An experience unparalleled in cruise travel awaits Cruise West guests in 2006 as the largest American-owned cruise line – and the most experienced line traveling Alaska – brings its guests through the amazing journey that is Alaska’s Inside Passage. The family-owned leader in small-ship cruising will guide guests through one of the last great wild places on Earth while offering the type of up-close, casual and personal experience that brings you near enough to see the barnacles on a whale’s tail – and, in fact, guarantee whale sightings. The following itineraries, including the new Glacier Bay Highlights voyage for 2006, provide the key to an ecoadventure in this breathtaking region.

Wilderness Inside Passage This eight-night roundtrip excursion from Juneau takes guests through the untamed wildlife of the Inside Passage. Cruising through narrow inlets, beautiful fjords and peaceful coves, this itinerary includes visits to Sitka, called "the jewel of the Inside Passage," and Glacier Bay National Park. Most distinct on the Wilderness Inside Passage voyage is Cruise West’s whale sighting guarantee. If whales are not spotted on a voyage, guests will be refunded $250. In the four years this guarantee has run no refunds have even been requested. Wilderness Inside Passage 13-night itineraries are also available with land tours of Denali National Park and Preserve, regarded as one of the largest completely intact ecosystems in North America. The Wilderness voyage is taken aboard the 84-guest Spirit of Discovery, in which every stateroom boasts wide view windows to catch every breathtaking glimpse of the Inside Passage. Wilderness Inside Passage itineraries sail May through August 2006. Rates for itineraries range from $3,849 to $5,949.

Alaska’s Inside Passage This eight-night itinerary takes guests on a journey between Juneau and Ketchikan, providing a one-of-a-kind voyage to celebrate with the Native dancers in the village of Metlakatla, or spy on the black and brown bears of Hyder during their annual salmon feast, and discover bald eagles in the popular gathering village of Haines. Guests can choose between the varying northbound and southbound itineraries on either the Spirit of Endeavour or the Spirit of ’98, two of Cruise West’s most popular vessels.

Land tours are also available to Denali National Park and Preserve, the pristine habitat of bears, moose, sheep and more, and/or Prince William Sound aboard Cruise West’s Spirit of Columbia. These extended itineraries provide 13-, 15-, or 17-night voyages and offer guests world-class sightseeing and entertainment. Alaska’s Inside Passage itineraries sail May through August 2006. Rates for itineraries range from $4,099 to $5,949.

Gold Rush Inside Passage Cruise West invites guests to relive an incredible chapter in American history on a voyage that follows the route of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 between Seattle and Juneau, and strike gold themselves with this 10-night cruise for the price of seven nights. Along the historic path, guests will get up-close to glaciers, admire the impressive totems and wildlife of Sitka’s National Historic Park, pass the Native villages, forests, and waters of Northern British Columbia, and visit Skagway, the jumping place for thousands of early gold seekers. Cruise West guests can extend their journey to 15-nights from Seattle to Fairbanks with a tour of Denali National Park and Preserve. The Gold Rush Inside Passage is available on six of Cruise West’s eight ships, each with its own personality providing a distinctive experience for guests. Gold Rush Inside Passage itineraries sail May, August and September 2006. Rates for itineraries range from $3,599 to $7,409.

Glacier Bay Highlights – New Itinerary for 2006 Guests are invited on a voyage to discover the remote wilderness of Glacier Bay, once blocked by a sheet of ice 4,000 feet thick and 20 miles wide, on this 3- or 4-night getaway. Cruise West has sailed into Glacier Bay National Park longer than any other cruiseline and was recently awarded a permit from the National Park Service (NPS) allowing the most entries into the Park for the next 10 years. Glacier Bay spans 3.3 million acres housing over 200 species of fish, including all five species of Pacific salmon, 220 species of birds, and a large population of land mammals that guests can spot from the vessel’s deck, including mountain goats, brown and black bears, coyote, wolverine, moose, harbor seals, puffins and murres. Extended journeys are also available, with land tours to Denali National Park and Preserve and/or Prince William Sound. This itinerary sails aboard the Spirit of Alaska. Glacier Bay Highlights itineraries sail May through August 2006. Rates for itineraries range from $1,349 to $3,049.

~~ Up-Close, Casual and Intimate Cruising~

Cruise West – a second-generation, family-owned business, offers ecoadventure seekers the opportunity to explore remote, worldwide locales by providing distinctive, one-of-a-kind, personalized itineraries not offered by the traditional larger cruise lines. Cruise West’s smaller ships – eight in all – hold between 70-120 people each, and the casual style onboard encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. The experience is personally enriching through onboard narrative and lectures, special local guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library provided on each vessel. All have forward lounges and ample outdoor deck space for viewing and photographing wildlife and scenery.

The emphasis for all Cruise West destinations is outward on scenery, wildlife, history, local cultures, and shoreside attractions. The cruising style is up-close, casual and personal, with flexible schedules allowing intimate encounters with wildlife. Zodiacs and other excursion craft offer access to wilderness shorelines. Each ship features Cruise West Exploration Leaders who are trained in the natural history and lore of the destination.

For additional information on Cruise West, please visit their website at CruiseWest.com