Un-Cruise Adventures Baja cruise

On a round-trip cruise off of Baja out of Los Cabos, Mexico, Jan.10-17, 2015, my wife and I sailed with Un-Cruise Adventures (Seattle, WA; 888/862-8881, www.un-cruise.com). 

Their ships are small, with 22 to 82 guests. We sailed on the Safari Endeavour, which is one of the larger ships, but we had only about 40 passengers, 50% of capacity. 

All of their cruises are one week long, Saturday to Saturday — perfect for little getaway vacations, especially if you live in the Western US. 

Passengers included several Brits, but most of us were US citizens. Ages ranged from 27 to senior citizens. We each got to decide how strenuous we wanted our week to be. The company motto is “Unrushed, uncrowded, unbelievable.”

We sailed in the Sea of Cortez. Besides landing on some of the islands for snorkeling and other beach activities, we went on the peninsula only three times, once to visit Loreto, once to go across to the Pacific side to Magdalena Bay to see whales, and once to take a mule ride through the hills.

From the moment we were met at the Los Cabos International Airport until being dropped off for our departure, we didn’t spend a dime. Excluding airfare, our cruise cost $3,250 per person, double, which included food, drink, snorkeling (wetsuits, masks and swim fins), kayaking, paddle boarding and all land tours. It even included a free 30-minute massage, which many of us took advantage of. Comments all were very positive.

From the airport (and also on the way back), we were transported to a resort to await the arrival of other passengers. We were given full access to the resort, including meals and drinks. Later in the day we were taken to the ship.

Our cabin was simple but comfortable, with plenty of storage room and very good temperature control. Bathroom facilities were en suite, with plenty of hot water for the shower.

The dining room and lounge were both spacious and comfortable. If the choices of food became a bit overwhelming, they gladly gave us half-portions upon request, even of each course offered. A vegetarian option was always provided.

The crew went out of their way to get to know the passengers and to accommodate our every need. The cruise was so cost-inclusive that we had difficulty leaving a gratuity, since none of the staff seemed anxious about where to put it or whom to give it to. Gratuities were divided among the crew. 

Un-Cruise also does cruises to British Columbia, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Central America and, starting in 2016, the Galápagos. We highly recommend them.

NYCKLE WIJBRANDUS

East Petersburg, PA