wilderness. Below is a topographic map showing part of Tracy Arm just to give you a feel for this deep fiord. Captain Danny is going to email me the GPS track the ship recorded during our cruise and I will produce a map link that shows our actual track. But that will likely not happen until next weekend when the ship is back in Juneau. View larger size in new window The ship anchored about a half mile from the glacier and most guests rode inflatable skiffs for a closer look at the blue ice and occasionally saw chunks calve off into the water. The term “white thunder” is quite appropriate. While riding the skiff we noticed a yellow tent next to a rushing stream. That turned out to be two forest service employees that were there to take some glacier measurements. One of the guides from the ship kayaked over to their camp and delivered some goodies from the pastry chef. On the second evening the show was put on by a number of Humpback whales that were blowing on both sides of the ship. While we ate dinner we watched one Humpback rise straight up and then slam down on its back. Another one surfaced and blew just a stone toss from the ship. After we finally went to bed we were woken up by more heavy duty whale breathing. We got up, hung our heads out the cabin window and watched. On my comment card at the end of the cruise I wrote that the whales kept us awake at night! No doubt a young couple celebrating their honeymoon took home the best story. They were on standup paddleboards in shallow water close to shore looking at things in the water. When they glanced toward land they saw a brown bear that stood up on its hind legs and stared at them. They immediately realized they were waaaaaay too close. Q: (Asked at dinner) What did you do today? A: Faced down a brown bear while paddleboarding. My wife and I had kayaked past that spot a few minutes earlier and admired a school of salmon that swam under our kayak but we never saw the bear until we were back on the ship that was anchored in the cove. Other wildlife that was seen during the trip include whales, black bear, goats, eagles and Dall’s Porpoises that were surfing the pressure wave in front of the ship as we cruised along. Tip: Consider bringing calf high rubber boots. Groups going hiking are ferried to shore in inflatable skiffs. To transfer between the skiff and shore you will most likely be wading in a foot or so of water. Most of us, including the guides, simply hiked in rubber boots but you can also change into hiking boots if you prefer. The ship does have some rubber boots for guests. During the trip we stopped at the town of Wrangell for the afternoon. This was free time. We joined many of the other guests and attended a native american dance and song program at Chief Shakes house. Another amazing fiord the ship visited was Rudyerd Bay. This is part of the spectacular Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness. As we cruised up to the head of this bay I remarked to another guest that I likely looked kind of silly leaning on the rail with my mouth open gawking at the cliffs rising out of the water. Below is a map of this area. You can try changing the base map to ‘Earth” and flying up this fiord in 3D. View larger size in new window The food was great and better yet - we did not have to fix it. Thinking back, I only heard one complaint during the entire week. That complaint came from a guest that had arranged the trip through a travel agent instead of calling Un-Cruise directly. They did not receive some of the pre-trip emails that the rest of us received. Our trip ended in Ketchikan. After breakfast much of the ship’s company stood on the dock to see us off. Since we had a few hours before our flight back to Seattle we first visited the Totem Heritage Center and then the Saxman Totem Park. Then it was time to catch the courtesy shuttle to the airport (which includes a ferry ride) where we were reunited with our luggage. But wait - there’s more. Shortly after the plane left Juneau the skies cleared and we were treated to a mind boggling crystal clear view of an endless number of glaciers, ice fields, snow capped peaks and alpine lakes. My wife sums up the trip by saying she wore her eyeballs out looking at stuff. Below is a link to a bit over 60 pics on Flickr. To the upper right just above the photos is an icon that will start an automatic slide show. Mouse over the pics to see the titles. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelf/sets/72157634759891226 Waking up in the morning now it takes my brain a few seconds to sort out whether it is still on the ship or not.

[DIYSteve]

Cool trip and nice writeup. You two are looking great