Cruise West Spirit of Columbia

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Cruise West Spirit of Columbia

 

Alaska 7/7 - 7/11/08 - PWS Tour 18A

 

Our cruise was a 5-day, 4 night trip in Prince William Sound, Alaska, aboard the Cruise West Spirit of Columbia, Tour 18A, with one stop in Cordova. It was absolutely fantastic!

Last year I did a 15-day Alaska trip which included an 8-day independent land tour through Seward and Denali, which we loved, ending with a SB 7-day cruise on the Coral Princess. We enjoyed the Coral, but I wanted to go back and do some things I didn't get to do last year, and I wanted a more intimate, small-ship experience.

I had read some negative things about Cruise West, but I really felt that the negative reviews were mostly from people who didn't realize that they were not getting big-ship amenities such as casinos, shows, spas, etc. My trip confirmed this belief - it was exactly the way I had envisioned it and it was perfect for us.

We did some independent travel in Alaska before our Cruise West cruise, so we met up with them at the Anchorage Sheraton at noon, where they took our luggage and left us time to have lunch downtown. From Anchorage, a Cruise West bus transported us to Whittier to board the 67 passenger Spirit of Columbia. The bus driver was born and raised in Anchorage and was very knowledgeable about the area. When we got to Whittier, the local high school principal came on our bus to share some local flavor and provide some information about the very quirky town. She was wonderful and highly entertaining.

We boarded the Spirit of Columbia with no fuss (when there are only 67 passengers, it makes things very easy). We left Whittier about 5:00 p.m. and ate dinner around 6:30 p.m. (I had fresh salmon which was very good). We ended up in front of Blackstone Glacier shortly after dinner and stayed there for quite awhile, watching the glacier calve. The ship got us very close and, because it was still light, we ended up staying on deck until after 12:30 a.m. to enjoy the view.

We woke up the next morning in College Fjord. We stopped in front of Harvard Glacier, again staying for quite awhile. On the way out of the fjord, we slowly passed the many glaciers and waterfalls and saw several bald eagles and sea otters. I stayed on deck the entire time.

After lunch and a safety drill, a local "oysterman" came on board and gave a short talk about his life in PWS - very interesting.

After dinner we went to an area with puffins, stellar sea lions, and sea otters. We also saw several humpback whales and harbor seals.

We then went to Columbia Glacier and got very close to some of the myriad large icebergs in Columbia Bay - they were all different shapes and colors, some a beautiful aquamarine blue. It was a great day.

The next day we docked in Cordova around 10:00 a.m. We disembarked and explored the town for a bit. We enjoyed the small fishing town which is inaccessible to big cruise ships and the only way in or out is by plane or small boat (the Alaska Ferry docks here as well). We returned to the ship at noon for lunch, then met up with our tour guide for hiking/river rafting (booked through Cruise West). We took a 10-minute bus ride and a 30-minute hike to the rafting location. The tour folks provided all the gear we needed. The entire excursion was very well-organized and the guides were extremely knowledgeable about the area. We enjoyed it very much!

The next day was spent gunkholing, which means not having any specific schedule and just going wherever whim dictates. What a great way to see Alaska! If someone spotted a whale - off we went. We traveled to many different places, including some small islands full of Steller sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, puffins and many other kinds of birds. We also went to Whale Passage and Icy Bay, where we saw humpback whales and Dall porpoises.

After dinner we visited Chenega Glacier, which was calving very actively. We ended up staying there until after midnight.

On the final morning, we docked back in Whittier around 9:30 a.m. and were off the ship by 10:00 a.m. The bus returned us to the Sheraton in Anchorage by 11:30 a.m.

Some thoughts about Cruise West We were in a Category A cabin on the Upper Deck, Cabin 311, with an outside window.

All the staff were absolutely delightful. Helpful at all times and willing to go out of their way to help, from the people coordinating everything at the Sheraton, to the bus drivers, to the captain of the ship, to the staff. Especially wonderful was our Exploration Leader, Dana Fillippini. She was very knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife, and added tremendously to the trip. And she was always right on deck with the rest of us so we could ask questions and interact with her. The captain was also a great source of information, having worked on fishing boats and other vessels in the area for 25 years.

Most of the Cruise West reviews I had read said that the passengers tended to be very old. We did not have this experience at all. I would say that the majority were in their 50's, but we had some in their 60's, some in their 30's and 40's, several teenagers, and even a few kids (I would not really recommend this trip for kids, however - just not enough to keep them entertained).

The food was very good, although not as fancy or as varied as on the Coral Princess. But still, very good.

The cabins were very small, but comfortable. And the only time we were in them was to sleep. This trip was all about Alaska and the outdoors, and most passengers spent every waking minute outside on deck.

Positives - (1) we never had to dress up - jeans were appropriate throughout the trip; (2) we were able to build relationships with the staff and other passengers - we all felt like family by the end of the trip; (3) we were able to get so close and into so many places we never could have gotten on a big ship; (4) we loved Cordova and our hiking/rafting excursion arranged by Cruise West - Cordova is not available to the big ships and retains the small fishing village feel. I commented to my friend that it was very different being in a port town with 3 or 4 other big cruise ships docked and 5,000 people in town vs. being in Cordova with 67 people; (5) the captain had flexibility in our schedule to stay longer at a particular place if warranted or take a detour if something special was spotted - we ended up staying at Chenega Glacier for hours because it was very active.

Negatives (to some) - (1) small cabins (and bathrooms) - I had read complaints about the beds but we found them comfortable (if cozy); (2) we had a full ship so sometimes it got a little crowded in the lounge and dining room; (3) food was not quite as good as on a big ship and the selection was somewhat limited - but again, not a problem for us at all; (4) we didn't get much sleep because we never wanted to miss anything!

All in all, this cruise was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it if you are not the type that needs constant entertainment such as casinos, Las Vegas style shows, spas, etc. If you think that Alaska is entertainment enough and want to experience it "up close and personal," this is a great way to do so!