Latest news with #UnCruiseAdventures
National Post
13-05-2025
- National Post
UnCruise Adventures Announces Exclusive 2025 Captain's Cruises with Founder and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard
Article content JUNEAU, Alaska — In a world of crowded mega-ships and impersonal travel, UnCruise Adventures offers something refreshingly different, authentic connection. As the pioneer in small-ship adventure cruising, the award-winning cruise line is excited to announce a rare opportunity to sail alongside Founder, Owner, and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard. On select voyages through Alaska and Baja, Mexico, Captain Dan personally welcomes guests aboard, sharing decades of maritime wisdom and his deep passion for wild places. These exclusive sailings offer more than just a vacation—they're a return to meaningful travel, where every guest is known by name and every moment is UnForgettable. Article content Article content 'There's nothing quite like sharing the places I hold dear with fellow adventurers,' said Captain Dan Blanchard. 'These Captain's Cruises aren't just trips, they're personal journeys. I get to introduce guests to the stories that have shaped my life on the water. It's about forging real connections with nature, with each other, with the local communities, and with the spirit of adventure.' Article content Captain's Cruise: Northern Passages with Glacier Bay & Sitka Ship: Safari Endeavour Route: Sitka to Juneau, Alaska Duration: 7 Nights Departure: September 20, 2025 Starting at $5,600 per person, this voyage immerses guests in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska's Inside Passage, featuring two full days exploring the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park. With Captain Dan at the helm, travelers will gain rare insights into Alaska's wilderness, wildlife, and hidden locales known only to seasoned explorers. Article content Captain's Cruise: In Steinbeck's Wake: An Epic Voyage Through the Sea of Cortez Ship: Safari Voyager Route: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja California Duration: 10 Nights Departure: November 26, 2025 Priced from $6,500 per person, this unique expedition retraces the historic route of famed author John Steinbeck. Travelers will discover the rich biodiversity of the Sea of Cortez, encounter vibrant marine life, and connect deeply with this legendary region under Captain Dan's expert guidance. Special offer includes $500 off and 50% savings on solo supplements. Article content Captain's Cruise: Baja California's Whales & Sealife Ship: Safari Voyager Route: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja California Duration: 7 Nights Departure: December 27, 2025 Starting from $6,500 per person, this remarkable journey showcases the Sea of Cortez's renowned marine ecosystems. Guests will have intimate encounters with majestic whales, playful sea lions, and diverse marine wildlife. With Captain Dan's leadership and storytelling, each day promises unmatched adventure and discovery. Special promotional savings include $500 off and 50% savings for solo travelers. Article content About UnCruise Adventures Article content UnCruise Adventures is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the cruise industry. They operate small ships carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Alaska's Inside Passage, Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound, along with the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico's Gulf of California, Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. In addition to this Cruise Critic honor, UnCruise Adventures has been picked as a top adventure company by Conde Nast Traveler, Newsweek, USA Today, and Travel & Leisure. Operating under the US flag, the company takes pride in its crew and its significant contributions to the US economy. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UnCruise Adventures Announces Exclusive 2025 Captain's Cruises with Founder and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard
JUNEAU, Alaska, May 13, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a world of crowded mega-ships and impersonal travel, UnCruise Adventures offers something refreshingly different, authentic connection. As the pioneer in small-ship adventure cruising, the award-winning cruise line is excited to announce a rare opportunity to sail alongside Founder, Owner, and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard. On select voyages through Alaska and Baja, Mexico, Captain Dan personally welcomes guests aboard, sharing decades of maritime wisdom and his deep passion for wild places. These exclusive sailings offer more than just a vacation—they're a return to meaningful travel, where every guest is known by name and every moment is UnForgettable. "There's nothing quite like sharing the places I hold dear with fellow adventurers," said Captain Dan Blanchard. "These Captain's Cruises aren't just trips, they're personal journeys. I get to introduce guests to the stories that have shaped my life on the water. It's about forging real connections with nature, with each other, with the local communities, and with the spirit of adventure." Captain's Cruise: Northern Passages with Glacier Bay & SitkaShip: Safari EndeavourRoute: Sitka to Juneau, AlaskaDuration: 7 NightsDeparture: September 20, 2025Starting at $5,600 per person, this voyage immerses guests in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska's Inside Passage, featuring two full days exploring the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park. With Captain Dan at the helm, travelers will gain rare insights into Alaska's wilderness, wildlife, and hidden locales known only to seasoned explorers. Captain's Cruise: In Steinbeck's Wake: An Epic Voyage Through the Sea of CortezShip: Safari VoyagerRoute: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja CaliforniaDuration: 10 NightsDeparture: November 26, 2025Priced from $6,500 per person, this unique expedition retraces the historic route of famed author John Steinbeck. Travelers will discover the rich biodiversity of the Sea of Cortez, encounter vibrant marine life, and connect deeply with this legendary region under Captain Dan's expert guidance. Special offer includes $500 off and 50% savings on solo supplements. Captain's Cruise: Baja California's Whales & SealifeShip: Safari VoyagerRoute: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja CaliforniaDuration: 7 NightsDeparture: December 27, 2025Starting from $6,500 per person, this remarkable journey showcases the Sea of Cortez's renowned marine ecosystems. Guests will have intimate encounters with majestic whales, playful sea lions, and diverse marine wildlife. With Captain Dan's leadership and storytelling, each day promises unmatched adventure and discovery. Special promotional savings include $500 off and 50% savings for solo travelers. About UnCruise Adventures UnCruise Adventures is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the cruise industry. They operate small ships carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Alaska's Inside Passage, Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound, along with the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico's Gulf of California, Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. In addition to this Cruise Critic honor, UnCruise Adventures has been picked as a top adventure company by Conde Nast Traveler, Newsweek, USA Today, and Travel & Leisure. Operating under the US flag, the company takes pride in its crew and its significant contributions to the US economy. Availability is limited, and demand is high for these exclusive sailings. To book your extraordinary adventure with Captain Dan Blanchard or learn more, visit View source version on Contacts For interviews with Captain Dan, press images, or more information, please contact: Joseph PedroSenior Marketing and Communications SpecialistEmail: josephp@ Taryn FitzmauriceMarketing LeadEmail: tarynf@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business Wire
UnCruise Adventures Announces Exclusive 2025 Captain's Cruises with Founder and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard
JUNEAU, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a world of crowded mega-ships and impersonal travel, UnCruise Adventures offers something refreshingly different, authentic connection. As the pioneer in small-ship adventure cruising, the award-winning cruise line is excited to announce a rare opportunity to sail alongside Founder, Owner, and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard. On select voyages through Alaska and Baja, Mexico, Captain Dan personally welcomes guests aboard, sharing decades of maritime wisdom and his deep passion for wild places. These exclusive sailings offer more than just a vacation—they're a return to meaningful travel, where every guest is known by name and every moment is UnForgettable. "There's nothing quite like sharing the places I hold dear with fellow adventurers," said Captain Dan Blanchard. "These Captain's Cruises aren't just trips, they're personal journeys. I get to introduce guests to the stories that have shaped my life on the water. It's about forging real connections with nature, with each other, with the local communities, and with the spirit of adventure." Captain's Cruise: Northern Passages with Glacier Bay & Sitka Ship: Safari Endeavour Route: Sitka to Juneau, Alaska Duration: 7 Nights Departure: September 20, 2025 Starting at $5,600 per person, this voyage immerses guests in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska's Inside Passage, featuring two full days exploring the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park. With Captain Dan at the helm, travelers will gain rare insights into Alaska's wilderness, wildlife, and hidden locales known only to seasoned explorers. Captain's Cruise: In Steinbeck's Wake: An Epic Voyage Through the Sea of Cortez Ship: Safari Voyager Route: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja California Duration: 10 Nights Departure: November 26, 2025 Priced from $6,500 per person, this unique expedition retraces the historic route of famed author John Steinbeck. Travelers will discover the rich biodiversity of the Sea of Cortez, encounter vibrant marine life, and connect deeply with this legendary region under Captain Dan's expert guidance. Special offer includes $500 off and 50% savings on solo supplements. Captain's Cruise: Baja California's Whales & Sealife Ship: Safari Voyager Route: Roundtrip La Paz, Baja California Duration: 7 Nights Departure: December 27, 2025 Starting from $6,500 per person, this remarkable journey showcases the Sea of Cortez's renowned marine ecosystems. Guests will have intimate encounters with majestic whales, playful sea lions, and diverse marine wildlife. With Captain Dan's leadership and storytelling, each day promises unmatched adventure and discovery. Special promotional savings include $500 off and 50% savings for solo travelers. About UnCruise Adventures UnCruise Adventures is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the cruise industry. They operate small ships carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Alaska's Inside Passage, Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound, along with the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico's Gulf of California, Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. In addition to this Cruise Critic honor, UnCruise Adventures has been picked as a top adventure company by Conde Nast Traveler, Newsweek, USA Today, and Travel & Leisure. Operating under the US flag, the company takes pride in its crew and its significant contributions to the US economy. Availability is limited, and demand is high for these exclusive sailings. To book your extraordinary adventure with Captain Dan Blanchard or learn more, visit
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- NZ Herald
10 best small-boat wildlife cruise experiences
Even equipped with a massive telephoto lens, sometimes the best strategy is to put down your camera. On a Pangolin Photo Safaris experience, there are simply too many elephants crossing Botswana's Chobe River to take them all in through the limited vision of a camera's viewfinder. Here, in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, which is part of the massive five-country Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, elephants can roam free. Wildlife action usually includes adolescent males play-fighting mid-stream, tiny metre-high babies slipping and sliding in a riverine mud pool, and older elephants using their trunks as snorkels to travel deeper into the river. Bears, otters and whales in Alaska The largest cruise liner to visit Alaska accommodates almost 5000 passengers, but the best way to explore America's biggest and northernmost state is on a smaller, more agile expedition boat. Experiences with UnCruise Adventures are on vessels taking a maximum of around 80 passengers, with craft like the 84-berth Safari Endeavour able to access remote coves framed by quicksilver waterfalls, squeezing through entrances just a few metres wider than the boat. Once inside these sheltered anchorages, there's a greater chance of seeing bears patrolling grassy riverbanks, hundreds of sea otters floating together in a 'raft', or humpback whales feeding in cooler, northern waters. Search 'Uncruise' on Dugongs and crocodiles in the Kimberley Measuring almost 430,000 sq km, Australia's Kimberley region is the country's most remote wilderness area. Luxury expedition cruises on the True North take in the Kimberley's massive landscapes – also venturing on the boat's own helicopter to isolated river canyons – but it's on the vessel's smaller adventure boats that the region's wildlife is best experienced. Patience is key to seeing Koolama Bay's resident population of dugongs – just seven of the sirenians are thought to populate the bay – and it's a thrill to see their whiskers revealed in morning sunshine. Beyond occasional sightings of the common 'logodile', crocodiles are also seen basking in Kimberley sunshine or cruising past in turquoise waters. Sloths and river dolphins in the Peruvian Amazon Just south of the equator, the sun rises faster in the Peruvian Amazon, making a post-dawn departure from the Delfin III a great time to see local wildlife. The luxury vessel's experienced adventure boat drivers expertly position their craft along shaded river banks in Peru's Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve, ideal locations to take in forest denizens including sloths, moving almost imperceptibly in diffuse morning light, scarlet macaws high in the forest canopy, and squadrons of wood storks migrating south from North America. At the entrances to blackwater creeks tracing sinuous pathways further into the jungle, river dolphins tinged with a grey-pink hue gather to feed. Search 'Delfin' on Hector's dolphins and New Zealand fur seals in Akaroa Harbour New Zealand's cutest wildlife guides are definitely the canine crew from Akaroa Dolphins. Leading the savvy four-legged team are Albie and Buster, both very experienced at getting very excited when the harbour's Hector's dolphins can be spotted from the bow. The dogs, especially Miniature Schnauzer Buster, usually sense the dolphins before they can be seen, and kekeno (New Zealand fur seals) and seabirds are regularly spotted on two-hour nature cruises. Look forward to commentary on the harbour's Māori and colonial history, and don't be surprised if English Springer Spaniel Albie also lines up for a freshly-baked treat from the boat's galley. Boobies and marine iguanas in the Galapagos Islands Below the water attractions around Ecuador's Galapagos Islands include swimming with reef sharks, sea lions, and penguins – attracted by the cooler Humboldt current flowing down South America's west coast – but expedition cruising on the La Pinta also includes seeing blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas along the craggy cliffs of Isla Ferdandina. Boobies, a close relation of New Zealand's gannets, undertake courtship rituals right beside carefully prescribed walking tracks, while closer to the ocean, hundreds of marine iguanas crowd lava terraces formed by Pacific eruptions. Still an active shield volcano, the island actually last erupted in 2024. Search 'Galapagos' on world Seals and seabirds in Fiordland Also known as Ata Whenua (Shadowland), it's a special thrill to experience Fiordland cruising through the shape-shifting banks of mist that often frame the region. Expedition journeys on Fiordland Discovery's Fiordland Jewel luxury catamaran venture deep into a remote and rugged destination also explored by Captain James Cook on the HMS Resolution in 1773. Fur seals and dusky and bottlenose dolphins are often seen on kayaking excursions from the boat, and beyond the sheltered havens of Rakituma/Preservation Inlet and Tamatea/Dusky Sound, ocean-going seabirds, including albatrosses and mollymawks, bank and cartwheel above the boat's stern as it travels along New Zealand's southwestern coast. Polar bears, walruses and reindeer in the Arctic Arctic adventures with Quark Expeditions will find you on ice-strengthened vessels with a just 200 fellow passengers as you sail across the North Atlantic. Enjoy the view of seabirds and marine and terrestrial wildlife amid landscapes including fiords, glaciers and coastal cliffs, or board an inflatable Zodiac or fly on one of the Ultramarine's two helicopters for remarkable views. En route to the Arctic Circle, avian residents of the Scottish island of Fair Isle include puffins, guillemots, and storm petrels, while further north, the waters around Jan Mayen Island are feeding grounds for blue and humpback whales. Located entirely within the Arctic Circle, Spitsbergen's polar bears, walruses and Svalbard reindeer make the Norwegian island the wildlife capital of the Arctic. Penguins and whales around Antarctica Departing from the southern Argentinean port of Ushuaia, adventures with Aurora Expeditions venture from Tierra del Fuego across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. With daylight between 18 and 24 hours, there are plenty of opportunities to be immersed in southern wildlife. Sometimes shadowed by seals and dolphins, twice-daily excursions in Zodiacs cruise past soaring ice cliffs and leviathan icebergs to land on pebbly beaches alive with the intense spectacle of thousands of penguins. South of the Antarctic Circle, the frigid waters are packed with marine life, including tiny, shrimp-like krill that attract humpback and minke whales during the feeding season from November to February.
The Age
29-04-2025
- The Age
Port guide: Anchorage, Alaska
The wild, remote location of Anchorage is exhilarating, but so too is the discovery of a sophisticated city with great dining and museums and friendly people. Who goes there No cruise lines dock in Anchorage, instead arriving at Whittier, a 90-minute drive away (Holland America, Princess Cruises and UnCruise Adventures), or Seward a 3.5-hour drive away (Celebrity, Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean and others, including expedition lines). Still, you'll have to fly into Anchorage, and should budget time in Alaska's biggest city. Sail on in Ships weave their way through a series of ragged-edged islands and narrow channels into Whittier, which hunkers under the Chugach Mountains, while Seward sits deep inside slowly narrowing Resurrection Bay. The approach to either is a wonderful sight of snow-capped mountains, humped hills and abundant screeching seabirds. The scenery isn't as outsized or dramatic as in some Alaskan ports, but is still well worth a position on the open deck. Berth rites Whittier Cruise Ship Terminal is inconsequential, but you'll find a few cafes and shops in the tiny town. Seward Cruise Ship Terminal is just as modest, but Seward is bigger, with several hotels and restaurants and the terrific Alaska SeaLife Centre, which showcases creatures such as puffins, sea lions, seals and octopus. The most enjoyable way to get to Anchorage is by train on the Alaska Railroad, but you can take road transfers too. Before and after Stay in Anchorage a night, or two, depending on your flight arrival time. Brand hotels such as Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton are all represented. A good choice of small hotels and B&Bs provide alternatives – try Copper Whale Inn or Wildflower Inn.
