Cruise West is offering four 2006 Grand Voyages
itineraries aboard the line’s flagship Spirit of Oceanus.
“The Ring of Fire” itinerary is a 13-day voyage
from Anchorage to Tokyo and showcases the active geology and
fascinating cultures of lands such as the Kuril Islands (home to
more than 100 volcanoes, 35 currently active). “In Harriman’s
Wake,” Coastal Odyssey and Voyage to the Bering Sea provides guests
with the choice of 12- to 25-day itineraries to explore ancient
history, sightsee in Alaska and Russia, and interact with the
people of the First Nations all with the casual comfort and
personal interaction of small-ship cruising.
The Ring of Fire explores Petropavlosk in the
Russian Far East, Kamchatka Peninsula, Atlasova Island and Ptichi
Islands one of the most exciting places for birdwatching. The small
ship then takes guests on through the Kuril Islands and to the
northern islands of Japan Kushiro, Tomakomai, Niigata and, finally,
Tokyo. Guests have the option of extending the Ring of Fire cruise
with a four-day Japan land tour, exploring temples and shrines in
Kyoto and Nara. Ring of Fire cruises begin at $4,999 per person,
double-occupancy; the Japan land tour option starts at $7,249 per
person, double-occupancy.
In Harriman’s Wake blends the 12-day Coastal
Odyssey and 14-day Voyage to the Bering Sea itineraries, sailing
from Vancouver to the Bering Sea even crossing the Arctic Circle on
a 25-day voyage of almost 3,600 miles.
On this voyage, Spirit of Oceanus sails up the
Canadian Inside Passage on to Glacier Bay, through Prince William
Sound, Kenai, Kodiak and Katmai National Park. Guests travel by
inflatable excursion craft to the Shumagin Islands and, after
stopping at Unalaska, the Spirit of Oceanus takes guests to the
Pribilof Islands and Yukon Delta National Refuge. Reaching the
Russian Far East, guests explore the Bering Sea and the shoreline
of Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula, then sail across the Arctic
Circle. Voyages start at $14,449 per person, double-occupancy.
On the Coastal Odyssey and Voyage to the Bering Sea
cruises, guests may extend their stay in Denali by lodging at one
of the extraordinary wilderness lodges, including Winterlake Lodge,
situated along the Iditarod Trail, 198 miles from Anchorage,
accessible only by floatplane in the summer, or Redoubt Bay Lodge,
located within a 171,000-acre critical habitat with one of the
densest bear population in Alaska, overlooking Big River Lakes and
accessible by floatplane.
800-203-8306
www.cruisewest.com
