The global cruise market is expected to be worth $15 billion by 2028 and is growing in every way possible, but is bigger always better? Dan Blanchard, CEO and founder of UnCruise, built his company to be the antithesis of traditional cruises.
We sailed across the Sea of Cortez with Dan on his ship – Safari travelerDuring our cruise, we spent some time with Dan to discover why he likes to travel on smaller trips while one of the fastest growing travel industries continues to expand to bigger, farther, and more. Here’s what we learned:
Ship size
Mega cruise ships have grown by more than 50,000 tons every decade and have tripled in size since 1990. According to former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Colin Veitch, “The attractive thing about larger ships is that you have more choice and variety on board.”
Dan spent three years sailing across the Pacific Ocean with his family. When he returned, he wanted to start a company that would replicate that experience. In other words, where he would take you if you were on his boat for a week. As he puts it, “That’s the idea behind UnCruise.”
All UnCruise ships are less than 100 passengers and travel at about a third the speed of a large cruise ship, but that’s okay. “We’re really more of an adventure travel company than a cruise company,” says Dan.
Size matters, but not always in the way you might think. Nothing from UnCruise would be possible on a fifth-generation cruise ship. Likewise, you won’t find the ambiance of an all-inclusive floating resort on UnCruise. There are no climbing walls or ice skating rinks, but there’s a human factor that’s hard to measure in numbers alone.
Select cabin
Traditional cruise ships have four basic types of cabins:
- Inside (119-220 sq. ft.)
- Outside (122-220 sq. ft.)
- Balcony (138-198 sq. ft., plus 35-55 sq. ft. terrace)
- Suites (larger – some up to 5,000 square feet)
take Safari traveler For example, an UnCruise ship has two basic types of cabins:
- Exterior (85 – 170 sq. ft.)
- Wings (180 – 250 sq. ft.)
You’ll notice that the cabins on UnCruise are generally smaller, and there’s no contrast. There are no en suites or super-luxury suites, although the Commodore Suite does have large bow-facing windows and a Jacuzzi tub. This is the first of many examples of larger boats having more “choice and variety,” while UnCruise is more of an “adventure travel entity.” In short, people don’t sail UnCruise for the cabins.
Comprehensive service
Not only will you not charge extra for the outside cabins on UnCruise, but most of the trips are all-inclusive, from airport transfers to activities to alcohol. (There’s a premium liquor package with an extensive wine list.) As Dan says, he designed these trips to be like the way he takes his friends on a weeklong boat trip.
There’s more than just a psychographic demographic that describes UnCruise guests, says Dan — “What drives these people is the fact that they backpacked all over Europe after college and did it for $25 a day. They took their kids to national parks instead of going to a resort island. They’re very active and have always been experiential travelers. They don’t want to backpack anymore, they want to go back to the same place, have a nice drink, and wake up the next morning in a new place.”
A charter cruise isn’t for everyone. If you like staying on a resort island and reading a book by the hotel pool, you might prefer a traditional cruise. But if you crave adventure and new experiences with a side of the good life, a charter cruise package is worth every penny.
Activity days ahead
The Cruise Lines International Association reports that Generation Z is likely to become the largest consumer of cruise industry products as they eagerly seek out unique or authentic travel and experiences. Let’s explore this idea by taking a look at Sea of Cortez’s cruise itineraries for both traditional and UnCruise cruises.
The traditional Baja cruise triangle is 1,300 miles long, with stops in Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. There are dozens of land excursions from each port, including ziplining on one of the largest ziplines in North America and speedboat trips to secluded beaches. You’ll be traveling a long way, and there’s plenty to do, but you might wonder how authentic it is when every port has a similar itinerary.
UnCruise, on the other hand, rarely ventures more than 400 miles into the Sea of Cortez, which lies almost entirely within the islands and bays of what Jacques Cousteau called “the world’s aquarium.” Instead of ports, the ship docks in protected bays where it sleeps and wakes up surrounded by one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on earth, home to a third of the world’s marine mammals and 900 species of birds.
Each day of your cruise, you can choose how you want to explore nature’s playground: paddleboard, kayak, hike, snorkel, or take a boat tour. With the exception of two days at anchor, you can visit gray whale birthing lagoons, snorkel with baby sea lions in a nature reserve, or explore the Baja Peninsula on a mule with a local rancher.
Not only are there morning and evening cruises on UnCruise, but its core activities are not available on any major cruise line. You can arguably travel less and see more on UnCruise. Again, the pattern repeats itself where larger cruises offer more options, and UnCruise is an adventure travel entity for the avid adventurer.
Integrated experiences in the afternoon and evening
Traditional cruises offer a “something for everyone” nightlife concept. There are Broadway-level shows, top comedians, game shows, live music, and more. Even without the gambling (there’s gambling, too), it’s like a floating Las Vegas.
UnCruise is more purposeful and simple. Their stated mission is to “provide our guests with a rich adventure travel experience and inspire an appreciation for local cultures and the natural world.” They do this through an experiential learning cycle, where you set your intention, do an activity, and then take time to reflect and absorb. In Baja, we attended a lecture series explaining the biodiversity of the Sea of Cortez one night. Then the next day, we visited gray whale birthing grounds and spent that evening learning about the whales’ 2,500-mile journey to Baja each year. It wasn’t all just paperwork. We also gathered ingredients on the trips for the bartender to create signature cocktails during cocktail hour. It was the most immersive classroom experience you could imagine.
Bonding and team building
Finding the right people for you is a numbers game, but more is not necessarily more. There are two numbers, Seven hour rule and Dunbar numberwhich tells the story behind the story.
The seven-hour rule says it takes roughly seven hours with a person, brand or idea to make a big decision. Marketing experts say it takes seven hours of shopping, research, discussion or contemplation before making a $10,000 purchase, like a new car. Brand consultants say it takes that long to build brand loyalty. Seduction artists claim that’s how long it takes to “close the deal” with a date—not far from the old adage “three dates.”
To expand on that, it takes seven hours with your new cruise friends before you can form a friendship that will last beyond the cruise. This threshold is nearly impossible to reach on a traditional cruise and virtually unavoidable on a casual cruise. Don’t buy every car you see, but there’s at least a chance.
Dunbar informally describes his number as “the number of people you wouldn’t be embarrassed to join for a drink without being invited if you bumped into them at a bar.” With cocktail hour and biscuits, you can imagine this happening a lot on a cruise ship. Studies show that Dunbar’s number varies widely from person to person, but it’s generally accepted to be somewhere between 100 and 250 people. So, as it stands, Dunbar’s number says you can share a drink with your entire boat without feeling embarrassed, but not so much with 6,000 of your newest friends on a fifth-generation cruise ship.
Dan Blanchard told us that his benchmark for a successful cruise is to make his guests cry, but you have to understand the context – “I told the crew, ‘When you’re emotionally engaged and when you see your guests crying and hugging when they get off the boat, we’ve achieved our goal. I think what makes a truly great vacation is the people.’” The UnCruise website claims, “Many of our guests create such close bonds of friendship while on board that they become lifelong friends and choose to sail together.” [with us] Back in the future!
Adaptable programs
Traditional cruises do a great job of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but customizing your cruise experience is all about ordering from a menu. “Our job is to make sure your adventure not only meets your needs and expectations, but exceeds them,” says UnCruise. They have a 2.2:1 guest-to-crew ratio, 50% higher than traditional cruise ships, which helps, but it’s more than that.
UnCruise has adapted its menus to accommodate dietary needs such as allergies and gluten intolerances, and offers a delicious vegetarian option with every meal. Their daily activities range in intensity from tower tours to trips that would make triathletes sweat. Plus, the captain has complete freedom to choose the routes, so she (yes, “she”! Uncruise employs 300% more female captains than the industry standard) can stay safe in sheltered bays during rough seas or cruise along the coast when it’s calm.
If you like to choose from a wide range of options, a traditional cruise might be right for you. If you want to talk to someone about your specific needs, nothing beats a luxury cruise.
Environmental impact
A large cruise ship has a carbon footprint greater than 12,000 cars and produces more than a ton of garbage a day. Fuel consumption depends on how fast and far the boat is travelling. UnCruise ships travel 75% less distance on a typical cruise at a third of the speed. They also asked us to pre-order lunch and dinner to reduce food waste, but that’s not all.
Each guest is given a refillable bottle and told where to find filtered water. Our rooms are stocked with locally sourced organic cosmetics. They also provide reef-safe sunscreen and insect repellent for each activity, and meals are sourced from local farms whenever possible. I can confidently say that UnCruise cares about the waters they sail in and strives to be good stewards of the earth.
Final Thoughts on Traditional vs. Boutique Cruises
Traditional cruises are all about choices, and the more choices you have, the more choices you have in rooms, activities, dining and entertainment. These cruises offer a floating resort product with port stops for land excursions. It’s a powerful, mainstream travel product. UnCruise is a distinct, adventure-focused travel experience. The ships are designed to be an extension of the waters you sail, and you feel an indelible connection to the areas you explore. You don’t just watch nature; you experience it, from the moment you wake up in a deserted bay until you fall asleep under a blanket of stars.
Hi! We’re Jen and Ed Coleman, aka Coleman Concierge. In short, we’re a Gen X couple from Huntsville sharing our stories of amazing adventures through transformative, experiential, activity-based travel.
