Wilderness Discoverer, Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise with 2 Days in Glacier Bay ex Juneau Return

This itinerary is one of our most popular, and it’s easy to see why: it includes two full days exploring Glacier Bay National Park. While many ships keep their distance, UnCruise takes you up close to Alaska’s iconic glaciers and landscapes. You’ll experience a variety of glaciers, hike through glacial outwash fields, visit the Glacier Bay National Park headquarters, and so much more on this itinerary.

Included Highlights:
- Spend TWO full days in Glacier Bay National Park
- Explore tidewater glaciers: Margerie, Lamplugh, and more
- Visit the Glacier Bay headquarters and the Lodge at Bartlett Cove
- Whale watching in Frederick Sound and Icy Strait
- Birding at South Marble Island: puffins, oystercatchers, cormorants, and more

Day 1: Juneau, Alaska Embarkation
Arriving in Juneau, you will be transferred from the airport to our check-in area. Upon boarding, your crew greets you with champagne and smiles. Set sail for a week of scenic channels and secluded wilderness.

Meals included: dinner

Day 2: Icy Strait or Neka Bay
Kick start the morning with on-deck yoga stretches and a strong cup of coffee. Energized and snug in your kayak, glide around in remote bays off of Icy Strait through giant bullwhip kelp that can grow to over 100 feet long. Join the gang in a skiff to a rocky outcropping to watch sea lions play. Or, step into mud boots for a forest hike with your top-notch, naturalist guides who have plenty to share about everything Alaska—marine biology, plants, and even geology. On board, soak it all in as you soak in the hot tub.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Days 3-4: Glacier Bay National Park
This national park covers 3.3 million acres (that’s a tad smaller than the state of Connecticut). Let that sink in. Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. Over the course of two days, you will explore the remote wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and the surrounding areas. We will visit one of the park’s iconic glaciers: Margerie or John Hopkins. Glacier Bay is a wildlife-heavy area: keep your eyes peeled for stellar sea lions, sea otters, and whales. We will also pass South Marble Island and Gloomy Knob, popular areas for spotting puffins and other sea birds. Small group excursions within the park may include skiff tours, kayaking, or hard-charger ridge hikes with epic views. The exact order of these excursions will vary, but you’re guaranteed to explore parts of Glacier Bay National Park that 99% of visitors never see

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Chichagof Island
Enjoy the top deck for a sunrise or morning stretch. Meander through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then anchor. It’s a prime time to lower the kayaks and skiffs. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Frederick Sound
Hang out and enjoy the show. You may find yourself in 'whale soup' surrounded by feeding humpbacks swimming these abundant glacial waters. Based on wind and weather, your expedition team has the lineup of adventures all mapped out. Cruise past Five Fingers Lighthouse, Alaska’s oldest light station and The Brothers Islands, where sea lions nap on rocky nobs. Paddle into the deeps of Port Houghton or Windham Bay or head ashore for a hike. Tonight, toast another big day in Alaska.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glaciers
Take an early peek out your window. Fjord cliffs reach skyward. Floating ice. And deep u-shaped valleys. There’s no abracadabra here. Mother Nature’s magic is real. Cruise past harbor seals and their pups lounging on chunks of ice. Tides permitting, your skiff driver knows the ropes and guides you along. It’s a mashup of towering walls, temperamental currents, and the Coastal Mountains. So many waterfalls. Mountain goats show off fancy footwork on the cliffs, so keep your eyes open. Finish your week with Captain's dinner and post-dinner cocktails watching the week's “photo journal” by your crew.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Juneau, Alaska Disembarkation
Linger over breakfast this morning cruising into Juneau. Wish your crew and new friends goodbye. Then it’s off to the airport or begin your UnCruise hotel stay or land tour.

Meals included: breakfast

This cruise runs on two ships: the Wilderness Discoverer and Wilderness Adventurer. The Wilderness Adventurer will run in the opposite direction.

The 76-guest Wilderness Discoverer underwent extensive refurbishment in early 2011 and guest raves are still flowing. Expedition is top-of-mind with this vessel; and adventure and discovery lay at its heart. The interior complements the outside and public and private spaces are loaded with amenities. Enjoy a main lounge that evokes the feel of a National Park Lodge or neighborhood pub and relax on deck or keep watch for wildlife.

Three accessible decks are fully equipped for comfort and action. The sun deck has a sauna and fitness equipment; viewing is over-the-top from the bow and under-the-stars from two hot tubs on the observation deck; and the EZ Dock launch platform on the main deck makes getting in the water a cinch. Onboard are kayaks; stand-up paddle boards; inflatable skiffs; hiking poles; yoga mats; hydrophone for listening below-surface; and a bow-mounted underwater camera pipes the action to the lounge and to your cabin TV.

The four cabin categories aboard the Wilderness Discoverer are: Navigator; Trailblazer; Pathfinder; and Explorer. Depending on your cabin, singles, doubles or triples can be accommodated.

CHOOSE TO UNCRUISE
Wilderness, wildlife, and exploration; or history, tours, and wine. Our innovative adventure and river cruises provide an unbeatable combination of activity, expertise, service, and exclusive encounters. Uncover your small ship cruise, then pack, go, and discover! Alaska, Columbia & Snake Rivers, Central America, Galápagos, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, and the Pacific Northwest.
Unrushed. Uncrowded. Unbelievable.

Adventure Cruising
Focused on experiencing life on the outside—rain or shine—we offer different destinations, a mix of price points (some generously inclusive), and an exciting range of multi-sport activities. Kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), hiking, snorkeling, inflatable skiff excursions, and cultural encounters top the agenda. Our experiential cruise vacations are delivered from a variety of platforms, and depending on your choices, will accommodate from 22 to 84 like-minded guests. We provide the adventure, equipment, opportunities, fun, expert crew, expedition guides, and the vessel—the rest is up to you.

Equipped for action, adventure cruises are delivered from aboard our expedition vessels and yachts:
Wilderness Adventurer; Wilderness, Discoverer; Wilderness Explorer; Safari Endeavour; Safari Explorer; Safari Quest

River Cruising
Traveling nearly 1,000 miles upriver and down, our inclusive river cruises provide the best value available on the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette Rivers—included shore excursions, a complimentary massage, wellness program, onboard historians and guest experts, living history programs, visits to boutique wineries, exclusive one-on-one interactions with locals, no long lines or hours on a bus, and you’re never far from the riverbank. While exploring the cultural traditions, unspoiled lands, and the history and evolution of life along the rivers, you’ll enjoy a stimulating heritage voyage of colorful places and fascinating people.

Traveling aboard our 88-guest replica turn-of-the-century steamer—a style of vessel that has been on these rivers for over 100 years—offers you the conveniences of today with the feel of yesteryear. Enjoy the old-world charm of our newly-refurbished: S.S. Legacy