Press Release

All-Suite Spirit Of Oceanus Links Alaska's Inside Passage, Prince William Sound And Bering Sea On Two Cruise Itineraries Not Possible With Larger Or Smaller Vessels

Jan 26 2004 12:00AM

Seattle, January 2004 -- The unusual capabilities of Cruise West's flagship Spirit of Oceanus make possible two far-ranging cruises that trace the coastlines of British Columbia, Alaska and northeastern Russia from Vancouver, BC, to the Arctic Circle beyond the Bering Strait. Both of these itineraries are detailed in a special Spirit of Oceanus brochure now available. The 114-passenger ship has stabilizers for ocean voyages, is highly maneuverable for close-to-shore sailing, is appointed with all outward-facing luxury suites and uses a fleet of Zodiac launches for quick shore landings and up-close encounters with wildlife.

"Coastal Odyssey" -- 12 nights between Vancouver and Anchorage -- explores Misty Fjords National Monument, Tracy Arm fjord, Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound and calls at Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia and the Inside Passage communities of Petersburg, Juneau and Sitka. The six departures -- May 10 through August 20 -- are priced from $5,599 to $8,799 per person, double occupancy. "Voyage to the Bering Sea" -- 14 nights between Anchorage and Nome -- visits Kenai Fjords and Katmai national parks, the Shumagin Islands, St. George Island bird cliffs and fur seal beaches, Nunivak Island in the Yukon Delta Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and calls at Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Pribilof Islands, Provideniya as well as Eskimo villages in Alaska and Russia. Four departures, June 11, 23, July 5 and 17, are priced from $7,199 to $10,499.

The extraordinary "Voyage to the Bering Sea" itinerary takes in Kenai Fjords, little known outside of Alaska, where eight glaciers creep down from Harding Ice Field to calve icebergs into the sea. Mountain goats live high on surrounding cliffs, harbor seals play on offshore islands, Black and Brown bears live and feed along the shore, while bald eagles watch over their kingdom from the high branches of spruce and hemlock trees. Dall porpoises, sea otters, humpback and orca whales feed in these waters and tens of thousands of seabirds -- horned and tufted puffins, blacklegged kittiwakes, common murres and gulls -- nest on the sheer cliffs.

Travelers on this stunning voyage are exposed to Aleut and Eskimo cultures no longer present in other regions of Alaska. Kodiak,s Baranov and Alutiiq museums preserve 7,500 years of arts and traditions of the Aleut people, as well as treasures from a century of Russian occupation. The Russian presence in Alaska is also seen in the museums and Russian Orthodox churches of Dutch Harbor and Unalaska. Travelers meet Yu,pik Eskimos along Russia,s Chukchi Sea coast and on Alaska,s Little Diomede Island just fifty miles below the Arctic Circle.

The "Coastal Odyssey" sailings make use of Zodiacs in spectacular natural areas such as Glacier Bay, Misty Fjords and Tracy Arm, where Alaska travelers weave through icebergs near glacier faces, explore tidewater pools and approach close enough to touch granite walls that rise thousands of feet from water that is 1,000 feet deep.

The all-suite Spirit of Oceanus matches the cuisine and many of the luxury services of much larger vessels including two main lounges, an exercise room, and an outdoor dining terrace surrounding a large hot tub. Each suite has picture windows, a lounge area, tiled bathroom, mini-bar, and satellite telephone access. Less than 300 feet long, the ship is able to maneuver in smaller, off-the-mainstream ports including Eskimo villages, Dutch Harbor, and Petersburg, a southeastern Alaska fishing town settled by Norwegian people beginning in 1897.

Prices include shore arrangements at all ports of call and connecting flights between Nome and Anchorage on "Voyage to the Bering Sea." Both itineraries connect with an optional land-based motorcoach and domed railcar tour between Anchorage, Denali Park and Fairbanks.

Travelers may combine the "Coastal Odyssey" and "Voyage to the Bering Sea" cruises in one 24-night Grand Alaskan cruise adventure, departing Vancouver June 1 or Nome July 17, covering almost 4,000 miles of wilderness coastline from British Columbia,s hemlock and Douglas fir forests to the tundra wastes of Russia,s Chuckchi Peninsula and the Bering Strait. The combination results in a minimum five percent savings on each segment.

Reservations, additional information and brochures can be obtained from travel agents and Cruise West, Suite 700, 2401 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121, telephone (800) 888-9378; fax (206) 441-4757; web site www.cruisewest.com.

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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.