JUNEAU, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 16, 2025--
UnCruise Adventures, the leader in small-ship expedition cruising, has been named Best in Alaska (Expedition Category) in Cruise Critic’s 2026 Best in Cruise Awards. The honor further solidifies UnCruise’s reputation as the premier choice for travelers seeking immersive, off-the-beaten-path experiences in Alaska. The award highlights UnCruise’s strengths in active, all-inclusive adventure travel: the line’s intimate vessels (22–86 guests) allow flexible itineraries, expert naturalist guides, and hands-on excursions (hiking and kayaking) that connect guests deeply with Alaska’s wild places. Importantly, UnCruise’s U.S.-flagged ships make sure an authentic Alaska experience while supporting local economies.
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Cruise Critic’s editorial panel praised UnCruise as “the undisputed leader in the region” for travelers who “hike Alaska’s old-growth forests and kayak to the edge of a glacier.” They noted that on UnCruise’s flexible itineraries, captains often “deviate” from rigid schedules to chase wildlife, taking guests to spots “you won’t see cruising with anyone else.” The editors also observed that UnCruise’s expedition guides “know and love Alaska,” imparting knowledge with contagious enthusiasm, which helps guests quickly bond over shared wilderness adventures.
“We are honored to be recognized as Best in Alaska,” said UnCruise Founder and CEO Capt. Dan Blanchard. “At UnCruise, we believe travel should forge a genuine connection to place. Each voyage is curated around expert guides and flexible itineraries, whether kayaking beside a tidewater glacier, hiking through an ancient rainforest, or learning from our seasoned guides, to enrich guests’ understanding of the natural world and the cultures we visit. We’re committed to sustainability and giving back, ensuring our presence benefits the regions we explore.”
UnCruise’s small ships can anchor in secluded coves and launch kayaks, paddleboards and skiffs for off-ship exploration. Guests spend each day immersed in nature – hiking through mossy rainforests or paddling along glacial fjords, with no casinos or megaship distractions. Captains have latitude to adjust course based on wildlife and weather, and every moment is dedicated to wildlife viewing, guided hikes and genuine cultural exchange.
This honor extends UnCruise’s strong run of industry accolades. Recent recognitions include USA TODAY ’s 10Best Best Alaska Cruise and mentions in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Newsweek.
About UnCruise Adventures
UnCruise Adventures is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the cruise industry. They operate small ships carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Alaska’s Inside Passage, Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound, along with the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Gulf of California, Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Operating under the US flag, the company takes pride in its crew and its significant contributions to the US economy.
The Wilderness Legacy in Southeast Alaska.
President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran “very hard” in the next two or three weeks and bring the country “back to the Stone Ages,” even as he touted the success of U.S. operations and argued that all of Washington’s objectives have so far been met or exceeded.
Trump said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term.
“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
Trump didn’t say anything about negotiations with Iran or bring up the April 6 deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport. He has threatened to attack Iran's energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened.
Trump also did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring. He did not mention the possibility of sending U.S. ground troops into Iran, or NATO, the trans-Atlantic alliance he has railed against for not helping the U.S. secure the waterway.
Oil rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell after the comments. Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump’s remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 4.9% to $106.16 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 4% to $104.15 a barrel.
U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.
Here is the latest:
A New York-based think tank said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech suggests he “is willing to leave the Strait of Hormuz off the table, leaving other nations to deal with the consequences.”
“Trump’s message was that the United States can sustain its own economic and energy ecosystem, while countries dependent on regional exports will either have to buy from the United States or manage the Strait themselves,” the Soufan Center wrote.
“While Trump explicitly thanked U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf for their cooperation and allyship, an expedited U.S. withdrawal without securing the Strait will leave many of these countries, whose economies are dependent on energy exports, in the lurch.”
Fuel prices in Thailand soared again on Thursday after the government further cut subsidies, sending diesel price to over 44 baht ($1.35) per liter, about 12% increase.
The surge was the second time in a week, after a majority of fuel prices rose by 6 baht ($0.18) per liter last Thursday.
Democrats are criticizing Trump’s primetime address to the American people on the war in Iran as “incoherent” and as doing little to answer “the most basic questions the American people,” according to statements from two Democratic lawmakers released on Wednesday.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., noted that Trump owed Americans more answers about a conflict that has driven up prices on gas “alongside rising prices for diesel, fertilizer, aluminum, and other essentials, with consequences that will continue to ripple through the economy for a long time to come” in his statement.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., released a statement that said the “speech was grounded in a reality that only exists in Donald Trump’s mind.”
Murphy went on to add that “no one in America, after listening to that speech, knows whether we are escalating or deescalating.”
Oil rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said in his first national address since the Iran war began that the U.S. will keep hitting Iran very hard.
Trump also said the United States will “finish the job” in Iran and that military operations could wrap up soon.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.4% to 53,004.81 in early Asia trading on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi lost 3.4% to 5,292.36. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% to 25,082.59.
U.S. futures were down more than 0.7%.
Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump’s remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 5% to $106.22 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 4.2% to $104.36 a barrel.
Members of civic groups hold signs against the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Israel's rescue teams and residents take shelter as sirens sounds next to a site struck by an Iranian missile in Bnei Brak, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
A family who fled Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon warm themselves by a bonfire next to tents used as shelters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People stand near a damaged van beside scattered debris following an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A firefighter extinguishes a car at the site of Israeli airstrikes, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
