Press Release

ALWAYS THE ALASKA PIONEER, CRUISE WEST MAKES FIRST-EVER PORT CALL AT SAVOONGA, A BERING SEA ESKIMO VILLAGE NEAR SIBERIA

Jul 14 2004 12:00AM

Seattle, July, 2004 -- On June 20, 2004, Cruise West’s 114-passenger flagship, the all-suite Spirit of Oceanus, became the first cruise ship to call at the remote Bering Sea Eskimo village of Savoonga on the northern coast of St. Lawrence Island. Located 164 miles west of Nome, the island is actually closer to Siberia than to Alaska. Dubbed the “Walrus Capital of the World,” Savoonga's 700 inhabitants -- indigenous Alaskan and Siberian Yupik people who have lived there for 2,000 years -- are supported by a fishing lifestyle and a subsistence diet of seal, walrus, bowhead whales and reindeer and are known for the quality of their ivory carvings.

Savoonga was visited as part of Cruise West’s 13-night “Voyage to the Bering Sea” itinerary, sailing between Anchorage and Nome with stops in remote areas of Alaska and Far East Russia. Departures in 2005 are June 4 and 16, July 20 and August 1. Rates for 2005 range from $7,799 per person, double for a superior suite to $11,399 for the Grand Titan suite, including port charges, shore activities and airport transfers. Pre- and post-cruise options are available.

The inaugural call was a significant event for villagers and cruise travelers alike. During the five-hour visit, passengers were transferred to shore by inflatable excursion craft and divided into small groups for an escorted walking tour of the village. Sites included seal and polar bear skins drying on racks, recently harvested whales on the beach and displays of intricate ivory carvings, which may be legally brought into the U.S. Later, three whaling captains explained to the group how they prepare for a hunt and the whale harvesting process.

The stops at Savoonga, also on St. Lawrence Island, Novoye Chaplino, Yanrakynnot, and Little Diomede -- all near the Arctic Circle and Russia's Chukotka Peninsula -- depend upon weather and tidal conditions. The ship makes visits to Homer, Kodiak Island, Katmai National Park, the Shumagin Islands, Dutch Harbor, the Pribilof Islands and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuges or islands in the Yukon Delta.

The oceangoing Spirit of Oceanus matches the cuisine and many of the luxury services of much larger vessels offering two main lounges, a library, an exercise room and an outdoor dining terrace where passengers can relax under the stars in the hot tub. Most suites have pictures windows (12 offer private balconies); all have a lounge area, tiled bathroom, small refrigerators and satellite telephone access. The ship can easily maneuver among small islands and fishing hamlets inaccessible to large cruise ships.

Reservations, additional information and brochures can be obtained from travel agents and Cruise West, Suite 401, 2301 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121, telephone 800-888-9378; fax 206-441-4757; web site www.cruisewest.com ### Gillies and Zaiser 110 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10024 CW-14-July, 2004

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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.