Alaskan cruising is big business, with nearly two million travelers boarding mega ships each year. These floating cities move through Southeast Alaska’s port towns ofJuneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan with long transits to and from Vancouver or Seattle. They must be doing something right. But the real question is: right for whom?Discover why UnCruise offers a more immersive Alaska experience—fewer crowds, closer wildlife encounters, guided adventures, and all-inclusive small-ship travel in Glacier Bay.
We recently sailed on UnCruise’s Wild, Woolly, and Wow with Glacier Bay itinerary and experienced Alaska at a human scale, up close, unscripted, and deeply immersive. What we found was a style of travel that felt less like a vacation and more like a shared expedition. Here’s why we chose UnCruise for Alaska and why we’d do it again without hesitation.
An All-Inclusive Model That Actually Includes You
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Traditional cruising relies on a dual-revenue model: low-margin fares offset by high-margin onboard spending like drink packages, shops, specialty dining, and excursions. To make the math work, those ships need 3,000 to 6,000+ passengers and rigid itineraries built around ports and schedules.
UnCruise turns that model on its head. With fewer than 90 guests and truly all-inclusive pricing, the experience feels more like an adult summer camp than a floating resort. Their ships anchor in remote bays instead of lining up at docks, and exploration is led by an in-house team of naturalists and guides, not outsourced excursion operators.
You’re invited, not herded, to experience Alaska on its own terms. For us, that meant forming real connections with the crew, with fellow travelers, and with the place itself. We learned names quickly, swapped stories easily, and capped each day with shared meals and drinks that reflected the region we were sailing through.
When Alaska Is Your Window View
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Our first morning in Juneau felt surreal. The harbor was wrapped in fog as we walked along an empty dock, with tens of thousands of cruise passengers still waiting behind raised gangways. As the mist lifted, the walkways dropped, and the quiet was instantly replaced by crowds racing toward shops and excursion buses.
I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone glanced out their cabin window and felt a flicker of FOMO. If only they knew what mornings on UnCruise looked like. Day after day, our views were of waterfalls spilling into secluded bays and glaciers calving in the stillness of early morning, no crowds, no commentary, just Alaska doing its thing.
Closer to the Heart (and the Ice)
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Growing up, Geddy Lee’s voice urging us to be “closer to the heart” felt like a creative manifesto. Forging our creativity, molding a new reality, and sowing a new mentality… Closer was better. Closer was where new ideas formed and deeper connections took hold. That philosophy plays out beautifully on UnCruise.
In Glacier Bay, we had an unobstructed view of Johns Hopkins Glacier, while a mega ship lingered somewhere farther out in the fog, barely visible. We could hear sea lions barking as we passed and orcas exhaling as they surfed our bow wake.
And when “close” still wasn’t close enough, we boarded skiffs. Close enough to feel the surge from calving ice at LeConte Glacier. Close enough to taste ice that had traveled decades from mountaintop to sea. Close enough to hear bears splashing as they fished below Pavlof Falls. As Rush put it, “There’s something here as strong as life.” We felt it.
Days Built Around Doing, Not Watching
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
A typical UnCruise day included both a morning and afternoon adventure: skiff tours, kayaking, or bushwhacking through rainforest. Each option took us deeper than the ship alone ever could, with kayaking bringing us closer still.
Trading engines for paddles let us hear waterfalls crash into Waterfall Cove and study freshly calved blue ice glittering in the morning light. Bald eagles watched from high pine perches while harbor seals lounged on stray ice floes, eyeing us just as carefully as we watched them.
Where Boots Matter More Than Deck Chairs
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Some experiences require boots on the ground, and this is where UnCruise truly excels. They don’t just provide sturdy rubber boots for muddy landings, they bring the expertise to use them well.
Their skiffs deliver you to remote shorelines and return at just the right moment. On land, you’re guided by wilderness professionals with advanced medical training, GPS navigation, and safety protocols (and gear) for everything from bears to sudden weather shifts.
That preparation opened the door to unforgettable moments: wandering through old-growth forests spared by their isolation, snacking on wild blueberries still wet with morning dew, scrambling up rocky outcrops for sweeping views, and sinking ankle-deep into muskeg bogs. It felt unapologetically, unmistakably like wild Alaska.
Eating as Part of the Journey
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Twice-daily adventures worked up serious appetites, and the UnCruise culinary team rose to the challenge. Meals weren’t just filling, they were thoughtfully designed to reflect the region we were exploring.
Our onboard chef, Rachel, originally from the Northeast, described Alaska as New England elevated. She leaned into the freshness of local seafood, serving dishes like butter-poached, fresh-caught halibut. And of course, there was the crab feast featuring sweet, delicate Dungeness crab with tender, flaky meat that exceeded even our lofty Alaskan expectations.
Evenings That Deepen the Day
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
After full days of movement and fresh air, evenings onboard were about understanding what we’d seen. Instead of shows or casinos, UnCruise offers Arctic education that builds context and meaning.
On bear-watching days, we learned how salmon runs support the entire forest ecosystem, right down to the trees. Entering Glacier Bay, we explored how microscopic life on ice underpins one of the planet’s most complex ecosystems. It was the perfect complement to what we’d experienced firsthand.
Born of Alaska, Not Just Passing Through
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
UnCruise is headquartered in Juneau, and founder Captain Dan Blanchard was adopted into the Tlingit tribe in 2013—a reflection of his deep, long-standing connection to Alaska. For more than 30 years, the company has focused on immersive, active travel with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship.
The “Un” in UnCruise is intentional: unplugging, unhurried, and undeniably different from traditional cruising. For us, choosing this road, or route, less traveled made all the difference. We may never be as truly Alaskan as Captain Dan, but that week in the wilderness left a connection that time won’t erase.