THE VACATION NERD WITH PATRICK WISCOMBE — EPISODE 182, PART 1
TODD CARLSON: Explore your world. It’s the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com.
Call or text the show now: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com.
And now, here are your hosts, Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show. Hello there. I am Patrick Wiscombe, The Vacation Nerd.
The purpose of this podcast and radio show is to help you plan and book your next vacation—or, if you have no idea where to go, give you some ideas of where you might want to go next.
This show is presented by BluePlanetVacations.com. Thank you very sincerely for taking the time to stop and listen.
Mark and I have been doing a lot of cruising lately. Nikki and I are just getting back from sailing aboard MSC World America, and we still have more to talk about from that trip.
But today, we are changing the scale completely. Instead of thousands of passengers aboard one of the biggest ships in the world, we are talking about small-ship adventure cruising—sometimes with fewer than 100 guests aboard.
Joining us is Captain Dan Blanchard, the owner and CEO of UnCruise Adventures. Dan has spent his life on the water, and he is actually working on one of his ships while we are talking to him.
Dan, welcome to the show. What are you working on today?
DAN BLANCHARD: Thanks for having me. It’s good to be here.
I’m aboard one of our ships, and we’re in the middle of doing some work and getting her ready. That is part of life in a small-ship company. Sometimes the CEO is in the office, and sometimes the CEO is on the vessel working with the crew.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: I love that. You are not sitting in a giant corporate office while someone else does the work. You are literally working on the ship during the interview.
Before we talk about the destinations, let’s start with the company. For someone who has never heard of UnCruise, what exactly is an UnCruise?
DAN BLANCHARD: The name tells you that it is different from a traditional cruise.
Most people think of a cruise as traveling from port to port on a large ship, with the ship itself being the primary destination. That is not what we are.
The ship is really our floating lodge or wilderness base camp. We use it to reach remote places, and then we get people off the vessel and into the destination.
Instead of planning the experience around shopping districts, large cruise terminals, casinos, and entertainment venues, we plan around wildlife, wilderness, local culture, kayaking, hiking, skiff rides, paddleboarding, and whatever nature gives us that day.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: So the ship is where you sleep and eat, but the actual vacation is what happens away from the ship.
DAN BLANCHARD: Exactly.
We want guests to wake up in a beautiful place, have breakfast, and then go experience it. The ship supports the adventure; it is not there to compete with it.
We might anchor in a secluded cove where there is no town, no dock, and no other cruise ship. We launch kayaks and skiffs directly from the vessel. Guests can hike, explore a shoreline, watch wildlife, or simply take a quiet skiff ride.
The experience can also be adapted to different activity levels. Some guests want a more challenging hike or an all-day kayak. Others may want a gentle beach walk or a skiff excursion. You do not have to be an extreme athlete to enjoy UnCruise.
MARK FALDMO: That is what I like about the product. It is active and immersive, but it is not designed only for the most physically aggressive traveler.
DAN BLANCHARD: Correct. We have people of different ages and different abilities traveling together. A grandparent may take a skiff ride while a grandchild goes kayaking. They return to the same ship at the end of the day and share what they experienced.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: How did you personally get started in this? Were you always going to be a captain?
DAN BLANCHARD: When I was young—probably in sixth grade—I read a book called “Dove.” It was about a teenager who sailed around the world.
That book changed everything for me. Once I read it, I knew I wanted a life connected to boats, the ocean, travel, and adventure.
I grew up around the Pacific Northwest. Alaska was part of my life early on, and I eventually began working on boats and becoming a captain.
Later, my family and I spent several years sailing through the Pacific aboard our own sailboat. When I returned, I had a different view of what travel could be.
I had worked for a small-ship cruise company, but at that time the main difference between many small and large ships was simply the size of the ports they visited.
After spending years exploring with my family, merely moving passengers from one port call to another was no longer satisfying. I wanted the experience to be about touching, feeling, smelling, and truly participating in the destination.
That idea eventually became the company we started in 1996.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: All because you picked up “Dove” in the sixth grade.
DAN BLANCHARD: That was the beginning. A book can change the direction of your life.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: When did Alaska become the place for you?
DAN BLANCHARD: I first traveled to Alaska when I was young, and then I worked there. But one of the most important experiences of my life came when I captained in Glacier Bay.
I spent a long stretch of time with a National Park Service naturalist standing beside me and explaining the natural world. Being surrounded by that landscape and learning why it mattered changed me.
Alaska is not simply scenery. It gets inside you. It is powerful, quiet, immense, and alive.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: That is how I felt when I went to Alaska. I felt alive.
There were moments where everything was quiet, and you are looking at the mountains, the water, the wildlife, and the scale of the place. There is something about it that is difficult to explain until you have been there.
DAN BLANCHARD: That is exactly right.
Alaska still has places where you can feel like you are the only people there. In many parts of southeast Alaska, you can travel for a long time without seeing another vessel.
The ability to reach those places is one of the advantages of a small ship.
MARK FALDMO: The typical large-ship Alaska itinerary is based around ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. Those are great ports, but UnCruise is doing something different.
DAN BLANCHARD: We may begin or end in a port, but most of the experience is away from the ports.
Our itineraries are intentionally flexible. We have a plan, but nature does not read our schedule.
If the crew learns that whales are feeding in a particular area, we may go there. If the weather creates a better opportunity in another cove, we can adjust. If wildlife is doing something extraordinary, we do not look at the clock and say, “Sorry, we have to leave because the schedule says so.”
That flexibility is one of the greatest advantages we have.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: So the whales can rewrite the itinerary.
DAN BLANCHARD: The whales, the bears, the weather, the tide—nature gets a vote.
Some of the greatest moments happen because the captain and expedition team are allowed to respond to what is happening in real time.
You may be kayaking and suddenly find yourself watching humpback whales nearby. You may have whales bubble-net feeding, breaching, or moving through the same area as the vessel.
Those are not experiences you can manufacture or guarantee. But with a small vessel, an experienced crew, and the freedom to follow nature, you give yourself a much better opportunity to be present when something remarkable happens.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: That is a completely different philosophy from trying to reach the next cruise terminal at a specific time.
DAN BLANCHARD: It is.
We tell people to follow nature’s clock. The wilderness is the entertainment.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Let’s talk about the size of the ships. How many passengers are aboard?
DAN BLANCHARD: It depends on the vessel. Our ships are small. Some carry only a few dozen guests, and others are in roughly the 60-to-80-passenger range.
That size creates a more personal experience. Guests get to know the expedition team, the crew, and one another. It also means we can move people into the wilderness efficiently without overwhelming the places we visit.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: That sounds more like traveling with a group of people than being one person in a floating city.
DAN BLANCHARD: It becomes a community very quickly.
You are sharing unusual experiences together. By the end of the voyage, the passengers and crew often feel like one group.
MARK FALDMO: Another difference is that these are American-flagged ships. Explain why that matters.
DAN BLANCHARD: An American-flagged vessel operates under a very different economic and regulatory structure from a foreign-flagged mega-ship.
Our vessels are built, maintained, crewed, and operated under United States requirements. We employ American crews, pay American wages and taxes, and comply with U.S. safety, labor, and environmental regulations.
That is one reason a small American-flagged cruise cannot be priced the same way as a foreign-flagged ship carrying several thousand guests.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: So when someone compares the price of an UnCruise cabin with a large ship and says, “Why does this cost more?” they are not comparing the same product—or the same operating model.
DAN BLANCHARD: They are very different.
A large foreign-flagged ship has enormous economies of scale. It spreads costs across thousands of guests and operates under a different labor and tax structure.
We carry a small number of people, use a high crew-to-guest ratio, include expedition activities, and operate American-flagged vessels in remote environments.
The value is in the access, the experience, the small group, and what is included—not simply the square footage of a cabin.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: The pandemic had to be especially difficult for a company with those costs.
DAN BLANCHARD: It was extraordinarily difficult.
The vessels do not stop costing money simply because passengers are not aboard. They still require maintenance, insurance, docking, and care.
American small-ship companies had to make sure lawmakers understood that a domestic cruise industry exists. A group of us worked together to represent American-flagged overnight operators and explain why the industry needed to be included in relief programs.
We survived, brought ships back, and rebuilt. That period reinforced how important our crews, guests, and travel advisors are.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: And now here you are, still personally working on a ship.
DAN BLANCHARD: That is part of the business. These ships have personalities. You take care of them, and they take care of you.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Where does UnCruise travel besides Alaska?
DAN BLANCHARD: Alaska is our home and our largest program, but we also operate other adventure itineraries.
Depending on the season, those can include Hawaii, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, the Pacific Northwest, and other destinations where a small ship can create an experience that a large vessel cannot.
The common thread is not a particular destination. It is access, nature, culture, and active exploration.
MARK FALDMO: The Sea of Cortez is a great example. It has extraordinary marine life, smaller communities, and places where a ship carrying only a few dozen people makes sense.
DAN BLANCHARD: Absolutely. The Sea of Cortez is one of the most biologically rich bodies of water in the world.
The same philosophy applies there: pay attention to the animals, the water, and the local communities instead of simply checking ports off a list.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: What would you say to someone who loves cruising but has only traveled on large ships?
DAN BLANCHARD: Do not think of it as replacing the kind of cruise you already enjoy. Think of it as a completely different way to travel.
If you love Broadway shows, multiple restaurants, casinos, waterslides, and thousands of passengers, a large ship may be perfect for that trip.
If you want to kayak in a quiet cove, hike in the wilderness, watch whales from a small vessel, learn from naturalists, and spend more time outside the ship than inside it, then UnCruise may be the right fit.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: What should someone pack?
DAN BLANCHARD: Layers, practical clothing, and a willingness to get outside.
The question that creates the most anxiety is usually the boots. People want to know whether they need to bring their own boots and how much space they will take in the luggage.
We provide detailed packing information because a temperate rainforest can be wet. The goal is to be comfortable enough that weather does not stop you from participating.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: So this is not the cruise where I bring a tuxedo and six pairs of dress shoes.
DAN BLANCHARD: No tuxedo required.
It is casual. Bring what helps you experience the destination.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Dan, what do you hope someone takes home from an UnCruise voyage?
DAN BLANCHARD: I hope they leave with a stronger connection to the natural world and to the people they traveled with.
The best moments are often not the ones that can be scheduled. It might be the silence of a cove, a whale surfacing near the vessel, a conversation with a crew member, or watching someone do something they did not think they were capable of doing.
The wilderness has a way of changing people. That is what we want guests to experience.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Captain Dan Blanchard, owner and CEO of UnCruise Adventures, thank you for joining us—and for doing the interview while rebuilding a ship.
DAN BLANCHARD: Thank you. I appreciate it.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Mark, that is a different kind of cruise.
MARK FALDMO: It is. UnCruise is for the traveler who wants a small ship, an active experience, and wilderness first.
You are not going primarily for the cabin or the onboard entertainment. You are going because the vessel can take you into places the large ships cannot reach.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: If you are interested in UnCruise, call Mark or one of the Blue Planet Vacations advisors: 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717.
You can also find information at BluePlanetVacations.com.
Coming up next, we are going from one of the smallest cruise experiences to a very different kind of ship. It is time for the infamous Just Cruising segment.
We have an MSC Seascape cruise from Galveston, including a look at MSC Yacht Club pricing.
That is next when the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show continues.
TODD CARLSON: Taking you to destinations around the world, the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show is presented by BluePlanetVacations.com, America’s Best Travel Advisors.
Call or text the show now: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700.
Thanks for listening. We’ll be right back.
TODD CARLSON: Now back to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com, America’s Best Travel Advisors.
Call or text the show right now: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com.
Here are Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: All aboard for the infamous Just Cruising segment here on the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show.
My name is Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo, owner of BluePlanetVacations.com.
Mark, you found a Western Caribbean cruise that leaves from Galveston. Let’s talk about the itinerary and the October date.
MARK FALDMO: This is an October 11 departure aboard MSC Seascape.
It is a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise round-trip from Galveston, which is convenient for Houston and much of Texas and the central United States.
The itinerary includes the Western Caribbean ports that MSC commonly serves from Galveston, with a combination of port days and days at sea.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: MSC Seascape is a beautiful ship. We have talked about MSC improving its U.S. product, and this ship is a major part of that.
Let’s talk about the cabin choices.
MARK FALDMO: MSC has the standard inside, ocean-view, and balcony categories, and it also has suites.
But the biggest jump in the experience is MSC Yacht Club.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Yacht Club is the ship-within-a-ship experience.
MARK FALDMO: Correct.
Yacht Club guests have a private area, dedicated restaurant and lounge, priority service, and a higher level of inclusions while still having access to everything on the larger ship.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: How much does Yacht Club cost on this sailing?
MARK FALDMO: On the sailing I priced, MSC Yacht Club starts at approximately $2,889 per person.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: So you can choose the value of a standard cabin, or you can take the same itinerary and turn it into a more private, luxury-style experience inside the ship.
MARK FALDMO: Exactly. That is what makes Yacht Club interesting. You get the amenities and entertainment of a large ship, but you also have a quieter and more personalized area to return to.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: If you want to look at the October 11 MSC Seascape cruise from Galveston—or compare standard cabins with Yacht Club—call Mark and his team: 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717.
You can also visit BluePlanetVacations.com.
Coming up, we have more cruise news, cruise deals, and travel information.
Alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your weekend.
We will be right back.
TODD CARLSON: You’re listening to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com, America’s Best Travel Advisors.
Call or text the show now: 801-649-3700. That’s 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com.
We’ll be right back.
