Spirit of Alaska |
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| Year Built: 1980 |
Age Restrictions: At least one person in |
| Year Refurbished: 1995 |
each room must be 18 years of age or older. |
| Previous Name: N/A |
Seating Assignments: Open |
| Guest Occupancy: 78 |
Assigned Dining Hours: 7:00 pm |
| Crew: 21 |
Internet Access: No |
| Tonnage: 97 tons |
Bars/Lounges: 1 |
| Length: 143 feet |
Spa: No |
| Beam: 28 feet |
Fitness Center : No |
| Cruising Speed: 12 knots |
Swimming Pools: No |
| Decks: 4 |
Hot Tubs: No |
| Ship Registry: United States |
Bowling Alley: No |
| Casino: No |
Rock Climbing Wall: No |
| Show Room: No |
Ice Skating Rink: No |
| Disco/Night Club: No |
24-Hour Room Service: No |
| Library: No |
Hair Dryer in Room: No |
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| Dick West, owner of Cruise West, announced in September of 2010 that Cruise West is no longer in business (due to financial troubles). Attempts at selling the company have failed, so they have decided to cease operations. We will update this fleet's details should any other news come about. |
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The 78-guest Spirit of Alaska is a nice choice for a small-ship Alaska cruise. This intimate ship has an American crew that is quite friendly. In fact, during your cruise you'll end up being on a first name basis with many of the staff members (which creates a nice sense of community while onboard).
A benefit of taking a small-ship Alaska cruise on Cruise West's Spirit of Alaska is that the ship will be able to navigate through smaller channels that larger ships cannot fit through. This gives guests the chance to get really close views of the Alaskan nature and wildlife. A cruise on this ship is perfect for someone that's looking for a destination-rich itinerary featuring great onshore excursions and onboard lectures, and who doesn't care about the bells and whistles that some of the other (larger) ships offer.
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Itineraries are not currently available for Spirit of Alaska.
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Being a small ship, there is a limited number of accommodations onboard Spirit of Alaska. All staterooms onboard Spirit of Alaska have a private bathroom.
The staterooms onboard Spirit of Alaska, in order of usual price are as follows: category B, A, AA, AAA and Deluxe. There are only three Deluxe staterooms onboard the vessel, so they tend to get booked up rather quickly on some sailings.
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Cruise West has an open seating format, meaning that you're not assigned to a specific table. You just have to make sure that you're aware of the hours that each meal is being served between. The cuisine served onboard Cruise West's Spirit of Alaska is quite American.
The dining times onboard Spirit of Alaska vary depending on each particular day's schedule. Typically, there is an "early riser" continental breakfast that starts at 6:00 am. There will usually also be a full breakfast starting around 7:30 am to 8:00 am. Lunch is usually served around noon, while dinner usually starts between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm. There will be appetizers served during the ship's Social Hour, which takes place each evening before dinner.
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Being a smaller ship (there are only four passenger level decks onboard), Spirit of Alaska doesn't have a ton of onboard features (relative to what's typical in the mainstream cruising world).
The Lower deck is the first passenger deck onboard Spirit of Alaska. On this deck you'll find some staterooms. One deck up from that level is the Main deck, where the main dining room and Explorer's Lounge (the main social gathering area of the ship, which features a bar) are located.
The next deck up is the Upper deck, where the bow viewing area is located (forward). This is a great part of the ship to enjoy the ship's surroundings while cruising through Alaska's waters.
The highest passenger deck onboard Spirit of Alaska is the Bridge deck, where you'll find the sun deck, as well as the bridge, a covered observation area, and the ship's three Deluxe staterooms. A nice thing about cruising onboard this ship is that you'll have the opportunity to walk right up to the captain and have a chat, if you so desire.
Nightly entertainment onboard Spirit of Alaska will feature local music performances, such as guitar playing of folk songs. This ship isn't the place to be if you're looking for much nightlife or a bar scene, as many passengers tend to go to bed earlier in the evening (preparing to rise early for the next day's activities).
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Cruise West's dress code is extremely casual, as they say that they "believe in traveling in comfort." They state that you should feel like you're at home while onboard their vessels. Onboard a Cruise West ship you can wear jeans and sweaters during the day, and during the evening as well! Unlike the majority of the cruising world, they don't require jackets, ties, or formal dress during dinner.
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There is not a children's program (or facilities) onboard the Spirit of Alaska, as the cruises offered on this ship aren't really thought of as being for families with children.
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Cruise West's pricing includes service charges for all of their staff members, so that's one less thing for you to worry about during your cruise. They go on to state that "tipping is neither expected nor required for Cruise West Staff, on land or at sea. Recognition for exceptional service is discretionary and you are welcome to tip individuals directly." Unlike many other cruise lines, Cruise West does not charge a gratuity automatically onto bar bills.
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Passengers must be at least 21 years of age in order to consume alcohol onboard a Cruise West ship. Cruise West does not allow their passengers to bring their own alcohol onboard for consumption.
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There is not a casino onboard Spirit of Alaska.
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