Press Release

CRUISE WEST ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST-EVER JAPAN ITINERARY, CRUISING THROUGH AN ENIGMATIC AND STUNNING CULTURE

Japan Unveiled Unlocks Ancient Mysteries While Gliding Between Past and Present

Mar 10 2005 12:00AM

Cruise West, the largest American-owned cruise line and leader in small ship cruising, will break new ground in exotic, experiential cruising in 2006 as it embarks on its first-ever exploration itinerary to Japan. Sailing aboard Cruise West’s all-suite flagship, Spirit of Oceanus, guests will experience the journey of their lifetime on the line’s new Japan Unveiled itinerary, available from March through October 2006.

Cruise West’s Japan Unveiled cruises – 12 in all – run during the ideal seasons in Japan, encompassing Hanami, the season of cherry blossoms, or Momiji, the time of falling maple leaves. On sale now, prices begin at $5,349 per person, double occupancy. If booked and paid in full nine months prior to departure, guests can save up to $800 per person.

“This is one of the most important and exciting opportunities our company has ever offered,” said Richard G. West, chairman and CEO, who personally helped design the new itinerary. “Our company has earned a reputation during the past 50 years for offering the kind of casual, intimate, up-close experiential cruises that the big ship lines simply cannot. We will take guests behind the cultural curtain to the insider’s Japan – the coastal ports and feudal castle towns that shaped this island nation.”

Choice of 13- or 16-night exotic voyages of discovery

Cruise West will offer a choice of 13- or 16-night itineraries, exploring many areas that are simply inaccessible to large ships and off the well-traveled itinerary routes. Beginning in Kobe, one of the first port cities to begin accepting foreign traders following Japan’s two and a half centuries of isolation, guests will tour the spectacular white Himeji Castle and from there will indulge in Zen perfection as they tour Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. Afterwards, they can participate in an ancient tea ceremony and travel the canals of Kurashiki, dotted with stone bridges and outlined with willow trees.

In Miyajima, guests view the magical red torii gates that appear to be floating at high tide at the Itsukushima Shrine, one of the most important Shinto shrines and, in Hiroshima, will tour the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome. From there, Cruise West encourages guests to contemplate the geysers, mud ponds and exotic-colored pools and enjoy a hot soak at Jigoku, the most extreme onsen (hot spring) in Japan.

At Kyongju, guests step into the past to the ruins of the Korean Shilla dynasty, where the former glowing capital used to preside. From there, Cruise West sails to Kanazawa and showcases the extraordinary beauty of the spectacular Kenrokuen Garden, thought to be one of the most beautiful in all of Japan, adjoined with the Gyokusenen Garden. Finally, after disembarking the Spirit of Oceanus, guests move from past to present at speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour (about 186 miles per hour) on the shinkansen – Japanese high-speed bullet trains – from Niigata to Tokyo, providing guests with the sense of a culture in a technological movement more advanced than most countries.

Additionally, Cruise West gives the option of cruising for 16-nights to provide an up-close, intimate glimpse into the intrinsic heritage of Japan, viewing spiritual and natural art throughout the cities of Kyoto and Nara. The mighty bronze Buddha of Todaiji Temple, the largest bronze statue in the world, and the celebrated Kinkakuji Pavilion, an elaborate temple covered in gold leaf, are just two of the wonders that Cruise West’s guests can explore there. Also, guests can seek serenity and peace by following the way of Buddha, wondering through Zen gardens where ancient Buddhists meditated for hours without disturbance from the outside world, hoping to achieve Enlightenment, the ultimate understanding to the truth of existence.

~ Up-Close, Casual and Personal Cruising ~

Cruise West – a second-generation, family-owned business – 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 – eight in all – hold between 70-114 people each, and the casual style onboard encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. The experience is personally enriching through 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.

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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.