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Spirit of Oceanus |
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| The 120-guest all-suite Spirit of Oceanus is the flagship of Cruise West's fleet. She's actually Cruise West's first oceangoing (and foreign flagged) vessel, and is their only ship that's equipped with stabilizers. This ship was actually first launched by Renaissance Cruises (in 1991), and was named Renaissance V. She was later renamed Sun Viva I when she was purchased by Sun Cruises. Star Cruises ended up purchasing her and eventually sold her to Cruise West in 2001. Without a doubt Spirit of Oceanus is the largest and most luxurious of Cruise West's ships. Although she's a large ship relative to the rest of the ship in Cruise West's fleet, she's still a smaller sized ship (at only 4,500 tons). This intimate ship has an English-speaking multinational crew that is quite friendly. In fact, during your cruise you'll probably 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 Oceanus 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 (many of which are included in the cruise price) 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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| Spirit of Oceanus will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010: Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Canada, India, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Panama Canal, South America, South Pacific |
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| Being a small ship, there is a limited number of accommodations onboard Spirit of Oceanus. All of the staterooms onboard Spirit of Oceanus have an oceanview of some kind (such as a window or porthole, depending on the particular room), safe, satellite telephone access, TV with VCR, two twin beds (which can be put together to form one king-size bed), private bathroom (with a sink, shower and toilet) and air conditioning. All of the staterooms onboard Spirit of Oceanus are suites, which are broken out into seven different categories. The fifteen suites on the Sports and Sun decks have private teak balconies, the first in the Cruise West fleet. In-room amenities onboard this ship include a walk-in closet or wardrobe, a large marble bathroom, and a lounge area. All suites will welcome you with a fresh fruit bowl, bathrobes and spa bath amenities. The most premium accommodation onboard Spirit of Oceanus is her one Owner's Suite, which is located forward on the Sun deck. The next most premium accommodations onboard this ship are her six Gran Titan suites, and then her eight Explorer suites. The ten Majestic suites (located on the Main deck) have portholes, rather than picture windows. |
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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 Oceanus is both continental and regional. The dining times onboard Spirit of Oceanus 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 five passenger level decks onboard), Spirit of Oceanus doesn't have a ton of onboard features (relative to what's typical in the mainstream cruising world, such as casinos, large show rooms, spas and swimming pools). |
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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 Oceanus, as the cruises offered on this ship aren't really thought of as being for families with children. However, if you do bring children along you can be rest assured that the staff will try their best to make your children as happy as possible while onboard the ship. |
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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 Oceanus. |
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