Alaska’s Fjords & Glaciers Ultimate with Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise

The smell of the sea hits you as you walk down the gangway to the ship. Welcome aboard your home for the next two weeks. Meet your captain and crew as you familiarize yourself with your home for the next week. In the lounge, a welcome cocktail and Champagne toast await you as you prepare for the grand stories yet to be written about the coming week. As we push off the dock, get out on deck with a pair of binoculars (there is a pair in your cabin for your use this week) and start the search for spouts! (D)

Growlers, bergy-bits – floating chunks of ice in every shape and size – greet you as you step onto the bow with your hot beverages this morning. Deep turquoise - wild, organic sculptures of ice - that Dale Chihuly himself would be proud of - sit in the milky blue waters. Massive walls of granite and deep u-shaped valleys speak to the presence of ancient powers at work in this place; Tracy Arm is hallowed, magical, and reverent. Our ship is nimble, and our Captain navigates fields of ice with years of experience under their belt. Coming into view are the Twin S. Sawyer and Sawyer glaciers – cascading out of the coastal range in their long dance between rock, ice, and sea. Use your binoculars to view mountain goats on precarious ledges in search of willow shoots. Waterfalls pour out of every valley and crevice – evidence of the ice-field thousands of feet above you. (BLD)

Welcome to Glacier Bay National Park. Enjoy breakfast and then step shoreside in Bartlett Cove – the park headquarters- where park rangers, interpretive sites, a trail hike, and Xunaa Shuká Hít - the Huna Tribal House – await your discovery. Less than 1% of visitors to the park get the chance to step on land in the park – and this afternoon you will have the option to bushwhack, kayak, skiff, or walk the shores of Beartrack Cove – a stunning welcome to the expansive wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park. After dinner, get out on deck for sunset and bring your cameras, the snow-capped Fairweathers are the largest mountains in Southeast Alaska and are just begging to be photographed. (BLD)

Chichagof Island is a remote paradise for the local inhabitants – the coastal brown bear. Summers long days provide ample opportunity for fishing in salmon-filled streams, and we’re here to do our own exploring. Join your guide on hike along winding coastline to witness the greatest return of nutrients from sea to land on earth in the form of millions of salmon running upstream. Enjoy a skiff ride or a paddle in search of elusive brown bears and Sitka black-tail deer. We are on the fringes of Southeast Alaska; go further in with every stroke of the paddle.(BLD)

It’s 6:00 am, you were told this was going to be an early morning, and your alarm clock is the metallic sound of ice sliding past the hull of the ship. Let us grab you a cup of coffee and a warm jacket; directly off the bow is either Johns Hopkins Glacier or Margerie Glacier, depending on the season and ice condition. The quiet of the morning is only interrupted by the thundering crash of the glacier as 10 story-buildings of ice crash into the sea in the soft light of sunrise. Grab a pastry and a big breakfast, today is going to be a banner day. The captain drops anchor deftly at Lamplugh Glacier – the morning is your choice of how you want to experience the glacier. Kayaks, ridge hikes, and ice garden explorations are all at your fingertips. The afternoon is spent singularly focused on the wildlife of the park. Get your binoculars out and spot mountain goats at Gloomy Knob and tufted puffins at the birder’s paradise of South Marble Island.  (BLD)

Before you do anything, look out the window. From kelp-lined channels to hemlock and spruce forests, every inch of this remote area is worth exploring. And today’s adventures promise to be as big as the water is deep! Whatever you do— wilderness trekking, skiffing, or paddling—your expedition team guides the way.  This is our final day in the park – take it all in. (BLD)

In true UnCruise fashion, we’re letting Mother Nature lead us this morning. Depending on the weather and wildlife we have two very cool options of where we’ll end up today. Neka Bay boasts land opportunities abundant, while Icy Strait offers wildlife sightings around every corner. Kick start the morning with on-deck yoga stretches and a strong cup of coffee. Energized and ready in your kayak, glide through remote bays, or join your crew in a skiff to study rocky outcroppings. Step into mud boots for a forest hike with your top-notch naturalist guides, who are ready to share anything and everything about this part of Alaska—marine biology, plants, and geology. On board, soak it all in as you soak in the hot tub with an expertly crafted beverage. (BLD)

Juneau captivates visitors with its unique blend of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. You might choose to purchase a tramway ticket that provides a ride up the Mt. Roberts Tram, where views unfold as you ascend 1,800 feet (about 548.64 m) through the forest. At the top, explore the trails and Nature Center; back at the bottom, explore Alaska’s heritage at the Alaska State Museum. Both options also include a lunch voucher for a local restaurant. If you’ve chosen to stay for another week, complimentary laundry service is provided today. (BLD)

Overnight, we’ve sailed into a new dimension. Sheer granite walls propel themselves thousands of feet above milky blue waters as the Discoverer glides between massive icebergs. Deep, U-shaped valleys tell the story of the last Ice Age and Harbor Seals haul out on the ice with this year’s recruitment of pups. Endicott Arm is a spectacular place to get outside and feel the air get cooler the deeper you travel into Endicott’s wilderness. The ship slows down as it approaches a massive wall of blue ice that blocks the end of the fjord–Dawes Glacier is our destination for the day. Bundle up and jump on a skiff tour for an intimate visit with one of the most active tidewater glaciers in Southeast Alaska. (BLD)

In Behm Canal, it’s all remote waterways and the isolated Tongass National Forest coves, streams, and bays. On Cleveland Peninsula, your expedition team leads a low-elevation hike near clear, rushing streams. Opportunities to flex your photography skills for enticing forested shots of Southeast. Wildlife abounds! On land black bears, mink, eagles - in the water porpoises, seals, and otters go about their business. Go about yours on a guided paddle in tiny, deserted waterways that feed into the canal. (BLD)

There are places on the planet that completely overcome you, this is one of them. Misty Fjords National Monument represents nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska. Glacial valleys filled with sea water, sheer 3,000-foot cliffs, sea birds, bears and Sitka black-tailed deer all find safe haven here. Choose your own adventure strategy in Walker Cove or Rudyerd Bay, where you can paddle, skiff to the base of a waterfall for fjord released shower, or sit and float to take it all in. Whatever you choose, you’ll find out why the affectionate nickname, “The Yosemite of the North,” is well deserved. (BLD)

The Discoverer is hard to say goodbye to, but our time together ends here in Ketchikan. The Salmon Capital of the World, there are more adventures to be had–ask your crew for suggestions as you depart and wave goodbye to your crew –new friends made along the way. We can’t wait to see you again! (B)