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!