An Insider`s Inside Passage - Un

/ ,
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
A ] Saturday/Sunday, May 30 - 31,2015
ADVENTURE & TRAVEL
DOUBLE FEATURES
The Tracy Arm-Fords
Terror Wilderness,,
about 45 miles south of
Juneau, has two fiords
and twin glaciers.
te.,''^
An Insider's Inside Passage
For an unlikely mix of luxury and onshore adventure, cruise Alaska the small-ship way
BY ELAINE GLUSAC
rooms, our two were small but each
had two twin beds, a desk, bathroom
^(
with walk-in shower, bmlt-m cabinets,
THERE IS NO HIKING trail to Lamplugh Glacier in Alaska's Glacier Bay
National Park. So our guide-led party
of 10 used thickets of willow shrubs
and berry bushes that sprout from
the rock hillsides as handholds. We
paused briefly on the glacier to take
photos, then continued trailblazing
beside it m the rain, occasionally
and thoughtful extras like binoculars.
slipping down moss-covered rock and
face-planting in the willo-ws. Three
hours later, exhausted and cold, we
next day's adventure options, which
ranged from geutle to hard-core.
On our first day, we boarded in
descended to the shore SO yards
from the glacier, which saluted us
with the thundering collapse of a
Juneau in the late aftemoon. After
we'd settled in, the ship's expedition
leader, Jeremy Saentz, laid out a
130-foot-high column of blue ice.
route that would essentially circum-
"I have another gift for you," announced our guide. "Hand warmers!"
After just a couple of days aboard
The second-level lounge, ringed
in scallop-shaped banquettes, served
as a communal living room, observation deck and bar, where passengers
gathered to read or watch sea otters
float by. At cocktail hour each evening, everyone assembled to hear
the expedition team describe the
navigate Admiralty Island, just south
of Juneau and one of the largest in
the Alexander Archipelago. "I guaran-
Un-Cruise Adventures, the small-ship
tee you are going to have western
line that sailed us through remote
hemlock needles in your underwear,"
FLIPPING OUT Clockwise from
left: Humpback whales breach the
corners of Alaska for seven days last
he vowed, preparing us for a true
surface of the waters of Alaska's
August, this not-so-little humry—as
and not altogether comfortable union
with nature as he introduced the ar-
Inside Passage; meals aboard an
well as having the glacial silt hosed
off our boots by a staffer and then
being offered a hot, spiked chai—
seemed like the most natural thing in
the world. The nine-ship company
(formerly InnerSeas Discoveries)
aims to set itself apart from the cattle-cal] connotations of big-ship
cruises by offering all the adventure
you can handle and a pampering base
from which to tackle it.
Alaska was an easy choice for my
family of nature lovers. The challenge
was finding the degree of wilderness
ray of excursions. "We make plans to
Un-Cruise Adventures ship are as
refined as the day's adventures
deviate from. We brake for whales."
are rugged; keeping an eye out for
The next morning, fueled by feta
and olive frittatas that were cooked
brown bears on a hike in Glacier Bay
in wilderness sawy and rules of the
wild. Two of the most important were:
If you encounter a bear or a moose,
don't run and do run, respectively.
We passed seals riding small ice
floes as we saUed toward the Endicott
Arm fiord, about 45 miles south of
Juneau. Our feUow passengers, mostly
that we could agree upon. My hus-
fit, affluent couples and families with
band, Dave, who camps in front of
our Michigan cabin all summer because he can't bear to sleep indoors,
teenagers or 20-somethings, seemed,
like us, eager for adventure.
sought the wildest trip possible. I, on
the other hand, appreciate a shower,
and all three of'us, including our
teenage son, Seth, enjoy fine dining.
We settled on Un-Cruise for a trip
aboard the 84-passenger Safari En-
deavor, which sails from Juneau to
ply untrafficked stretches of Alaska's
Inside Eassaee and offers wildlife-
National Park.
to order, we underwent a crash course
"This is a great place to let Alaska
introduce itself," our expedition guide
said as we set off in an inflatable skiff
with 10 other passengers, heading toward Dawes Glacier. Cruising along
the near-vertical rock walls of the
Endicott Arm fiord, we saUed close to
waterfalls and spotted mountain goats
on the surrounding cliffs. "Waterfalls
release nesatiye ions, which mate us
One of many highlights of the next
day was seeing 50 bald eagles
perched on the beach as we anchored
at a six-mUe inlet called Port Houghton. To the relief of my fidgety family, expedition leader Mr. Saentz
announced, "We're going to park and
play all day."
Launching tandem kayaks from
a floating dock off the ship's stern,
we set out on a three-hour trip up
the calm bay bordered by pine-forested hillsides, paddling past sunjellyfish the color of orange sherbet
and the size of pizzas. Harbor seals
periscoped up for a look around, and
flocks of bufHehead ducks paddled
the shallows at low tide. As we re-
turned to the ship, a pair of breaching Iiumpbadts radiated ripples
acms_s the bar.
stream. Soon, a hulldng brown bear
broad selection of nature books
An Insider's Inside Passage
For an unlikely mix of luxury and onshore adventure, cruise Alaska the small-ship way
rooms, our two were small but each
BY ELAINE GLUSAC
THERE IS NO HIKING trail to Lamplugh Glacier in Alaska's Glacier Bay
National Park. So our guide-led party
of 10 used thickets of willow shrubs
and berry bushes that sprout from
the rock hillsides as handholds. We
paused briefly on the glacier to take
photos, then continued traUblazing
beside it in the rain, occasionally
had two twin beds, a desk, bathroom
with walk-in shower, built-in cabinets,
and thoughtful extras like binoculars.
The second-level lounge, ringed
in scallop-shaped banquettes, served
as a communal living room, observation deck and bar, where passengers
gathered to read or watch sea otters
float by. At cocktail hour each evening, everyone assembled to hear
the expedition team describe the
slipping down moss-covered rock and
next day's adventure options, which
face-planting in the willows. Three
ranged from gentle to hard-core.
hours later, exhausted and cold, we
On our first day, we boarded in
Juneau in the late afternoon. After
we'd settled in, the ship's expedition
descended to the shore 50 yards
from the glacier, which saluted us
with the thundering collapse of a
120-foot-high column of blue ice.
leader, Jeremy Saentz, laid out a
"I have another gift for you," announced our guide. "Hand warmers!"
After just a couple of days aboard
route that would essentially circumnavigate Admiralty Island, just south
of Juneau and one of the largest in
the Alexander Archipelago. "I guaran-
Un-Cruise Adventures, the small-ship
tee you are going to have western
FLIPPING OUT Clockwise from
line that sailed us through remote
comers of Alaska for seven days last
hemlock needles in your underwear,"
left; Humpback whales breach the
he vowed, preparing us for a true
and not altogether comfortable union
with nature as he introduced the ar-
surface of the waters of Alaska's
ray of excursions. <rWe make plans to
refined as the day's adventures
August, this not-so-little luxury—as
well as having the glacial silt hosed
off our boots by a staffer and then
being offered a hot, spiked chai—
seemed like the most natural thing in
the world. The nine-ship company
The next morning, fueled by feta
and olive frittatas that were cooked
to order, we underwent a crash course
that we could agree upon. My hus-
fit, affluent couples and families with
band, Dave, who camps in front of
our MlcMgan cabin all summer be-
teenagers or 20-somethings, seemed,
Uke us, eager for adventure.
cause he can't bear to sleep indoors,
"This is a great place to let Alaska
introduce itself," our expedition guide
said as we set off in an inflatable skiff
with 10 other passengers, heading toward Dawes Glacier. Cruising along
the near-vertical rock walls of the
Endicott Arm fiord, we sailed close to
waterfaBs and spotted mountain goats
on the surrounding cliffs. "Waterfalls
release negative ions, which make us
deavor, which sails from Juneau to
ply untrafficked stretches of Alaska's
Inside Passage and offers wildlife-
in wilderness savvy and rules of the
wild. Two of the most important were:
If you encounter a bear or a moose,
don't run and do run, respectively.
We passed seals riding small ice
floes as we sailed toward the Endicott
Arm fiord, about 45 mUes south of
Juneau. Our fellow passengers, mostly
feel good," she explained. "But I don't
watching excursions, gourmet fare
and a top-shelf open-bar.
think we need science to teU. us water-
falls make us happy."
Among the 42 mostly double
THE LOWDOWN // SEEING ALASKA ON A SMALL-SHIP CRUISE
Alaska's cruise season
runs from May through
early September. The foflowing small-ship lines
offer wildemess-focused
itineraries through the In-
?:'faN^ANAM
AA^jEHBAY '..•••^•'^limegu •
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side Passage. All prices
are per person, based on
double occupancy.
Alaskan Dream Cruises,
run by Alaska-based Alien
Un-Cruise Adventures ship are as
deviate from. We brake for whales."
(formerly InnerSeas Discoveries)
aims to set itself apart from the cattle-caU comiotations of big-ship
cruises by offering all the adventure
you can handle and a pampering base
from which to tackle it.
Alaska was an easy choice for my
family of nature lovers. The challenge
was finding the degree of wilderness
sought the wildest trip possible. I, on
the other hand, appreciate a shower,
and all three of us, including our
teenage son, Seth, enjoy fine dining.
We settled on Un-Cruise for a trip
aboard the 84-passenger Safari En-
Inside Passage; meals aboard an
and Sitka (from about
$6,300, including airfare,
expeditions.com).
B:,.^^^
THE WALL S'HIEET JOURNAL,
Marine Tours, offers 4-
National Park.
One of many highlights of the next
day was seeing 50 bald eagles
perched on the beach as we anchored
at a six-mile inlet called Fort Houghton. To the relief of my fidgety family, expedition leader Mr. Saentz
,^\^SBSiK§
announced, "We're going to park and
play all day."
Launching tandem kayaks from
a floating dock off the ship's stern,
we set out on a three-hour trip up
the calm bay bordered by pine-forested hillsides, paddling past sun jellyfish the color of orange sherbet
and the size of pizzas. Harbor seals
periscoped up for a look around,and
flocks of bufflehead ducks paddled
the shallows at low tide. As we returned to the ship, a pair of breaching humpbacks radiated ripples
across the bay.
Some criuse-ship conventions
stream. Soon, a hulldng brown bear
emerged from the woods, alternately
cramped our style, including having
to return for lunch after morning
excursions (a few daylong trips ineluded packed meals). But we more
than fulfilled our adventure quota
when we'bushwhacked through the
rain forest—where the only discernible
routes were trails made by bears
who'd left behind fresh seat and the
dipping his nose in the river and sniffing the air. WhUe we held our breath,
he walked across the waterfall, pivoted
and returned to the woods so casually
that we nicknamed him "Runway" and
continued to talk about the sighting
well through dinner that night.
Tables in the dining room sat six
to seven people, and open seating
broad selection of nature books
found In the ship's library.
One of the chief advantages of
small-ship cruising in Alaska is the
opportunity to explore Glacier Bay National Park, a 3.3-mUlion-aa-e expanse
of snow-capped mountains and glaciers that borders Glacier Bay. Because
of logistics and strict controls over the
size of groups permitted on shore,
large-ship passengers don't disembark
here. But our itinerary included two
carcasses of half-eaten salmon—and
fostered fast friendships. Meals were
top-notch and featured a set menu
sions. Some six-day de-
scrambled on all fours through mossy
stands of hemlocks.
We were all pleased to discover
that nature dominated even the daily
shipboard routines: At one of the
morning yoga classes held on deck, for
partures spend the entire
instance, the instructor gently mtoned,
time in Glacier Bay Cfrom
oAout $3,500, seawolfad-
"I'd lil<e to invite you out of the pigeon
pose really quickly to see these DalTs
with a choice of meat or fish. The
kitchen made ample allowance for
special requests and food allergies
(most baked goods included glutenfree options), and the chef was applauded enthusiastically whenever
he appeared in the dining room.
Unlike large ships that offer diver-
ventures, net).
porpoises over to starboard."
sions such as musical reviews and ca-
Though we craved more shore
time, it didn't take long for us to
trust the judgment of the guides,
who demonstrated a healthy respect
sinos, the Safari Endeavor hosted oc-
for the region's apex predator, the
among us.
"You are experiencing true
Alaska," said ranger Masald Mizush-
brown bear, which is known to run
up to 30 miles an hour.
Piloting a sldff off Chichagof Island,
just west of Admiralty Island, our ex-
My family embraced the lack of Interaet access with unexpected relief,
ima, who joined the ship for the duration of our stay in the park, helping
opting to play cards, read or whale-
us spot Steller sea lions, tufted puf-
watch from the top deck. My son
Seth left his iPhone in his cabin, and,
in lieu of videogames, he quizzed us
on marine mammal species from a
fins, mountain goats and brown bear.
Sea Wolf Adventures
runs the 12-passenger
Sea Wolf, which carries
kayaks and 3 rigid inflat^SfS^-^-^'^.
are rugged; keeping an eye out for
brown bears on a hike in Glacier Bay
'SseaiWsUfi'
able boat for shore excur-
to-13-day cruises on four
a portion of profits to con-
ships accommodating be-
servation groups. In addj-
tween 10 and 58 passen-
Un-Cruise Adventures
gers (four-day trips from
tion to kayakmg and hiking, the operation offers
Sitka to Glacier Bay start
guided fishing trips fjfrom
carry 22 to 88 guests in
at about $1,400, ataskan-
about ?4,;00, theboatcom-
dreamcruises. corn).
pany.org}.
Alaska. The company offers nine different itinerar-
maintains six vessels that
The Boat Company operates two small ships that
Lindblad Expeditions
offers Alaska cruises
ies, starting at $1,895.
The seven-night Discoverers' Glacier Country itiner-
carry 20 to 2^ guests on
aboard two 62-passenger
ary sails round-trip from
pedition leader, Mr. Saentz, slowly mo-
weeklong trips between
Juneau and Sltka, donating
ships. Eight-day itinerar"
ies travel between Juneau
Juneau ^from about
tored toward a small waterfall, where
$4,200, un-cruise.com).
salmon were hurling themselves up-
easional after-dinner lectures on
nature-related topics which, not sur-
prisingly, appealed to the brainiest
days in the park, the first to hike
woodland traUs and the second to
kayak or climb a glacier.
The Lamplugh Glacier hike, a hardcore option that the guides introduced as "esctreme" to ward off the
less fit, surpassed our expectations
both in difficulty and beauty, We
watched families of ptarmigan (relative of the grouse), saw lupine
sprouting from the glacial moraine
and tasted the tart crowberries that
Seth foraged greedily.
Given all the adventure that safety
had reasonably allowed us, even my
husband couldn't argue with that.