Not ABD, but looking for recs Alaska

[CaLuCa]

I am looking at Uncruise and Alaskan Dreams Cruises for a trip with 2 adults/4 kids (aged 8-18). We are looking for more physically intense...lots of hiking/kayaking/SUP...and wildlife and nature. Good food is also a plus. I've looked at their websites and both seem good, but I am concerned the age of the passengers tends a bit older, which is fine as long as we can still do some more intense hiking...read not a stroll down a boardwalk. We did a 5 night rafting trip in Utah, and while it was more physically demanding than we had anticipated, we realized we liked the more intimate, remote, and challenging trips.

Anyone have any experience with either one of these or a similar one?

 

[jiffypop]

My family has done 2 Uncruise trips-one in Alaska and one in Costa Rica. We are big National Park lovers and were drawn to Uncruise because of their focus on wildlife and nature. We were not disappointed—both cruises were amazing. Lots of chances to kayak on the Alaskan cruise we did (our son was 12 at the time)...I’m sure there were multiple kayaking options each day. There were also several decent hikes and they do try to match you up with others at the same activity level. It’s true that most of the passengers were a bit older (there was only one other family on board) but we met lots of fun people with similar interests. The cruise we did spent some time in Glacier Bay National Park, and seeing the tidewater glaciers was incredible. We also were able to go ashore at Gustavus. We combined the cruise with another week in Alaska at Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks, which we planned on our own. If you have any more specific questions, let me know. Happy Planning!

 

[TXTransplant]

We are booked on a Nat Geo expedition to Alaska in June (rebooked after it was cancelled last year). I had looked at Uncruise but decided to do a land-based trip instead.

The big draw of the Nat Geo trip was a stay at Denali Backcountry Lodge. However, as I posted in another thread, my PIF date is rapidly approaching and Nat Geo has absolutely no clue on whether or not this trip will go.

So, I contacted Pursuit Alaska, which operates the Backcountry Lodge, a few other properties, and a bunch of sightseeing activities.

They are putting an itinerary together for me. If I can save enough money over Nat Geo, I may end up just forfeiting my $1000 deposit and going with this itinerary.

Regardless, if you give them a call and tell them what your interests are, they will put together some options for you to consider.

 

[TXTransplant]

Came back to say that I was totally impressed by the itinerary that Pursuits put together for us. I think it’s better than the Nat Geo itinerary, and it’s significantly less expensive, even factoring in the fact that I will likely lose the deposit I paid to Nat Geo. I’m 99% sure I’ll be cancelling the Nat Geo trip and booking with Pursuits. I just need the certainty at this point. I can’t risk Nat Geo cancelling late and leaving us with no trip.

 

[CaLuCa]

Thanks for the rec for Pursuit Alaska. They were as awesome as you said, but I think I am going a completely different direction and booking everything myself. I am so excited about this and Alaska wasn't anywhere on my radar. It is truly an amazing place.

 

[WebmasterKathy]

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