Cruise West’s Spirit of Alaska: A Magical Week
An intimate, casual ship, the Spirit of Alaska offers a mixture of outside and inside cabins, and a very comfortable view lounge.
Itineraries
The Spirit of Alaska offers 3 distinct options for your cruising pleasure. Each of these cruises are guaranteed to delight your senses, offer a perfect blend of relaxation and entertainment, and leave you with a ton of warm memories and beautiful photos.
A River Voyage of Discovery
This 7 day, 7 night round-trip voyage from Portland Oregon sails up the spacious rivers surrounded by Oregon’s lush bounty. On this cruise, you are treated to tours and tales, and view some of nature’s most awesome displays of power.
Day Port
Day 0 Portland, OR Embark
Day 1 Cruising Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Day 2 Snake River cruising
Day 3 Clarkston
Jet boat into Hell’s Canyon
Day 4 Walla Walla
Day 5 The Dalles and Maryhill Museum
Day 6 Astoria
Fort Clatsop
Day 7 Portland, OR Disembark
Highlights:
Tour the reconstructed log fort where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805
Listen to the sad tale of Chief Joseph from a Nez Perce storyteller
Learn about the dam construction that began in the 1930s, changing life along the river
Walk up to the base of Multnomah Falls in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge
Roar by jetboat deep into Hells Canyon, with its 8,000-foot-high canyon walls
Visit the site of the Whitman Mission Indian massacre of 1847
Walk in the ruts of the original Oregon Trail, which led the pioneers westward
Stroll through the galleries of the Maryhill Museum of Art, formerly railroad baron Sam Hill’s country mansion on a bluff above the Columbia
Wilderness Inside Passage
Also a round-trip voyage, the Wilderness Inside Passage cruise sets sail from Juneau, Alaska and runs a wonderful 8 days and nights. During this wilderness-oriented cruise, you will have a chance to watch whales at play, wander the totem-lined forest of Sitka National Park, and stroll through Tlingit villages.
Day Port
Pre-Cruise
Day 0 Juneau
Transfer to hotel for overnight
Day 1 Juneau Embark
Day 2 Endicott Arm
Tracy Arm cruising
Day 3 Frederick Sound cruising
Wilderness Exploration
Day 4 Sitka
Day 5 Icy Strait
Day 6 Elfin Cove
Day 7 Glacier Bay National Park
Day 8 Juneau Disembark
Highlights:
Probe Glacier Bay’s wildlife-rich fjords with expert narration provided by a National Park Service Ranger
Explore remote bays on Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof Islands
Cruise to the end of Tracy Arm to see the magnificent twin Sawyer Glaciers
Stroll through Juneau’s Tlingit galleries, museums and public plazas
Make a rare stop in the Tlingit village of Kake
Attend a live performance of the Keex’ Kwaan Dancers
Walk the totem-lined forest trail at Sitka National Park
Watch the whales play in Icy Strait
Gold Rush Inside Passage
Spirit of Alaska’s most luxurious cruise, this 10-day and night voyage will take you from Juneau, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington. During this cruise, the picturesque views that you are treated to are beyond compare. You’re treated to such sights as whales at play, the twin Sawyer Glaciers, and Glacier Bay’s wildlife-filled fjord.
Day Port
Day 1 Juneau
Day 2 Skagway
Haines
Day 3 Glacier Bay cruising
Day 4 Sitka
Day 5 Tracy Arm cruising
Frederick Sound cruising
Day 6 Petersburg
Day 7 Ketchikan
Day 8 Cruising British Columbia
Day 9 Straits of Georgia
Day 10 Cruising San Juan Islands
Post-Cruise Seattle Disembark
Highlights:
Visit picturesque Friday Harbor and its Whale Museum
Enjoy Skagway, the best-preserved gold rush town in the entire U.S.
Cruise the pristine islands of scenic Desolation Sound
Explore the Tlingit totem poles and art of Ketchikan and Sitka
Watch whales frolic in Frederick Sound
See Tracy Arm’s twin Sawyer Glaciers
Probe Glacier Bay’s wildlife-rich fjords with expert narration provided by a National Park Service Ranger
Advice for Your Alaskan Cruise
Once you have booked your Spirit of Alaska cruise, Cruise West will mail you several documents. Included is a packing list, which offers general rules of thumb for what you should bring on your voyage. Generally speaking, the best advice is to think casual and bring plenty of “layers”. All of the Spirit of Alaska cruises are very casual by nature, so there is no need to bring anything fancy but if you bring plenty of layers of clothing, you can shed layers as you need to and get the most out of your experience. Also be aware that there are no laundry facilities onboard, so bring enough to get you through the days you will be cruising.
Each of the Spirit of Alaska cruise ships carry medically trained officers, in case any emergencies should arise. However, make sure that you let Cruise West know prior to departure if you have any special medical needs. They really do their best to accommodate you, but will need to know what these accommodations are. Definitely let the staff know in advance if you have dietary needs that must be met. A concern that many cruise-goers have is sea-sickness. Because the Spirit of Alaska cruises stay in smaller waterways and encounter very few rough waters, the likelihood of becoming sea-sick is very low.
The cost of your Alaskan cruise covers all port charges and taxes, but you will want to have some extra cash on hand. Most of the cruises include in their cost gratuities so that you have no need to tip the hard-working staff, but you will want something to splurge on gifts, cocktails, and some land meals.
Perhaps one of the nicest things about the Spirit of Alaska cruises is that you will not need a passport or visa. Just get your bags packed, plenty of film, and enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
