Prince William Sound Alaska Cruises
By John Roberts
UnCruise Adventures long has been the clear leader in expedition cruising in Alaska, offering up-close encounters with glaciers, wildlife and remote rainforests.
The small ship cruise company is leveling up the experiences, with new itineraries even farther off the grid, venturing to South Central Alaska on its tiny but rugged ship Safari Explorer, which carries up to 36 passengers.
Days are long in July in South Central Alaska, with light lingering past midnight and the sun rising again around 4 am. That’s great because it means we have more time to be outside searching for whales or gazing at icy mountain vistas as we cruise through Prince William Sound.
Scenic cruising in Prince William Sound. * Photo: John Roberts
This beautiful sub-Arctic region is lightly populated, but it numbered three dozen more as UnCruise Adventures brought our group of 21 travelers and 15 crew into the wilds on my recent voyage.
The 7-night Prince William Sound Explorer itinerary (round-trip from Whittier and in 2025, from Seward) is a new one for UnCruise, and Colleen and I joined for the fifth departure of the season.
Being in Alaska is rejuvenating, and the most remote parts of the state can really awaken a sense of renewal and invigoration.
UnCruise is continuously improving on its special formula for adventures in this destination.
In my experience, this itinerary by far offers the best cruise to see glaciers. We admired dozens during our week in the sound and surrounding fjords.
Lots to love about a Prince William Sound Alaska cruise, including all the glaciers. * Photo: John Roberts
Our shore time included rugged activities like bushwhacking, kayaking up to glaciers and hikes through muskegs, old-growth forests and glacial moraine.
There was plenty of time to relax and feel pampered, too, with the all-inclusive cruise featuring delicious regional cuisine, craft cocktails and a hot tub.
UnCruise has always delivered my favorite kinds of travel experiences. I’ve cruised with UnCruise in Alaska eight times (so far!).
And here are five reasons that you’ll love the company’s small-ship expedition cruise to Prince William Sound in Alaska, too.
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1. A Small Ship Built for Remote Alaska and All Conditions
We absolutely love the tiny Safari Explorer, having cruised on it during its Hawaii season a few years earlier. It carries up to 36 passengers and is built to handle rougher open waters, making Safari Explorer an ideal small ship cruise in Alaska. Fortunately, we had very calm seas during our week.
Safari Explorer has three passenger decks, A (Bridge Deck), B (Cabin Deck) and C Main Deck), from top to bottom.
Safari Explorer Deck Plan
Most passenger cabins are on B deck, and they are cozy, but not at all fancy accommodations, that open right onto the open promenade deck that wraps around the edges of the ship. So, the scenery of Alaska is just steps from your bed as you swing open your door to the changing daily views.
Our cabin had a queen-size bed and a large wardrobe for our clothes. There also are a number of hooks throughout the room for hanging damp or wet clothes. (It rains often in Alaska.)
John & Colleen’s cozy (read: small!) cabin. * Photo: John Roberts
A small sink and cabinet sit next to the bed, and there is a TV with a DVD player. You can grab movies from the library of titles in the lounge by the bar.
The small bathroom has a shower and some shelving for organizing toiletries and such. You also have a small desk and chair in the room with a window that gives a bit of a view outside.
John’s cabin on the Safari Explorer, with the door facing the open-air promenade. * Photo: John Roberts
You will spend time in your room sleeping and gearing up for your next activities. The rest of your time on the trip probably will be spent in the lounge with new friends, on the outer decks for wildlife and glacier viewing, and off the ship for super-fun excursions.
The lounge is set up like an inviting living room, with couches and chairs plus a table where we put together puzzles during the week. This space is next to the bar. Colleen and I usually pulled up a stool here in the early evening before dinner to chat with new friends and Dorian the bartender, who created some tasty craft cocktails for the “Drink of the Day.”
The inviting Lounge Bar. * Photo: John Roberts
This is all on C Deck, which also features the dining room, hotel manager’s desk and screen that list the daily program and is used for evening enrichment presentations from our guides.
There also is a little library/boutique in a room behind the bar. Here, travelers find the puzzles, games, books to read (fiction or guides on Alaska and its wildlife) and UnCruise souvenirs such as hats or shirts, as well as gear like gloves, water bottles and knit hats.
You also might want to play the piano or guitar in here.
The library and boutique area. * Photo: John Roberts
At the very aft of C Deck is the operations/marina space. This is where we gathered to start our activities, putting on life jackets and hopping into the skiffs to go out on our hikes or sightseeing tours. There are lockers back there, as well as a fleet of kayaks and a couple paddleboards.
The aft of the ship, where you do the polar plunge or hop in a kayak or skiff from the lowest deck. * Photo: John Roberts
Paddleboarding will be offered when conditions allow. We didn’t get a chance on our trip, as the winds and ice prevented this in the areas we visited.
UnCruise has an open-bridge policy — meaning you can enter the room where the captain and crew operate and drive the ship — which is a fantastic chance for people to chat with the captain and other members of the crew who navigate the waters on your voyage. Captain Sean and his team were encouraging people to come by to say hi, ask questions and help spot wildlife from the best seat onboard, right at the top of the ship on A Deck. This is wonderful perk of a small ship cruise.
The bridge of Safari Explorer. * Photo: John Roberts
Right below the bridge is the bow on B Deck, and this is where we would gather most often to watch bald eagles, Stellar sea lions, sea otters, mountain goats, humpback whales, massive glaciers and the occasional Dall’s porpoises swimming in our wake.
At the aft on A Deck is another fine viewing area, and this space has a hot tub!
I used this tub several times during my cruise, sipping a beer and gazing at ice formations, and warming back up after our polar plunge experience toward the end of our trip .
John soaking and sipping in the Safari Explorer’s hot tub. * Photo John Roberts
There also are loungers that people used for reading and afternoon naps in the fresh air. A small gym nearby has dumbbells, a spin bike, rowing machine and yoga mats.
VIDEO: Here’s John overview of his small ship cruise in Prince William Sound.
2. Daily Adventures in the Wilderness of Prince William Sound
The best part of the UnCruise experience is getting out into the wild.
In Prince William Sound, our passionate guides Jeremy, Mareth and Christian set up daily activities that fit all interest levels and abilities — with bushwhacking, hikes, kayaking, shore walks into ice gardens, skiff tours to see glaciers, seals and otters, and scenic cruising to visit puffin colonies or spy whales.
We love to stay active, and the days typically included two outings, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. We would wake up early to get in a workout or stretch at the gym at the top of the ship, devour a delicious big breakfast to fuel up for the day, then get going with our kayaking, skiff tour or bushwhacking adventures.
Coming ashore for bushwhacking. * Photo: John Roberts
We had so much fresh air, great food and energetic activity — plus a few nightly drinks at the bar — that we had trouble staying up past 9 p.m. each night. We’d fall into bed to sleep as well as we can ever remember, with smiles on our face and looking forward to what was on the program for the following day.
We got going right away, too, with Captain Jeremy taking the ship right out shortly after we boarded in Whittier. We had been on for only a little more than an hour before we all headed out to the bow to see a large colony of kittiwake birds swirling around two fast-rushing waterfalls streaming over the sides of the Passage Canal as we made our way out to the sound.
Several bald eagles also soared overhead. No doubt, we were having a truly Alaska moment right away.
Always on the lookout for wildlife. * Photo: John Roberts
On our first full day onboard, we woke up in Icy Bay with no other souls in sight. We enjoyed a skiff tour and ventured out into the first of the many fjords we would visit during the week. This also marked our first of the dozens of glaciers we would get to see.
Prince William Sound features more tidewater glaciers than any other region in Alaska. It’s spectacular for those who love icy landscapes.
Icy Bay kayaking. * Photo: John Roberts
Cameras snapped away at the steep cliffside, shimmering waterfalls and the large ice wall of the glacier as we spotted hummingbirds, marbled murrelets and glaucous gulls.
In the afternoon, Colleen and I went kayaking and were thrilled by a calving glacier and harbor seals lazing on icebergs in the bay.
Kayaking gets you up close to Alaska’s beauty. * Photo: John Roberts
We jumped into the hot tub to relax before joining our fellow adventurers for an evening onboard, which included late afternoon cookies and tapas, cocktail hour, dinner and a talk from one of our guides.
The week raced by, packed full of excursions unique to a small ship cruise.
At a spot called Bay of Isles, we did our first bushwhack. These exploratory hikes rank among our favorite UnCruise activities. There are no formal trails, and the guides take us into the forest to blaze our own paths, climbing over fallen trees, under logs and branches, and through thick blueberry bushes and marshy muskegs.
Adventurous bushwhacking. * Photo: John Roberts
We also find ancient animal trails and use the well-worn paths of Sitka deer, sea otters, porcupines and black bears.
We loved trudging along on the soft sphagnum moss surfaces and crossing streams while spotting evidence of the forest’s inhabitants such as scat or scratches on a tree. While we didn’t see any animals, we spotted plenty of wildflowers, grasses and sedges while hiking with Mareth and Christian.
At the end of our bushwhacking excursion. * Photo: John Roberts
After two days completely isolated from civilization, we arrived to the small fishing town of Cordova.
UnCruise is a fully off-the-grid experience, with no Wi-Fi or TV onboard.
In Cordova, expedition leader Jeremy took nine of us out for a hike up Ski Hill Trail to get spectacular views over the harbor.
Amazing view of Cordova. * Photo: John Roberts
After the 5.5-mile hike that gave us more than 1,200 feet in elevation gain, Colleen and I spent some time in the museum in town, then grabbed a flight of beers at Copper River Craft Brewing.
The next day was spent enjoying the magnificence of Columbia Glacier, which pushes out from the Chugach Mountains and Chugach National Forest, which surrounded us all week.
Columbia Glacier is the second-largest tidewater glacier in North America, trailing Hubbard Glacier, which is located in Southeast Alaska.
Columbia Glacier. * Photo: John Roberts
A tidewater glacier amasses enough snow to flow from the mountains all the way until it meets the sea. Columbia Glacier is so large that we could see three different glacier faces pushing out from the mountains during our skiff tour. We joined an adventurous group, led by Jeremy, who took us ashore to stroll amid a beautiful ice garden (chunks of icebergs left stranded on the shoreline at low tide).
So close to the glacier. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel
In the afternoon, we hopped into kayaks for a challenging four-plus mile outing, paddling along shoreline and into caves in a pretty bay under blue skies. We saw sea lions, hundreds of sea stars and a few eagles and otters.
Sea star. * Photo: John Roberts
We did scenic cruising during the morning of our fifth full day onboard Safari Explorer. College Fjord was filled with a magical mix of waterfalls, glaciers and icebergs that we gazed upon for hours, busily snapping pictures, as every turn of the ship gave us a new view of the majesty of this remote place in Alaska.
The ship sailed during lunch and the early afternoon before arriving at Esther Island. This is where we visited a bustling salmon hatchery for a tour and short bushwhack hike.
The hatchery provides a breeding ground for a vital salmon population that sustains the fisheries in the region as well as the hungry black bears, eagles and Steller sea lions that we were able to see gathering in the waters and on shore during our stop.
The week wrapped up with our most action-packed and fun day. Colleen and I opted for bushwhacks in both the morning and afternoon.
First, we went ashore at Meares Glacier. Jeremy had previewed this forest moraine hike as something special. Meares Glacier is unique in that it is an advancing glacier that pushes into the forest and freeze dries trees and chews them up in its wake.
Hiking to Meares Glacier. * Photo: John Roberts
We were able to make our way across a stream and along the moraine/forest boundary to snuggle right up to the glacier for an unforgettable experience.
Also, this day, I leapt at the chance to take part in the celebratory polar plunge. After our morning activities and before lunch, seven of us (five passengers and Jeremy and Dorian from the UnCruise) jumped into the icy bay urged on by the cheers of the spectators. It was so nice and refreshing, I did it twice, once from the back platform and a second time from higher up on Safari Explorer’s B Deck.
John can’t get enough of polar plunging! * Photo: John Roberts
Our afternoon bushwhack hike put a capper on our shore excursions, and Christian led our group of four on a hard-charger at Granite Bay. We scrambled up and down steep hills and crossed flower-filled muskegs in one final thrilling adventure.
Bushwhacking through flower-strewn muskegs. * Photo: John Roberts
UnCruise’s Prince William Sound Itinerary
The roundtrip Prince William Sound cruises in 2024 leave from Whittier. In 2025, UnCruise will operate these expedition cruises roundtrip from Seward.
Day 1: Embark Safari Explorer in Whittier (Anchorage airport transfer and bus trip included).
Day 2: Icy Bay to see glaciers.
Day 3: The program lists this as a Captain’s Choice Day, during which the guides and crew will gauge the best activities and most likely spots to see wildlife and cool glaciers.
Day 4: Visiting the fishing town of Cordova. This is a tiny village only accessible by air or by sea and it offers a look at the best of traditional Alaska.
On our trip, we flipped the days and went to Cordova before the Captain’s Choice took us to Bay of Isles for hiking ashore and scenic cruising in the afternoon.
Hiking on shore, here to Esther Lake. * Photo John Roberts
Day 5: Columbia Glacier.
This is the second-largest tidewater glacier in North America (only smaller than Hubbard Glacier) and a good destination for kayaking and skiff tours.
Day 6: Unakwik Inlet and Meares Glacier.
The program includes a visit to the Esther Hatchery with thousands of salmon churning up the waters. You’re likely to see sea lions and black bears all around, too.
Meares is a fascinating glacier that is advancing on the ancient rainforest, creating a stunning and unique interface if ice and forest.
Day 7: College Fjord and Barry Arm.
More stunning glaciers and floating icebergs are on display during this day. Be on the lookout for bald eagles and sea otters.
Day 8: Disembark in Whittier or Seward (2025).
Prince William Sound route.
RELATED: Heidi reviews her active UnCruise adventure in Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage.
3. Plenty of Animal Sightings
As you can tell so far from all my mentions of sightings of bears, sea lions, eagles and other creatures during our daily scenic cruising and excursions, this part of Alaska is absolutely brimming with wonderful wildlife making their home amid these rich landscapes.
Seeing the ice and spotting animals will rank as the most exciting parts of this trip for most UnCruisers. And we saw plenty.
We started right away with the kittiwakes and eagles, and by the end of the week, we had spotted dozens of creatures.
These included black bears, humpback whales, a minke whale, glaucous gulls, Steller sea lions, sea otters, oyster catchers, puffins, salmon, marbled murrelets, cormorants and sea stars.
Spotting a black bear is always a huge thrill. * Photo: John Roberts
Dall’s porpoises came along to play in our wake several times during the week. Plus, we had one memorable morning watching 11 mountain goats tiptoeing through the crevices of a steep cliffside.
This was an incredible experience because there were several babies following the paths of the adults and learning how to nimbly maneuver along the precarious route.
4. Fantastic Food and Drink in an All-Inclusive Package
Over the years that I have been traveling with UnCruise, I have noticed that the food onboard has gotten better and better. This is especially true in the past few years, with the menus offering a wonderful mix of regional specialties and globally inspired cuisine, with the chefs creating dishes influenced by their travels around the world.
On our trip in Prince William Sound, Chef Brendan Monts whipped up tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners that not only fueled our activities, but also were something to look forward to as much as our adventures off the ship.
We always had a daily breakfast special such as corned beef hash, eggs Benedict, pancakes with blueberry compote, biscuits and gravy or huevos rancheros. However, you could always get omelets and eggs made to order, too.
Lunches and dinners were when we could get some wonderful tastes of Alaska as well as familiar favorites or creative fusion meals from the chef.
UnCruise is a leader in sustainability, and that extends to its culinary program, of course. Passengers are encouraged to order as much as they would like but also have the option to order smaller portions or try a half-and-half-style meal if you have two options on the menu that really appeal and are having a tough time making a choice.
Orders get placed for lunches and dinners daily. The menu for the day was revealed by Chef Brendan as we finished up our breakfasts. You are welcome to change your mind at mealtime, of course, but an early count of what travelers want to eat allows the kitchen to prepare a more precise amount of food for each meal.
These practices greatly cut down on food waste.
Our lunch menus had items like guava pulled pork arepas, cod po boy sandwiches, chicken shawarma with nan bread, tahini sauce and falafel, tacos with salmon, chicken or tofu, poke bowls or smash burgers.
A delicious poke bowl. * Photo: John Roberts
Dinners featured delish items such as beef tenderloin, sockeye salmon, mushroom risotto with red wine reduction, scallops, beef short rib, rock fish, roasted chicken with 16 Moroccan spices, halibut, prime rib, sable cod fish, pork loin and king crab legs,
Beef short ribs. * Photo: John Roberts
Chicken and gnocchi — yum! * Photo: John Roberts
There always is a vegetarian option at each meal, with creative choices like a “beet Wellington” that I enjoyed. Many dietary restrictions can be easily accommodated.
These meals were complemented by daily tapas time and cookies presented in the late afternoons in the lounge.
The desserts were also irresistible, with pastry chef Victoria tempting our sweet tooths with goodies such as a peanut butter chocolate tart, chocolate chip scones, blueberry or cinnamon maple muffins and vanilla orange olive oil sponge cake.
Chocolate peanutbutter pie. * Photo: John Roberts
All INCLUSIVE: UnCruise trips are all-inclusive, so cocktails, beer, wine and sodas also are part of the Prince William Sound Alaska cruise fares. The only thing not included in your fare is travel to and from your embarkation and disembarkation ports and gratuities for crew, which is suggested as $45 per person per day. Transfers to and from the airport are included.
Refreshing drinks of all kinds are included in the fares, like these offered by Dorian. * Photo: John Roberts
With only up to a few dozen travelers on Safari Explorer, you can quickly form a bond with your fellow cruisers. And that’s what we did with our group of 21, who formed a nice family of adventurers as we embraced South Central Alaska.
We had people ages 16 to 80 on our voyage, coming from spots like California, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Houston. UnCruise offers a range of excursions so that you can find something to enjoy each day. This trip is accessible for all types of travelers. You could choose to stay on the ship and enjoy the scenery and wildlife sightings from onboard; or you can join a skiff tour, hike or kayaking outing.
Bonding with fellow passengers and crew is part of the fun. * Photo: John Roberts
That said, cruises with severely limited mobility should think twice before booking. There is no elevator onboard, and even getting on and off the ship when it’s docked requires some stepping.
Dinner is open seating, and we found ourselves having a few meals with everyone onboard, as well as morning early chats in the lounge over coffee and tea or talks about our collective travels around the world while putting together puzzles during the afternoons.
It’s easy to make new friends as you share wonderful experiences like this with people who share a passion for seeing such amazing places.
Interested in This UnCruise?
Here’s is more information about UnCruise’s Prince William Sound Alaska cruises. All-inclusive per person fares start at $7,200.
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HEIDI SARNA
