Recommend March 2013 - (Page 20)

cruise/north america SERGIO ORTIZ (2) This photo: The Safari Endeavour making its way through the Inside Passage. Left: Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. onboardreview J U LY 2 0 12 sergio ortiz UN-CRUISE ADVENTURES IN ALASKA The beauty of Alaska is best experienced on the 49th state’s fabled Inside Passage, the narrow southeastern gulf that stretches for more than 500 miles roughly from north to south in one of the most astounding natural settings in the world. This is a feral spot of raw beauty, and a place that cognoscenti allege ﬂaunts some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Newcomers from the Lower 48 (cheechakos, as they’re called in these latitudes) are humbled by the majesty of nature evident at every turn. Even the briefest inventory of wonders that lie within the Inside Passage can set in motion the idea of packing to the Great North: There are more than 1,000 islands, scores of glaciers tumbling into the water, wide rivers emptying into the sea, bald eagles soaring overhead, and wildlife in quantities and qualities that few will ever experience. The sense of isolation and grandeur is overpowering… the list is as wide-ranging as the sights are unforgettable. Perhaps the best way to experience the Inside Passage is from the deck of one of the Un-Cruise Adventures vessels that regularly ply the sea-lanes of the ‘Passage carrying an impressive number of repeat visitors who generally return to experience its overpowering scenery. Un-Cruise Adventures manages to pull off the once-unattainable 20 march 2013 20-21 CR/NA AKonboard.indd 20 recipe of adapting sea journeys into gasp-inducing wilderness experiences where personal encounters with exotic wildlife are routine. It then blends it with a dash of eco-tourism and frosts it with the pampering that once was the exclusive territory of luxury cruise lines. Although the ships are a familiar sight along the waters of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez and Hawaii during the winter months, it’s in Alaska and the Paciﬁc Northwest where Un-Cruise Adventures shines. Its adventure cruises have a particular pull among active, eco-conscious, outdoor loving passengers; the company also encourages family cruising, offering some select dates as Kids in Nature voyages. Headquartered in Seattle, Un-Cruise Adventures—the line formerly known as both American Safari Cruises and InnerSea Discoveries—practically patented alternative traditional cruises in 1997 after it pioneered the concept of taking small a number of guests into areas traditionally inaccessible to passengers on larger vessels. It’s safe to assert that Un-Cruise Adventures offers exclusive, highly personalized excursions that once seemed unattainable to Alaska visitors. The re-branding was implemented in January with the combination of the two lines, and according to company ofﬁcials, the recommend.com 2/20/13 1:41 PM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend March 2013

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Travel Indochina
Safaris in Southern Africa
Un-Cruise Adventures in Alaska
Alaska is Celebrating in 2013
"Hard Rock" Chicago-Style: Rock out in the Windy City
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Planner
Girldfriends' Getaway at Eden Roc, Miami Beach
Kyushu: The Rising Sun of Japanese Destinations
The New All-Inclusives in Jamaica Claim Their Turf
RIU Punta Cana
Costa Rica: A Trio of Detours
Touring Central & Eastern Europe

Recommend March 2013