We had sailed with Uncruise on their Baja trip and we were so impressed that we signed up for this Panama Canal/Costa Rica trip which is very new for them. We were only the third group on this particular route. This has to be the ultimate way to travel for those of us who want to enjoy the outdoor life without having to pack for dress up dinners but who still want to enjoy the best in local dining. The travelers on our trip were mostly active retirees who enjoy snorkeling, hiking, birding, kayaking and more.

Even on this brand new route, Uncruise is so put together. They hire the very best people. (I wish we had done as well at the place from where I retired!) The staff are knowledgeable, patient, engaging, helpful (they don't know how to say "no"), skilled, and more. For this route they found the perfect blend of those who had been with Uncuise for awhile plus new local hires who have local knowledge. The chef and pastry chef - there just aren't words to describe how delicious each and every meal was. One couldn't find finer meals on any cruise ship anywhere. There was always a meat option, a seafood option and a vegetarian option and every one as good as the next. The expedition guides were exceptional in their ability to spot wildlife hiding in the shadows of the jungles. Whoever on the Uncruise team was responsible for scouting locations and developing local relationships did an extraordinary job. One would have thought that they had been running this route for years, so clearly everything was fine-tuned before we showed up. They found beautiful preserves and snorkel sites, many so far off the beaten path that other ships would not even think of stopping there. They provided a variety of options in each location where we stopped. There would be at least one hiking option, often a snorkel option, a zodiac ride and kayak trip among the choices. There was typically one expedition in the morning and one in the afternoon. We saw crocodiles, sloths, all four kinds of monkeys that reside in the area, tapir, hawksbill turtles, rays, moray eels, agouti, iguanas, macaws, and more birds than there is space to list, not to mention butterflies, flowers galore, and spectacular vegetation.

We had decided to book a larger room when we booked this trip and it was wonderful. I don't think we needed anything as big and might book something smaller if we had it to do over, but it was very comfortable. I like having a door to the outside and this was a room that accommodated that need. We could look out our window and see dolphins swimming along side the ship. The ship was recently overhauled before beginning this route so everything was fresh and clean. The shower was state of the art! The furnishings are not glitzy like a Vegas hotel room, but are very tastefully done and practical. Towels were changed out as often as we chose. Read more