Cruise West

Voyage to the Bering Sea

Our Voyage to the Bering Sea journeys take 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.

Here you'll experience sights, sounds, and people you'll remember the rest of your life-the white bones of a whalebone repository on the dark tundra, native cultures who still rely on sealskin kayaks, and wildlife so prolific, the cliffs and shorelines seem to shift and move like a mirage. One day, you may travel by Zodiac to a wilderness shore to see a grizzly browse alone the beach. Another, search for petrified wood on a deserted beach. Truly a voyage beyond the ordinary.

Recommended for:

  • Guests who want to explore far beyond Alaska's travel mainstream.
  • Travelers anxious to view pristine wilderness, tiny native villages, and isolated cultures.

Highlights:

  • Explore the rich heritage of Kodiak, Alaska's first formal Russian-American settlement
  • Step ashore in Katmai National Park where huge brown bears fish for salmon
  • Watch for fin whales as you cruise the Shelikoff Strait
  • View the petrified remains of a 12-million-year-old forest in the Shumagin Islands
  • Go ashore in Dutch Harbor to explore the historic Russian Orthodox Church, WWII bunkers and Aleut baidarkas (kayaks)

The Ship:

Cruise West's flagship, the all-suite 114-guest Spirit of Oceanus, features spacious guest suites (many with private teak-floored balconies), outside viewing areas on four of the five guest-level decks, as well as a beautifully appointed dining room, library and lounges. Guests enjoy spacious walk-in closets or wardrobes, marble vanities, and deluxe sitting rooms in all suites. Oceangoing stabilizers open new horizons for up-close small-ship cruising.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN ANCHORAGE
Transfer to the Sheraton Hotel.

Day 2 SAIL FROM WHITTIER
Enjoy a tour that includes a visit to the Museum of History and Fine Art. Transfer by motorcoach to Whittier to board the Spirit of Oceanus and begin your cruise, sailing through Prince William Sound.

Day 3 WILDERNESS CRUISING
The waters between the Alaska mainland and Kodiak Island are filled with intrigue. Be on deck to see the rugged coastline of Kenai Fjords National Park. Your Captain will determine the best spots to explore today based on the local conditions.

Day 4 KODIAK
Visit the Baranov Museum, the Alutiiq Museum and the Fish Tech Center, all in Alaska’s first Russian-American settlement.

Day 5 KATMAI NATIONAL PARK
Look for brown bears digging for clams as you explore the remote shoreline of Geographic Harbor, where migrating birds like the Arctic Tern stop.

Day 6 SHUMAGIN ISLANDS
Conditions permitting, “wet land,” to explore tidal pools and the tundra. Look for 8,200-foot Pavlov Volcano and seabirds, seals, and sea lions on Haystack Rocks.

Day 7 DUTCH HARBOR
Here on Unalaska Island see the Museum of the Aleutians, World War II Memorial Park, and World War II Museum.

Day 8 PRIBILOF ISLANDS
St. George is a prime viewing site for fur seals and reindeer. Watch for puffins, auklets, and murres.

Day 9 WILDERNESS EXPLORATION
Go to remote islands such as fogbound Nunivak, part of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. You may spot wild musk oxen and reindeer.

Day 10 EXPLORING THE BERING SEA
Clear customs into Russia and take a tour of Provideniya. Search the rugged shoreline of Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula. In three days of exploration, you may also visit these villages:

Little Diomede - Seperated from Russia's Big Diomede by less than two miles and the International Date Line.

Novoye Chaplino - This Yupik village claims kinship to Alaskan Eskimos.

Yanrakynnot - These Chukchi subsistence hunters go after walrus, whales and other sea creatures. Nearby, Whale Bone Alley runs along the shore for miles.

Savoonga - Hailed as the “Walrus Capital of the World,” the natives here are subsistence hunters, living off the sea and land.

Day 11 EXPLORING THE BERING SEA
A second day of exploration.

Day 12 EXPLORING THE BERING SEA
A third day of exploration.

Day 13 THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
Cruise far north, perhaps to cross the Arctic Circle. Possible whale sightings include grays, minkes, humpbacks, and bowheads.

Day 14 NOME TO ANCHORAGE
See the spirit of Nome with a sightseeing tour of their Gold Rush fever history before leaving on your included flight to Anchorage. Tour ends upon arrival in Anchorage.

Cost of This Trip

13 Night trip

The least expensive cabin costs:
$692 per person per night

The most expensive stateroom costs:
$1223 pp pn
Where in the World Travel
A Villages travel agency
424 Bishopville Loop
The Villages, FL 32162
352-751-0621

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