Adventure cruise line prepares for inaugural season

Getting ready for opening day is a big job for any business. No matter how experienced, knowledgeable and prepared workers may be, there are always unexpected things that come up. If your business is active, adventure cruises in the wilderness of Alaska the unexpected could mean life-threatening emergencies far from the nearest emergency room.

InnerSea Discoveries (@InnerSeaD) is preparing for its sold-out inaugural season. Sailing active, adventure cruises in Alaska the small 5-ship line looks to be perfect for “the active, outdoor person who is more experiential based” InnerSea’s Dan Blanchard told Gadling recently. On a typical “un-cruise” the line hopes to “pull the curtain back on the natural world and let people see it” says Blanchard which means actively engaging the wilderness.


As opposed to a standard Alaska cruise which pretty much floats on by the best stuff, InnerSea Discoveries passengers get up close and personal with the land of the midnight sun. That exposure promises to add a delicious element of risk, the unknown and uncertainty as each voyage will surely take on a flavor of it’s own. It also bumps up the need for emergency training.

In addition to customary training and certification, InnerSea Discoveries’ crew members are getting Wilderness First Responder training this week in Seattle from the Wilderness Medicine Training Center. While crew members will become certified, the training is far from a typical classroom setting.

To get prepared, the line’s first mates, second mates, expedition leaders and expedition guides are taking part in the hands-on training that covers everything from trauma to wilderness CPR. All good stuff to know on a small ship that does not include a full-size medical center with operating rooms, doctors, nurses and suckers for the kids.

CEO Blanchard himself is prepared too. After sailing across the Pacific for two years in a 42-foot sailboat, Blanchard realized cruising is “a lot more than a port to port experience.” Passengers on Innersea Discoveries can engage in a variety of off-ship activities, most included in the price, or stay on board and do nothing but enjoy the majestic Alaskan scenery.

I doubt many will.

Flickr photo by leakytyr8

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