Continental U.S. Trips & Cruises

Accommodations Review

The nature of the boat means cabins aren't spacious, but that is part of the experience. The Catalyst is a marvelously maintained craft with handsome brass fittings, proudly maintained original engine, and rich teak accents. It's a beauty.

Meals Review

Every meal was a visual and gustatory feast.

Itinerary Review

It's hard to pick a favorite. The hikes and kayaking were enjoyable, presentations were outstanding, the vistas were serene, and the crew members' interactions with us were always to ensure our comfort and pleasure.

Traveler Advice

Do it!

Crew & Guides Review

What a crew! It's hard to imagine a better one. Each crew member was highly skilled, each ensured that we were enjoying the trip and the excursions, and each seemed to interact flawlessly with the others. Captain Che Rodgers is a skilled, talented leader who ensured not only the safety of the boat and passengers but also their enjoyment. Naturalist Jesse Turner was superb. He was knowledgeable, accommodating, and delightful. The last night's slide show set to music which was put on a thumb drive for each of us along with other photos and nuggets, is a cherished treasure. Mate/engineer Dan Liden was clearly skilled, adventuresome, and fun.

Fellow Passengers Review

A friend booked the trip, and I was invited to join the group. We were all good friends in the beginning and became even closer as a result of this experience on the Catalyst.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

AdventureSmith prepared us well for the trip.

Accommodations Review

We were lucky to be on a departure that was only 1/3 full, so the ship felt extra spacious. My cabin was a Master on the upper deck. The cabin was comfortable and it had a full bathroom. The viewing accessibility on the S.S. Legacy [now named Wilderness Legacy] was a nice feature of the ship. You can literally stand anywhere and get a good view.

Itinerary Review

I most liked riding bikes through the Hood River wineries. I thought this was a unique and fun way to explore the area. I also enjoyed kayaking on the Palouse River and the hike at Rowena Plateau, which came with amazing views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams. The 3rd party outfitter provided everything we needed, but it was a very cold day. The scenery was nice, but being soaked and on the river for multiple hours took the enjoyment out of it. It was nice to be outside and among the beautiful scenery and the ship’s crew came prepared with warm drinks and lunch for us after the rafting. All in all not bad, but it would have been better if it wasn’t so cold.

Crew & Guides Review

Megan was very organized and patient during our cruise. Sarah and Bobby were knowledgeable about the region and did a good job during their evening presentations.

Meals Review

No complaints about the food. Each meal is well prepared and nicely presented. The kitchen even made me special dairy free desserts at lunch and dinner.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

All preparatory information was timely, useful and easy to follow.

Traveler Advice

Try small ship cruising, even if you don’t think you’re the cruising type. The day’s itinerary and meals are arranged for you so you can spend your vacation enjoying your family without dealing with logistics every few hours.

Accommodations Review

The Venture is comfortable and well-maintained...There were only 28 passengers on the 100 passenger ship. With very few exceptions, we shared common interest in the activities and formed supportive relationships with each other.

Meals Review

The meals were creative with multiple options for different tastes or requirements. Special needs were graciously accommodated.

Crew & Guides Review

The entire leadership and guide staff was professional and so passionate about their work. Eric Guth and Alex Rubenstein were generous with their knowledge of photography and encouraging of our progress. Luke Manson and Patrick Webster enthusiastically shared videos of their underwater wildlife discoveries. Sharon Grainger’s and Ashli Akins’ love for the indigenous people groups was obvious.

Itinerary Review

Although I knew the itinerary going in, I would have preferred more time on and around the water, rather than in towns...I loved experiencing the area by kayak, as it was independent, peaceful, and up close. Hikes were divided into casual, moderate, and a new option for photo hikes, where guides shared their knowledge of lighting, composition and camera controls.

Transportation Review

Some of the cruise line’s pre-trip info was incorrect. They said there was no laundry service on the trip, but there was. They asked everyone to arrive at the hospitality suite by 2 for a city bus tour before the cruise. There was no tour so we didn’t need to be there until 3:30. John Delaney, Lindblad’s new Sr VP of Global Sales, joined the cruise in Victoria and was made aware of the miscommunication.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Andrew was always helpful in answering my questions.

Traveler Advice

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience British Columbia with Lindblad!

Accommodations Review

Really like Cabin 214, nice and roomy, quite a difference from the Pacific Catalyst we took earlier this year. If we go again on the Legacy, will try to get that cabin again.

Meals Review

Excellent food, portions were just right, and prepared very well. We've come to expect excellent food served on Uncruise, and they did not disappoint.

Itinerary Review

This cruise was really interesting, different than the other Uncruises (Alaska and Hawaii) we've been on. They took a voyage up basically an industrial river (the Columbia). Making it a wine a food pairing was a good idea, since the river does not have the natural scenery like Alaska and Hawaii. The excursions were very good, especially the white water rafting on the Deschutes River. Overall a great experience. The only real disappointment was going into the town of Walla Walla, not much there, lots of restaurants and closed wine tasting establishments. It seems that Walla Walla is trying to make a rather non-descript old agriculture town into a wine tasting destination. I get it, they want to change their appeal as a new wine growing region, but it still looks like an old dusty agriculture town, not Napa or Sonoma, or about anywhere else in wine growing California.

Transportation Review

The only bit of confusion was the airport greeter was not there at the appointed time. We contacted Uncruise, and they gave us the explanation as to what was going on, and after a delay of about an hour or so, we got to the Rose Hotel to sign in. No big deal, stuff happens, and it worked out

Crew & Guides Review

Sarah was the trip excursion lead person, and she did a fabulous job. Very outgoing and did a very thorough job describing what to expect on the excursions.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We would recommend AdventureSmith, you guys are really good. Leslie always does a great job preparing us.

Traveler Advice

The one thing about this cruise is that the vessel travels at night up and down the Columbia River.  And in doing so, it goes through a series of locks on the river.  Sometimes this activity would create noise and wake us up in the middle of the night.  We know this would be unavoidable, but it is something to consider if clients want peace and quiet through the night like you would get on an Alaska cruise.

Accommodations Review

Could have used a few more hooks in the rooms for hand towels, clothes, etc. Our bathroom was usually foul smelling and could have used an air freshener...

Meals Review

BACON was da bomb! I loved the salmon, scallops and ribs; my husband liked the lamb and the raw oysters. Daily different special bar drinks were exciting and fun to look forward to! The only thing we could even possibly give less than 5 stars was that some of the fish dishes at dinner were less than exciting. The desserts were fantastic, though!

Crew & Guides Review

We loved our morning on Spencer off of Lopez Island... with the remnants of the morning fog it was a photographer's dream!

Itinerary Review

Without a doubt, I loved the moonlight kayaking around Lopez Island, a truly spiritual experience when we turned most of the lights out and became very quiet, just hearing the sound of our paddles churning up the bio-luminescent plankton in the water. I loved hiking in the rain and fog through The Staircase area of Olympic National Park. We also enjoyed the morning guided kayak trip in total fog around the Finger Islands around Sucia Island. We also liked the bus trip up Mt. Constitution, the picnic beside the lake as well as the short walk through the surrounding woods on Orcas Island- and so many other activities on this trip...as well as the comradery on the boat...we made so many new friends!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

AdventureSmith is always terrific and thorough. We have and will continue to [recommend AdventureSmith Explorations], in fact I just did so earlier today!

Traveler Advice

Pack for casual and exciting adventures. Don't expect luxurious quarters-just fun, fantastic food and lots of fun!

Accommodations Review

This was our fourth river trip and the first where we were able to visit the bridge at will. For me, the mechanics of running a boat this size requires a certain management level which obviously existed. I saw lots of teamwork and enthusiasm at all levels.

Meals Review

So maybe a hamburger can be offered at times but you are obviously are on a par with other trips that we have experienced. I would guess that the general client group had no idea how healthy your meals were. You failed miserably to add 10 pounds as requested. 5 was all I could muster. Portion sizes were excellent. No improvement necessary in this category.

Crew & Guides Review

Can't add anything other than great job at all levels. Their wealth of knowledge was amazing. I think they had as much fun as we did.

Itinerary Review

Hard to rate but [I enjoyed most] the Snake River Fast Boat excursion was tops and the Winery Tour was second. Why - Both took lots of people management skills and coordination. Included in all the excursions were the Heritage Guides and your Hotel Manager. These are obviously top notch people who loved their work and did a wonderful job.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Pre-trip information was adequate. We have already recommended AdventureSmith Explorations.

Traveler Advice

The Lewis and Clark theme was a great way to understand how our country grew. When we left the boat we traveled East cross country more or less on their route back to the Missouri. We uncovered new information that added to our base knowledge about Lewis and Clark. Made for an even more interesting experience. Read the book also.