CruiseWest

[cielolama]

Hi,

 

Has anyone ever cruised with CruiseWest? I'm specifically interested in the Spirit of Oceanus and the cruise around Vietnam.

 

It looks like a really interesting trip but I can't find much information about the company. 2 positive reviews, and 2 negative reviews from .

 

Any help would be appreciated!

[musicmom3]

We sailed on the Spirit of Endeavor to Alaska, and I would not recommend Cruise West to any traveler going anywhere. Here are two links to Cruise West discussions on these boards that, while not pertaining to your destination, may give you food for thought.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=451248&goto=newpost

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=451248

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask

[musicmom3]

cielolama, I apologize. The second link is as follows (I hope! I am not that tech-savy!)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=9228620#post9228620

[cielolama]

Hi MusicMom3,

 

Thanks so much. I will definitely look elsewhere for our trip to Vietnam.

[Louise22]

Try Intrav's Clipper Odyssey. It is a beautiful ship and I have always had a wonderful time on the cruises I have taken with them. I believe they have a September cruise to Vietnam.

[surfklutz]

I second that - I have cruise with Cruise West several times - the last two were absolutely horrible. The ships are poorly maintained, the crew very inattentive and the food almost was some of the worst I have eaten. Not what you would expect from a very expensive line.

[mpfund]

We did the Vietnam trip on this ship. Vietnam was spectacular -- the ship is not. Food is poor, cabins poorly designed. You will find many apologists for this ship -- we found it poor, especially for the price.

 

Mpfund

[surfklutz]

We did the Vietnam trip on this ship. Vietnam was spectacular -- the ship is not. Food is poor, cabins poorly designed. You will find many apologists for this ship -- we found it poor, especially for the price.

 

Mpfund

 

And to think - the Oceanus is their flagship. Can't even imagine at this point how bad the other ships in their fleet are these days.

 

I actually took the Oceanus when Cruise West first got it and they were raving about what a beautiful ship it was. I walked on and found it to be very cheap and plastic looking and felt sure they would make improvements. But that was as good as it got - it has just gone down from there. Cruise West is not worth the money by any stretch.

[Louise22]

It really surprises me how people can get differing opinions from the same ship. The Odyssey is consistantly on Conde Nast Traveler magazines' list as one of the best small ships in the world. Go to the Clipper Cruise forum and check out the posts in particular "Saigon to Hanoi" posted by MJC who returned from the trip not too long ago. Some posts are positive and some negative - I have never had a bad cruise.

[ariellejesse]

Our Cruise West ship was so poorly maintained that the cabin windows were completely salt-encrusted and had to be kept open in order to see through. The deck chairs were broken and no attempt was made to repair them. A number of sailings had been cancelled due to poor bookings, and the front office denied this. I found out the truth on the cruise. I paid for air from LAX and was booked from Phoenix. It took months of emails to get a refund for the extra payment.

 

This company needs to be put in its place. Conde Nast should be informed.

[SeattleLatte]

I just took my family on a Cruise West cruise down the Columbia & Snake Rivers. It was AWESOME!!!! The food, the crew, the Exploration Leaders and the trip. EVERYONE onboard could speak to ANY question I asked. If they did not know the answer they found out and got right back to us.

 

All of the other guests spoke just as highly as I did. My family is ready to book another trip with them.

[pacmom]

Having been on Oceanus in Japan, I can say the food was very good, the crew was great. The expedition leaders left much to be desired--didn't know much about any of our ports. The ship could stand to go into drydock for a general "face uplift". The cabin was comfortable and roomy. It was also nice not to be paying for every coke or bottle of water. I think their ships are starting to look worn. Don't think we'll sail with them again. Travel safely and enjoy. Pat