Anyone Been on Cruise West Recently?

[Wannaknow]

Trying to find out something about this cruise line. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been on it and their opinions.

[lgg456]

I cruised with Cruise West in June 2008, Prince William Sound on the Spirit of Columbia. I cannot say a bad word about Cruise West...well worth the extra money paid! Any specific questions?

[rafinmd]

I haven't yet, but am booked for September 3. If you can wait a bit, I hope to do regular reports from my trip on Cruise Critic's sister site The Independent Traveler on this thread:

 

http://boards.independenttraveler.com/showthread.php?t=19041

[lweeza]

I will be on the Spirit of Discovery in Alaska, Glacier Bay Highlights in August. Will post a little review when we return.

[Wannaknow]

I cruised with Cruise West in June 2008, Prince William Sound on the Spirit of Columbia. I cannot say a bad word about Cruise West...well worth the extra money paid! Any specific questions?

 

Hi! Glad to hear from you. I have a thousand questions as I am still waiting for the brochure. The website didn't have that much info.

 

A few basic questions -What type of accommodations did you have? How was the food - basically "American" food? Why did you pay "extra" money - is it more expensive than a cruise on the mainline cruises? Are the land tours part of the price or extra?

Thank you:)!

 

Many thanks to rafinmd and lweeza. I would love to hear about your upcoming trips. Will check for your reviews etc. on the link that was provided.

 

 

Many thanks to all for your replies!

[lgg456]

Wannaknow:

 

Do you have a specific itinerary in mind? Cruise West is the oldest small ship company in Alaska and after much research I felt they really knew Alaska. Cruise West sails all over the world so I can only answer questions with regards to my experience in Alaska. Small ship cruising is much different than the mega ships; overall accommodations are basic, food although very good (and American) will not be of the vast buffet variety but more of 2-3 plated choices per meal; and no nightly Broadway shows. Your cruise director is a naturalist.

 

Yes small ship cruising is definitely more expensive (probably double) but you are paying for exemplary personalized service. When I tell people about the cruise I usually rephrase and follow up with it was more of an expedition; 68 passengers who were like minded (ages 15-85) who enjoyed and appreciated the beauty Alaska had to offer with regards to wildlife and scenery. To summarize Cruise West caters to those who appreciate nature and want to get up close and personal with it. These ships take you to places the mega ships could NEVER get to!

 

With Cruise West one land tour was included at each port. There were also optional excursions available for a fee.

 

Where are you planning to cruise? If you have further questions regarding an Alaskan Cruise West trip feel free to ask other questions. If you are looking for another destination you may want to search different forms threads/posts to see what you can find.

 

Again I highly recommend Cruise West!

[Wannaknow]

Wannaknow:

 

Do you have a specific itinerary in mind? Cruise West is the oldest small ship company in Alaska and after much research I felt they really knew Alaska. Cruise West sails all over the world so I can only answer questions with regards to my experience in Alaska. Small ship cruising is much different than the mega ships; overall accommodations are basic, food although very good (and American) will not be of the vast buffet variety but more of 2-3 plated choices per meal; and no nightly Broadway shows. Your cruise director is a naturalist.

 

Yes small ship cruising is definitely more expensive (probably double) but you are paying for exemplary personalized service. When I tell people about the cruise I usually rephrase and follow up with it was more of an expedition; 68 passengers who were like minded (ages 15-85) who enjoyed and appreciated the beauty Alaska had to offer with regards to wildlife and scenery. To summarize Cruise West caters to those who appreciate nature and want to get up close and personal with it. These ships take you to places the mega ships could NEVER get to!

 

With Cruise West one land tour was included at each port. There were also optional excursions available for a fee.

 

Where are you planning to cruise? If you have further questions regarding an Alaskan Cruise West trip feel free to ask other questions. If you are looking for another destination you may want to search different forms threads/posts to see what you can find.

 

Again I highly recommend Cruise West!

 

Thanks so much for your very informative post. We have traveled on the Delta Queen Steamship Line, so it sounds as though Cruise West is very similar.

 

I have requested a brochure and am waiting to receive it. Then I will know more about what destination we might want to consider and what questions we may have. Alaska is definitely a possibility. It's good to know that there is someone out there who knows. I was surprised to find very little info about them on this site. Made me kind of leery.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[Louise22]

Yes, it is surprising there is very little posted. I cruised on the Oceanus a year ago April around Japan. I was extremely satisfied with the whole trip. Tomorrow I leave for Alaska and a cruise of the Inside Passage on the Spirit of Yorktown. Will post when I return.

[lgg456]

Louise:

 

Good to see another Cruise Wester out there (or Quyana's as we are now known). And I agree when I was looking for info on Cruise West in 2008 I too had a hard time finding info on this site.

 

 

Wannaknow:

In 2006 Cruise West (CW) brought a ship to Chicago to promote their Great Lakes cruises (not sure if they are still doing) but I got to tour a CW ship, have a light meal and speak with CW sales reps who were quite helpful with the tons of questions I had. As they are a family owned company I really felt the personal touch. They kept in contact with me for a year and when I went to book with them in 2007 (directly, why use at TA) the reservationist suggested I go through a AAA travel agent (since I am a member of AAA) to get an additional $200pp savings. I thought that was a really nice touch as they did not have to mention it.

 

One more thing, if you decide on CW book with them early to guarantee your accomodations. They are small ships which tend to fill up fast, so you may as well get the room you want for the price you are paying. I booked my Alaskan cruise almost a year in advance.

 

Maybe Google "Cruise West reviews" and you will have better luck!

 

Happy Travels!

[rafinmd]

Just out of curiosity, what does Cruise West offer in the way of shipboard internet access?

 

Thanks

Roy

[lgg456]

Just out of curiosity, what does Cruise West offer in the way of shipboard internet access?

 

Thanks

Roy

I do not recall an internet room per se but things may have changed on the Spirit of Columbia in 2 years (technology sure has). I recall a gentleman having a Blackberry and service was sketchy. My guess is internet access/availability is based on where CW is traveling. I also think the mind set of those on my cruise were glad to disconnect and enjoy nature.....I know I did.

[rafinmd]

I do not recall an internet room per se but things may have changed on the Spirit of Columbia in 2 years (technology sure has). I recall a gentleman having a Blackberry and service was sketchy. My guess is internet access/availability is based on where CW is traveling. I also think the mind set of those on my cruise were glad to disconnect and enjoy nature.....I know I did.

 

Thank you.

Roy

[rimau]

We have not been on a cruise West ship for some years now but loved the ones we took. Sea of Cortez, Panama Canal, and Columbia River. We just signed up for an East Coast Cruise next year, on the Spirit of Adventure, esentially a repo cruise.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, you might also want to take look at our editorial coverage of Cruise West; best place to start is here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=2.

 

Just a heads up that in the next two weeks or so we'll be launching a brand new review of Spirit of '98 (our writer went on a Columbia river cruise in May and loved it) and also a more experiential feature, which we call Come Aboard, about the trip. This will explore both on-ship experiences and on-shore adventures. So stay tuned (when it launches it will be promoted in our weekly e-letter so sign up for that if you haven't).

 

And finally, as we speak, we have a writer onboard Spirit of Oceanus, on the Spain-France leg of the ship's world voyage. His reports will appear beginning in September.

 

So, as you can see, we're quite actively covering Cruise West!

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

[Louise22]

Just returned from my 7 days aboard the Spirit of Yorktown and the Alaska Inside Passage.

 

It was a wonderful cruise and I really have nothing really super negative to say about the cruise. This was my second trip with Cruise West - the other having been on the Oceanus around Japan. Both cruises I was very impressed with how everything ran exactly on schedule.

 

Our exploration staff, Alyssa Firkus and David Miller were fantastic and very knowledgable. The staff members were also great. The ship carried approximately 70 passengers out of a possible 138.

 

To answer the question about internet access - there was none which was no problem for me. The only minor complaints I might have were the price of wine and the extra-priced excursions in the towns we visited. There were short excursions included in each town but I felt there should have been more of a choice without paying the extra cost. I did take two paid excursions but then did not have time to visit in either town.

 

We were very fortunate in that the rain stopped the day we boarded. The weather although chilly and mostly cloudy was made up for by the absolute calmness of the ocean. It was like a mirror almost the whole trip. The most wonderful day was in Glacier Bay where the sun came out full force and we saw the glaciers calving.

 

We saw everything in the way of wildlife except orcas but lots of humpbacks. My favorite were the otters - I was amazed at how fast they can move through the water on their backs.

 

My cabin was upgraded from one with a porthole to one with a large window. Don't know why I was upgraded - maybe because I was a previous customer. Cabin was not large but arranged nicely - bathroom small but fine. My cabin was extremely quiet (M18) and I loved being level with the ocean.

 

Food was great and there was always a large selection. Dinner was a choice off the menu of 4 main courses. The waitstaff were always extremely obliging. Breakfast and lunch one could eat in the lounge from a buffet or you could go to the diningroom and select off the menu.

 

Hope I have answered all questions. If not, let me know.

[outerspaceguy]

Hope I have answered all questions. If not, let me know.

 

Simple questions:

 

Did your room have a lockable door? I've heard that some of the ships don't have this. (It's so very American of me to ask that type of question, but having to simply 'trust' fellow pax I've never met is a big hurdle.)

 

From the descriptions I have read, the rooms seem spartan. Does the room have a phone in it? If not, how do they handle wake-up calls (particularly if you have an inside cabin, which some of the ships have....)?

 

-Doug

[lgg456]

Doug:

 

Small ship cruising is a world away from the big guys.........Coming from Chicago I too had the concern of no locks on the door but honestly there is no need to have a lock. Others you are cruising with are much more interested in what's outside your cabin. I NEVER felt unsafe.

 

Rooms are spartan and understandably so as you will rarely be in them, again you will be more interested in what is happening outside your cabin. And you are correct, no phones (or TV's) in rooms (Spirit of Columbia). If you need a wake up call I am sure if you contact a staff memeber they will be happy to give you a personal wake up call by knocking on your door. Service is top priority for Cruise West.

[outerspaceguy]

Doug:

Small ship cruising is a world away from the big guys.........

 

Not disagreeing. I've only been cruising on "big ships" thus far: I tend to skip the casino, etc... and just focus on being out on decks anyway.

 

Hrmm... Let me try my question another way...

What's the difference between using that type of approach on a "big ship" and using the excursions to get "up close and personal" versus just cruising on a small ship?

 

 

And you are correct, no phones (or TV's) in rooms (Spirit of Columbia). If you need a wake up call I am sure if you contact a staff memeber they will be happy to give you a personal wake up call by knocking on your door.

 

For me, I don't know if that would work. (Your answer was what I suspected but wasn't quite the answer I was hoping to get. Something like: "each room has a $10 alarm clock we purchased from walmart. Tell us the time and we'll set it for you" would have been the likely best answer...)

 

All IMHO...

-Doug

[rafinmd]

Doug, I would also suggest you or your TA contact Cruise West directly about the specific ship you would be on. Most of Cruise West's ships come from other companies and they may somewhat reflect the ship's original equipment. I know the Spirit of Columbia was built and owned by American Canadian Caribbean Lines and none of those ships had doors that locked from the outside (there are locks on the inside of the door). I am on one of their ships right now and the lack of locks is a total non-issue. Within a couple of days our fellow passengers are no longer strangers and I feel no more at risk here than I do on a big ship. On my first ACCL cruise I took a jet boat ride on the rapids at Montreal. As I was waiting to board the jet boat I realized I was wearing my watch and didn't think that was a good idea for the activity. I encountered a fellow passenger getting off the jet boat and gave him my watch. When I returned to my cabin my watch was sitting in the middle of my bed. Relax and enjoy the fellowship of your fellow passengers.

 

Roy

[chocsunday]

Notice CW has recently applied $1.5 loan to continue operations. Am currently booked on August Alaska cruise. Purchased CW Travel Protection Plan with Trip Mate. Apparently protection doesn't cover cancellation due to carrier default. Did purchase ticket with credit card. Any thoughts on this? Those with coming cruises booked, what do you think?

[outerspaceguy]

Did purchase ticket with credit card. Any thoughts on this? Those with coming cruises booked, what do you think?

 

I don't know the details on either this loan or the insurance your purchased.

 

Credit Cards should provide you protection in the sense that you (potentially)purchased a service that (might)was never provided. You should call your credit card company up and ask them directly: this protection might not apply after full payment has been made to the credit card.

 

Any related costs, (airfare to departure port, etc) would be covered by your existing insurance, I should imagine (of course check your policy).

[Louise22]

I ran into a problem last year when a small cruise ship company I was booked with canceled and eventually went out of business. With the insurance I carried it was not covered because the company never declared bankruptcy. However, everyone who paid by credit card had no difficulty getting their money back almost immediately even after final payment. I had paid by check and will never do so again. I eventually got my money back after over 4 months but I think it may have been at the expense of customers who were still having their bookings accepted with no cruises going as scheduled.

[outerspaceguy]

I had paid by check and will never do so again.

 

I may be wrong, but I think DEBIT cards are treated the same as cash in these types of situations, even though they also have the visa/mc logo on them.

 

I don't like debit cards in general (much better to use someone else's money and then pay them in full at the end of the statement cycle), so I might be wrong on how debit cards are protect you in situations like this....

[lgg456]

Hrmm... Let me try my question another way...

What's the difference between using that type of approach on a "big ship" and using the excursions to get "up close and personal" versus just cruising on a small ship?

 

 

 

Doug:

Again only speaking from my CW experience in Alaska, the big ships cannot get in to the areas the small ships can get in to with regards to the glaciers, wildlife viewing and such. Honestly the only way to describe it is that you truly are up close and personal. A big ship may have an excursion to bring you closer for a brief period but in a small ship you live it 24/7. For example, we departed our port with a big ship and when I woke the next morning the ship I saw in port looked like a speck at the aft of the ship, when I questioned who that was the crew member told me and said “that is the closest they could get” to a glacier we were practically on top of. Right then I knew I had made the right choice of cruising Alaska by small ship.

 

PS For what it is worth I always travel with a battery operated (alarm)clock; they are by far more reliable than depending on a wake up call an unknown human is making or programming.

[outerspaceguy]

they are by far more reliable than ... programming.

 

Hey! Wait a minute... I'm a software engineer. ;)

 

Part of my questions is just trying to find out what should be the expectation as a passenger.

 

I live in Phoenix and typically cruise Alaska in the summertime (it's 100+ here, after all).

 

Normally I book an inside, since I spend so little time in the room anyway.

 

I almost always cruise solo, and this year the big cruise lines raised their prices to the point where a somewhat shorter trip on a cruise west ship is about the same total cost as a longer trip would be (Seward/Whittier->Vancouver, for example, if you go solo).

 

Once I realized that, my first stop was to cruisecritic to see how the local boards went, since I have not booked my trip for this year yet (work schedules this year prevented me from traveling in June and (just about all of) July). August is open. So is September.

 

So... I'm more trying to 'poke' around and see what truths might fall out if I can figure out the right question(s) to ask. For example: Yes, I could bring my alarm clock, but... no, I don't really want to: that is the sort of thing I simply expect from any hotel (floating or not).

 

On the big ships, I tend to spend almost all of my time out on the decks. I eschew the casino, the stupid bingo type games, etc. So in that sense, I very much like the idea of small ships in Alaska, and CW's paradigm. What I'm trying to figure out is how the execution goes... if that makes sense.

 

Here's another way to ask a question:

I'm a very active sort. I like to go jogging early in the mornings and in the evenings. Most 'big ships' put an entire deck between the highest deck's cabin ceilings and the jogging track's surface. Can you do early, early morning jogs on CruiseWest, or is that frowned upon since (I'm guessing) the only place to jog would be immediately above some other pax's cabin (probably waking them up with your heavy footfall)?