- Welcome to Alaska!
(gentle music)
(gasping crowd)
- [Deb] Oh my god!
- [Dave] Alaska is one of the last great frontiers
for adventure travel in America.
And the best way to explore it is by ship.
We took an Un-cruise Adventure to get off the beaten path
and witness the untouched fjords and wilderness
of this beautiful land.
- Let's go on an Un-cruise!
- There are many advantages to taking an Un-cruise
because it is a small ship
and there's only maximum 80 passengers.
Many of the Un-cruises even have less.
The great thing about it in Alaska
is that you can get into a lot of places
that other big cruise ships can't go.
(Majestic music)
We're coming up to the John Hopkins Glacier,
this is very rare because a lot of the larger ships
can't come up here, and it actually just opened up
in July, of July 1st, and it's rare to come on up here
because the harbor seals have their puppies.
We're very lucky to be up here witnessing this glacier.
(Majestic music)
- [Dave] Being on a small ship allows the captain the luxury
of changing the route with the weather and the wildlife.
Our first day on the S.S. Legacy
was rerouted to Glacier Bay,
as it was the best weather of the trip.
We traveled through Johns Hopkins Inlet,
where several other glaciers led the way
to the massive 12 mile long Johns Hopkins Glacier.
That's where we managed to get up close and personal
with nature's beauty.
(majestic music)
Next on our journey is South Marble Island.
This place is known for its birds,
especially puffins, and whales, oh my.
(Majestic music)
- Ohh. - And fluke.
(Camera shutter)
(Majestic music)
- [Deb] Well when there's a good fluke,
the whole crowd is excited
and that was a good fluke, ladies and gentlemen.
(lively music)
Another advantage is that all activities are included.
You don't have to go and book tours on your day trips.
You can go on the skiff,
you can do kayaking,
you can go bushwhacking,
you can go hiking.
You are obviously whale watching.
There's a lot of things you can do here,
and that's what makes each day so unique and fun.
(lively music)
- [Dave] We're all suited up and ready to go kayaking here
on George Island in Alaska.
Let's go!
(lively music)
All right, we're in our double kayak here,
and we're ready to take a beautiful day of kayaking,
here on George Island.
Hi Deb!
- Hi Dave!
(lively music)
- Wow, what a kayak.
Already we've seen bald eagles,
we've seen a sea otter,
and now we have two whales right in front of us.
(lively music)
And I forgot to mention we've seen the Brady Glacier.
It's just spectacular to be surrounded
by all of this vast nature.
(lively music)
And many of you probably already know,
Dave and I just love kayaking
to explore the wilderness when we're traveling.
Really there's nothing else like it,
and I think that the polar regions in Alaska
is the place to do it,
because it's just filled with wildlife.
(gentle music)
Well it doesn't get much better than this day.
We saw it all.
(gentle music)
- [Dave] We have the opportunity to kayak nearly every day,
discovering different bays and inlets,
while searching for wildlife above and below the water.
(dramatic percussion)
- [Deb] We're going on a skiff tour to explore the glacier.
All right, we're going through some ice floes.
- [Dave] Each morning the cruise scouts the area,
looking for hidden waterfalls and wildlife.
They know how to read the glacial terrain,
keeping passengers safe
while giving us all a great adventure.
(Dramatic percussion)
- Look over there. - Wow that was awesome.
(Dramatic percussion)
- [Deb] Well we are having an amazing day
just boating around Dawes Glacier here
with amazing deep blue icebergs
and great people on the skiff with us,
and we're just having a blast, weren't we Dave?
- [Dave] Wish you were here.
At least I bet you do.
(exciting music)
- Skiff tours operate nearly every day,
allowing you to cover a lot of terrain.
And it gives you a lot of opportunities
to see wildlife and get up close and personal
with icebergs and glaciers.
(exciting music)
What a day.
- [Tour Guide] I'll bet you can feel how nice,
dense and heavy this is.
(laughter)
- [Tour Guide] Got a few other places.
- Mmmm mwah!
- [Deb] It's not everyday that you get to pick up ice
that came from a glacier up here in Alaska.
I'm gonna lick it and taste it.
(group laughing)
It's not too salty though, it's very fresh.
This is, you can juice it, like this is fresh water.
(group laughing)
- [Dave] Ooh wah.
- [Deb] Don't get everyone!
- [Deb] Ohh!
- [Dave] I didn't get everybody.
I only got a few people.
(laughing group)
They also keep you very entertained and informed
when you're out on the water.
(Chatter)
- [Tour Guide] Your gonna be wobbling pretty soon.
(woman laughing)
(Walkie chatter)
- [Deb] Mmmm.
(muffled speech)
(group laughing)
- [Tour Guide] How was it?
- [Deb] That's delicious.
(Walkie chatter)
- [Dave] Now that's the way to have peppermint Schnapps.
Mmmm ice.
- [Group] Whoah!
- [Deb] Oh my God!
- [Dave] Crazy!
- [Tour Guide] Where just gonna coast.
Ride up and over with em.
- [Group] Whoa!
- [Dave] Wow!
That was pretty amazing, where now
riding the waves of a calving glacier.
Wow!
- It's just going voosh!
(Group chatter)
- [Dave] It's interesting how long the waves last, right?
Like you think maybe just one big wave would come.
- But it's just ...
(chatter)
- [Tour Guide] It set's up quite a bit of a force
- [Group] Yeah.
Wow!
- [Dave] Look at it hitting that one back there.
(Dramatic music)
- [Deb] Each day on our Un-cruise
has been completely different.
One day your going up to a glacier.
The next day your looking for bears or seals or whales.
We saw some orca's last night.
You'll be kayaking one day,
on the skiff the next day, and going for a hike another.
Every day can be as adventurous
or as relaxing as you choose.
(dramatic music)
On board there's a lot of things
that will keep you busy.
They have every night talks from the experts
about the flora and fauna of Alaska.
There's a hot tub where you can go relax.
There's is an open bar which is fantastic,
so you have cocktail hour, and happy hour
where you have some snacks, and the meals
are outstanding prepared by a chef with wine parings.
So you can't be that.
(Dramatic music)
(Group chatter)
Well when your doing a cruise with Un-cruise,
you have to come up at least once
to the bridge to see the Captain at work.
This is where all of the magic happens.
Where all the whales squatting,
where he's navagating the icebergs,
and the glaciers, and the high seas.
It's uh very cool.
(Dramatic music)
- [Dave] All right it's time to check out
where all the power comes for the S.S. Legacy here.
Where gonna check out the engine room.
(Dramatic music)
Unlike larger ships you have access
to many behind the scenes activities on an Un-cruise.
We not only got to peek into the bridge,
we got a galley tour, and when the ship was moving
we were allowed to pop into the engine room.
It was really cool seeing the engine room.
You know, not a lot of ships allow you down there,
to see how everything works.
And all of that is operated by one man.
(Dramatic music)
(Acoustic guitar)
- [Deb] There are also opportunities to get off the ship.
Bartlett Cove is an interesting stop to learn
of the local Tlingit People.
We have landed at Bartlett Cove,
and it is a really historic place here in the park.
The Tlingit People have made a Long House.
A traditional Long House.
That they re-opened on the 100th Anniversary
of the National Parks here in the United States.
And this is all about starting the healing
relationship between the Tlingit People
and the National Parks.
(Acoustic guitar)
- [Dave] This building's really amazing because,
it's all been carved by hand.
Love the smell of cedar.
(Acoustic guitar)
- [Deb] So if you're looking for a cruise
to Alaska or trying a cruise.
I think this is a really great way to start.
There are many activities to keep you occupied.
We made great new friends,
and we created shared memories
that will last a lifetime.
(Acoustic guitar)
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