Small-ship UnCruise Adventures is back sailing Southeast Alaska's waters. Its first voyage from Juneau on Wilderness Adventurer departed on Saturday. Welcoming 37 guests onboard were Captain Dan Blanchard, the line's CEO, and 30 crew members.
Pivoting Quickly
UnCruise says it's been able to relaunch its small ship Alaska cruises for 2020 as it pivoted quickly to adapt as a small business, established productive conversations with government officials and led the Small Boat Operators Coalition.
Streamlined safety training and protocols were also developed by UnCruise Adventures. These include additional physical distancing, added daily activity rosters, thorough testing and more.
The Alaskan season has five seven-night "Glacier Bay Adventure departures scheduled with what the line calls "a strong occupancy." That said, UnCruise has a self-imposed 66 percent occupancy cap for these Alaskan itineraries.
Good to know: Cruise ships that carry under 250 passengers are not covered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "No Sail Order." So, UnCruise Adventures' vessels are able to sail from U.S. ports and in U.S. waters as normal.
Travelers Not Tourists
“Travelers want to have a positive impact upon communities and the environment now more than ever,” says Blanchard. “We left the term of tourists behind long ago. Tourism isn’t about a one-way channel. A balance is needed and that is what Untourism is. Our guests are adventurers not tourists.”
He continues: “Coming up on our 25th year, we are mindful of where we go from here, and our roots are in a people-to-nature connection. That is the future of travel.”
In addition, when talking about restarting travel Blanchard says “protection and stimulus for small businesses and those in travel should be a significant priority. This is a meaningful and challenging time. One that requires us to be diversified, humble, and nimble in our choices.”
Blanchard also said the UnCruise Adventures team continues to work with officials to help effective testing become more widely available and to prioritize measures to support guests and crew.
For more information about additional departures and new travel protocols, visit www.uncruise.com.
Related Stories
36 Hurtigruten Crew, 1 Paul Gauguin Guest Have COVID-19
Atlas Ocean Voyages Launches "Max Shore," Sea/Land Journeys
First Mast is Raised on Sea Cloud Cruises' New Sea Cloud Spirit
Victory Cruise Lines Unveils New Health and Safety Protocols