The Cruise West Advantage - Smaller is Better. Cruise West’s international fleet of 9 small ships is thoughtfully designed to deliver up-close experiences that no large vessel can offer. With over 60 years of travel experience we’ve perfected the best way to observe the world’s natural beauty and cultures. In combination with our own shore excursions and land tours in the company of seasoned, onboard Exploration Leaders, there is simply no better way to travel. Beloware some of the differences you’ll enjoy as a Cruise West small-ship guest rather than a typical mega-ship passenger.
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Cruise West rolls out "SPIRIT OF DISTINCTION"
Introducing COMPASS Enrichment Program, PALATE Wine & Food Program and EXPLORER CLASS Cabins
Cruise West is revitalizing the overall guest experience with several significant enhancements collectively called ‘Spirit Of Distinction.’ ‘Compass’, a more robust enrichment program guided by a world class Board of Advisors, will be introduced for the enjoyment of all guests. The launch of ‘Palate’ Wine & Food Program will include an updated, award-winning wine list with food pairings and United States Sommelier Association certification for onboard servers. Several vessels will also offer the option to dine “alfresco,” and all sailings will enjoy new menu items. The well-appointed new Explorer Class cabin category, replete with upscale, eco-friendly amenities, will be added to three of the lines’ nine ships.
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The Small-Ship Advantage
In many of the remote waterways we visit, small ships are the only way to explore the area. We forsake the wider shipping lanes for channels just a few hundred feet wide, tie up to inner piers in tiny villages, and share waterways with local fishermen and perhaps a few private yachts. And our ships carry inflatable excursion craft to take you to where the action is.
Your cruise on our small ship is not filled with elaborate distractions, sleek resorts, and packaged tours. Rather, our small ships are perfect for intimate exploration of off-the-beaten track waterways, narrow channels and tiny ports that passengers on large ships will never see.
When Cruise West guests visit a small port in Alaska's Inside Passage or along Baja Mexico's Sea of Cortés, we don't overwhelm the local communities or crowd nature trails. In fact, our largest vessel hosts just 138 guests. And in the small ports we visit, we've nourished excellent relationships with the local innkeepers, port directors, and storytellers. That means everywhere you travel, you have entrée to the very best experiences that each community can offer. And in every Cruise West destination, at least one shore excursion or highlight is included in each port of call, to further encourage your active involvement.
Your time is spent wisely, too. Rather than making a beeline from port to port, our Captains have the flexibility - and the inclination - to linger when nature is putting on a show, whether it's a spectacular rainbow or a rare view of wildlife.
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The Cruise West Style – Like-Minded People
After just a few days of sailing with Cruise West, most of our guests will be on an intimate, first name basis with both crew and other guests — all of whom share a passion for travel, adventure and learning. With a professional yet family-like atmosphere onboard, our personal approach will quickly become a valued part of your experience.
At Cruise West, our philosophy is that smaller is better. Sailing small ships off the beaten path and without the regimen of a typical large-ship cruise brings new, unexpected opportunities and experiences. If we spot a bear, we nudge closer to the shore; if a pod of dolphins surfaces off the stern, we turn around and linger. Many of our itineraries also use inflatable landing craft to explore secluded waterways — often without a dock in sight. In short: we get closer. For Cruise West smaller also means comfortable and casual. Say goodbye to floorshows, dinner bells and formalwear. We’ve traded bow ties for blue jeans, and artificial entertainment for a chance to get up-close with nature, with our Exploration Leaders and with other like-minded adventurers.
For over 60 years, Cruise West has been operating in an up-close, casual and personal style. From Alaska to Costa Rica and across the Pacific Basin, we’ve perfected the use of our fleet of 9 small ships, allowing our guests to truly experience each of our destinations. Combined with our own shore excursions and land tours, there’s simply no better way to vacation than with Cruise West!
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Hands-On Experiences
There are countless aspects of your Cruise West experience that will set your journey apart from the ordinary, but it’s often the information you absorb and the friendships you form with our Exploration Leaders that will leave the biggest impression.
Onboard throughout your voyage, Cruise West Exploration Leaders boast years of experience as naturalists and educators. They’ve worked with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club and are experts in everything from forest management and environmental science to marine biology, history and anthropology. They’ve lived and traveled all over the globe and while no two Exploration Leaders are the same, they possess one thing in common: a passion for the world around them.
Chat with your Exploration Leaders over a cup of coffee or listen in at an onboard presentation and not only will you soon be knowledgeable about the migration patterns of the gray whale or the age-old traditions of the Emberá people, but you’ll also come to love being guided by the expertise of a new friend. Eager to get to know you and share with you the secrets of the land and waters they know so well, our Exploration Leaders look forward to welcoming you onboard.
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Unique Itineraries
Your small-ship voyage with Cruise West is filled with moments you’ll treasure forever. To step on a tiny island where your footsteps feel like the first on that earth. To stand on deck in an inlet so remote only the most privileged mariners will ever see its spectacular landscape. Unforgettable natural beauty and an intriguing sense of history reveal themselves in-depth and up-close on these small-ship voyages. Because these are not typical vacations. These are journeys of discovery that take you into places you've only imagined, introduce you to people you'll always remember, and put you back in touch with your true self.
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Exploration Leaders Onboard
Enrichment and Understanding
Imagine each day bringing new insights as our Exploration Leaders reveal nature's mysteries. You'll encounter worlds most travelers never have a chance to glimpse. You'll come to love being guided by the expertise of these new friends who make your small-ship voyage a uniquely satisfying wilderness learning experience. Our Exploration Leaders (ELs) add a dimension to your journey, sharing their broad knowledge as educators, historians, conservationists, and guides.
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Theme Cruises
In 2009, Cruise West will be offering several “Special Event” cruises revolving around Christmas and New Year’s, as well as themes such as John Steinbeck, Panama Canal History, or Photography.
We’ve partnered with PENTAX Imaging Company, a leader in digital photography to offer a series of Photographers’ Cruises on select itineraries. At no additional cost, these departures will be co-hosted by a professional PENTAX photographer who will conduct special field events and onboard workshops throughout the cruise. Combining small-ship cruising in the world’s most photogenic destinations with world-class PENTAX expertise, travelers on these departures will no doubt return home with a host of newfound skills, striking photos and unforgettable memories.
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Dining Experience
You may prefer the scampi or perhaps the crab, or maybe tonight a simple steak, grilled to perfection and sizzling on your plate. And, or course, there’s the fresh wild salmon. Whatever your tastes, your meals will be memorable – not only for the fine cuisine, skillfully prepared and artfully presented - but for the congenial atmosphere in which you savor them. There is no pretense here, only delicious dining in exquisite surroundings. Come as you are – your jeans and sweater are at home in the lovely dining room. This is where an appreciation of fine food is unencumbered by the trappings of formality. You’ll sit down with the friends you choose, sharing your day’s adventures. You’ll delight in excellent wines, local microbrews and irresistible pastries and desserts.
This is, after all, a voyage of exploration – for all of your senses.
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Shore Excursions
One shore activity or sightseeing tour is included in every port. You can also customize your vacation further by selecting optional excursions on both the cruise and land portions of your vacation.
Imagine the excitement in store: soaring over the pinnacle spires and blue crevasses of an immense glacier, rafting a glacier-fed river, landing a trophy fish, or joining an expert guide to discover the diverse scenery, culture, and history each community has to offer.
Choose from helicopter, wheeled plane or floatplane flightseeing, coach tours, van tours, city walks, nature walks, rafting, kayaking, fishing, train rides, and much more. In addition to our selection of tours listed on this site, we also have some unlisted special interest tours and, sometimes, tours that become available while you are cruising. Ask your Exploration Leader onboard for additional opportunities.
Transportation to tours is provided unless otherwise specified. Space on some excursions is limited and in fairness to all our guests, if more people sign up than the maximum capacity of a given option, a lottery will occur onboard. Priority will be given to pre-booked guests. Once “last call” is announced onboard (generally 24-48 hours prior to our arrival at the port) we cannot accept cancellations. Tour operators may cancel or modify tours due to inclement weather, safety concerns or lack of participants.
You will have the opportunity to hear more about the tours from your Exploration Leader before selecting your tours onboard. Please be advised that accessibility may be limited on some shore excursions. You should contact us with any questions regarding whether activity is appropriate due to disability or medical condition and are strongly advised to discuss the activity with your physician.
Pre-book your shore excursions now or simply browse our offerings. We want you to enjoy every moment of your cruise vacation, both onboard ship and ashore. The ports you will visit and the places you’ll stay were all specifically selected to complement Cruise West’s up-close, casual and personal style of travel.
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> Ready? Book your Shore Excursion now!
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Onboard Program
When you travel with Cruise West, your focus is always on the destination. And that destination is very often on accessible from the sea, specifically by small ship. You will find that our style of up-close, casual small-ship cruising is a delight in itself.
Your ship’s shallow draft, small size, and skilled crew provide access to areas big-ship passengers can only dream about. As you range throughout the waterways and visit a wide variety of fascinating ports, your crew has but one mission: to provide you with the most memorable and rewarding travel experience possible.
Onboard, you will spend most of your waking hours in the spacious, tastefully appointed public areas. Dine with new friends, relax in the lounge, or watch for wildlife out on deck. Many of our vessels have open guest access to the bow area – a rarity among cruise ships. Of course, all of the lounges and dining rooms feature large view windows – you’ll find that extraordinary scenery drifting by somehow sharpens the appetite.
On each of our cruises, you will enjoy the insights and observations of our personable and knowledgeable Exploration Leaders. They will share entertaining and fascinating stories from history, the folklore, identification and information on the flora and fauna and cultural diversity of the area we’re visiting. Each evening they’ll provide opportunities to enrich your understanding through evening lectures, slide shows or films.
The lounge is full of reading material and maps to enhance your adventure knowledge and you are always encouraged to be on deck to scan the shores, the sea or the sky for wildlife.
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Small Ship Experience
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