November 13, 2019 • 24 mins
Join us for a different type of Alaska cruise on small-ship cruise line UnCruise Adventures. On this active voyage, hear about getting up close and personal with humpback whales in Glacier Bay; porpoises and bears; the northern lights; kayaking among calving glaciers; hikes to waterfalls; and Juneau highlights with my guest writer and photographer Debi Lander.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello and welcome back to CruiseCompete's cruise
podcast where we share tips,ideas, and inspiration to help
make your next cruise afantastic experience.
I'm your host Bob Levinstein.
Today's topic is a differenttype of Alaska cruise on a small
ship adventure line calledUncruise Adventures.
My guest is ms Debi Lander, afreelance travel writer and
(00:37):
photographer who specializes intravel, food and lifestyle.
Her work focuses on historic andcultural sites, culinary
experiences and adventure travelamong other publications.
You can find through articlesand experiences on
Allthingscruise.com as well asher website bylanderbysea.com.
We'll be right back with Debiright after this.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Cruisecompete.com is a simple concept.
We give you the tools to findthe perfect cruise and request
quotes.
Independent travel agents canthen see your requests and they
respond with the best customcruise offers they can all
competing to offer you the bestdeal.
You compare these offers in oneconvenient place along with
consumer ratings and reviews ofthe agencies as only the best
(01:23):
agents survive in thiscompetitive environment.
You'll have some great optionsto choose from.
You then remain anonymous unlessor until you decide to contact
an agent by phone or by email toask questions or to book find
out why more than a millioncruisers are members of our free
unique service and start savingboth time and a significant
amount of money on your cruisevacation via cruise compete
(01:46):
today.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
My guest today is Ms.
Debi Lander, a travel writer andphotographer this past spring
Debi experienced Alaska aboardthe Uncruise Adventure small
ship Legacy along with herpartner J ohn.
Debi, welcome to the program.
(02:20):
Thank you for having me.
Oh, you bet.
Really excited to hear aboutthis.
So I understand you had a chanceto explore Juneau before
boarding your ship.
What was that experience like?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I did, but first I should tell you that this was my
very first trip to Alaska, so Iwas very excited about being in
our 49th state.
Juneau itself is just one ofthose kind of cool old gold rush
towns.
It's on the side of a mountainand u h, checked out a couple of
(02:52):
the good bars there, but I alsochecked out the C apitol
building because J uno is the ofAlaska and I was able to go in
and actually managed to see avote in both the house and the
Senate chambers.
O h yeah.
That was very neat, you know,and then, u m, unproved provided
(03:16):
complimentary tickets to thetramway.
So I walked down there and Itook the tram up pretty high
above the city and you just getthis fantastic panoramic view
was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Nice.
So you were actually welcomed toyour cruise by the owner of the
cruise line.
That's gotta make you feel alike a well, like a valued
customer I would think.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well we were welcomed by Dan Blanchard himself who was
the owner of on cruise.
He is quite a guy.
Some people in fact call him Mr.
Alaska.
He lives in Juneau and he Iguess he's always been connected
with both.
He was first a boating importerand, and then at some point he
(04:02):
became a day cruise captain inGlacier Bay.
And claims that that was a lifechanging, assignment that he
fell in love with Alaska andeventually was able to work for
a small mapping line and then,you know, progress that into
(04:22):
small ships.
And now he's the owner ofUncruise.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Wow.
So you have sailed, both largeships and small ones.
What, what made you chooseUnCruise to see Alaska?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I really think the advantage of Uncruise in
Alaska is the fact that it is asmall ship.
It can go where others are,certainly where those big ships
can't fell.
And then the other thing thatreally appealed to me was
getting off and being active.
(04:57):
Um, you know, if it's not a,this is not a sit back and just
watch the sunset cruise, this isget out there and do something
every day.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I, uh, I, I understand where you're coming
from.
That's a, that's the kind ofvacation that I tend to buffer
as well.
So tell us about the ship andyour cabin and what people can
expect.
We're used to being on largecruise ships.
You know, what's different, uh,what's the same, uh, what do you
have to prepare yourself for ifyou decide to go that route?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, first of all, I was on the SS Legacy, which is a
copy of an 1898 gold rush.
Steamboat.
It's a very cool looking boatfrom the exterior.
Um, the interior carries kind ofalong with that theme, there's
like a Victorian theme and thein the lobby and then the
restaurant.
(05:47):
But the cabins themselves are,um, modern.
I would tell you that they'renot luxurious, but, um,
certainly more than adequate.
My cabin had two single beds and, um, the shower right up, I
mean a bathroom with shower andthen right outside the door is
(06:09):
the balcony.
So you felt like you had yourbalcony, but you know, it wasn't
absolutely your own.
Got it.
Um, the one thing I guess thatpeople need to realize is that,
um, there's not very much wifiin the inner passage of Alaska.
So it doesn't really matterwhether you're on a big boat or
(06:31):
a small boat.
There's just not going to begreat wifi.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Oh, so what's that?
What were the other passengerslike?
Well, the other passengers, Iwas curious about that.
Um, and then I've w like me, I'ma boomer, I will say
predominantly this cruise wasboomers, um, successful business
people, you know, um, no kidsand uh, and very, very friendly.
(07:03):
This worked out that way.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I'm not sure if it's allowed except maybe during
summer months.
Got it.
But I'm not positive on that.
We had no kids on the cruise Iwas on.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Got it.
So mostly, um, successful go gether is healthy.
You want to get out there and uh,
Speaker 3 (07:26):
yeah.
And access active.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well I guess you've probably got a lot of just sort
of interesting stories andinteresting people who've
traveled through a lot ofdifferent places.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's, it, you know, it's, it wasa really, um, communicative
group because we all sort ofjust bonded with each other and,
and telling stories like that.
Where have you been?
And, um, you know, what othercruises have you been on?
So
Speaker 1 (07:53):
right about how many, how many people on the ship
total?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Well, the ship holds a maximum of 90, but I went and
the very first week of theAlaskan cruises.
So we were maybe just two thirdsof that.
Um, but I will tell you that wewere the only ship out there,
which was really very cool.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Oh, that's neat.
And so you get to see, um, youalso get to see the same people
locked in and get to know them alittle better than you would on
her.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yes.
Yeah, it was a small group.
Right.
So how was the, how was the food
Speaker 1 (08:29):
and the service and how do they handle all the, uh,
the dining and things like that?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, the food was, I think very good.
If it to me would be like, ifI'd go to a fine restaurant.
Now I'm not saying it's Michelinfive stars, but it was very good
food and you always had a choice, um, early risers and I'm one
of those you could find and, andyou know, um, start or breakfast
(08:59):
in the lounge, no matter howearly you got up.
And
Speaker 1 (09:03):
as I mentioned, there are a lot of, a lot of early
risers.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
That's true.
Yeah.
Right.
Um, the cocktail, the bar iscomplimentary and um, I forget,
but I think it opens at 11 inthe morning.
It seemed like it was alwaysopen.
Um, and they did have a pastrychef, so we had excellent,
excellent dessert.
And, um, one night there was a aall you can eat Alaskan crab leg
(09:30):
dinner.
That was a big hit witheverybody.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Um, of course, you know, salmon, you're in Alaska.
I happen to like salmon, so Ithink I had it twice during the
week.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah.
A surprise.
Wake up call at two in themorning is usually not a good
thing.
But I hear you had a verypleasant surprise the first
night you were on board.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
I did.
Um, we were awakened in ourcabins by some announcements.
Um, there was an Aurora Borealisoutside and I've never seen one.
So I just quickly throw on myjacket and I don't know my boots
or something and ran out there.
And um, now I will say it wasn'tlike the fabulous pictures you
(10:22):
see of the really saturatedcolors in the sky.
This was more like this justsuper amazing glow in the sky.
It's um, it's definitely apicture that's hard to describe,
but certainly I will, we'll keepit in my memory bank always.
It was a wonderful experience.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
I've been to Alaska twice.
I still have not seen in ruralBorealis, so I'm a little
envious there.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well I want to go back and see, see, you know, one
of those real you really greatcolorful ones.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
[inaudible] like that and you know, then you can
figure out how much of the, thepictures you've seen or people
messing with their saturationsay.
So, uh, the owner of the line isan expert in glacier Bay as you
mentioned, and I guess you guysspent two days there.
What were some of thehighlights?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Well, glacier Bay is kind of everything that I
envisioned Alaska being.
It was pristine landscaped snowcovered peaks, crystal clear
blue water, um, just, you know,a dramatic view every which way
you turned.
(11:36):
Again, we were the only stripout there so that, that was like
we had the entire park toourselves.
Um, I had never seen a glacierbefore and, um, we got a chance
to get up close and actuallywatch them chaff, which is where
they break off in the part,falls down into the, to the
(11:57):
water and see, you know,icebergs floating.
Um, my,
Speaker 1 (12:03):
did I do what?
Did you do a glacier hike on thewisher?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
No.
Well, yes, we did.
Yeah.
Um, yeah, we did.
We did.
I'm sorry, I forgot.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Did you put on the crampons on your shoes?
Just for a little section.
That's, that was my, I did oneup in, uh, in Canton, Canada and
the Canadian Rockies.
And just that, just thatphysical sensation of the sort
of crunching along on this bigice field with the, the, um, the
fresh water coming down andreveal it.
(12:35):
Just,
Speaker 3 (12:37):
it is, it is.
It's, it's pure Alaska.
You know, I have to tell youwhat my best memory is from
glacier Bay, and that is thepolar plunge.
I, um, decided I was there and Imight never get to go back
again.
So I put on my bathing suit andI jumped off the back of the
(13:00):
deck when they were doing itinto 38 degree water.
It was thrilling.
It was thrilling.
I popped out very, very quickly,but I would do it again.
It was, it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That sounds amazing.
So obviously one of the bigattractions of Alaska is the
wildlife and you guys saw somefantastic Marine and land
wildlife on your trip.
Do you want to tell ourlisteners about that?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Again, it was not disappointing.
Um, the very, very first day I'mon a skiff or like a little
tender going out for a hike andall of a sudden we slow down and
then stop.
Uh, we couldn't go on ourplanned hike because there was a
bear on the shore fishing.
(13:50):
So that was like, okay, wereally are in Alaska.
Um, another time we saw humpbackwhales that were just, it was
like they were putting on ashow, they were breaching over
and over and over again forover, you know, 40 minutes.
It, it was just phenomenal.
(14:12):
And everybody I know andeverybody was so excited about
it.
And talking about it.
And then the captain comes onwhen we just sit down to dinner
and says, sorry folks.
But I think you might want toknow.
There's a pod of orcas outthere.
Everybody liked dashed down inthe dining room, started, you
(14:34):
know, looking at the pod oforcas.
So that was another really coolthing.
We also saw, um, goats likemountain goats, um, sea lions
that were basking in the sun onthis one particular Island.
And then day when we were out onthe skiff, um, these purposes, I
(14:55):
think they're called dollpurposes.
Big ones.
They, they just like escortedour boat along.
It was like they were ourprivate, you know, escorts.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Okay,
Speaker 3 (15:08):
very cool.
And then, Oh, of course there's,there's many body bald Eagles
there and other birds.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Okay, amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
This was a very active trip.
Uh, skiffs and high acts, sorry,kayak and hiking trails.
Uh, what were some of yourfavorite hikes in a, in outdoor
activities that you did?
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Well, I just really love being able to get out and,
and, and see real Alaska, youknow, not just what I could see
from the boat, but actually togo bushwhacking back in, in the
brush.
Um, we took some hiking trailsthat led to scenic waterfalls.
(15:50):
You again, you couldn't see themfrom the ship.
You had to get off the boat anddo these.
Um, and then the skiff tours,sometimes the skiff tours went
out so that we could get a moreup close look at some of the
whales or the glaciers.
Um, and they were amazing aswell.
So I, I don't, I had loved allthe outings.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
So tell me, tell me about the guides and the folks
who are escorting you around and, and doing the education.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Well, almost everybody on this ship, unlike
most other ships I've ever beenon, the crew was American or
Canadian.
Um, and um, you know, this iswhat they live for.
They are true naturalists' andthey're very into, um, the
(16:42):
scenery, the wildlife, they makesure they take very good care of
you.
Um, so they were, they were atremendous help.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
So what were the, uh, the evenings of worship like?
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Well, again, if you're going to compare this to
a big ship with professionalentertainment, there is none on
an on cruise.
It's a very low key, um,environment in the evening.
Some people will play card gamestogether.
A couple of times we had aspeaker or a photography slide
(17:18):
show.
Um, but this is a group that,uh, was active in the day and
get up early but also goes tobed early.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, yeah, a day being out there hiking, it's
gonna make you ready to, are youfor a couple of drinks or good
me all in bed, I would think.
Exactly.
Now Alaska is a definite Meccafor photographers and a, and
you're a pro.
Uh, I can imagine you wentthrough a lot, you know, in the
old days it would've been a lotof film.
Now I'm sure it's a lot ofmegabytes, but what are the
(17:50):
favorite photos that you took onyour trip?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Well, my, I guess my favorite is the whale breaching.
I got one really amazing shot,you know, with his eye.
Perfectly clear.
And the, the, you know, thewater, just him shooting out of
the water and it just shuttingup there.
Um, I also was able to catchthat sort of ultimate whale's
(18:15):
tail, you know, where it's justperfectly up in the air.
Um, that was, that was excitingto get one of those.
Um, one day we went to thisbeach where there were these
just round, it was round Rockybeach.
It was very difficult to walkon, but photographically it was
fantastic.
(18:36):
So I have some panoramic shopsthere because there were
mountains in the distance andthen these really, really
amazing rocks up close.
Um, that's one of my favoritepictures.
Um, I will say this, that theUNHCR OOS people, the guys that
they also take pictures of theparticipants while you're out
(18:58):
there, so they send those to youwhen you get home.
So it's kind of fun.
You know, I, I have a picture ofme taking pictures.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
What do you, what do you tend to do with these
photos?
Do you, uh, you, uh, blow themup and put them on the wall and
printers on campus or,
Speaker 3 (19:15):
yeah, from this trip I actually made a poster and had
it printed, you know, one ofthose collage posters.
It's, uh, it has, you know, Idunno, 12 pictures or something
from it.
Um, because yeah, that we, wewere so lucky we had clear sky
six of the seven days.
(19:35):
So it was, you know, great forpicture taking.
And even on the last gloomy,rainy day, I was actually
excited by that because it gavea totally different look to the
picture.
It looked like, you know, thatscene, those scenes in Titanic,
a little icebergs floating allaround.
(19:58):
Uh, so I was able to capturethat too.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Wow.
Yeah.
I imagine it's one of the tough,toughest thing probably was
deciding which pictures are thebest.
When you take a couple ofthousand and everywhere you look
is something that can be a, apiece of art.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, that's true, but you know, for me, they're
stored on my computer, on myhard drive and, um, the best
souvenirs I could ask for.
I can spend, you know, time,just looking back at those in
night, bring back all thewonderful memories.
So, um, just, you know, get anexternal hard drive and store
(20:37):
them all on there.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Um, you know, if you wanted to do a little photo
display and throw that up on theall things crews, uh, just as a,
that would, uh, think that wouldbe neat.
I think our listeners would, uh,we'd definitely like to check
that out.
I'm actually kind of excited tosee them.
I am not a professionalphotographer, but I take a lot
of pictures that I love for alittle bit and then look at a
(21:00):
month later and go, yeah, that'snot really very good.
But I do like, I actually, mywhole house is photos that I've
taken on my travels that I'vehad printed on canvas or had
printed on metal that I have upon the wall and I'm running out
of wall space and it takes themdown.
But to also, do you have some upat a, at a, at your website, at
by lender by C?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You know, I don't think I really do have them yet.
I've been traveling so much.
I have not done that, but I can,I could put some up on all
things cruise.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Oh that would be great.
That would be great.
Um, so once you returned to Juno, you had a chance to visit the,
uh, Alaska state museum causeyou find that to be worth the
trip.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yes, I really did.
It's a fabulous museum and Ithink a lot of people do miss it
, um, because UNHCR cruise, youknow, really tries to educate
their guests.
I learned a lot of Alaskahistory during the week, but
that museum going there on thelast day before I left really
(22:05):
put everything into perspective.
So I was very glad I went inthere.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Nice.
Any, uh, overall advice for ourlisteners?
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Well, don't wait as long as I did to go to Alaska
cause it's really amazing.
And I would say go early in theseason.
I went, you know, that firstweek they offered a cruise and
um, it was amazing.
So far less crowds.
Um, and you know, as I said, wehad, we had glacier Bay to
(22:41):
ourselves pretty hard to beat.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Well, um, this has been absolutely great.
Thank you so much for sharingyour experiences with us.
I am sure you know, yourdescriptions are been very vivid
and uh, I know that, uh, I'm nowanxious to go back to, I'm also
kinda hungry for crab legs andsalmon.
Truth be told,
Speaker 3 (23:04):
well, I would go back in a heartbeat.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
No, well, I guess today's been Ms.
Debi Lander, a travel writer andphotographer a again, you can
see Debbie's work atAllThingsCruise.com as weall as
bylander--as inlander--byleaderbysea.com to our
listeners.
Thank you so much for spendingtime with us today.
I'm Bob Levinstein forCruiseCompete.
Hello and welcome back to CruiseCompete's cruise
podcast where we share tips,ideas, and inspiration to help
make your next cruise afantastic experience.
I'm your host Bob Levinstein.
Today's topic is a differenttype of Alaska cruise on a small
ship adventure line calledUncruise Adventures.
My guest is ms Debi Lander, afreelance travel writer and
(00:37):
photographer who specializes intravel, food and lifestyle.
Her work focuses on historic andcultural sites, culinary
experiences and adventure travelamong other publications.
You can find through articlesand experiences on
Allthingscruise.com as well asher website bylanderbysea.com.
We'll be right back with Debiright after this.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Cruisecompete.com is a simple concept.
We give you the tools to findthe perfect cruise and request
quotes.
Independent travel agents canthen see your requests and they
respond with the best customcruise offers they can all
competing to offer you the bestdeal.
You compare these offers in oneconvenient place along with
consumer ratings and reviews ofthe agencies as only the best
(01:23):
agents survive in thiscompetitive environment.
You'll have some great optionsto choose from.
You then remain anonymous unlessor until you decide to contact
an agent by phone or by email toask questions or to book find
out why more than a millioncruisers are members of our free
unique service and start savingboth time and a significant
amount of money on your cruisevacation via cruise compete
(01:46):
today.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
My guest today is Ms.
Debi Lander, a travel writer andphotographer this past spring
Debi experienced Alaska aboardthe Uncruise Adventure small
ship Legacy along with herpartner J ohn.
Debi, welcome to the program.
(02:20):
Thank you for having me.
Oh, you bet.
Really excited to hear aboutthis.
So I understand you had a chanceto explore Juneau before
boarding your ship.
What was that experience like?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I did, but first I should tell you that this was my
very first trip to Alaska, so Iwas very excited about being in
our 49th state.
Juneau itself is just one ofthose kind of cool old gold rush
towns.
It's on the side of a mountainand u h, checked out a couple of
(02:52):
the good bars there, but I alsochecked out the C apitol
building because J uno is the ofAlaska and I was able to go in
and actually managed to see avote in both the house and the
Senate chambers.
O h yeah.
That was very neat, you know,and then, u m, unproved provided
(03:16):
complimentary tickets to thetramway.
So I walked down there and Itook the tram up pretty high
above the city and you just getthis fantastic panoramic view
was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Nice.
So you were actually welcomed toyour cruise by the owner of the
cruise line.
That's gotta make you feel alike a well, like a valued
customer I would think.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well we were welcomed by Dan Blanchard himself who was
the owner of on cruise.
He is quite a guy.
Some people in fact call him Mr.
Alaska.
He lives in Juneau and he Iguess he's always been connected
with both.
He was first a boating importerand, and then at some point he
(04:02):
became a day cruise captain inGlacier Bay.
And claims that that was a lifechanging, assignment that he
fell in love with Alaska andeventually was able to work for
a small mapping line and then,you know, progress that into
(04:22):
small ships.
And now he's the owner ofUncruise.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Wow.
So you have sailed, both largeships and small ones.
What, what made you chooseUnCruise to see Alaska?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I really think the advantage of Uncruise in
Alaska is the fact that it is asmall ship.
It can go where others are,certainly where those big ships
can't fell.
And then the other thing thatreally appealed to me was
getting off and being active.
(04:57):
Um, you know, if it's not a,this is not a sit back and just
watch the sunset cruise, this isget out there and do something
every day.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I, uh, I, I understand where you're coming
from.
That's a, that's the kind ofvacation that I tend to buffer
as well.
So tell us about the ship andyour cabin and what people can
expect.
We're used to being on largecruise ships.
You know, what's different, uh,what's the same, uh, what do you
have to prepare yourself for ifyou decide to go that route?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, first of all, I was on the SS Legacy, which is a
copy of an 1898 gold rush.
Steamboat.
It's a very cool looking boatfrom the exterior.
Um, the interior carries kind ofalong with that theme, there's
like a Victorian theme and thein the lobby and then the
restaurant.
(05:47):
But the cabins themselves are,um, modern.
I would tell you that they'renot luxurious, but, um,
certainly more than adequate.
My cabin had two single beds and, um, the shower right up, I
mean a bathroom with shower andthen right outside the door is
(06:09):
the balcony.
So you felt like you had yourbalcony, but you know, it wasn't
absolutely your own.
Got it.
Um, the one thing I guess thatpeople need to realize is that,
um, there's not very much wifiin the inner passage of Alaska.
So it doesn't really matterwhether you're on a big boat or
(06:31):
a small boat.
There's just not going to begreat wifi.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Oh, so what's that?
What were the other passengerslike?
Well, the other passengers, Iwas curious about that.
Um, and then I've w like me, I'ma boomer, I will say
predominantly this cruise wasboomers, um, successful business
people, you know, um, no kidsand uh, and very, very friendly.
(07:03):
This worked out that way.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I'm not sure if it's allowed except maybe during
summer months.
Got it.
But I'm not positive on that.
We had no kids on the cruise Iwas on.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Got it.
So mostly, um, successful go gether is healthy.
You want to get out there and uh,
Speaker 3 (07:26):
yeah.
And access active.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well I guess you've probably got a lot of just sort
of interesting stories andinteresting people who've
traveled through a lot ofdifferent places.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's, it, you know, it's, it wasa really, um, communicative
group because we all sort ofjust bonded with each other and,
and telling stories like that.
Where have you been?
And, um, you know, what othercruises have you been on?
So
Speaker 1 (07:53):
right about how many, how many people on the ship
total?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Well, the ship holds a maximum of 90, but I went and
the very first week of theAlaskan cruises.
So we were maybe just two thirdsof that.
Um, but I will tell you that wewere the only ship out there,
which was really very cool.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Oh, that's neat.
And so you get to see, um, youalso get to see the same people
locked in and get to know them alittle better than you would on
her.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yes.
Yeah, it was a small group.
Right.
So how was the, how was the food
Speaker 1 (08:29):
and the service and how do they handle all the, uh,
the dining and things like that?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, the food was, I think very good.
If it to me would be like, ifI'd go to a fine restaurant.
Now I'm not saying it's Michelinfive stars, but it was very good
food and you always had a choice, um, early risers and I'm one
of those you could find and, andyou know, um, start or breakfast
(08:59):
in the lounge, no matter howearly you got up.
And
Speaker 1 (09:03):
as I mentioned, there are a lot of, a lot of early
risers.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
That's true.
Yeah.
Right.
Um, the cocktail, the bar iscomplimentary and um, I forget,
but I think it opens at 11 inthe morning.
It seemed like it was alwaysopen.
Um, and they did have a pastrychef, so we had excellent,
excellent dessert.
And, um, one night there was a aall you can eat Alaskan crab leg
(09:30):
dinner.
That was a big hit witheverybody.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Um, of course, you know, salmon, you're in Alaska.
I happen to like salmon, so Ithink I had it twice during the
week.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah.
A surprise.
Wake up call at two in themorning is usually not a good
thing.
But I hear you had a verypleasant surprise the first
night you were on board.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
I did.
Um, we were awakened in ourcabins by some announcements.
Um, there was an Aurora Borealisoutside and I've never seen one.
So I just quickly throw on myjacket and I don't know my boots
or something and ran out there.
And um, now I will say it wasn'tlike the fabulous pictures you
(10:22):
see of the really saturatedcolors in the sky.
This was more like this justsuper amazing glow in the sky.
It's um, it's definitely apicture that's hard to describe,
but certainly I will, we'll keepit in my memory bank always.
It was a wonderful experience.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
I've been to Alaska twice.
I still have not seen in ruralBorealis, so I'm a little
envious there.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well I want to go back and see, see, you know, one
of those real you really greatcolorful ones.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
[inaudible] like that and you know, then you can
figure out how much of the, thepictures you've seen or people
messing with their saturationsay.
So, uh, the owner of the line isan expert in glacier Bay as you
mentioned, and I guess you guysspent two days there.
What were some of thehighlights?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Well, glacier Bay is kind of everything that I
envisioned Alaska being.
It was pristine landscaped snowcovered peaks, crystal clear
blue water, um, just, you know,a dramatic view every which way
you turned.
(11:36):
Again, we were the only stripout there so that, that was like
we had the entire park toourselves.
Um, I had never seen a glacierbefore and, um, we got a chance
to get up close and actuallywatch them chaff, which is where
they break off in the part,falls down into the, to the
(11:57):
water and see, you know,icebergs floating.
Um, my,
Speaker 1 (12:03):
did I do what?
Did you do a glacier hike on thewisher?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
No.
Well, yes, we did.
Yeah.
Um, yeah, we did.
We did.
I'm sorry, I forgot.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Did you put on the crampons on your shoes?
Just for a little section.
That's, that was my, I did oneup in, uh, in Canton, Canada and
the Canadian Rockies.
And just that, just thatphysical sensation of the sort
of crunching along on this bigice field with the, the, um, the
fresh water coming down andreveal it.
(12:35):
Just,
Speaker 3 (12:37):
it is, it is.
It's, it's pure Alaska.
You know, I have to tell youwhat my best memory is from
glacier Bay, and that is thepolar plunge.
I, um, decided I was there and Imight never get to go back
again.
So I put on my bathing suit andI jumped off the back of the
(13:00):
deck when they were doing itinto 38 degree water.
It was thrilling.
It was thrilling.
I popped out very, very quickly,but I would do it again.
It was, it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That sounds amazing.
So obviously one of the bigattractions of Alaska is the
wildlife and you guys saw somefantastic Marine and land
wildlife on your trip.
Do you want to tell ourlisteners about that?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Again, it was not disappointing.
Um, the very, very first day I'mon a skiff or like a little
tender going out for a hike andall of a sudden we slow down and
then stop.
Uh, we couldn't go on ourplanned hike because there was a
bear on the shore fishing.
(13:50):
So that was like, okay, wereally are in Alaska.
Um, another time we saw humpbackwhales that were just, it was
like they were putting on ashow, they were breaching over
and over and over again forover, you know, 40 minutes.
It, it was just phenomenal.
(14:12):
And everybody I know andeverybody was so excited about
it.
And talking about it.
And then the captain comes onwhen we just sit down to dinner
and says, sorry folks.
But I think you might want toknow.
There's a pod of orcas outthere.
Everybody liked dashed down inthe dining room, started, you
(14:34):
know, looking at the pod oforcas.
So that was another really coolthing.
We also saw, um, goats likemountain goats, um, sea lions
that were basking in the sun onthis one particular Island.
And then day when we were out onthe skiff, um, these purposes, I
(14:55):
think they're called dollpurposes.
Big ones.
They, they just like escortedour boat along.
It was like they were ourprivate, you know, escorts.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Okay,
Speaker 3 (15:08):
very cool.
And then, Oh, of course there's,there's many body bald Eagles
there and other birds.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Okay, amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
This was a very active trip.
Uh, skiffs and high acts, sorry,kayak and hiking trails.
Uh, what were some of yourfavorite hikes in a, in outdoor
activities that you did?
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Well, I just really love being able to get out and,
and, and see real Alaska, youknow, not just what I could see
from the boat, but actually togo bushwhacking back in, in the
brush.
Um, we took some hiking trailsthat led to scenic waterfalls.
(15:50):
You again, you couldn't see themfrom the ship.
You had to get off the boat anddo these.
Um, and then the skiff tours,sometimes the skiff tours went
out so that we could get a moreup close look at some of the
whales or the glaciers.
Um, and they were amazing aswell.
So I, I don't, I had loved allthe outings.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
So tell me, tell me about the guides and the folks
who are escorting you around and, and doing the education.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Well, almost everybody on this ship, unlike
most other ships I've ever beenon, the crew was American or
Canadian.
Um, and um, you know, this iswhat they live for.
They are true naturalists' andthey're very into, um, the
(16:42):
scenery, the wildlife, they makesure they take very good care of
you.
Um, so they were, they were atremendous help.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
So what were the, uh, the evenings of worship like?
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Well, again, if you're going to compare this to
a big ship with professionalentertainment, there is none on
an on cruise.
It's a very low key, um,environment in the evening.
Some people will play card gamestogether.
A couple of times we had aspeaker or a photography slide
(17:18):
show.
Um, but this is a group that,uh, was active in the day and
get up early but also goes tobed early.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, yeah, a day being out there hiking, it's
gonna make you ready to, are youfor a couple of drinks or good
me all in bed, I would think.
Exactly.
Now Alaska is a definite Meccafor photographers and a, and
you're a pro.
Uh, I can imagine you wentthrough a lot, you know, in the
old days it would've been a lotof film.
Now I'm sure it's a lot ofmegabytes, but what are the
(17:50):
favorite photos that you took onyour trip?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Well, my, I guess my favorite is the whale breaching.
I got one really amazing shot,you know, with his eye.
Perfectly clear.
And the, the, you know, thewater, just him shooting out of
the water and it just shuttingup there.
Um, I also was able to catchthat sort of ultimate whale's
(18:15):
tail, you know, where it's justperfectly up in the air.
Um, that was, that was excitingto get one of those.
Um, one day we went to thisbeach where there were these
just round, it was round Rockybeach.
It was very difficult to walkon, but photographically it was
fantastic.
(18:36):
So I have some panoramic shopsthere because there were
mountains in the distance andthen these really, really
amazing rocks up close.
Um, that's one of my favoritepictures.
Um, I will say this, that theUNHCR OOS people, the guys that
they also take pictures of theparticipants while you're out
(18:58):
there, so they send those to youwhen you get home.
So it's kind of fun.
You know, I, I have a picture ofme taking pictures.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
What do you, what do you tend to do with these
photos?
Do you, uh, you, uh, blow themup and put them on the wall and
printers on campus or,
Speaker 3 (19:15):
yeah, from this trip I actually made a poster and had
it printed, you know, one ofthose collage posters.
It's, uh, it has, you know, Idunno, 12 pictures or something
from it.
Um, because yeah, that we, wewere so lucky we had clear sky
six of the seven days.
(19:35):
So it was, you know, great forpicture taking.
And even on the last gloomy,rainy day, I was actually
excited by that because it gavea totally different look to the
picture.
It looked like, you know, thatscene, those scenes in Titanic,
a little icebergs floating allaround.
(19:58):
Uh, so I was able to capturethat too.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Wow.
Yeah.
I imagine it's one of the tough,toughest thing probably was
deciding which pictures are thebest.
When you take a couple ofthousand and everywhere you look
is something that can be a, apiece of art.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, that's true, but you know, for me, they're
stored on my computer, on myhard drive and, um, the best
souvenirs I could ask for.
I can spend, you know, time,just looking back at those in
night, bring back all thewonderful memories.
So, um, just, you know, get anexternal hard drive and store
(20:37):
them all on there.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Um, you know, if you wanted to do a little photo
display and throw that up on theall things crews, uh, just as a,
that would, uh, think that wouldbe neat.
I think our listeners would, uh,we'd definitely like to check
that out.
I'm actually kind of excited tosee them.
I am not a professionalphotographer, but I take a lot
of pictures that I love for alittle bit and then look at a
(21:00):
month later and go, yeah, that'snot really very good.
But I do like, I actually, mywhole house is photos that I've
taken on my travels that I'vehad printed on canvas or had
printed on metal that I have upon the wall and I'm running out
of wall space and it takes themdown.
But to also, do you have some upat a, at a, at your website, at
by lender by C?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You know, I don't think I really do have them yet.
I've been traveling so much.
I have not done that, but I can,I could put some up on all
things cruise.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Oh that would be great.
That would be great.
Um, so once you returned to Juno, you had a chance to visit the,
uh, Alaska state museum causeyou find that to be worth the
trip.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yes, I really did.
It's a fabulous museum and Ithink a lot of people do miss it
, um, because UNHCR cruise, youknow, really tries to educate
their guests.
I learned a lot of Alaskahistory during the week, but
that museum going there on thelast day before I left really
(22:05):
put everything into perspective.
So I was very glad I went inthere.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Nice.
Any, uh, overall advice for ourlisteners?
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Well, don't wait as long as I did to go to Alaska
cause it's really amazing.
And I would say go early in theseason.
I went, you know, that firstweek they offered a cruise and
um, it was amazing.
So far less crowds.
Um, and you know, as I said, wehad, we had glacier Bay to
(22:41):
ourselves pretty hard to beat.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Well, um, this has been absolutely great.
Thank you so much for sharingyour experiences with us.
I am sure you know, yourdescriptions are been very vivid
and uh, I know that, uh, I'm nowanxious to go back to, I'm also
kinda hungry for crab legs andsalmon.
Truth be told,
Speaker 3 (23:04):
well, I would go back in a heartbeat.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
No, well, I guess today's been Ms.
Debi Lander, a travel writer andphotographer a again, you can
see Debbie's work atAllThingsCruise.com as weall as
bylander--as inlander--byleaderbysea.com to our
listeners.
Thank you so much for spendingtime with us today.
I'm Bob Levinstein forCruiseCompete.
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