Cruise West - The CompanyIf you've traveled with big ship cruise lines in the past, it's time to forget everything you thought you knew about cruising. And if you've avoided cruising because you thought it would be like traveling in a floating mall, it's time to think again. This is something else altogether. Are You a Cruise West Cruiser?Cruise West guests would rather watch for whales than spend the afternoon in a casino. They linger outside on deck as the Captain noses under a waterfall, rather than watch a video. On a small ship, the focus is outside where Nature provides the entertainment, rather than on artificial amusements conjured up to occupy your attention during long hours of open water.With Cruise West, you're not just a visitor, you're a participant. Whether you're kayaking off a wilderness island in Mexico, hiking in a rain forest in Alaska, or enjoying a spectacular spring garden in British Columbia, each of our small-ship cruises is an engaging experience for all your senses. Up-Close, Casual & PersonalWhen Chuck West first offered unique and personal travel experiences more than 50 years ago, he built his business on the philosophy that drives Cruise West to this day: to provide up-close travel that focuses on the destination - its scenery, wildlife, natural history and culture - all in the company of limited numbers of like-minded travelers.While magnificent sweeping views are certainly abundant in every one of our destinations, it's the glory of the details, viewed close up, that bring you the most rewarding memories - cruising so close to a waterfall you can feel the mist, or see the barnacles on a humpback's fin. The casual style on board all of our vessels encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. And the experience is personally enriching, through on-board narrative and lectures, special local guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library provided on each vessel. The Small Ship AdvantageIn many of the remote waterways we visit, small ships are the only way to explore the area. We forsake the wider shipping lanes for channels just a few hundred feet wide, tie up to inner piers in tiny villages, and share waterways with local fishermen and perhaps a few private yachts. Some of our ships have bow ladders for shore access. Many carry inflatable excursion craft to take you to where the action is.Your cruise on our small ship is not filled with elaborate distractions, sleek resorts, and packaged tours. Rather, our small ships are perfect for intimate exploration of off-the-beaten track waterways, narrow channels and tiny ports that passengers on large ships will never see. When Cruise West guests visit a small port in Alaska's Inside Passage or along Baja Mexico's Sea of Cortés, we don't overwhelm the local communities or crowd nature trails. In fact, our largest vessel hosts just 114 guests. And in the small ports we visit, we've nourished excellent relationships with the local innkeepers, port directors, and local storytellers. That means everywhere you travel, you have entrée to the very best experiences that each community can offer. And in every Cruise West destination, at least one shore excursion or highlight is included in each port of call, to further encourage your active involvement. Your time is spent wisely, too. Rather than making a beeline from port to port, our Captains have the flexibility - and the inclination - to linger when nature is putting on a show, whether it's a spectacular rainbow or a rare view of wildlife. The Chuck West Story
In 1946, a young pilot just back from piloting the Hump between India and China in World War II was serving as a bush pilot in Alaska. As Chuck West flew over some of the most spectacular terrain on earth, his dream was born. He dreamed of sharing these wonders with the world. Chuck set his dream in action that very year, founding Arctic Alaska Travel Service in Fairbanks. He began by offering local sightseeing tours, and the first air tours above the Arctic Circle. The business took off, and soon Chuck was responsible for the first hotel chain in Alaska, the first motorcoach line, and the first modern small-ship cruises. His company became Westours, a dominant operator in Alaska. Chuck earned the affectionate title "Mr. Alaska" from his peers in honor of his pioneering the modern Alaska travel industry. In 1971, Chuck decided to sell Westours to Holland America. For awhile, he thought he might have done all he needed to do to share Alaska with the world. But as he watched, he realized travelers were hungry for something more. So two years later, he founded the company that became today's Cruise West. Initially offering space on the Alaska state ferries and other lines' ships, in the mid 1980s Chuck started experimenting with multi-night daylight-only yacht cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage. This program, featuring the sleek 90-foot touring yacht Sheltered Seas, still operates today on 5- 6- and 9-day tours between Ketchikan, Petersburg, Glacier Bay National Park and Juneau. The Story of a Company Signature
Cruise West is a family company. Not simply family owned, but with a family commitment that is shared by every member of the team.Several years ago, when we were searching for a way to communicate the distinct difference of our small-ship voyages, a Cruise West employee offered a photograph of a bear that had been taken from the deck of one of our ships. When placed alongside a photo from the distant decks of a massive ocean liner, the difference was clear and compelling. The Our Bear/Their Bear ad was born. Over the years, the photographs of bears have changed as new explorers discovered new sightings, but the difference between "our bear" and "their bear" remains unchanged. When you cruise with Our Bear, you'll see and experience more. Now when you come aboard for your Alaska voyage and a friendly crew member extends a hand and says, "Welcome to the Bear," you'll know what they're talking about. Moving Forward - Small-Ship CruisingIn 1990 Chuck and his son Dick, now chairman & CEO of Cruise West, acquired a 52-guest mini-cruise ship and renamed her the Spirit of Glacier Bay. The initial operation was 2-night cruises from Juneau into Glacier Bay National Park. This program proved so successful that in 1991 the company acquired the Spirit of Alaska to inaugurate the first cruises between Seattle and Alaska for nearly 40 years.Cruise West's style of up-close, casual, personal cruising was enthusiastically welcomed by the traveling public, and the company grew phenomenally, adding nearly one new vessel per year. In the early 1990s, Cruise West expanded its cruise operations to lower British Columbia, the historic Columbia and Snake Rivers, and the California Wine Country. In December 1998, winter-season cruises to the spectacular Sea of Cortés and Baja California expanded the company's range of offerings to Mexico. In 2001 Cruise West acquired its flagship, the 114-guest, all-suite Spirit of Oceanus. Equipped with stabilizers, the Spirit of Oceanus can cruise all seas. Her itineraries in Alaska include rare opportunities to explore the remotest waters of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. Cruise West added small-ship explorations of Costa Rica and Panama in 2002 aboard the 100-guest M/V Pacific Explorer. The pristine national parks and tropical offshore islands here are best - and sometimes only - accessible by small ship. This region offers incredible biodiversity, with over 800 species of birds in Costa Rica alone. In 2004, Cruise West enhanced its Alaska Inside Passage offerings by becoming the first cruise line to venture up Portland Canal to the community of Hyder, where guests can watch black and grizzly bears feeding on spawning salmon in season. We also added Kenai Fjords to our Alaska Coastal Odyssey cruises, giving guests the opportunity to watch for puffins, orcas, seals and sea lions in the water and along the shore. Other changes for the 2004 season include the increased use of inflatable excursion craft and the addition of a third ship on the Alaska Inside Passage route, the 100-passenger Spirit of 98. A two-night stay at Glacier Bay National Park has also been added to the Alaska Daylight Yacht Tour portfolio, and the Bering Sea itinerary features several additional ports and highlights. Cruise West TodayThe Cruise West experience has always been designed around our guests, and that tradition continues today. Unlike other cruise lines, every guest survey is reviewed by every manager at Cruise West, allowing us to constantly adjust our itineraries, shore excursions, and programs to better meet the needs and desires of those who travel with us.Small-ship cruising is infinitely flexible, and demand for such high-quality life experiences is ever growing. Watch this space for future developments! The ShipsSpirit of Oceanus - Cruise West's first oceangoing vessel is also the most spacious and luxurious. The flagship of the fleet hosts just 114 guests in comfortable outside suites, each with a picture window or porthole.Spirit of Endeavour - is one of Cruise West's fastest vessels, allowing for maximum flexibility while en route. The decor is sleek, stylish, and quietly elegant with light wood accents and artistically etched glass. Pacific Explorer - maneuverable and versatile, the 100-guest Pacific Explorer is the perfect way to travel in comfort throughout your Central American adventures. Spirit of 98 - boasts all modern amenities but she was designed to emulate an early-20th century coastal steamer complete with carved wooden cabinetry, plush floral upholstery and a Grand Salon complete with a player piano, plus a full bar with old-world charm. Spirit of Alaska - her shallow draft, spacious bow and comfortable cruising speed make for optimum wildlife viewing. Spirit of Columbia - is a cozy vessel perfect for shared adventure in Prince William Sound. With her shallow draft and stately pace of cruising, you won't miss a thing as she lingers among the back channels, bays and wilderness islands. Spirit of Discovery - is one of Cruise West's most popular vessels. Every category stateroom offers a wide view window, many of which open for you to enjoy fresh breezes. Ample outside deck space and easy access to the extra-roomy bow area are perfect spots to view the sights around you. The DestinationsAlaska CruisesVoyage to the Bering Sea - takes you on an epic voyage of nearly 2,000 miles in the wake of Danish explorer Vitus Bering, to some of the most remote and spectacular islands on earth. Every place you go is rarely, if ever, visited by other cruise ships.Coastal Odyssey - cruises over 1,600 miles between Vancouver, B.C. and Anchorage, exploring the entire Inside Passage between British Columbia and Glacier Bay National Park, and the spectacular Gulf of Alaska coast. - in 1899, America's most powerful railroad magnate, Edward Henry Harriman, personally organized and funded what was to become the most significant scientific expedition ever undertaken in Alaskan waters. Today you can follow in their wake. Alaska Inside Passage - journeys are designed to take you far from the mainstream within the hidden reaches of Alaska's magnificent Inside Passage. You will explore spectacular fjords inhabited only by mountain goats, seals, and black bears. Gold Rush Cruise - value-priced, the Gold Rush Inside Passage cruises early and late in the Alaska travel season, before the crowds arrive, and when the scenery is often at its dramatic peak. Caribbean CruisesYachtsman's Caribbean - seven night cruise - see the Caribbean as if you are on a luxury yacht.Between Two Seas - Costa Rica and Panama - 9 nights Coast To Canal - Small ship passage through the Panama Canal - 7 nights Gems of Costa Rica - Remote islands and jungle exploration - 7 nights Family Adventure - Costa Rica and Panama - Jungle treks and shoreside adventure - 6 nights US River CruisesVintner's Choice - California Wine Country - Inside the world of wine - 4 nightsCulture of the Vine - California Wine Country - A memorable wine country weekend - 3 nights A River Voyage of Discovery - Columbia River - A voyage through time and legend - 7 nights US Coastal CruisesWhales and Wildlife - Baja Mexico and the Sea of Cortes - The secret wilderness of the sea - 7 nightsCoastal Wilderness - British Columbia - Cruise Canada's enchanted waterways - 7 nights Far East CruisesJapan Unveiled - Ancient traditions and contemporary culture - 13 nightsSouth Pacific CruisesIsland Sanctuaries - Experience Tahitian culture and wildlife - 11 nightsPearls of Polynesia - Islands, Atolls and Motus - 13 nights Legends of the Pacific - Traditional villages, WWII sites and snorkeling - 18 nights |