Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures
By Heidi Sarna
I had a chat with Captain Dan Blanchard, Owner & CEO of UnCruise, to ask him all about his upcoming new 7-night Costa Rica itineraries. Dan loves getting his feet wet (and ours!) in some of the most beautiful natural places in the Americas, whether it's Alaska (UnCruise’s bread and butter), the Sea of Cortez, the Hawaiian Islands or Galapagos Islands — and now Costa Rica too, is back in the mix.
Starting in Oct 2026, UnCruise will offer weeklong cruises that take adventurous nature lovers to the Central American country’s Pacific coast aboard the 66-pax Safari Voyager, sailing round-trip from Liberia (no, not THAT Liberia). Hike through dense green rainforest, kayaking in tropical fjords and look for colorful (and noisy) wildlife, from howler monkeys to sloths, toucans, and red-eyed tree frogs. The cruise is offered October – January.
A map of UnCruise's 7-night Costa Rica cruise. * Map: UnCruise
On UnCruise's 7-night Costa Rica “Pure Life Adventure” cruises, you can kayak through tropical fjords, hike through rainforests, and search for wildlife that UnCruise promises cannot be found anywhere else in North America. Enjoy visits to wildlife refuges, national parks, and secluded bays, with highlights including:
- Searching for unique species in the Curú Wildlife Refuge.
- Exploring one of only four tropical fjords on the planet.
- Hiking through dense tropical rainforests.
- Looking for a variety of colorful bird species.
- Relaxing on white sand beaches and snorkeling over coral reefs.
Bird lovers flock to Costa Rica for good reason; here a keel-billed Toucan. * Photo: UnCruise
Note, besides the standard sailings, there are three theme departures of UnCruise's Costa Rica cruise:
- Nov 21, 2026, for families
- Dec 26, 2026, Captain’s Cruise (when the charismatic Dan Blanchard will be aboard!)
- Jan 2, 2027, is hosted by a pair of expert photographers for tips and guidance on wildlife photography.
And to really immerse yourself in Costa Rica's wild beauty, you can (and should!) add on a 7-night land tour UnCruise has created — Immersive Costa Rica By Land: Volcanoes, Rivers & Cloud Forest — to further explore Costa Rica’s interior jungles and do a deep dive into the country’s lush mountains and local culture.
A map of UnCruise's 7-night Costa Rica land-based option. * Map: UnCruise
The beautiful interior of Costa Rica. * Photo: UnCruise
So, let's get to my chat with UnCruise Owner/CEO Captain Dan Blanchard.
Blanchard has been to Costa Rica many times and shares his insights and motivations for offering up-close and personal Costa Rica cruises.
Quirky's Heidi Sarna: Is Costa Rica actually new for UnCruise? Have you done cruises there before?
Captain Dan Blanchard: We last sailed in Costa Rica, on a regular basis, in March of 2020; and we did two trips in 2023 in route to and from Belize. Back then we mostly offered Costa Rica in combination with Panama, and so our new route is much different.
Starting this October (2026), we will import our Safari Voyager to Costa Rica (only small vessels are allowed to do this) and sail for 7 nights within the borders of Costa Rica with no outside/foreign port calls. This means we get to see the entire Pacific side of Costa Rica in great detail over the entire week. In the past, our route spent just 3.5 days inside Costa Rica.
Heidi: On your previous Costa Rica cruises, did folks fly in/out of Liberia in the past? I must say, until now, I had never heard of a Liberia in Costa Rica!
Captain Dan Blanchard: We had our guests fly into San Jose in the past, then board the Safari Voyager off Puntarenas and sail south from there to Panama. Liberia is a much more remote and dramatic area, and we are super happy more airlines are now using this airport in northern Costa Rica.
Heidi: How are your new Costa Rica cruises different to those past ones?
Captain Dan Blanchard: Our new ones focus entirely on Costa Rica for a full 8 days. In the past, we were in the country for about 3.5 days. The longer cruise time in Costa Rica, plus going up North, is a huge difference, allowing us to visit the remote Santa Rosa National Park, Culebra Bay, and Playa Flamingo, which we love.
Santa Rosa National Park in Santa Elena Bay, Costa Rica. * Photo: UnCruise
Heidi: Why exactly are you bringing Costa Rica back? For repeat UnCruisers who are asking for something different?
Captain Dan Blanchard: Costa Rica changed the law that lets us import our small 66-guest ship, the Safari Voyager, into the country, similar to what we do in Mexico. Thus, we are able to run a better route than ships above 100 guests that need to make a foreign port call. And, yes, our past and new guests are all wanting us to go back to Costa Rica…but mostly it’s me:-)
SUMMARY BOX
We are an adventure travel company first. Cruise second.
The ship is the tool, not the end-all for us. This means that guests touch and feel our destinations outside of busy populated areas. We go to where the locals vacation and indulge in the outdoors.
Hike, kayak, paddle board, snorkel, enjoy inflatable skiff outings and more.
We truly touch the land and nature. But if someone just wants to look at the scenery, take a stroll on the beach and chill…that works too.
Captain Dan says: “We did a hilly 8-mile hike near Danita Beach (Mirador Playa Danita) in the North of Costa Rica, and it was filled with red-eyed tree frogs!” * Photo: Dan Blanchard
Local staff and culture.
We employee many Costa Rician citizens aboard the Safari Voyager from expedition staff to skiff drivers, as we believe you must travel with locals as your guides. Why anyone would go to Italy and be guided by a foreign national is beyond me. The same fits here.
This adventure cruise is a very efficient use of time.
No cruising from other countries for your Costa Rica vacation. We are in the country 100% of the time, meaning guests don't waste time sailing an ocean to get there [like other cruise lines do it]. It takes about 30-45 minute from the airport to get to the boat. You’re in our hands from the moment you enter the airport to when you head home again.
Our ship Safari Voyager is cozy and well designed for play & efficiency.
From our toys (paddleboards, hiking poles and snorkel gear) to the kayak and skiff-lift platform, it's safe and easy. For example, when a skiff comes back to the ship, it drives straight onto a platform which lifts the skiff out of the water. This means guests and crew are not trying to get aboard a skiff that is bouncing around the sea. They board the skiff while it is about a foot above the sea with no movement.
Passengers kayaking in Costa Rica. * Photo: UnCruise
Heidi: Dan, I assume you have been to Costa Rica. What are your impressions and favorite places and adventures there?
Captain Dan Blanchard: Yes, I have visited Costa Rica many times, I would guess 12-18 times in total. My most recent trip was in October of 2025 when I went down for research and to meet up with old friends.
I am heading back in May to film our new pre-cruise tour and go over the details of our upcoming trips with vendors, park officials, agents, etc. I have headed up all our product development since day one, and I am very involved in this area.
As to my favorite places…hmm, that is tough, as I adore them all. However, if forced, I would choose:
- Santa Rosa National Park at Santa Elena Bay
- I adore Curu Wildlife Refuge, mostly for the critters and the locals we spend time with.
- Then Drake Bay, where we go on trails leading to Corcovado National Park. Our skiff drivers live here, and I love seeing their families…so rich.
Dan at the Vandara Thermal Springs in Costa Rica, as part of the research done to create UnCruise's cruise and land offerings in Costa Rica. * Photo: Dan Blanchard
“As part of our R&D, we checked out Vandara Thermal Springs and adventures like this rope bridge,” says Captain Dan. * Photo: Uncruise
Heidi: When Safari Voyager isn’t doing Costa Rica (Oct – Jan), the ship is doing Baja, correct, from January – June? So will Safari Voyager stay down south all year?
Captain Dan Blanchard: In 2027 we start Costa Rica itineraries in late August, actually.
And yes, the Safari Voyager is our Central American vessel and has sailed Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and even Colombia in past years.
She goes through an annual shipyard visit each summer in Mazatlán where our ships’ engineers and chief mate live. Cleanest shipyard I have ever been to:-). That means a lot to a boat guy.
UnCruise's Safari Voyager is doing Costa Rica cruises starting in Oct 2026. * Photo: UnCruise
Heidi: There aren't many small ships (under 300 pax) hitting Costa Rica; a few years ago I did a Star Clippers cruise that stopped along the Pacific coast of Costa Ria and Panama (here’s my review). I enjoyed this cruise, but my main gripe might be we didn't actually get to go very far into Costa Rica, it was a lot of beaches, and not so active. Different than what you’re offering with your new itineraries. Can you make any comparison between what you're offering and what Star Clippers does?
Captain Dan Blanchard: It is tough to make a decent comparison as your Star Clipper cruise was a combination of Costa Rica and Panama. This means the same 3.5 days in Costa Rica that most ships make as standard, with no sailing north of Isla Tortugas which is a local hot spot.
The real difference is due to time…with 8 days you get to see the whole Pacific side in much more detail.
We are also starting a new Costa Rica and Panama combined itinerary that will be 15 days and starts in September of 2027 (we’ll be offering four of them that fall). This cruise travels one way between Costa Rica and Panama (both directions), and it will stop at all the same Costa Rica areas we visit on our eight-day trip and then go to Panama for a full week which will include Coiba National Park, Daren Jungle, Canal Crossing, San Blas/Guna Yala Islands and Portobelo.
Heidi: Wow, these adventure cruises sound very exciting! I certainly would love to do one! Thank you for your time, Dan.
Captain Dan Blanchard: So nice to share the Costa Rica love with you!
Hope You Enjoyed Learning More About Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures
If you're interested in booking one of these wild and adventurous Costa Rica cruises, check out more details on the UnCruise website here.
If you'd like help booking your UnCruise Costa Rica sailing as well as the land extension and perhaps airfare or any additional hotel stays, we highly recommend our favorite travel advisor Kevin, who has personally experienced UnCruise himself and can help with the booking process. Show your interest in the form below.
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HEIDI SARNA
