Cruise West Launches 2004 Alaska Program!

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Cruise West Launches 2004 Alaska Program: More Sailings Entirely
Within Alaskan Waters, New Excursion to Hyder for Close-Up Bear
Observation, Expanded Zodiac Fleet and Several Itinerary Enhancements

SEATTLE, October 2003
Seattle-based Cruise West has made several exciting changes to its
small-ship Alaska cruising program for 2004, including an expanded
roster of Inside Passage sailings entirely within Alaskan waters and a
new excursion to the picturesque town of Hyder for optimum
bear-viewing opportunities during peak salmon-spawning season. Zodiacs
or other inflatable excursion craft will now be used on five of eight
ships, a substantial increase over 2003; a two-night stay at Glacier
Bay National Park has been added to the Daylight Yacht Tour portfolio;
and the Bering Sea itinerary features several additional ports and
highlights. The complete Alaskan program is detailed in Cruise West’s
new 116-page 2004 “Alaska Experience” brochure.

Cruise West's Alaska series calls at 24 Alaskan and Russian ports --
more than all other cruise lines in Alaska combined -- ranging in size
from Anchorage, population of 260,000, to Elfin Cove, home to just 32
residents. Cruises of three to 13 nights explore wilderness regions
extending from the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle to the Arctic
ice in the Bering Strait, including Southwest and Southeast Alaska,
Prince William Sound and the Bering Sea. Small-ship capacities of 78
to 114 passengers never overwhelm Alaska’s smaller, eco-sensitive
communities, and the emphasis is always on the destination --
wildlife, fjords, glaciers, natural and pioneer history, and native
cultures.

For travelers wishing to maximize time spent in Alaska and minimize
time sailing to or from the state, the frequency of the eight-night
“Alaska’s Inside Passage” itinerary -- sailing between the Alaskan
ports of Ketchikan and Juneau -- was increased with the addition of a
third ship on the route. The Spirit of ’98 joins the Spirit of
Endeavour and Spirit of Discovery to offer 37 departures, a 20 percent
boost from 2003. The ships visit Metlakatla, Petersburg, Sitka,
Skagway and Haines, plus Glacier Bay, Misty Fjords and Tracy Arm with
fares ranging from $3,449 to $5,349.

Cruise West is pioneering a special full-day excursion to Hyder, known
as the friendliest ghost town in Alaska, on five “Alaska’s Inside
Passage” sailings departing in late July and early August, replacing
visits to Metlakatla and Misty Fjords. After a journey up Portland
Canal, a fjord cutting 70 miles through alpine mountains and forest,
passengers will be able to watch as brown and black bears assemble in
packs to feast at a chum salmon run at nearby Fish Creek. Prices for
these special departures are $3,649 to $5,349.

Cruise West has expanded its fleet of Zodiacs and launches, equipping
five ships in 2004 -- the Spirit of Endeavour, Spirit of ’98, Spirit
of Columbia, Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Oceanus -- compared
with two vessels in 2003. In addition to “Coastal Odyssey,” “Voyage to
the Bering Sea,” and “Wilderness Waterways,” “Alaska’s Inside Passage”
will be the fourth itinerary to offer inflatable excursion craft,
which allow up-close views of beachcombing bears in search of salmon,
waterfalls, sea lion colonies, diving humpback whales and icebergs as
well as island landings where possible.

For 2004, a Glacier Bay National Park option has been added to
shoulder season departures of the "Daylight Yacht Tour" program, in
which passengers cruise by day aboard the Sheltered Seas yacht and
overnight on land. Travelers, spending two nights at rustic Glacier
Bay Lodge within the park, experience in-depth cruise exploration of
Glacier Bay, accompanied for a full day by a Park Service Ranger, who
helps to identify the region’s diverse wildlife and interpret its Ice
Age history. The option adds two nights to the original six-night
itinerary and is priced at $2,849; the regular six-night sailings are
$1,499 to $2,199.

The 13-night "Voyage to the Bering Sea," offered aboard the all-suite
flagship Spirit of Oceanus, has been expanded to include visits to
Kenai Fjords National Park on the Kenai Peninsula, Nunivak National
Wildlife Refuge in the Bering Sea and the Native village of Savoonga
on St. Lawrence Island. Fares are $7,199 to $10,499.

The 2004 Alaska Experience brochure fully describes the line’s Alaska
itineraries of three to 13 nights' duration. Eight sail entirely
within Alaskan waters, while two continue to cruise the full
1,000-mile-length of the Inside Passage: the 12-night "Coastal
Odyssey" and 10-night "Gold Rush Voyage." The brochure also features
nine- to 17-night land-sea packages combining cruising with land
packages to Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Nome, Kotzebue
and the High Arctic.

Cruise fares range from $1,099 for a Category C Spirit of Alaska cabin
on a three-night shoulder season “Glacier Wonderland” sailing to
$10,499 for a Grand Titan suite aboard the Spirit of Oceanus on a
13-night midseason “Voyage to the Bering Sea” departure. Early-booking
and early final payment savings range from $100 to $1,000 per person
for bookings made by December 5 and $50 to $500 for bookings made by
February 27.

Cruise West is celebrating its 20th year in 2003 and was recently
named
“Best Cruise Line-Small Ship" by travel agents voting in Recommend
Magazine's Sixth Annual Readers' Choice Awards.
Reservations, additional information and brochures can be obtained
from travel agents.

Background Information:

Cruise West is a family-owned small-ship cruise line based in Seattle
and headed by Richard G. West, chairman and CEO. The company was
founded in 1973 by Charles B. (Chuck) West, founder and former owner
of Westours.

Destinations served: Alaska, British Columbia and Islands of the
Pacific Northwest, Columbia and Snake Rivers, California Wine Country,
and Baja Mexico's Sea of Cortés.

The emphasis for all Cruise West destinations is outward on scenery,
wildlife, history, local cultures, and shoreside attractions--rather
than inward on shipboard activities such as gambling and nightclubs.
Each ship features a Cruise West certified Naturalist Guide who is
trained in the natural history and lore of the destination.

Ships: For 2001 the company owns and operates eight small ships--seven
cruise ships, with capacities ranging from 52 to 114 guests, and a
90-foot touring yacht. Each of the overnight vessels has a comfortable
forward lounge, substantial outside deck space, private facilities in
all cabins, and a dining room that seats a full complement of guests
at a single sitting. Open seating in dining rooms helps travelers meet
and come to know one another. Dining is more sophisticated than is
typically associated with small-ship expedition cruising. The
motoryacht Sheltered Seas has two carpeted lounges and a beverage bar.
The lower-deck lounge converts into a dining room. All ships have bow
thrusters for maneuvering close to shore. Passengers are welcome on
the bridge. Ships are American-built and registered and are crewed by
Americans, except for the line's new flagship (May 2001), the
Bahamas-registered Spirit of Oceanus.