A new Frommers.com Newsletter feature, the Cruise Spotlight showcases a different cruise line each month, from ultra-luxe to ultra-adventurous and everything between, along with special deals just for Frommer's readers. This month, we'll take a look at Cruise West, one of the leading American small-ship cruise lines, offering both soft-adventure and simple casual cruises for those not inclined toward larger vessels.
August 22, 2003 -- Every year, some 750,000 people see Alaska by cruise ship, mostly aboard the huge vessels of Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian lines. For many people, seeing Alaska has been a lifelong dream, and these lines make that dream possible -- especially this year, when weeklong Inside Passage cruises have been going for as little as $600.
However, no matter how many James Muir books you bury your nose in and no matter how much Alaskan Amber beerfg you drink, there's no escaping the fact that you're visiting the wilderness with 3,000 other people, on a temperature-controlled ship full of swimming pools and martini bars. And I can almost guarantee you the band on the pool deck will be playing Bob Marley songs, not Athabascan fiddle music.
That works for some people -- for most people, I'd guess. They get to see the scenery from a comfortable vantage point, get to explore some Alaskan towns and (sometimes) national parks, and even do some kayaking, hiking, and float-tripping on optional shore excursions.
But what if you're another type of person, who wants to get closer to nature while still enjoying the comfort of traveling by ship -- an especially good idea in southeast Alaska, where few of the more than 1,000 islands are accessible by car? And what if you're the type who wants to linger a bit if you see something really extraordinary, or visit towns so small that they have no port facilities for the big ships?
The answer? Go small.
Cruise West (800/426-7702, www.cruisewest.com), a family-owned company founded by Alaska tourism pioneer Chuck West, is one of the preeminent small-ship lines in America, operating vessels that carry about as many passengers each as the average cruise ship lifeboat, albeit in much greater comfort. It's a total switch on the big-ship scene, providing a quiet, up-close, and respectful experience not only of Alaska, but also of British Columbia, Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the California Wine Country, the Columbia and Snake Rivers (Washington/Oregon/Idaho), and coastal Costa Rica and Panama.
Instead of a show-biz cruise director leading quiz shows and pool games, there are naturalists leading talks on birds and native storytelling. Port calls tend to mix the more popular stops (in Alaska, such towns as Skagway and Ketchikan) with off-the-beaten path ports and days spent simply tooling around the coast, nudging into small inlets and taking passengers exploring in small inflatable launches. Time for whale- and wildlife-watching is built into the cruises' schedules, and if something extraordinary is spotted, the vessels will stop and cut their engines to provide the best viewing experience. It's even common for the captain to make a U-turn if the action turns out to be behind you.
The vessels' small size also means their observation decks start less than a dozen feet above the waterline, allowing a far closer view of whales than you'd get from the high decks of a megaship. And a 190-foot, 100-ton vessel is a far less intimidating presence in general than the big ships, meaning whales often come up close. On a June 2003 cruise, the line's Spirit of Endeavor was practically buzzed by a pod of killer whales, who came straight toward the ship in Sergius Narrows, passing by like commuters on a highway, the sun shining off their sleek, angular dorsal fins and panda-colored backs as passengers watched from maybe twenty feet away.
Off-vessel, some low-key excursions are included in the rates, such as a fantastic Native Alaskan music-and-dance performance in the Native town of Metlakatla, or a performance of traditional Norwegian dance in the small fishing town of Petersburg. Extra-charge shore excursions tend toward community tours, float trips, fishing charters, kayaking, and flightseeing by plane and helicopter, sometimes with landings on mile-wide glaciers for a hike -- a rare and remarkable experience.
The line's eight ships carry between 78 and 114 passengers. They're comfortable and free of glitz, with only a single lounge and dining room, along with wide outside decks and complimentary binoculars for scoping the scenery. Spirit of Oceanus, the line's largest ship (the former Renaissance V of now-defunct Renaissance Cruises), has several suites with balconies, and Spirit of '98 -- a recreation of a late-19th-century coastal steamer, with pressed-metal ceilings, ruffled drapery, and balloon-back chairs -- also features some spacious suites, though in general the line's cabins are smallish but cozy, with picture windows and plenty of closet space.
Meals are served in single open seatings (no assigned dining here), and cuisine tends toward relatively simple meat, fish, and poultry dishes, along with some options for vegetarians. As aboard most small ships (aside from luxe brands like Seabourn and SeaDream), service staffers generally perform all hotel-related duties, from serving meals to cleaning cabins to providing the laughs during occasional crew shows. Staffers are mostly American kids in the twenties, many just out of college and doing a little adventuring. Unlike on big ships, the passenger/staff vibe is very casual, with much friendly interaction.
The big caveat is the price: This kind of up-close-and-personal experience doesn't come cheap. Per-person rates for the 10-night Gold Rush Voyage between Seattle and Juneau (with a long stretch in British Columbia) start at $2,899. The 8-night Alaska's Inside Passage cruise, sailing between Ketchikan and Juneau and concentrating on Alaskan ports and wilderness areas, runs from $3,549. Three- and 4-night Glacier Wonderland cruises sailing roundtrip from Anchorage/Whittier and visiting towns and glacial areas around Prince William Sound, start at $1,099 (3-night) and $1,299 (4-night).
In general, this is about three or four times what you'll pay on the mainstream lines. However, this is a case where benefits need to be weighed against cost: If you're looking for a closer experience of Alaska, Baja, or the other wild areas the line visits, don't want the entertainments and distractions of a big ship, and can afford the higher price, this is the way to go.
In addition to the Alaskan Inside Passage cruises mentioned above, in the past decade Cruise West has begun branching out, sailing in different geographic regions and creating new itineraries that appeal to more adventurous travelers. Here are some highlights:
ALASKA: In their second season this year, the line's 13-night Bering Sea cruises have proved extremely popular despite their high price tag -- from $7,200 per person. Sailing a long loop between Anchorage and Nome, the trips visit Katmai National Park, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and the rugged Shumagin and Aleutian islands, then cross the Bering Sea into the Russian Far East. There, passengers are welcomed at the Chukchi Indian community of Yanrakynnot before heading off across the Arctic Circle.
Less far-ranging but steering almost as clear of civilization, the line's new 8-night Wilderness Waterways cruises visit only Sitka and the tiny Tlingit Indian village of Kake, population 700. Otherwise, days are spent in Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay National Park, and exploring on foot or by inflatable landing craft around less visited parts of Chichagof, Admiralty, and Baranof islands. It's a true Alaska wilderness experience, with a hot meal and warm bed at the end of the day. Prices start at $2,699.
Cruise West's oldest itinerary is still one of its most interesting: 4- and 5-night Daylight Yacht Tours aboard the 70-passenger Sheltered Seas. This is a cruise that's also not. Instead of sleeping on board, the ship takes you to wild areas like Misty Fjords, Tracy Arm, LeConte Bay, and Frederick Sound during the day, and at night deposits you in Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Juneau for exploration, nightlife, and a sleepover at a comfortable waterfront hotel. All meals are served aboard ship, and your luggage is carried for you along the way. Prices start at $1,499 for the 4-night tour and $1,949 for the 5-night.
BAJA/SEA OF CORTEZ: With its whales and sea lions, isolated fishing villages and uninhabited islands, Baja is in many ways the Bizarro Alaska, Alaska turned inside out, Alaska caught skinny dipping, with its clothes draped over a bush. Whereas the cruising areas of the Alaskan Panhandle are lush with rain-forest vegetation, the Baja Peninsula is a Georgia O'Keefe canvas come to life, with turkey vultures sitting atop cacti right at the water's edge and the sun hanging overhead in an impossibly blue sky, baking down on the red rocks and soil.
It's because the two areas provide such similar experiences within the most opposite possible landscapes that Cruise West and several other small-ship lines began offering cruises here in the 1990s, moving ships south after the Alaska season ends in September. Cruise West's 7-night Baja Whales and Wildlife cruises, offered Dec-March, sail between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, along the way visiting whale-watching areas such as Bahia Magdelena, islands like Isla San Jose and Isla San Francisco, and Spanish colonial towns like Loreto (whose mission was founded in 1697).
Unlike most cruises, optional (extra-cost) shore excursions aren't really necessary to see the best sights worth seeing. Instead, the ship takes you there, with activities at most stops geared toward nature: hikes led by expedition leaders, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, beachcombing, and tidepooling. In addition to the pure fun factor (not to mention the amazing feeling of relaxation), this means additional costs are kept to a minimum, making the total cost of the cruise (starting at $2,249, with an average of about $2,500) much more palatable. This is also true of many of the cruises below.
COSTA RICA/PANAMA: Cruise West goes tropical, with itineraries oriented toward an experience of Central America's rain forests, Indian cultures, wildlife and sealife, and colonial history, with a little bit of beach culture thrown in just for fun. Nine-night Between Two Seas cruises sail between Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, Nov-April, transiting the Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific and visiting the San Blas Islands, the Darien Jungle, the historic village of Portobello, Manuel Antonio National Park, Isla de Coiba, and Golfo Dulce. Prices start at $3,045.
Seven-night Gems of Costa Rica cruises (also Nov-April) sail roundtrip from San Jose on the Pacific coast, visiting the Cura Wildlife Refuge and Tortuga Island, Corcovado Conservation Area, Isla Coiba, Drake Bay and Cano Island, and the Manuel Antonio Wildlife Refuge. Prices start at $1,995. A similar 6-night cruise is offered June-Aug, with prices starting at $1,545 and special deals for children: half-price rates for kids 12 and under sharing a cabin with an adult, 25% off for ages 13 through 21, and a special expedition leader who sets up children's activities.
CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY: Sail the rivers of California's Napa, Carneros, and Sonoma wine regions for three or four nights, stopping off at wineries for tastings, enjoying a candlelight lunch in Cuvaison winery's wine caves, and picking the brain of an onboard wine expert. And you don't have to drive after! Nuff said. Cruises are offered Sept-Nov. Three-night itineraries from $699, 4-night from $1,049.
COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVERS: Sailing roundtrip from Portland, Oregon, the 7-night River Voyage of Discovery cruise explores the majestic landscape through which Lewis and Clark sailed two centuries ago, along the way transiting the locks of eight major dams, touring the explorer's own Fort Clatsop and Washington's wine country, meeting a Nez Perce poet and storyteller, seeing Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, and cruising by jetboat into Hell's Canyon. Cruises offered Sept-Oct and Mar-April with prices starting at $1,499, though most average around $2,000.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: If you're a cruise line based in Seattle and offer small-ship cruises in Alaska's inside passage, why not bring people to see all that beautiful landscape in between too? That's the logic behind Cruise West's 7-night Coastal Wilderness Cruises, sailing roundtrip from Seattle Sept-Oct and April-May, tooling around Washington and British Columbia's gorgeous waterways and making port calls at Vancouver, La Conner, Nanaimo, Victoria, Friday Harbor, and the Rosario Resort. Prices from $1,649.
Exclusive Deal for Frommers.com Readers
Frommer's readers booking any Cruise West cruise between now and December 31, 2003 are eligible for a complementary onboard credit of $100 per cabin for cruises of six nights or longer, or $50 per cabin on cruises of five nights or fewer. For reservations call 800/426-7702 or e-mail info@cruisewest.com, being sure to mention the Frommer's special offer (which, by the way, is combinable with any other specials Cruise West is running, making it even more attractive). For more information on the small-ship experience in Alaska, visit our Cruise section by clicking here.
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