Press Release

EPIC ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION AT ITS FINEST IN STORE FOR CRUISE WEST GUESTS DURING 2006 GRAND VOYAGES

 Flagship Spirit of Oceanus takes guests beyond the expected into the chronicles of exploration

Aug 25 2005 12:00AM

Seattle, WA, August 25, 2005 – Retracing one of the world’s most famous scientific expeditions…undertaking an epic odyssey on a legendary route between two worlds…taking an incredible journey to the top of the world and beyond…while these may sound like adventures from the pages of an H.G. Wells novel, they are actually descriptions of what guests can experience on Cruise West’s four 2006 Grand Voyages itineraries aboard the line’s flagship Spirit of Oceanus.

The Ring of Fire itinerary, offered September 22, 2006, is a 13-day voyage from Anchorage to Tokyo and showcases the active geology and fascinating cultures of lands such as the Kuril Islands – heavily forested and volcanic (home to more than 100 volcanoes, 35 currently active). In Harriman’s Wake, Coastal Odyssey and Voyage to the Bering Sea, each offered from May through August 2006, provide Cruise West’s guests with the choice of 12- to 25-day itineraries to explore ancient history, witnessing sights beyond their imagination in Alaska and Russia and interacting with the people of the First Nations – all with the casual comfort and personal interaction of small-ship cruising.

The Ring of Fire explores mysterious lands while aboard the Spirit of Oceanus, including Petropavlosk in the Russian Far East, Kamchatka Peninsula, Atlasova Island and Ptichi Islands – one of the most exciting places for birdwatching, seeking slaty-backed gulls, tufted puffins, common murres, Asian rosy finches and peregrines. The small ship then takes Cruise West guests on through the Kuril Islands – Yankicha Island, Simushir Island, Chirpoy Islands, Urup Island and Kurilsk, Iturup Island – the largest village in the Kuril Islands. The Spirit of Oceanus also takes guests to the northern islands of Japan – Kushiro, Tomakomai, Niigata and, finally, Tokyo. Guests have the option of extending the Ring of Fire cruise with a four-day Japan land tour, exploring temples and shrines in Kyoto and Nara, including the Todaiji Temple with its 49-foot-tall Buddha. Ring of Fire cruises begin at $4,999 per person, double-occupancy; the Japan land tour option starts at $7,249 per person, double-occupancy.

In Harriman’s Wake blends the 12-day Coastal Odyssey and 14-day Voyage to the Bering Sea itineraries, sailing from Vancouver to the Bering Sea – even crossing the Arctic Circle – on a 25-day voyage of almost 3,600 miles. The voyage traces the famed route of E.H. Harriman, the influential 19th century American businessman who embarked on the ultimate “vacation” to Alaska accompanied by some of the world’s most prominent people of that time. The voyage produced major new scientific discoveries and provided an invaluable assessment and survey of the Alaskan environment.

On Cruise West’s comprehensive voyage, the Spirit of Oceanus sails up the Canadian Inside Passage on to Glacier Bay, through Prince William Sound, Kenai, Kodiak and Katmai National Park. Guests travel by inflatable excursion craft to the Shumagin Islands and, after stopping at Unalaska, the Spirit of Oceanus takes guests to the Pribilof Islands and Yukon Delta National Refuge. Reaching the Russian Far East, Cruise West guests explore the Bering Sea and the rugged shoreline of Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula. There they may also visit villages such as Novoye Chaplino, Gambell, Savoonga or Yanrakynnot, and then sail across the Arctic Circle. Voyages start at $14,449 per person, double-occupancy, and sail May 28, June 19, July 13 and August 4.

On the 12-day Coastal Odyssey itinerary, the Spirit of Oceanus takes guests on the same route as In Harriman’s Wake from British Columbia to the Prince William Sound, beginning at $6,249 per person, double-occupancy. The Spirit of Oceanus cruises the Coastal Odyssey itinerary May 6, 17 & 28, July 2 & 13, and August 17 & 28. The Spirit of Oceanus also takes guests on a Voyage to the Bering Sea from Anchorage, crossing the Arctic Circle, to Nome. As on the In Harriman’s Wake cruise, guests also have the option of visiting one or more villages in the Bering Sea: Novoye Chaplino, Yanrakynnot or Savoonga. Cruises start at $8,399 per person, double-occupancy, sailing June 7 & 19, July 23, and August 4.

All three Alaskan Grand Voyages can be extended with a Denali National Park and Preserve land tour, traveling via motorcoach – hoping to view Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America, soaring to 20,320 feet. While lodging in Denali, guests have the option to “flightsee” around Mt. McKinley, heli-hike or whitewater raft. Guests then travel north to Fairbanks by motorcoach for a day of sightseeing and a ride down the Chena and Tanana Rivers on an authentic sternwheeler riverboat – one of the most popular means of transportation in the North for over a century. After another night stay, guests depart from Fairbanks for their journey home.

On the Coastal Odyssey and Voyage to the Bering Sea cruises, guests may further prolong their stay in Denali by lodging at one of the extraordinary wilderness lodges, including Winterlake Lodge, situated along the Iditarod Trail, 198 miles from Anchorage, accessible only by floatplane in the summer, or Redoubt Bay Lodge, located within a 171,000-acre critical habitat with one of the densest bear population in Alaska, overlooking Big River Lakes and accessible by floatplane.

At Cruise West, taxes, port charges, fees and onboard services are all included in itinerary prices. Guests are neither expected nor required to tip for onboard services.

~ Up-Close, Casual and Personal Cruising ~

Cruise West – a second-generation, family-owned company – 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 70-120 people each, and the casual style onboard encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike.

To make reservations or request a brochure, visit www.cruisewest.com or call (800) 203-8306.

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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.