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ATTEND Cruise West Presents
Press Release

CRUISE WEST OFFERING EARLY BOOKING SAVINGS ON ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE

Savings Up to $550 if Booked by Feb. 29, 2008

January 8, 2008

SEATTLE, WA, Jan. 8, 2008 – Cruise West, the leading small-ship cruise line that has been sailing to Alaska for more than 60 years, is offering savings from $100 to $550 for those guests who book one of five distinctive Alaska Inside Passage itineraries before February 29, 2008.

Cruise West provides five of its up-close, casual and personal itineraries on its small ships – including, for the first time, the newly renamed Spirit of Glacier Bay (formerly Spirit of Nantucket). Several new features designed to help guests fully appreciate Southeast Alaska’s abundant wildlife, charming ports, jagged peaks, and immense glaciers have been added to the itineraries in 2008, including optional land tours of incredible Denali National Park and Preserve. All Cruise West Alaska sailings visit the majestic Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve as well. Details on itineraries include:

The 10-night Gold Rush Inside Passage cruise travels between Seattle and Juneau – going along the historic path of the original 1898 Klondike Gold Rush stampede. Charming ports that dot the coastline in the San Juan Islands, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau in Southeast Alaska are included. The itinerary also cruises in Frederick Sound, known for its whale viewing, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This itinerary is available on six ships and is offered in May, August and September starting at $3,599 per person, double occupancy.

The eight-night Alaska’s Inside Passage cruise sails between Ketchikan and Juneau from May through August and visits the Tsimshian community of Metlakatla, Petersburg, Skagway, Haines, Frederick Sound, Sitka, and Glacier Bay. This itinerary offers a mix of port calls and scenic waterways. The newly refurbished 138-guest Spirit of Yorktown, 102-guest Spirit of Endeavour – which is new to this itinerary – and 96-guest Spirit of ’98 cruise this itinerary that starts at $4,449 per person, double occupancy.

The deep Inside Passage wilderness is explored on the eight-night Alaska’s Whales & Wilderness Inside Passage cruise, round trip from Juneau from May through August. This cruise centers on sea and wildlife viewing and includes nutrient-rich Icy Strait, renowned Glacier Bay, Frederick Sound and port calls at Sitka and a Wilderness Community. Cruise West guarantees that guests will see whales on this itinerary. The 78-guest Spirit of Alaska and 84-guest Spirit of Discovery cruise this itinerary, which starts at $3,599 per person, double occupancy.

The 11-night Coastal Odyssey onboard Cruise West’s flagship and 120-guest all-suite vessel Spirit of Oceanus travels more than1,600 miles between Vancouver, B.C. and Anchorage. Ports of call include the Tsimshian community of Metlakatla, the darling fishing village of Petersburg, popular Skagway, charming Sitka and Whittier. There are numerous wildlife viewing opportunities in the spectacular settings of Prince William Sound, Glacier Bay, Misty Fiords, Tracy Arm, and Frederick Sound. The itinerary is available May through early September starting at $7,599 per person, double occupancy.

For guests with a more limited time schedule and budget, the three and four-night Glacier Bay Highlights cruises onboard the newly named 102-guest Spirit of Glacier Bay, a new addition to the Alaska fleet, will not disappoint. Cruising round trip from Juneau from May through early September, the itinerary explores the World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The four-night cruise also makes a port stop at charming Haines. Prices start at $1,799 per person, double occupancy.

Land tours of Denali National Park and Preserve, one of America’s greatest national treasures and home of towering Mt. McKinley, North America’s tallest peak, can be added to any Cruise West Alaska itinerary, allowing guests to experience Alaska’s pristine interior.

New for 2008, booked guests may pre-book shore excursions online at least 21 days in advance of departure date. Go to www.cruisewest.com/excursions and follow the online prompts. For additional information or to book a Cruise West cruise, call 1-800-296-8307 or visit www.cruisewest.com.

~ Up-Close, Casual and Personal Cruising ~

Cruise West offers the opportunity to explore remote and distinctive destinations throughout North and Central America, Asia and the South Pacific. Small-ship cruising allows for personalized experiences not offered by larger cruise lines. Guest capacities aboard Cruise West’s nine ships range from 78-138. Guests may expect personal enrichment through onboard narrative and presentations by local experts. The ships’ forward lounges and ample outdoor deck space provide outstanding viewing opportunities, and inflatable boats allow for up-close exploration and shore landings.

Cruise West – a second-generation, family-owned business based in Seattle – offers the opportunity to explore remote, worldwide locales by providing distinctive, one-of-a-kind, personalized itineraries not offered by the traditional larger cruise lines. Cruise West’s smaller ships – nine in all – hold between 78-138 people each, and the casual style onboard encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. The experience is personally enriching through expert Exploration Leaders providing onboard narrative and lectures, special local guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library provided on each vessel. All have forward lounges and ample outdoor deck space for viewing and photographing wildlife and scenery. All vessels are also equipped with inflatable landing boats for close-up exploration of remote areas and shore landings.

Destinations served include: Alaska and the Bering Sea, British Columbia, Columbia & Snake Rivers, California Wine Country, Mexico's Sea of Cortés, Costa Rica & Panama, Japan, the South Pacific, and the Kuril Islands.