Press Release

CRUISE WEST INTRODUCES FAMILY FRIENDLY FARES ON GLACIER BAY HIGHLIGHTS CRUISES ~Save Up to 75% for Kids on 3- or 4-Night Cruises ~

February 11, 2008

SEATTLE, WA, February 11, 2008 – Cruise West, the leader in small-ship cruising, offers multi-generational groups and families the opportunity to connect while exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site and natural wonderland of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Special pricing for kids ages 18 and under is available on all 2008 Glacier Bay Highlights departures, with savings of up to 75 percent off adult fare in a AAA cabin or 50 percent off the adult fare in a category A or AA cabin. Fares start at $1,799 per adult and $900 for one child sharing an A cabin.

“ One comment we feel that needs to be made is in respect of children ─ our two boys, ages 11 and 13 have been on two Cruise West Alaska cruises with us, and they have had the most amazing experience each time,” said Joanna Finn and Murray Tonks, guests of a Glacier Bay Highlights cruise in 2007. “There does not need to be any special attraction for children onboard as the wildlife and scenery, the company of like-minded adults, and the attention of the fantastic crew and Exploration Leaders are all that is needed. So if anybody asks, would this interest my child, yes is most definitely the answer.”

Glacier Bay is a living classroom with massive tidewater glaciers, lush forests and a large concentration of whales, bears, seals, sea otters, mountain goats and wolves ─ an ideal environment for a family to share spectacular, memory-building moments. Cruise West’s three- and four-night Glacier Bay Highlights cruises are onboard the newly named and new to Alaskan waters, 102-guest Spirit of Glacier Bay, offering up-close and personal encounters that large ships just can’t offer.

Each day, presentations or casual conversation with the onboard Explorations Leaders, National Park Service Ranger and local Tlingit Cultural Interpreter lead to understandings and perspectives on the history, geology and wildlife of this Glacier Region. There are no formal kids’ programs, but special onboard family activities may take place on an ad hoc basis including a photo wildlife scavenger hunt and movie and burger night.

Both the three- and four-night cruises spend two days in Glacier Bay and the four-night makes a port call at the historic town of Haines. Cruising roundtrip Juneau from May to September, special pricing for children ages two to 18 is available in multiple categories of travel, from one adult and one child sharing a cabin to two children ages 13 to 18 sharing a double cabin. Pricing is all-inclusive except alcohol and any optional excursions in Haines. Please contact a travel agent or Cruise West at ( 800) 296-8307 for details regarding additional special pricing for children.

~ 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.

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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.