Shortly after World War II, Chuck West began operating Alaska tours and small ship cruises, then when the firm, Westours, was sold to Holland America, he started a second company called Cruise West that his son now runs.
Fleet
The line operates nine small ships taking from 78 to 138passengers, all but two of them US-flagged. Recent additions to the fleet(2006) are Clipper Cruise Lines’ Nantucket Clipper, renamed Spirit of Nantucketand the Yorktown Clipper, now Spirit of Yorktown, both originally fleetmateswith the Spirit of Endeavour when she was the Newport Clipper. The non-US flagPacific Explorer operates naturalist-type cruises in Central America and theSpirit of Oceanus, a former first-generation Renaissance ship, ambitiouslycruises throughout the Pacific.
Itineraries
The largest concentration of destination-driven itinerariesis along the North and Central Amrican West Coast from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest, California Rivers and south to Baja California/Sea of Cortez and Costa Rica. The Spirit of Oceanus operates far flung expedition cruises.
Dining and Decor
The ships, being small, have one dining room, and the fareis well prepared using local ingredients wherever possible. The menu choice islimited but only fussy eaters should have a problem. Special dietary requestsare taken in advance.
Programs
An expedition leader and an assistant share the enrichmentprogram with talks on board and escorting trips ashore along with local guides.
Onboard Experience
The US-flagged fleet, all shallow-draft coastal ships,offers variations in onboard comforts from relatively basic by today’sstandards to cozy comforts. They all have one dining room and one facingforward public lounge and good deck space for viewing the close-up scenery andwildlife. Most passengers will be mature North Americans, with a sprinkling ofBritish and Australians. The onboard atmosphere is social and casual and thefood good American fare.
Competitors
The ships are operated expeditions-style with usually twonaturalists aboard most cruises, and though with the same levels of comfort,not with the depth of Lindblad Expeditions and its top end rates. Closer incruising style, more social than enrichment, would be Majestic America’sPacific Northwest/Alaska fleet, though the latter’s accommodations aregenerally of a high standard and evening entertainment is provided.
