A Focus on the Destination
For almost 60 years, the philosophy of the West family, the
founders and still owners of Cruise West, has been that details
matter - that the true reward of a travel experience is to
create a personal, memorable connection with the destination,
the land and the people. The line's eight small ships,
cruising in regions as disparate as Alaska's Bering Sea and
Mexico's sparkling Sea of Cortés, enable guests to focus on the
wildlife, the natural history, and the culture, all in the
company of small numbers of like-minded adventurers.
Cruise West's flagship Spirit of Oceanus, the largest
in the fleet, hosts a maximum of just 114 guests - large cruise
ships today can be 2,500 passengers or more!
Cruise West got its start in Alaska, and now its unique
routes travel far and wide throughout the Great Land, visiting
more ports and remote islands than any other cruise line, large
or small. Several itineraries explore the spectacular
Inside Passage, focusing on the smaller ports and rarely-visited
wilderness waterways. Two routes visit Prince William
Sound, which boasts the highest concentration of glaciers
anywhere in Alaska. And for adventure-minded travelers,
the 13-night Voyage to the Bering Sea explores remote wildlife
refuges and Native villages in the Aleutian Islands, the Russian
Far North and even as far as the Arctic Circle. For 2005,
a new itinerary will be introduced. In Harriman's Wake is
a 24-night intriguing experience that travels from Vancouver
B.C. to Nome, crossing the Arctic Circle and visiting many of
the same places Harriman's Expedition went to in 1899.
Cruise West owns and operates its own land tour operation in
Alaska as well, offering shore support in key cities, and
exclusive tours by motorcoach and deluxe domed railcar between
Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
Other Cruise West destinations include:
- British Columbia, where dynamic Pacific Rim port cities
such as Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver are just a few hours
cruising time from isolated fjords and idyllic islands.
- The Columbia & Snake Rivers, where eight locks and
dams provide access as far inland as Idaho. This
voyage into American history celebrates the Bicentennial of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition, that used these rivers
as their final route to the Pacific.
- The California Wine Country, where the network of rivers
radiating inland from San Francisco Bay provides unique
access to the lush and lovely Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
- Mexico's Sea of Cortés, a sun-splashed, little known
wonder sometimes called 'Mexico's Galapagos' for the large
number of endemic species of flora and fauna found there.
- Costa Rica and Panama, whose wildlife-rich coastal parks
and pristine tropical islands are perfect for exploration by inflatable
excursion craft.
Up-Close, Casual Cruising
Cruise
West ships offer a rare opportunity to get truly up-close to
whales, wildlife and wilderness shorelines. In Alaska, the
captain might edge right up to a waterfall pouring from a cliff
face, close enough to feel the spray. In the Sea of Cortés,
you'll linger off a rocky seamount, home to blue-footed boobies
and a huge colony of California sea lions. Whenever Nature
is putting on a show - humpback whales are breaching, or a bear
is browsing on a rocky shore - the ship has the flexibility to
linger a while, to allow guests a truly memorable experience.
Small
ships are perfect for maritime exploration of pristine areas
where roads will never lead, and docks will never be built.
Cruise West's small ships can drop anchor in a secluded bay, and
then launch inflatable excursion craft. Guests step right
from the ship into the launch, to motor to the shore for
beach activities, or perhaps circle deep-blue icebergs in a
glacier fjord. Two of Cruise West's ships have bow ramps
or ladders, allowing guests to walk straight from their ship's
bow onto the shore.
Such daily
shared adventures and the intimate nature of small ships lead to
a casual, congenial camaraderie onboard, among guests and crew
alike. By the second day of any cruise, the conversation
level over dinner is vibrant and abuzz - there's always so much
to talk about! And clothing is casual too. Cruise
West doesn't believe that suits and ties, or cocktail dresses,
are necessary to a guest's vacation enjoyment.
The Future of Small-Ship Cruising
The cruise
business is growing rapidly. As the demand for
high-quality life experience grows, an increasing number of
discerning travelers will seek out alternatives to mass-market
offerings - and small-ship cruising is bound to benefit.
Watch for more exotic new itineraries in 2006!
Vessels
| Sheltered Seas |
1986 |
95 tons |
70 passengers |
| Spirit of '98 |
1984, refurbished 1993 |
96 tons |
96 passengers |
| Spirit of Alaska |
1980, refurbished 1995 |
97 tons |
78 passengers |
| Spirit of Columbia |
1979, refurbished 1995 |
98 tons |
78 passengers |
| Spirit of Discovery |
1976, refurbished 1992 |
94 tons |
84 passengers |
| Spirit of Endeavour |
1983, refurbished 1996 |
95 tons |
102 passengers |
| Spirit of Oceanus |
1990, refurbished 2001 |
4,280 tons |
114 passengers |
| Pacific Explorer |
1995 |
1,716 (ITC)* |
100 passengers |
