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Cruise West

MS Spirit of Endeavour

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: C. Weisberger
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: May 29, 2003
Itinerary: Alaska

The "Inside Passage" cruise in this ship exceeded our expectations. All our fellow passengers with whom we spoke shared this opinion. The sights and wildlife we saw, the facilities on the vessel, the service of the crew were all outstanding. This particular cruise and this particular vessel made our Alaska experience an exceptional one.

This is a small ship. It has no pool, casino or work out facilities. Eighteen circuits of deck 3 make a mile and we and other passengers used this exercise modality. There is one lounge which is very comfortable and has the bar as part of it. The only other public indoor facility is the very nice dining room with open seating. The decks are ample for the scenery and wildlife viewing that is the bent of this cruise.

The food was excellent. The Chef on our cruise was trained in New Orleans and produced first rate food. The service on the ship as a whole was outstanding. The staff from deck hand through Captain was completely service oriented AND service with more than a smile. This line tries to make everyone feel like family and they succeed rapidly and pleasantly.

Cabin space was adequate, good storage under the beds and adequate drawer and 'hang up' space was present. The 'head' was adequately sized and the shower was quite good. Noise levels in cabins varied by position on the ship. I asked those located aft specifically whether they were bothered by engine noise and was told they were not. Our cabin midships on the third deck was quiet.

Entertainment on this cruise is Alaska. This small ship has no entertainment but nature and the naturalist on board. The naturalist also serves as cruise director to make whatever arrangements are necessary for the passengers. The lectures on wildlife and nature were quite excellent and well attended.

The ship has binoculars placed all over the ship for wildlife and scenery viewing and this is the primary on-board activity of these cruises. The small venues such as Skagway, Haines, Sitka, Petersburg, Metlakatla and Ketchikan all have 'extra' activities available associated with them. The line also has an 'included' tour at each site. The flights over glaciers and scenery with helicopter or fixed wing aircraft are highlights available at extra cost. We enjoyed the sessions with local folks at the various ports.

The passengers were mostly 55 plus, well educated and interested in this type of cruise. We met no one surprised by what this experience provided. There were a smattering of 20-30-40 folks aboard but no children. This is not a cruise for children; there are no real facilities for them. There are no elevators on this ship so a certain physical ability of minimal nature is necessary to walk steps and gangways. We met many folks of varied ages up to 87 with whom we could easily be friends after returning home.