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Adventure Cruising the Inside PassageWorld Explorer CruisesBy Dave Shultz & Marilyn Miller
The S.S. Universe Explorer offers two different cruises along Alaska’s Inside Passage, the Land of Our Ancestors and the Route of the Pioneers. Both offer some unique insights into the Alaskan landscape and way of life and include educational programs that focus on culture, history, wildlife and the natural wonders of Alaska.
Land of Our Ancestors –Ports of call will be Metlakatla, Alaska’s only Tsimshian Indian Reservation; Glacier Bay, the gem of Alaska’s natural heritage; Juneau, the colorful capital of Alaska; Skagway, historic Gold Rush era town; Seward, a quiet seaport village; Kodiak, founded by the Russians; Sitka, capital of Czarist Russia’s Alaska; Ketchikan, Gold Rush era supply depot and now a center for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian native cultures; and Victoria, B.C., British flavored British Columbia’s capital city. These 14 night cruises will be offered in May, June and July with a starting point of Vancouver, B.C. Route of the Pioneers –Highlights include Wrangel, fishing and timber community with an impressive collection of totem poles; Valdez, known as the Switzerland of Alaska; Juneau, the colorful capital of Alaska; Skagway, historic Gold Rush era town; Glacier Bay, the gem of Alaska’s natural heritage; Seward, a quiet seaport village; Sitka, capital of Czarist Russia’s Alaska; Ketchikan, Gold Rush era supply depot and now a center for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian native cultures; and Victoria, B.C., British flavored British Columbia’s capital city. These 14 night cruises will be offered in May, June, July and August with a starting point of Vancouver, B.C. The only real problem you’ll have is deciding what shore excursions to take. So many are offered that you can’t do them all but with so many ports, you can certainly find a great balance of history, culture and adventure. Each trip is rated for physical requirements and while some are very demanding, some will even accommodate wheelchairs. The ship sails predominantly at night and you wake up to a new port almost every day. You’re given a choice of activities for that port or you can just go sightseeing on your own.
A special note to photographers, the scenery and wildlife is unequaled in America. Whales will swim alongside the ship and breach. Sea lions and seals bask on the ice. Bald eagles swirl and play together in the bay and outnumber the human population. Rustic building and rainforests are around every corner. Majestic mountains tower over waterfalls and glaciers. Glaciers calving into iridescent blue water. In other words, take plenty of film and a camera that covers both wide angle and telephoto. You’ll see and photograph sights not found anywhere else on earth. There are a lot of things you take for granted on a cruise like good food and entertainment but the S.S. Universe Explorer and World Explorer Cruises offers something you might not take for granted like a super friendly staff that goes out of their way to make your cruise fun and memorable. Every single person on board makes you feel special and your headwaiter will probably remember your name and greet you personally every time you dine. An incredible feat when you consider the number of guests he meets on a single cruise.
World Explorer Cruises, Inc. by Dave Shultz. All the for this article were taken with a Fuji FinePix S1 Pro. |
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Adventure
Cruising is a term not too familiar for most of us but World Explorer
Cruises is going to change that. If your idea of cruising is sitting in a
deck chair waiting on the next buffet to open, you can do that, but you
won’t want to when you find out what awaits you on shore. This type of
cruise is suited for everyone from children to senior citizens but might
be especially fun for honeymooning couples that want to spend their days
enjoying each others company in some of the most magnificent scenery
nature has to offer and their nights in luxurious comfort.
Not
only will you enjoy all the luxuries and amenities of a great cruise but
you can take advantage of the onboard lectures, study sessions and shore
side field trips, and with World Explorer Cruises, you’ll enjoy more shore
time than any of the other Alaska cruise operators. You can choose from
over 40 shore excursions ranging from helicopter flights over glaciers and
train trips through the Gold Country to fishing, totem pole viewing and
bird watching to mention a few.
As
with most cruises, the food is fabulous and abundant. There is almost
always something to eat being served on the ship, either in the main
dining room or a more informal buffet. There are even special meals
cooked and served on the aft deck and there’s always a snack being served
somewhere. About the only thing not included is alcoholic beverages so be
prepared for that if you’re a heavy drinker. Speaking of money, you won’t
need any aboard the ship. You’ll receive a card that will allow you to
charge anything you want to your room account. It comes in very handy in
the gift shop. 
The
Universe Explorer comes with all the amenities you would expect to find in
a first class ship. Exercise equipment, laundry service, massage therapy,
a full time medical staff and the largest floating library in the world.
Since the ship offers enhanced learning aboard and ashore, they have an
extensive library and computer room with Internet access for email
addicts.
Something
else that’s unique aboard the Explorer is the Bike and Hike program that
furnishes a new 21 speed lightweight Trek hybrid bicycle and helmet and
offers guided cycling and hiking on paved roads, bike trails and mountain
paths. At each port, you will collect your bicycle and follow your group
leaders on a new adventure.
Entertainment
runs the gamut from professional to amateur guest talent and there is
always a diversity of styles offered. There might even be an onboard
artist to teach classes in different mediums for the artistically
inclined. Children have their own entertainment and a full time
staff just to take care of them. Special guest lecturers board ship
to teach and entertain with lessons about the local flora, fauna and
customs. So, bring the kids and don't worry about them looking for
something to do. This cruise will delight kids of all ages.
You
too will meet and make new friends. Dinner partners remain the same
but each excursion you take introduces you to new friends with the same
interests you have and addresses will be exchanged before the boat docks
for the final time.
If
you hesitated to take a cruise because you thought you would be bored and
gain 10 pounds, reconsider. Adventure cruising is never going to be
boring and you might just work off that extra 10 pounds while you're
having the time of your life.