Un-Cruise Adventures

Our trip aboard the S.S. Legacy was the 2^nd part of an Uncommon Journey titled «In the Path of Lewis and Clark». We boarded in Portland cruising the Columbia River then the Snake River then returned to Portland. For the price of the trip, I expected a small version of an ocean cruise. I was very wrong. The ship is older and there is no hint of luxury. The room included 2 single beds attached to the wall and a small desk & wooden chair, very simple. You had to hold your breath to pass from the toilet to the shower. The lounge was set up with tables and chairs, only 2 settees for comfort. The 4^th deck was set up with a few tables & chairs and some rusting gym equipment.
The days were regimented. Wake up call at 7AM, Breakfast at 7:30, on the bus by 9:00 to see museums, back by 4:00, Cocktails at 5:30, dinner at 6:30 and Lecture at 8:00. No entertainment, not even a pianist. You ended up in your room by 9:30 to read or sleep since there was no TV, no WIFI, nor radio and only 8 newspapers were brought on board the days the bus came.
The food was OK, but you only had 3 choices, a beef entrée, a fish entrée or a vegetarian entrée. The portions were on the small size.
On the positive side, the 2 tour directors, Kenne & Bob were both knowledgeable and gave good lectures as was Jackie, another lecturer. The crew was friendly and accommodating. The scenery was beautiful. And, importantly, there was an open bar
The final negative came on the last night of the cruise. On our bed that night was a letter asking that we not forget gratuities. In our case, they recommended 7% of the cost of the room $ 625 or 10%, $ 809. Our literature from Uncommon Journey had recommended $ 250. Guess which one we chose?
Comparatively expensive, I do not recommend this cruise.

What a wonderful cruise, what a wonderful vacation, what a wonderful company!
My wife and I took a cruise on the SS Legacy from Ketchikan to Juneau this July. The trip was called Alaska’s Golden Legacy, and was a 7-​night cruise. Our ship had about 50 passengers and over 25 crew, so that made for a really great passenger-​to-​crew ratio. The whole cruise felt very intimate, the crew were all incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, and it was just an all-​around spectacular time.
Our journey included stops in Petersburg, Wrangell, Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka, Skagway, and Haines. Since we weren’t strictly attached to our schedule, our captain even made a detour to LeConte Bay and LeConte Glacier, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
Some highlights included seeing wildlife (humpback whales, orca whales, bald eagles, brown bears, sea otters, etc.), catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights one night (the captain woke us up in the middle of the night to announce it, and it was so worth it!), seeing glaciers, learning about Tlingit (Native American) history and culture, hearing about Alaska’s rich history, taking the train ride in Skagway, getting to know the passengers and crew, relaxing, and oh yes, the food. How could I forget the food!
The food was amazing! My favorite meal was the Dungeness Crab dinner, where that’s basically all I ate that night. Some other memorable dishes were the black cod, the various salmon dishes, halibut, rack of lamb, crab mac and cheese, and on and on and on. Each meal was a delicious feast, and they provided plentiful snacks throughout the day as well.
Our captain, Captain Dano, was an incredibly personable guy — not only was he approachable and fun to talk to while he was steering the boat in the bridge, he also showcased his poetic skills during the open mic night, helped put together a few poker tournaments, and shared some meals with us as well. The crew he brought together was also amazing, and that was a testament to him as a leader.
Another nice thing about the cruise is that it’s all-​inclusive. No having to worry about paying more for excursions, drinks, giving tips (until the very end, when you can give one big tip to the crew), etc. And one free full-​body massage!
I could go on and on about how awesome the trip was, but you should just stop reading this review and go book yourself a trip with Un-​Cruise — you will NOT regret it!