North American River Cruising Aboard S.S. Legacy

Join us in June as we sail aboard Un-Cruise Adventures’ S.S. Legacy along the Columbia and Snake Rivers! Photo courtesy of Un-Cruise Adventures.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of river cruising. Utilising small ships filled to the brim with like-minded travellers, river cruises are some of the most engaging voyages you can take outside of an expedition cruise. But not all river cruises are confined to Europe; in fact, there are plenty of North American-based river cruises – and we’re setting out on one in June.

On June 6, 2015, I’ll embark Un-Cruise Adventures’ beautiful replica steamer S.S. Legacy in Portland, Oregon for a week of sailing along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Carrying just 88 guests, the S.S Legacy is being homeported in Portland this year instead of making her typical seasonal jaunt to Alaska, allowing Un-Cruise to offer more of their popular weeklong Legacy of Discovery and Ameritage! sailings during the summer months.

Click here to read our Live Voyage Report from Alaska aboard Un-Cruise Adventures’ Safari Endeavour!

Between 1804 and 1806, the Lewis & Clark expedition forged their way from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Northwest, where they arrived on the coast of what is now present-day Oregon in November of 1805. Assisted by a Lemhi Shoshone Native American woman named Sacagawea, their final trail carved a route along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. It’s a route that Un-Cruise’s S.S. Legacy follows to this day.

S.S. Legacy carves a route along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, nearly identical to that of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Illustration courtesy of Un-Cruise Adventures

Over the course of a week, the S.S Legacy will call on Clarkston and Walla Walla, Washington, along with The Dalles and Astoria, Oregon. Astoria is one of my favorite U.S. cities thanks to its quaint appearance and cozy seaside location. You’ve probably seen Astoria without knowing it: the town has acted as the primary filming location for The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, and The Ring Two.

Guests aboard the S.S. Legacy will also get to experience Hell’s Canyon on a speedboat journey to view 7,000 year old Indian petroglyphs, along with visits to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and river cruising through the many locks and dams that line this stretch of the Columbia and Snake rivers– seven in total.

Haystayck Rock on Cannon Beach, just south of Astoria, Oregon. Photo © Aaron Saunders

The chance to explore Oregon and Washington State by river is alluring in its own right, but Un-Cruise has taken their itineraries here to the next level. Since she is branded as the line’s heritage ship, cruises aboard the S.S. Legacy have more of a focus on history than the line’s other small-ship expeditions, which tend to be very active in nature.

While you won’t be able to go kayaking from the S.S. Legacy, Un-Cruise has developed an entire programme of shore excursions – all of which are included in your fare – to get the most out of your time along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. These can range from tours of local wineries to guided visits to notable museums, forts and national parks.

Instead of an Expedition Team, the S.S. Legacy sports a dedicated Heritage Team comprised of guest lecturers, experts and historians, all of whom are outfitted with period uniforms. Guest entertainers are frequently brought onboard, and the line tries as much as possible to recreate the elegant ambiance of a bygone time for those who sail aboard the S.S. Legacy.

Un-Cruise Adventures owner Dan Blanchard, in period garb, on the bow of the S.S. Legacy. Photo courtesy of Un-Cruise Adventures.

That doesn’t mean that S.S. Legacy is lacking in modern inclusions. As with the line’s Luxury adventure ships, local craft beers, wines and spirits are all included in the cruise fare, as is bottled water, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Each guest is even treated to a single complimentary massage while onboard. It’s a nice touch that everyone has made great use of on both of my past Un-Cruise adventures.

Un-Cruise prides themselves on offering up an authentic, immersive experience aboard their entire fleet that is designed to extract you from the everyday. To that end, S.S. Legacy, like most of her Un-Cruise shipmates, doesn’t offer Wi-Fi internet access. So while we’re sailing from June 6 to 13, our Live Voyage Report will be on “time-delay”, running here later in the month. Frankly, we’re okay with that – it gives us more time to soak up and enjoy all that makes this exciting destination so alluring.

Join us in June as we join Un-Cruise and follow in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark along the Columbia and Snake rivers – it promises to be an exciting adventure!

Kick back and relax in the Pesky Barnacle Saloon aboard the S.S. Legacy and watch the Columbia and Snake Rivers drift by. Photo courtesy of Un-Cruise Adventures.

Our Live Voyage Report from onboard Un-Cruise Adventures replica coastal steamer S.S. Legacy will begin in June! Be sure to follow along on twitter by following @deckchairblog or the hashtag #LiveVoyageReport.