Domestic cruises: sailing close to home

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While some people are beyond eager to travel now, after being cooped up in their homes for months, others are a reluctant to plan anything just yet.  That's mainly because of the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and its spread and what it means for travel here and abroad.  Even though travel companies take an optimistic stance about 2021 travel, no one quite knows how that will look.  Added to that is a handful of countries around the world that aren't allowing American travelers to visit.

One alternative option is looking at domestic travel, and in particular cruises.  Several small ship cruise lines have US-exclusive itineraries that enable Americans to travel without restriction.  These include UnCruise, American Cruise Lines and American Queen Steamboat Company.  Let's take a look at each one.

UnCruise

Just recently, this Seattle-based line attempted to sail Alaska with one of its ships, which only housed a few dozen passengers.  Unfortunately, one of them tested positive for COVID-19 during the cruise.  Now as of August 6th, the rest of the sailing season has been cancelled.  But if cruising will return, it'll probably be with UnCruise or another smaller ship line.  

With its emphasis on activity and expeditions, UnCruise isn't for everyone, but it's fantastic for the right kind of traveler.  Its itineraries stop in ports that many of the mega-cruise ships can't even access, which enables cruisers to experience a more natural side of a destination.  Since there are no more than 100 guests on each sailing, everyone participates in the cruise's scheduled activities.  These include hiking, kayaking, scuba diving or snorkeling and anything else that's appropriate to the region.

After a day of activity, guests will also enjoy fine dining and spirits as well as lectures from experts who are knowledgeable about a destination's ecosystems, history and culture.  Most of UnCruise's itineraries center on Alaska, but they also go to Baja California, Panama, Costa Rica, Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands, Colombia, and the Pacific Northwest.

American Cruise Lines

With a fleet of 13 ships that all carry less than 200 guests, American Cruise Lines offers mostly river US-only itineraries that cover the Mississippi River, New England, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and the Southeast.  Some of their ships have the old-fashioned paddlewheel steamboat body (but with very modern amenities), while others look like traditional cruise ships.  This is especially true for the Southeast itineraries, which sail along the Atlantic seaboard, and Alaska.

Don't expect the razzle-dazzle that you'll find on bigger cruise lines, like amusement rides, casinos and elaborate stage productions.  If you're looking for cultural and historical enrichment of the area, ACL offers that in abundance with their onboard lectures and shore excursions.  You'll also enjoy regional music programs and dining centered around local cuisine for meals.  Wine and beer are complimentary during cocktail hours, lunch and dinner.

All of the staterooms on ACL ships have private balconies, which means every passenger will have fresh air ventilation and spectacular views.  Most are also more spacious than ocean-going cruise ships, with at least 250 square feet of living space.  There are also single staterooms available for solo travelers.

American Queen Steamboat Queen and Victory Cruise Lines

These sister small-ship companies specialize in mostly domestic destinations.  As the name implies, American Queen's ships are paddlewheel steamships that look straight out of the nineteen century.  Their itineraries sail  the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Snake and Columbia Rivers for 8 to 16 days.  Victory has more contemporary cruise ships that visit the Great Lakes, the Southeastern U.S., Alaska, Canada/New England and the Yucatan Peninsula coast in Mexico.

While American Queen and Victory have inclusions similar to American Cruise Lines, they differ in their interiors.  American Queen has a more elegant feel with antique-style decor in the staterooms and public areas.  Victory is more contemporary but also feels luxurious.  Each also emphasizes local cuisine and cultural enrichment and none of the usual extras like casinos or pools.

The four American Queen steamboats and three Victory ships carry fewer than 500 passengers.  All of Victory's staterooms are outside but are not private balconies.  American Queen has mostly veranda and outside staterooms, with some interiors.  Both have single occupancy staterooms.