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    Home » On the Road

    Sea of Cortez with UnCruise

    Published: Feb 7, 2020 · Modified: Oct 21, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

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    pinterest image for sea of cortez cruise

    When I first mentioned taking an Adventure Cruise on the Sea of Cortez, my wife thought I was a little crazy. We’re older and not really the adventure type people. But after experiencing the joy of an UnCruise Adventure you can be sure we’ll be taking more of these small ship cruises.

    This post is sponsored by Uncruise. All Opinions, text and images are my own.

    rear view of the UnCruise Safari Endeavour on the Sea of Cortez.

    When we first boarded the Safari Endeavour I got a good feeling about the ship and UnCruise. It was my first time on an expedition ship and it’s hard to explain but the ship felt good. Like I belonged onboard. 

    image of stern deck of Safari Endeavour in the Sea of Cortez

    The cabins were basic, almost like crew quarters but the rest of the ship was set up for the passengers to enjoy. There was plenty of space in the common areas as well as the bow and the stern.

    people sitting in the safari endeavour lounge.

    The surprise of the trip was the absence of the internet. After the initial shock of being disconnected, it was actually pretty nice. We had time to talk and get to know our fellow travelers and play the board games that were available on the ship. They also had a library and video library for passengers to use.

    It was nice to see families playing board games and enjoying time away from their phones and tablets.

    achioe rubbed mahi with chayote salsa on a white plate.

    The biggest surprise was the quality of the food we were served on our Adventure Cruise! The ship had a chef, pastry chef, and 2 cooks on board to make sure our meals were perfectly prepared. We enjoyed fresh local seafood every night. 

    This Achiote Rubbed Mahi with Chayote Salsa was one of my favorites. I had the chef add on one of his vegetarian options – a stuffed squash blossom with a tamarind onion jam and a jalapeno lime. My shipmates were as happy as I was with the deliciousness we enjoyed.

    overhead view of a sliced tomahawk rib eye.

    One of the meat options we enjoyed was a Tomahawk Chop with a demi-glace.

    Collage of food served on the safari endeavour.

    We enjoyed exceptional lunches and breakfast as well as cocktail hour and snacks each night. The Mexican Egg Scramble was my favorite breakfast and the Cuban Sandwich was exceptional!

    Collage of desserts served on the safari endeavour.

    And the pastry chef seemed to outdo herself with every meal. She baked the bread we enjoyed at dinner as well.

    Collage of entrees served on the Safari Endeavour.

    But dinner was definitely the star of the culinary experience onboard the Safari Endeavour. Everything on board was made from local products whenever possible and we certainly enjoyed the local veggies and seafood.

    kayaks on the beach on the sea of cortez.

    Each day we had adventure options beginning with snorkeling 101 and kayaking 101. The more advanced adventurers had their own outings so every skill level could enjoy the Sea of Cortez.

    hiking in the dessert on the Baja Peninsula off the Sea of Cortez.

    Not into water activities? There were daily hikes with different levels of difficulty. Lisa enjoyed a few of the easier hikes that didn’t involve climbing.

    dessert in baja mexico.

    The desert was alive with plant life from all the recent rain they had before we arrived on the Baja Peninsula. When you think of a desert, lush and green aren’t what you expect. We were really lucky to get to see the beauty of the Baja desert.

    people on board a skiff in the sea of cortez.

    My favorite daily option was the skiff tours we took daily on the Sea of Cortez to see the local wildlife up close and personal.

    sea lions on an island in the sea of cortez.

    We didn’t see any whales on our trip to the Sea of Cortez. It was a little too early in the season, but we did see sea lions, dolphins, and some pretty amazing birds, including the blue-footed boobie.

    sea lions sleeping on the rocks.

    The young sea lions were playful and came close to the skiff. While the older sea lions enjoyed time sleeping on the rocks. 

    tour guide taking a picture on our skiff tour.

    And our guides were a wealth of knowledge. Splitting their time between Alaska and Mexico it was easy to see how much the guides loved what they did. They were always there to lend a helping hand and were happy to answer any questions we had about the local wildlife and fauna. 

    skiff being lowered to the water on the Uncruise Safari Endeavour.

    I loved watching the skiffs being lowered to the sea of Cortez. The precision and ease in which the crew did their daily tasks was impressive. 

    Chef Dennis and Lisa on the beach off the sea of cortez.

    On a few of the days during our cruise, we were treated to a beach party. There were boat drinks and other beverages and time to explore the beach or just relax.

    ranchero looking out at the horses and donkeys for our desert ride.

    And one of the highlights for some of our adventurous group was a burro ride through the desert. Local rancheros made the trip across the Baja with their burros and horses to offer a unique cruise experience.

    Looking at the mountains surrounding the Sea of Cortez  from the top deck of the ship.

    The weather on our cruise was perfect. It was the end of December / January and it was a little cooler some days, but we enjoyed perfect sunny days throughout the cruise.

    crystal clear aqua waters of the sea of cortez with mountains in the background.

    Our skiffs brought us to shallower waters where the color of the sea was simply breathtaking. You can see our ship in the background on this shot.

    Pelicans on the rocks.

    And I did mention bird watching. I love pelicans and they were diving for their lunch every day we were out on the water. Here we find them enjoying the sun as they drive off after fishing.

    Chef Dennis on the stern of the safari endeavour.

    As for me, I felt like an explorer. The Safari Endeavour has lived up to its name and UnCruise had shown me a whole new way to travel. 

    Chef Dennis sleeping on the rear deck of the safari endeavour.

    I even found time for an afternoon nap on the sun deck. It’s amazing how much you can relax without the internet!

    hiking the Baja with an Uncruise ship in the background.

    So if you’re asking if I would recommend this cruise? In a heartbeat. Especially if you fall into one of these categories.

    • Family Travel – it’s a great way to reconnect without having the internet be everyone’s focus. 
    • Senior Travel – UnCruise has this down pat. They make it easy for those of us less mobile to get on and off the skiffs. Even kayaking or snorkeling is possible at the pace you feel comfortable with.
    • Adventure Travel– are you ready to climb a mountain, snorkel down to the seafloor or kayak with your new friends? You’ll be talking about this trip for a long time.
    • Culinary Travel – if you love good food, then an UnCruise will make you very happy. The chefs are very capable and trained to work onboard ships. They will amaze you with their culinary expertise!
    • Nature Travel – if you want to unplug and enjoy nature totally, the Sea of Cortez is the perfect spot to do this.

    Cruise to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Galapagos and other beautiful locations with UnCruise.

    If you enjoyed this post you may like my other cruise posts:

    • Cruising the Seine with CroisiEurope
    • Visit Northern Burgundy on a Luxury Barge Cruise
    • My Culinary Experience on Viking River Cruise
    • Wine and Dine with Viking Cruises
    • What you need to know for your Disney Cruise

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    More On the Road

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    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Walt Pino

      January 16, 2021 at 8:47 pm

      It looked like you guys had a great time. I’m glad to see your recipes. It seems like you like a lot of same meals. I live in Myrtle Beach, SC. I’m from MD. I love my crabs. Thank you
      If you get down this way, please look us up.

      Reply
    2. Mia Voss

      February 18, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      Oh my gosh, I would call this cruise “Amazing Food with Amazing Views!” I need to check out Uncruise foh SHO.

      Reply
    3. April-Perez.com

      February 17, 2020 at 8:59 am

      I wish I can go on a cruise one day. Thanks for sharing your experience!

      Reply
    4. Mudpiefridays

      February 13, 2020 at 8:11 am

      Never been to a cruise but that experience looks very vibrant to relax and unwind. Looks like you had a great time there!

      Reply
    5. tweenselmom

      February 13, 2020 at 7:40 am

      I haven’t been to a cruise so I don’t know if I’m going to be sea sick. But I’d love to try it someday.

      Reply
    6. Rose Ann Sales

      February 12, 2020 at 9:55 pm

      Sounds really fun to be on a cruise,can’t wait to hqve an experience like this. Thanks for this great blog.

      Reply
    7. Stella Harper

      February 12, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      The foods looks so delicious!! The view is so spectacular. I haven’t experience being on a cruise. I hope I could someday.

      Reply
    8. Samar

      February 12, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      OMG… I just updated my beaches bucket list.

      This post really got me hooked.

      thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    9. Kuntala Bhattacharya

      February 12, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      That looks like a fabulous experience with the food and the ambiance. Liked the activities you can do in the cruise. I had not yet been on a cruise but have plans to do the same.

      Reply
    10. Jasmine M

      February 12, 2020 at 11:20 am

      I’ve never been on a cruise before, but I would love to go on this one. The food looks so delicious!!

      Reply
    11. aisasami

      February 12, 2020 at 10:21 am

      What delicious food! And it is great that you go to do other activities like hiking and not be inside a cruise ship during the duration of the trip.

      Reply
    12. Maartje van Sandwijk

      February 12, 2020 at 8:47 am

      Sounds like a great cruise – even if I’m not a huge fan of the idea of being stuck on a ship 🙂

      Reply
    13. Rania

      February 11, 2020 at 10:57 am

      I’ve never been on a cruise but it is on my bucket list. The food seems super yummy!

      Reply
    14. karen

      February 11, 2020 at 9:50 am

      This looks nice a fun thing for the family. Food looks great, the cruise looks comfy and those sea lions are too cute.

      Reply
    15. Rhia

      February 11, 2020 at 9:09 am

      It sounds like a wonderful experience. I have always wanted to go on a cruise but i get terribly seasick, not the best combination! I am so pleased you both had a wonderful time!

      Reply

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