Cruise West: Casual Small Ships That Get You Up Close for Personal Explorations

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 movie in their cabin. There are no nightclubs, fancy restaurants or Las Vegas-style stage shows. There is no dress code and dining is single seating for all guests. Only some ships have elevators.

While large cruise ships offer many onboard amenities, for Cruise West guests the emphasis is on Mother Nature, with educational tourism the focus. Ashore, guests can enjoy nature walks, snorkeling and kayaking (depending on destination).

Their motto is "up-close, casual and personal," with open-seating dining and no formal attire necessary. With Cruise West you're not just a visitor, you're a participant, engaging in an experience for all your senses.

Cruise West's smaller ships can maneuver in tighter areas and bring passengers up close for more personal encounters with destinations they're visiting, such as the nooks of Alaska's Inside Passage. (As for getting up close and personal, Cruise West even offers a money-back guarantee if a whale is not seen on its Alaska cruises.)

In addition to Alaska, where Cruise West has the largest selection of programs, the cruise line's itineraries are now worldwide, and include Antarctica, Costa Rica & Panama, Mexico's Sea of Cortés, Japan, South Pacific, Vietnam, British Columbia & the Atlantic Coast Experience. Cruise West also operates river programs on the Napa (California Wine Country), Columbia & Snake Rivers (Northwest Passage), as well as the Danube and Drava Rivers in Europe.

New for the line in 2010, the Spirit of Oceanus is embarking on a world cruise voyage, on 24 itineraries in six "chapters," themed after the voyages of the great explorers: Marco Polo, Odysseus, Leif Ericson, Columbus, Captain Cook, and Vasco Da Gama. These are exciting itineraries that visit many ports the larger ships don't. Read more about world cruises.

As is generally the case with most small ship cruises, Cruise West's vacations are not inexpensive compared to a large cruise ship vacation. Travelers pay a premium for the luxury of traveling on more personal adventures with nature, in the company of naturalists or "exploration leaders." Prices also include one shore excursion at each port of call, with some optional excursions being available.

Our small ship cruise experts are eager to arrange your next Cruise West deals.

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