darinboville

Isn't that the one where you help run the ship? Kind of cool idea.

Uncruise is a small ship" cruise company, mostly working out of Alaska but also elsewhere. The big draw is the stuff off the ship--kayaking, hiking, exploring small towns, etc. It's a very different thing but might be worth checking out: https://uncruise.com The other companies I mentioned offer a similar in many ways.

I'm looking for "Uncruise-type" cruise companies operating in Europe (including Iceland and Greenland) and in the Mediterranean (including the Middle East and Africa). I know about: Hurtigruten Havila Lindblad Any other suggestions? --Darin

My wife and I are taking an 8-week trip this fall (very late August or early September). Our (very) rough plan is to go to Alaska for half, then Hawaii for the other half. We've been to SE and so thought we'd explore Central Alaska. Last time we took the Alaska Marine Highway (and brought our vehicle) but it appears they no longer connect up from SE. I hate to fly--so then we hit upon the idea of taking a cruise. I'm near San Francisco but can easily get to Seattle or Vancouver. I'm looking at my cruise options to Seward or Whittier (one way only) and it is all a little bewildering. Can someone narrow down things for me or offer general advice to help me make sense of it all? 1) Are the prices I'm seeing now (found via this site's "Find a Cruise" feature) good deals or should I wait until later in the year? How much time pressure am I under to decide what I'm doing? 🙂. ($450 or more inside cabin, $850 or so outside cabin, plus all the taxes and upgrades, etc). 2) We've never been on a cruise before and I'm not sure I need to pay the extra $1000 a person for a balcony room. The ship is full of places to sit and view the ocean, isn't it? We don't drink much at all so the inclusion of free drinks doesn't sound attractive. Am I missing something--should I be looking at the pricier rooms? 3) EDIT: Just found the click-box in the filter area! ******** Not required but I'd like to go into Glacier Bay. We did do an Uncruise (very different!) into Glacier Bay last trip and I remember that only certain cruise lines had permits. Is there an easy way to search for such cruises or do I just have to click on "Itinerary" on each listing? Thanks, --Darin