Friday, March 15, 2019: From Kansas City to San Juan del Cabo

Being paranoid about missing connections, I chose a morning flight to DFW with an 8-hour layover for my flight to Cabo San Lucas.  It was OK- at least as a solo traveler I wasn’t subjecting anyone else to my crazy timetable and as a Business Class passenger I could hang out in the Admirals Club and enjoy munchies, sit on nice couches and get drinks from the open bar.  Or maybe not.  It turned out that I was not eligible to use the Club for free but could buy a day pass.  No, thanks.  I did some research and eventually found a generic club that wasn’t quite as good as the Admiral’s Club but was $20 cheaper and didn’t reward AA by paying them for a perk they’d taken away when I wasn’t looking.  The Club at DFW had just about every seat taken and felt more claustrophobic but it filled the bill.

It was a VERY long layover, made worse by a one-hour delay, but eventually we took off and I sighed with relief.  The flight added to my disappointment with American; for a flight of almost 3 hours leaving at 8 PM, we were served a small dish of warm mixed nuts (typical  AA appetizer) followed by- a warm cookie.  Pitiful.  I was grateful for my supply of protein bars.

There was no line at all at Immigration at SJC, the timeshare touts had all gone home, and I soon found my driver and got to my hotel- the Grand Barcelo, which was beautiful even in the dark.

Saturday, March 16- San Juan del Cabo

I woke up at 5 AM- which meant I’d slept only 5 hours, but the adrenaline levels were high and I couldn’t get back to sleep.  I made a pot of coffee and then headed to the gym and had a good workout.  I was really able to appreciate the beauty of the hotel grounds in the daylight and had a happy walk on the beach after leaving my two bags in the room secured by the cruise line.  (I later went back to retrieve my sunscreen and a hat.  Not good to get sunburned before I even get on the ship.)

Early-morning view from the room.

At 4 PM we were put on a bus for the 3-hour drive to the port of La Paz.  The Pacific Ocean was just beyond the hotel but they told us that leaving from there would involve a bumpy 8-10 hour initial journey over high waves (“Pacific” being a misnomer here).  La Paz is a resort area for many Mexicans; I was surprised at the variety of ethnic restaurants as well as the American imports I hadn’t seen before this (Applebee’s and Subway).   The area was full of families out walking, buying ice cream and enjoying a pleasant Saturday night.

We boarded the ship and had dinner after a short series of introductions by the Captain and a few crew members.  Afterwards we had a presentation in the lounge by a crew member who told us about the history of the area- starting with slides showing how the action of tectonic plates formed the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortes.  I was in heaven- typically UnCruise staff have advanced degrees in fields related to our travel but this was the first time one had included them in a presentation.  I was very happy to have a geology nut on board!

Sunday, March 17- Espirito Santo

I woke up at 5:45 AM- more adrenaline and not quite adjusted to the time change, but I’d had 7 hours of sleep.  It would do.   I walked out of my cabin and was greeted by scenery so beautiful I went right back in and got my camera.  A couple of islands filled with sea lions loomed ahead of us.  We heard them before we saw them.

As the morning briefings were about to start after breakfast, the crew spied a pod of dolphins.  We cruised in the area and watched them for about half an hour.  I never got any shots of the ones that jumped totally out of the water- it’s partly a matter of luck.  It was spectacular to watch, though, especially the juveniles.  

My first excursion was a Desert Walk on Espirito Santo- a mix of upheaved sea bed and volcanic action; you could see the remains of shells upheaved but not fossilized.  The island was almost sold to developers who were going to build a casino/resort complex until a group of nonprofits and philanthropists quietly bought the property and gave it back to the Mexican government.  Access is by permit only with restrictions as to where you can go.  

Flowering cactus.

Remains of a porcupine fish.

I remembered Sarah, the guide, from an Alaskan cruise Ron and I had taken; I have a picture of her hand with a large banana slug in it.  She was talking to it at the time and trying to convince us that the ooze on its skin had medicinal properties.  Sarah LOVES nature and had an encyclopedia knowledge of the critters and vegetation on this walk.

We were given a choice of two out of four possible excursions tomorrow:  a 2-hour burro ride, Kayaking 101, a 2-hour guided kayak paddle and a 2.5-hour hike.  I chose the last two and the Expedition Leader headed to his room and his computer to get the groups organized.

There was a presentation on coral in the lounge after dinner by a crew member.  I was wiped out after two nights of insufficient sleep so I headed to my cabin but turned on the audio portion using the speaker in my room as I got ready for bed.  He was fascinating.  He went over the different kinds and characteristics of coral species but then took a “macro” view and reminded those of us at the top of the food chain what a major stake we had in protecting the bottom of the food chain, right down to the plankton.  He talked about how the species endemic to this area (i.e., not found anywhere else in the world) had adapted both to the environment and to each other and how disturbing one element would threaten the entire system.  From there he discussed the combination of factors in this area (sunlight, climate, land masses, etc.) which combined to make the Baja Peninsula one of the most chlorophyll-rich areas in the world, capable of supporting a wide variety of life.  Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortes “the world’s aquarium”.   As if to prove Cousteau’s point, I’d seen a school of needlefish under the water by the boat as I’d gone back to my room that night.

I was VERY grateful I had the luxury of listening to this in my room because at 9 PM when the Q&A session was winding down turned out the light and slept soundly till 6 the next morning when I was awakened by the sound of the anchor winches as we came into port at Aqua Verde.  I needed that sleep!

Monday, March 18- Agua Verde

Another glorious sunrise. A typical morning on one of these cruises consists of me walking out of my cabin and saying, “Wow”.

This island is called, creatively, "Isla Solitaria".

After breakfast, I headed out with my hiking group. It was, as promised, rigorous. We climbed to a ridge at the top of the mountain, got pictures of the views from every angle, and climbed down again. It was rocky and the obstacles included the occasionally thorny plants. I accidentally tried to grab a cactus as I scrambled up a hill. Oops. In 3 hours we covered less than 2 miles. It was the perfect level of exertion for me; I felt pleasantly worn out but not exhausted. Good thing- the kayak trip would begin after lunch!

Fortified by a good meal and a couple of electrolyte tablets (for prevention), I set off on the kayak tour. Since I was traveling alone, they assigned me a partner-a young man named Fabio in his 20s (no, he did not resemble THAT Fabio in the least) who usually worked in the kitchen. He’d been out kayaking only once before but supplied the necessary extra muscle power and we had a nice conversation. He’d been with UnCruise only 3 years- had worked in restaurants and for one mega-cruise line until he heard about this one from a friend who worked for UnCruise. Quite a few of UnCruise employees had worked for the big lines and were happy to be with this one. Other employees told me later that Fabio was one of their hardest workers but it was hard to get him out of the kitchen. I told them he did a great job. I think he enjoyed the scenery and the birds as much as I did. I found later that it was typical for a crew member to join and excursion in their off-hours; it allowed them to learn about the areas they visited. I liked that. Our guide told us that the mountains were still moving away from each other as the Pacific Plate separated from the North American plate. We saw some Sally-go-Lightly crabs, a couple of tiny grebes, some pelicans, a cormorant, an osprey, one of the ever-present turkey vultures and a glossy ibis. I got back into the rhythm of paddling easily even though I hadn’t been in a kayak in awhile, so between Fabio’s extra muscle and my expertise we kept up with the group.

On the water with "the other Fabio".

Cocktail hour was up in the sun deck so we could enjoy the beautiful evening. At dinner I joined a woman with her 12-year old granddaughter. She’d clearly had a lot of “work” done on her face and I didn’t think we’d have a lot in common but she turned out to be 75 (VERY hard to believe.. almost made me want to get a facelift) and was a retired attorney who worked in Contracts law and was taking her grandchildren, one at a time, on adventures, which is exactly what I want to do. I met some really great women on this trip- a dentist, a CFA, an IT troubleshooter who works with offshored teams in India as I did, a retired Anthropology professor and a Physician’s Assistant. Many were with a group called Women Traveling Together, which I have to check out.

I stayed in the lounge for the evening lecture on birds- Sarah, one of my favorite guides, was presenting it and I wanted to see pictures. Sarah’s favorite bird is the loggerhead shrike, a cute little birdie that captures its prey but lacks the claws and beak to tear it apart, so it spears it on whatever is available- a sharp branch or a piece of barbed wire- and bites off little pieces. Nice. It’s even smart enough to let prey that contain toxins sit where they’ve been impaled for a few days till the toxins are no longer active. Another interesting detail: the American bald eagle is “kleptoparasitic”, meaning it steals the prey other birds have caught. Ben Franklin was against naming it the national bird of the US because of its “poor moral habits”. I was sipping some wine at the time and still have a purple stain on my blouse from my reaction when I heard that one.

Tuesday, March 19- Isla Monserrat

They had told us on the first day that the itinerary was subject to “wind, weather, whales and whim”, and this time the conditions were right to visit Isola Monserrat, which wasn’t usually on the itinerary.   Early-morning treats included a pod of dolphins and a school of grebes. 

My complimentary massage was scheduled with Niko at 9 AM.  I’d had massages but never with masseur, just a masseuse.  Well, vacations are opportunities to try new things.  Niko was also the most over-qualified massage practitioner I’d ever had; he’d studied Physics in France.  Despite the strenuous activities the day before. I was surprisingly not aching anywhere (thank you, Planet Fitness).  The massage was very relaxing; the scalp massages made me wonder if they might have helped when I got migraines in my 30s.  I’d planned to use the fitness machines before my 11:15 snorkeling trip but decided not to work my mellowed-out muscles so soon. 

My main concern about the snorkeling trip I’d chosen was the cold water and, even with a wet suit, I was COLD.  It goes with the territory when you have low body fat.  I tried to channel my inner Jacques Cousteau- he’d been lean, had undoubtedly endured colder waters for longer intervals than this, and had died- what- in his 80s?- probably with his swim fins on.

It was well worth it.  I saw multiple beautiful fish including a balloon puffer fish, Panamic sergeant major, Cortez rainbow wrasse, king angelfish, Cortez angelfish, beaubrummel and (I think) goldenjack, many variety of coral and two types of sea stars (possibly tan sea star and channeled sea star).  I learned to slow down and linger over an area, looking closely for smaller critters and those well-camouflaged.  We were in the water 45 minutes and arrived back just in time for lunch.   That sounded good but I realized that a shower or a dip in the hot tub would have helped take off the chill.  I had hot coffee with dinner, followed it up with herbal tea in the lounge, then sat outside and baked in the sun for awhile.  Sarah took these pictures with her underwater camera but I saw the same species; you can see why I squeezed into a wet suit and braved the cold water.

After lunch I’d planned to work out but realized my iPod Shuffle was dead, so I plugged it in to recharge.  Good timing- the crew sighted a pod of dolphins, closer to the boat than any we’d seen previously, as well as a juvenile sea lion.  Then, the bonus- a blue-footed booby flying overhead.  I’d always joked that I wanted to see one before I left this earth.  I think I still want to go to the Galapagos next year!   With my iPod recharged, I worked up a good sweat listening to classic rock music and using the exercise equipment on deck.  I laughed out loud when the playlist turned up Huey Lewis’ “Working for a Living”.  (“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, supposed to get a raise next week you know damned well I won’t… takin’ what they’re givin; ‘cause I’m workin’ for a livin’”.)  I laughed out loud at the realization that the place I’d left at age 61 due to toxic politics was full of people in their cubicles tapping on computers, and followed it up with a punk rock version of “Laudate Dominum” by a group called “Helloween”.  After a much-needed shower and a change of clothes, I headed for the lounge for some water and then joined a stretch class.

Another unscheduled appearance- just as diner was about to start the crew spotted a whale far off in the distance.  We all scrambled out with cameras and binoculars.  I eventually saw them with my naked eye.  The crew was uncertain whether it was a blue whale or a fin whale.  As the daylight faded, the colors of the horizon faded from an amazing blend of blue to the horizon, purple in the middle and dark blue above to total darkness with the light of the full moon making the waters sparkle- truly magical.  Dinner started half an hour late.  I love the priorities of UnCruise!

The presentation after dinner was on whale sharks, which we were to meet on Friday.  I was tired enough to retire to my room and enjoy it as I prepared for bed.

Wednesday, March 20- Los Islotes

Another beautiful morning, awakening early due to periodic “clunk” noises beneath me.  The crew told me it was a bit of choppy water.  We anchored at about 6 AM.  I came out of my stateroom and was treated to a magnificent “moonset” which my Olympus would not capture due to insufficient light.  I dashed back, took a picture with my phone (in that short time span, even less of the moon was visible) and resolved AGAIN to actually read the manual for the Olympus, which I’ve had for at least 7 years now.  I’ve been using it as a point-and-shoot and it has far more capabilities than that. 

Not surprisingly, this island is called "Isola Solitaria".

I never got tired of watching the sun rise. 

Moonset.  Wow.

The nearby islands were coated with “Mexican snow”. i.e., bird droppings, and the sea lions greeted us with their wails and roars.  I turned down one expedition which allowed snorkeling in the area, with a lot of caveats about how to behave around playful sea lions (e.g., tuck in the 4-foot long zipper “tail” that allows you to zip up the back of your wet suit or they’ll want to play with it).  I’ve decided that since I’m not fond of swimming in cold water, even with a wet suit, I’ll reserve it for fish viewing.  I selected the skiff tour instead- time to let someone cart me around and tell me what we’re seeing, especially since I had a “boulder bash” (another rigorous hike) scheduled for the afternoon.

Sarah, my favorite guide, was on board the skiff.  I had hoped for a closer experience with the sea lions, similar to the people who had braved the water to snorkel, but we kept a respectful distance from them.  The unexpected benefit was the massive variety of birds we saw.   The rocks (andesitic columnar basalt, according to Sarah) were teeming with species- fledgling pelicans, frigate birds, pelicans and boobies flying overhead and- yes!- mating pairs of blue-footed boobies flaunting their feet at each other.  The pictures didn’t come out that great since I was using a normal lens to photograph a wide area and then cropped it.  I made another camera-related mental note:  buy a telephoto lens.  Hawaii is coming up in November and, God willing, the Galapagos next year.  I’ll use it.

On the way back to the ship I told the skiff pilot, “I wake up every morning here and I can’t believe I get to do this”.  He replied, “So do I”.

One thing I learned about sea lions:  the females mate but then have “delayed implantation” of the zygote (fertilized egg) until her body has built up enough fat for gestation and for feeding the offspring (usually a single birth) afterwards.   The snorkeling group came back exhilarated with tales of being nudged by sea lions and petting them.  No one reported bites (which they’d told us wouldn’t really do anything through a wet suit).  We wondered aloud about what would happen if a sea lion managed to climb aboard the skiff; the pilot of ours said he’d seen it happen and they just gently nudged it till it flopped overboard.

At lunch the captain made an appearance and told us that there had been a few cases of gastrointestinal upsets reported.  Oops.  He emphasized the need to wash hands frequently and use the sanitizing sprays provided.  I appreciated the warning:  I’d been raised in a family with 5 children and was pretty casual about germs (which is probably one reason from my excellent immune system) but resolved to wash my hands more often, keep them away from my mouth, and not use the public bathroom on the second deck.  Easy on this ship:  my stateroom was only one deck up and a short walk after that.  There were no further reports so I guess the precautions helped.

They weren’t kidding about the Boulder Bash, but I enjoyed it.  We took the skiff into a cove surrounded by volcanic ash formations called “The Veiled Ladies” because of the shapes resulting from water erosion.  The hike was actually harder than Monday’s hike for me; the boulders were bigger and it was harder to find horizontal surfaces.  I was grateful for all the years I hiked Cook Forest as a kid; despite all the brain cells I had killed in the intervening decades I could scout out the path of least resistance without thinking and clamber over it, using my hands and scooting on my rear end when necessary.  The views at the top were worth it all, of course.  I think I wandered a bit off the trail on the way back and I passed a small, stagnant pond.  I swear there were a few anopheles mosquitos and tstetse flies hanging around but nothing bit me.  I could see the beach, headed back in that direction and soon joined my group and we all waded out into the water and sank our feet gratefully into the cool, wet sand.

In an unfortunate reminder of reality, they put out a sheet in the lounge with all of our departure details for Saturday, asking us to review and confirm them.  What?  We have to LEAVE?  What do you mean, they’ve rented out our rooms?  I was reassured to see that I was on the same shuttle to the airport with people who had flights almost two hours earlier.  If they could get them to SJC in time, I’d be OK, too.  I was still concerned about making my connection in DFW which was less than 2 hours, but when I got stuck with that when AA changed my schedule, I’d asked about leaving the next morning instead.  No, that would be a voluntary change and I’d have to pay a fee for it.  OK- if I miss the connection that’s their problem.  (I also had travel insurance as a backup.)

The spectacle wasn’t over at dinner.  A few pelicans, attracted to the side of the boat by the lights, swam alongside us, closer than I’d seen before.  I couldn’t get very good pictures from the dining room.  As I went back to my room I was able to get a picture but not a very good one given the light.  I was treated to the sight of a sea turtle and a sea lion as well!  Shortly after I settled in for the might the Expedition Leader knocked on my door.  The hike I’d signed up for tomorrow- the most strenuous, of course- didn’t have enough interest so they were cancelling it.  I settled for the shorter one and figured I’d do some kayaking and snorkeling in the afternoon.

Thursday, March 21- Isla San Francisco

This is a place they can’t always go, but the wind and waves were right, so we anchored early in the morning.  Last night I had a hard time sleeping- the margarita I had after the hike did not play nicely with the wine I’d had at dinner. I should know better by now.

I met my group for the 9:30 AM hike and found that many had been imbibing generously the night before and were still not quite back to normal, so I was in good company.  This was a hike up to a ridgeline, with a steeper ascent and descent but easier footing than yesterday.  We got a beautiful view of the tombolo (land formed between two islands from a build-up of silt and erosion of the islands).  The square cuts in the tombolo were created by people who harvested the salt.  At the end of the hike Sarah showed us a “halophilic” (salt-loving) succulent and invited us to eat it.  It was very good- it would have been great in a salad.  When she mentioned that it would help replace electrolytes I had a few more pieces.

The hike was steep but the views at the top were worth it.  I was feeling my acrophobia a bit, especially with the wind.  A few people were photographed jumping, but a little acrophobia set in and I settled for a tamer pose.

Niko, my masseur, displays another of his talents.

As we got to the peak we rested, took lots of pictures, and then Sarah suggested that we all sit in silence for a few moments and take it all in.  It was a great idea.

After lunch I set out for the “beach party” the crew had set up on a nearby beach.  

I wore my wet suit and brought my snorkel gear along with everything else but the kitchen sink- camera, a layer of clothes for afterwards, hiking shoes and socks.  It wasn’t pleasant immersing myself in the cold water again but I stayed in for half an hour and it was worth it.  I made ANOTHER note to myself to get the brand of underwater camera carried by most of the crew; as usual, it was a real challenge to remember what I’d seen so I could look it up later.  Partial list:  a guineafowl puffer in the spotted phase (or else a female spotted boxfish), a few other puffers, many of the fish I’d seen on the earlier trip, a beautiful little purple fish which might have been an Acapulco Gregory,  Cortez rainbow wrasse including juveniles,  an almost completely white fish (possibly Pacific Creolefish), needlefish and a Gulf sun sea star.

By the time I’d warmed up they were starting a walk to explore the nearby tidal pool.  It was amazing how much was there when you looked closely and turned over a rock or two: a small octopus, a sea star, a sea cucumber (which I once ate at a Chinese coworker’s wedding banquet and didn’t like very much), a small shrimp, and numerous creatures that darted out of the way as soon as you approached.

Friday, March 22- La Paz

We docked at La Paz on schedule at 7 AM.  I watched the whole process; I wondered why the crew was nowhere near the anchor and then realized that it was because we were tying up at the dock.  La Paz is beautiful; it’s a favorite vacation spot for many Mexicans.  They let down the gangplank so we were free to wander on and off when we wanted, sliding the magnet in the slot for our room number on a chart to indicate whether we were offshore or aboard.  

Securing the ship.  My room was on the 3rd foredeck and this was on the deck just beneath me.

Early-morning view of La Paz

I had a great cardio workout after breakfast, listening to The Grateful Dead and ZZ Top while my fellow passengers got out mats and did mellow yoga stretches and poses.  After that I went onto the city, supplied with a coupon for free ice cream from Fuentes, a shop right across the street.  I had pistachio ice cream and it was fantastic; a different texture than what I’m used to.  It was thicker and stuck together in giant globs.  I’m sure that whatever made it so good wasn’t healthy.  I didn’t ask.  From there I walked around and, in addition to local businesses, found an Applebee’s, Burger King (closed) and Sears.

Daytime View

Chinese restaurant menu- in Spanish

Mexico is a popular place for US citizens to travel for dental work.

This is an area with a whale shark preserve nearby.  We had two options.  One was to actually swim with the sharks, which wasn’t as dangerous as it sounded because they eat plankton, but they’re still bigger than we are!  Because I’d sworn off cold water unless tropical fish are involved, I chose the boat option.

You have been warned.

No whale shark pictures but a nice day out on the water!

I didn’t get great pictures; occasionally a tail or dorsal fin of a whale shark would breach but never when my camera was aimed at them!  Only two people went in- the 75-year old woman and her granddaughter- and they reported that the seas were rough enough that it was hard to navigate towards the whale sharks.  They did get good views with their snorkels and masks.  One highlight was actually bird-related.  Sarah, ever the guide even though we were on a boat piloted by locals and a guide who had the appropriate permits, spotted a buoy with a pelican, a double-crested cormorant and-yes!- a blue-footed booby.  I DID get a good picture of them.  At one point we passed a skiff with police types and had to hold up our arms with the paper bracelets we’d been given indicating that we had permits to be there.  The message on the bracelet was from a nonprofit called 28^th Parallel exhorting us to vote for a tax benefiting the whale sharks.  (I deciphered the Spanish and Sarah confirmed it.)

We’d left late for that trip (the number of boats in the protected area is strictly controlled) and I asked JP, the Expedition Leader, if I’d be able to make the trip to the Serpentarium scheduled for 3:15.  He apologized and said that he hadn’t realized I was scheduled for the 12:30 whale shark trip (his spreadsheet program had left my name off the list and he’d had to add it manually after I pointed it out) or he wouldn’t have scheduled me for the Serpentarium.  As we pulled into the dock, though, I saw the bus to the Serpentarium.  Ah, the joys of small ships.  I ran upstairs to my stateroom, switched out a few things and got onto the bus. 

I was VERY glad I made it.  First of all, it was far enough out that you needed a bus. I couldn’t have wandered over on my own.  Second, it was really interesting.  The plants alone were beautiful but they had an assortment of small animals that were being rehabilitated before being sent back into the wild.  It was staffed entirely by volunteers.  At one point I was surprised to realize that the Spanish a guide was speaking to a nearby group was so easy to understand- then I realized that it was because he was speaking French with a strong Spanish accent.  I spoke briefly with the group and yes, they were from France.  There was a presentation in English by a young man who brought out a few animals and talked about them; most were endemic to the area.  The only one we were allowed to handle was the tarantula although we were allowed to pet a few of the snakes. 

Five-toed worm

Food for the snakes available for sale.  The currency is actually Mexican pesos and is about $US 3 per rat.  I didn't buy one.

The aviary

Not a picture of my hand, but I did hold this tarantula- nice little creature.

Just after dinner they showed the slideshow from pictures the crew had taken during the week.  Sarah put this one together; she said she had over 900 pictures submitted!   They used to do this just before you settled your bill and determined a tip (they are NOT automatic) and I figured the effect was to hit us up while we were feeling sentimental after a few drinks and a slideshow, but they’d moved the accounting to a period earlier in the day this time.  I still left a nice tip.  Shots of Chambord were available at the bar.  No, thanks- I learned my lesson with the margarita!   

Saturday, March 23: The Trip Home

Breakfast started an hour early so we could be on the buses to the airport by 7:30.  I woke up at 5:30 AM before my alarm went off, finished packing and put my two larger bags outside my room. The ride back to the airport was long and boring, with a delay at the beginning as the driver navigated the big bus around various alternative routes because setup was in process for a triathlon to start later that morning.  At least we avoided the triathlon itself!

The staff waves goodbye.

SJD (San Juan del Cabo) airport was a mix of good and bad news.  The good news:  I’d gotten to the airport early enough to get the 12:30 flight instead of the 2:15 flight to DFW.  The cruise line had said that taking the 12:30 flight might be cutting it a little close so I booked the later one even though it left me only 1.75 hours to clear Customs and Immigration, recheck my bags and go through the TSA checkpoint again to board my flight home.  I did end up losing my Business Class seat but the gate agent assigned me to a window seat (my preferred location) in an Exit Row.  (Later I was able to get a refund for the downgrade.)  It was a very good call; my original 2:15 flight from SJC took off on time but landed 30 minutes late.  If it had taken the same amount of time to get through all the formalities, I most likely would have missed my flight home and ended up spending the night at DFW and flying out Sunday morning.

The Best Cruise Line You've Never Heard of

When Ron and I found Uncruise while looking for small-ship cruises to Alaska, we asked ourselves the same question most people do:  why does a basic cabin on UnCruise cost about the same as a “verandah” suite with a butler on the mega-cruise ships?  This was my 4^th trip on UnCruise (with Hawaii scheduled in November) and here are a few reasons:

Ø  Most of their ships are US-flagged vessels.  The crew are not people from developing countries paid pitiful wages to treat you like royalty.  The ships are subject to US maritime and labor laws and many of the crew have advanced degrees in fields such as Marine Biology.  They can identify species of birds and animals and answer your questions on climate and geology.

Ø   There are no extra costs.  Excursions are included and so is alcohol.  Tips are voluntary at the end of the trip, not an automatic addition to your bill.

Ø  The food is excellent, freshly-prepared, locally-sourced when possible and they emphasize quality over quantity.  They ask for indications of what you might want for lunch and dinner when you’re at breakfast so they can get the quantities right and minimize waste.

Octopus sushi and crabmeat seviche- delicous!

Dessert- a chocolate- avocado mousse.

Gift basket in room.  The large jar is agave syrup with vanilla.  I almost didn't take it home- but did, and found that it's fantastic on yogurt and oatmeal.

Ø  Because these are small ships (under 100 passengers) they can get into areas where the mega shops can’t.  They can change the itinerary if whales are sighted somewhere or weather conditions allow them to visit a place that’s usually inaccessible.

Ø  The type of passenger this line attracts are smart, curious and laid-back.  There are no locks on the stateroom doors and there’s no Fancy Dress night.  As long as you cover your private parts discreetly there is no dress code.  You know that whatever your fellow passengers did in life. they did pretty well to be able to travel like this, but no one makes a big deal of it.  So far in four cruises I’ve never met a Party-till-You-Puke type or a Do-You-Know-Who-I-Am type.

UnCruise isn’t for everybody but they’ve been adding destinations and seem to be doing very well.  I’m glad for those of us who want smaller ships with an emphasis on nature, exploration and learning.

PS I get a referral credit of $200 and you get a credit of $200 if you decide to book with UnCruise and tell them I referred you!