UnCruise Blog

If this summer marks the first time your family has hopped aboard an Un-Cruise vessel for a Kids in Nature sailing on an Alaska cruise, welcome to an un-believable experience. As the designated Youth Specialist on the Wilderness Adventurer in July and August, it is my job to support efforts of the expedition team to ensure each and every youngster on board has a safe and enjoyable week.

Madeline sailed aboard the 88-guest Safari Endeavour in Alaska last summer on a Kids In Nature departure.

I normally don’t have to consider hazards for mini-humans, such as devils club that barely comes to my hip or three feet tall grass; however on this particular tip, we have a lot of children on board.

I love lichens. I can fully understand, however, why a five-year-old might not find descriptions of crustose, cephalodia and thalli formations overly stimulating. Which is why I always look for Placopsis gelida, colloquially known as “fairy barf.”

Part of the Kids in Nature (KIN) program offered only through Un-Cruise Adventures, children and parents took part in guided hikes, skiff tours, games, crafts, and an opportunity to participate in Native Alaskan culture at Chief Shakes House in Wrangell.