Best small cruise ship to Alaska?
Aug 28th, 2002, 05:42 PM
#1
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Best small cruise ship to Alaska?
My husband and I are interested in an Alaska cruise and are looking for a small (less than 500 passengers), comfortable ship with good food and relaxed atmosphere. Any opinions on Lindblad, Cruise West, or Tauck World Discovery tours? Are there others we should investigate?
Aug 29th, 2002, 07:13 PM
#3
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Another possibillity would be to sail on the Alaska Marine Ferry. This is the state ferry that many Alaskans use to travel in the Inside Passage since there are no connecting roads to many places.<BR><BR>The ferry was basic but clean and I loved it. Plus it was inexpensive! I met many nice people and the ferries are often small enough to go in passages where the big ships can't go, but the humpbacks do! You can get off the ferry and spend hours to days in a town and get to know it, then pick up the next scheduled ferry. I loved the homey intimacy. There were cafeterias on board, they showed movies, and sometimes park rangers were on board to help you spot whales, orcas, seals, eagles, etc.<BR><BR>The food is not gourmet, but basic cafeteria food. But the ships were clean, comfortable, and very relaxed atmosphere. It was like one big family on a camping trip. I loved the experience very much, and as I said before, I met some of the most facinating people.
Sep 1st, 2002, 11:19 AM
#5
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We did Cruise West (Spirit of Oceanus) on its inaugural voyage into the Bering Sea. We had been on this ship before when it belonged to Renaissance. It is their flagship now and luxurious. All cabins are huge with great king size beds, vcr's - some have balconies which are worth it for Alaska. Food is good - lots of salmon and halibut in Alaska. No entertainment to speak of except for an excellent pianist - nightly briefings on ports. Very friendly crew/staff - great service. You won't go wrong with Cruise West.
Sep 3rd, 2002, 08:23 AM
#6
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I sailed on Cruise West Spirit of Endeavour a few years ago. Cabins are basic, food is ok but nothing spectacular. The crew are very friendly and dedicated, but not professionals. They all chip in to get the job done which means they clean the cabins in the morning, serve dinner at night, etc. Don't go on Cruise West if you want luxury and service. Go if you want intimate, up close viewing of the spectacular Alaska landscape.
Sep 3rd, 2002, 04:52 PM
#7
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To clarify:<BR>We, too, have sailed on the Spirit of Endeavor (Napa Valley) and it's as Tommy has said. The Spirit of Oceanus is different in this regard. They have separate crew for room stewardesses and regular dining room staff who have come over from major lines. This ship was much more luxurious than the Endeavor although our cruise to Napa on the Endeavor was lots of fun. Additionally, when we were disembarking the Oceanus in Nome, an expedition group was boarding for the return trip to Anchorage. It was a "high-priced" sailing.
Sep 18th, 2002, 07:01 PM
#8
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Kathy,<BR><BR>We took a "sail by day & sleep ashore" at night cruise through the Inner Passage with Cruise West on the Sheltered Seas. It was the BEST! They also have just the knd of ships you are looking for with cabins. We are planning on cruising with them from now on! Check out their website: www.cruisewest.com
