Once called the Pacific Northwest Explorer, this coastal ship from Cruise West is a shallow-draft vessel that explores waterways inaccessible to larger ships, and thus treats travelers to close examinations of eye-popping scenery and wildlife. This pleasantly informal U.S.-flagged vessel of 97 GRT extends 143 ft, with a beam of 28 ft and a draft of 7.5 ft. She is equipped for bow landings, cruises at 12 knots, and has four decks and 39 double cabins. The atmosphere throughout is as casual, relaxed, and amiable as the eager-to-please American crew of 21.
The original company, Arctic Alaska Travel Service, was launched in Fairbanks in 1946 by Chuck West, a WWII pilot. He specialized in flightseeing, motorcoach, hotel and small ship bookings. The firm then became known simply as Westours, and in 1971, it was sold to Holland America. In 1973, Chuck West returned to the business with West Travel that eventually became Alaska Sightseeing Cruise West and is now Cruise West. His son, Dick West, is Chairman and Managing Director. In 1986 the company bought its first cruise vessel, the 70-passenger Sheltered Seas, and over the years has assembled a fleet that numbers nine small ships, seven of them flying the U.S. flag and two foreign-registered. Domestic cruising includes much of coastal Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Columbia-Snake rivers and California Wine Country, while non-U.S. destinations include Baja California and the Sea of Cortes, Costa Rica and Panama, and the Pacific Rim from Alaska to East Asia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
The clientele is generally older North Americans with some younger adults in the mix but not many children, and there are no special facilities for them. Many passengers have no interest in seeing Alaska aboard a big ship and pride themselves in the choice of this small and informal cruise.
From mid-May to mid-September, Spirit of Alaska offers 7-day Whales and Wilderness Cruises that concentrate on a small section of Southeast Alaska to include forested island landings, wildlife sightings such as humpback whales in Frederick Sound, Native Alaskan villages, narrow straits and several glaciers, including Glacier Bay. In May and September, she makes one-way 11-day journeys through the Inside Passage between Seattle and Juneau, including a call into Glacier Bay. Cruise extensions to Denali National Park are available.
On all cruises, the mostly mature American passengers socialize at cocktail hour in the forward-facing observation lounge and at single-sitting meals of routine American fare. Service is friendly rather than polished in the Potlatch Dining Room.
Cabins are mainly small and functional, with dressers, mirrors and adequate stowage. Baths are minuscule and come with showers. VCRs are in the cabins and the ship has a library of free videos. In contrast, the radio programming impresses with classical, jazz and pop music. So does the soft-voiced wake-up call a half-hour before breakfast. Three deluxe cabins on the bridge deck have sitting areas and large windows for views to port and starboard, well worth the extra cost for those who can afford it. Upper Deck rooms open to a side deck. Main Deck cabins lie along the short passage between the dining room and forward observation lounge, a high-traffic area handy to social activity. Economical inside cabins on the lower deck can help non-claustrophobes save money.
In any case, the emphasis here is not on public areas and cabins but on seeing some of America's greatest scenery close up in intimate fashion. Lindblad's National Geographic Sea Lion and Sea Bird are similar in simplicity while the enrichment program is decidedly better and the corresponding fares considerably higher. A small ship cruise is a totaly different experience from the big ones. Travelers really feel the majesty of Alaska.
