Up-Close, Casual & Personal

Cruise West is a second-generation, family-owned company that enables travelers to explore remote locales not accessible to larger cruise ships. Cruise West’s smaller ships hold only 78-138 guests, encouraging congenial interaction between guests and crew and creating a relaxed environment. All ships have forward lounges and ample outdoor deck space for viewing and photographing wildlife and scenery. All vessels are also equipped with inflatable landing craft for up-close exploration of remote areas and shore landings.

	The Cruise West Experience If you've traveled with big ship cruise lines in the past, it's time to forget everything you thought you knew about cruising. And if you've avoided cruising because you thought it would be like traveling in a floating mall, it's time to think again. This is something else altogether. The guest is always top-of-mind at Cruise West. Through interaction with guests and surveys, Cruise West continues to create thoughtful itineraries to distinctive and unique destinations, many difficult to reach by other modes of transportation. Guests tend to be intellectually curious and yearning for an enriching experience in a casual environment. Small-ship cruising offers the flexibility to stop the ship at a moment’s notice to observe a passing pod of whales or bears feeding on shore or to observe the locals fishing in places like Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. With excursions offered at every port, guest experiences are personalized and enriched through onboard and on-shore lectures by naturalists and historical experts. Small-ship cruising is infinitely flexible, and demand for such high-quality life experiences is ever growing. Watch this site for future developments!
	The Story of a Company Signature Cruise West is a family company. Not simply family owned, but with a family commitment that is shared by every member of the team. Several years ago, when we were searching for a way to communicate the distinct difference of our small-ship voyages, a Cruise West employee offered a photograph of a bear that had been taken from the deck of one of our ships. When placed alongside a photo from the distant decks of a massive ocean liner, the difference was clear and compelling. The Our Bear/Their Bear ad was born. Over the years, the photographs of bears have changed as new explorers discovered new sightings, but the difference between the small-ship "our bear" and the megaship "their bear" remains unchanged. When you cruise with Our Bear, you'll see and experience more. Now when you come aboard for your voyage and a friendly crew member extends a hand and says, "Welcome to the Bear," you'll know what he or she is talking about.
	Are You a Cruise West Cruiser? Cruise West guests would rather watch for whales than spend the afternoon in a casino. They linger outside on deck as the Captain noses under a waterfall, rather than watch a video. On a small ship, the focus is outside where Nature provides the entertainment, rather than on artificial amusements conjured up to occupy your attention during long hours of open water. With Cruise West, you're not just a visitor, you're a participant. Whether you're kayaking off a wilderness island in Mexico, hiking in a rainforest in Alaska, or enjoying a spectacular spring garden in British Columbia, each of our small-ship cruises is an engaging experience for all your senses.
	Up-Close, Casual & Personal When Chuck West first offered unique and personal travel experiences more than 60 years ago, he built his business on the philosophy that drives Cruise West to this day: to provide up-close travel that focuses on the destination - its scenery, wildlife, natural history and culture - all in the company of limited numbers of like-minded travelers. While magnificent sweeping views are certainly abundant in every one of our destinations, it's the glory of the details, viewed close up, that bring you the most rewarding memories - cruising so close to a waterfall you can feel the mist, or seeing the barnacles on a humpback's fin. The casual style onboard all of our vessels encourage relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. And the experience is personally enriching, through onboard narratives and lectures, special local guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library provided on each vessel.
	Is Small-Ship Cruising Right For You?