UnCruise Cruises

Accommodations Review

Our cozy cabin on the ship was all that we needed. The fact that the cabins were cleaned/attended to daily made the small space do-able.

Meals Review

The meals blew me away. Not only were the meals healthful and thoughtfully planned, but special requests were honored with a smile. I enjoyed always having options, and everything I tried was delicious. I feel that the selection of beers and wines could stand to be looked at again. Some were good, and some just didn't add much to the dining experience.

Crew & Guides Review

All of the guides had a great level of enthusiasm, and were ready to help in any way that they could. Lindsey from Montana was exceptionally helpful and caring. Liz gave an excellent massage. Esa brought smoothies after our yoga class one morning. Jeremy had great knowledge to share on our desert hikes.

Itinerary Review

I was really there for the snorkeling, which was great, but I literally had tears streaming down my face when we encountered a blue whale one evening. I had not expected to be lucky enough to see one, and the sound of the whale exhaling as it surfaced in front of our boat is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the experience of being in the midst of an explosion of life. Combined with the remoteness, this was a good combination for me. There were no places that I did not enjoy. On the last night of the trip, we were treated to a slide show of the week's activities, put together by the staff.

Transportation Review

We made airport transfers on our own, so I cannot comment on that part, but all transport during the trip was great. The suggestion to stay at El Encanto the day before we met the group was a good one.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The intro materials about the Baja could stand to be bulked up a little.

Traveler Advice

Be prepared for the trip of a lifetime!

Accommodations Review

Our room was 1 of only 2 on the boat that included an outdoor "patio" area. This was a huge plus and would have been a much less enjoyable experience w/o it. Other rooms had no space other than the common areas.

Meals Review

Lots of food at every meal and off-menu options were always available.

Itinerary Review

Every place was excellent. We liked that the itinerary was flexible and changed every day based on where was the best place to go. Saw lots of wildlife. Some of the Kayak tours were too aggressive. This feedback was given to the cruise director.

Traveler Advice

Plan for lots of physical activity on this particular cruise.

Accommodations Review

The ship was comfortable and welcoming.  Our cabin, while not large, had plenty of storage and was well appointed.

Meals Review

We thought the food was superb.  Both the chef and pastry chef offered a wonderful variety of delights at every meal, and we were always given choices.  The service was always capable and gracious

Crew & Guides Review

Our leaders (Jill Q. and Jill B) couldn't have been better.  They were highly knowledgeable, obviously loved nature and Hawaii, always positive and helpful -- they had that elusive balance of energy and even temper.  They went out of their way to give us a beautiful experience!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The information provided and Aaron's helpfulness were great.

Traveler Advice

Try to plan some time in Hawaii before and after the cruise.  The "before" allowed us to explore another part of the islands -- and gave the airline time to get our luggage to us two days late!  The "after" gives a chance to transition from the relaxation of the cruise to the hassle of the flight home.

Accommodations Review

The beds were surprisingly comfortable!! Loved having the window cracked and having the fresh air at night. Very clean cabins and we were really only in our rooms at night to sleep :)

Crew & Guides Review

Again - beyond excellent!! Sarah (with an "h") was the BEST!! She was so friendly and fun! My kids and I really enjoyed her. She did a great job planning the activities and offered a good variety of options. She was also so enthusiastic about everything and she was really easy to approach and talk to. She was a blast when she was our guide. She and Julie were quite the combo!!!

Julie - she was my daughters favorite!! She was a great guide and so much fun!! She always made sure Syd was at the front of the boat to get the best pictures!! She knows her stuff and when asked questions - she had an answer for everything!

Ted - I went kayaking with him the first day. He was awesome!! Very helpful and knowledgeable too. He was fun and very easy to approach and ask questions. He did a presentation on loons - and taught us how to call birds. We are still trying to master that! My daughter is the best one out of all of us. 

Gray - he was my son's favorite. I had him for the fish hatchery. When I saw the bear - he came right to the front and "read" the bear and allowed us to take pictures and have that experience. Very respectful to the wildlife - I wanted to just stay there and watch the bear and baby - but he had us continue on after a few minutes to leave the bear be. 

Andy and Adelia - they drove the skiffs for us a few times. Very nice and fun! We saw orcas with Andy and she got us safely (very fast) lol - to the orcas in time to see carnage with the sea lions. That was a great experience (sad) but awesome. 

Dakota - he was our waiter. HE WAS THE BEST!! After one day - he  knew our drinks for every meal. He had drinks in place in the morning and then different drinks for lunch and dinner.  We and our tablemates adored him. He was a highlight of our day. He asked us about our adventures at night - that was appreciated. 

Matt the bartender ......  what a guy!! Any drink we wanted he would make.. My son is 21 - not a drinker but wanted to try some things. Matt was up for it. Now that I am home and I am not sure I can have a margarita - Matt made the best margaritas!!! He made drinks of the day - and was more than happy to tell how he made it. At the end of the trip he wanted to make me a new margarita. He made a jalepeno, orange cinnamon one. It took a while to make it and it was well worth the wait. I am sure I am missing someone - but EVERYONE was great!!!

Transportation Review

It was a smooth transition on and off the boat and with our luggage. No complaints!

Itinerary Review

I think every place we went had it's own unique experience. My son LOVED the bush whacking tours!!!! He loved seeing things that even people on the ship (me) didn't see. They found blueberries every time and stopped and ate them. He raved about how good they were. He also was able to eat salmon berries which he loved also. He would have done that every day for both excursions! My daughter loved the skiff rides because she wants to be a photographer and what a great place to get good pictures!! She was in heaven and 14,000 picture or more later - she found her happy place. 

I liked everything I did - going to the fish hatchery I think was my favorite though because that is where we saw a mamma grizzly and her baby!! They were right there and didn't seem to mind us a bit! I think my mom enjoyed the skiff rides and the one day it was open kayak - my son took her out on one for about an hour and she loved that. She has never done that before so she enjoyed that. My kids also loved the polar plunge. What a way to end the trip - and they can say they jumped in glacial waters!!! Everything was so beautiful and wonderful!

There was nothing we didn't enjoy - and I am saying that honestly! I think the only thing is one morning we anchored in a really rocky (back and forth) spot and my mom got sea sick and missed out on the days activities. After the morning excursions - they did move the boat to a calmer area - and Matt the bartender made my mom a drink that settled her stomach so she was able to join us for dinner and the evening activities.

Meals Review

Beyond excellent!! I packed snacks for the kids for in between meals - mistake!! I brought them all back home. There was way more than enough food! The food was excellent! The choices were great with a great variety. My son is soooo picky and he tried new foods and found out that he actually liked them. Breakfast was always exciting because we got to hear what we were having for lunch and dinner! No one can say they went hungry or didn't have anything they wanted. If we didn't like any of the options - they offered other items also - but we all tried something that was offered. I found out my self that I like scallops and my son decided he liked crab with the all you can eat crab night! Amazing!! The desserts were to die for also!!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Very good!! The packing list was spot on - our fault we didn't listen to all if it - most of it - but a few things we didn't think we would need - but we did need. That was our own fault!!

Traveler Advice

Listen to the packing instructions :) A strap for your phone and a camera and a sense of adventure!!!

Accommodations Review

I thought our cabin was in the perfect location. We had a gorgeous view and no one could walk past our window. We were also close to the lounge and dining room.

Meals Review

Snacks at 4 pm instead of 5 pm or 6 pm would have been nice.

Crew & Guides Review

Jeremy did a terrific job of organizing our activities. Getting small groups into snorkeling, or kayaking, or hiking, or scenic boating was amazing! We felt very safe snorkeling.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Your packing list was fine but the boat provided binoculars and water bottles so we didn't need to pack them. [Our Adventure Specialist] was very helpful in choosing a cabin.