A unique up-close, casual and personal style of cruising on the Columbia & Snake Rivers in spring and fall. Now we’re introducing a NEW summer itinerary — a time of year where temperatures are pleasant, wildlife is abundant and the scenery is dramatic. Our NEW Northwest Passage — Summer Celebration itinerary on the Spirit of ’98 celebrates the traditions of the past and wines of the present while exploring the indigenous cultures and history of the Columbia River Basin and the neighboring Mt. St. Helens. Experience popular favorites like a jet boat ride into Hells Canyon, visits to boutique wineries, and new excursions to Mt. St. Helens, the Pendleton Underground Tour and the museum at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute — all highlights of this enriching cruise.

Chairman’s Cruise - On June 19, 2009, join Cruise West Chairman Dick West and his family on our NEW Columbia & Snake Rivers cruise - the Northwest Passage Summer Celebration.

Cruise From Portland. On arrival in Portland, you will transfer to the ship. This evening enjoy a sparkling wine toast as the ship slowly cruises the Willamette River to view the Portland skyline. This 240-mile tributary of the Columbia River is crossed by 19 bridges.

Cruising the World-Renowned Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Step out on deck this morning as your ship slips through the locks of Bonneville Dam at the entrance to the Columbia River Gorge. Since 1938, this historic landmark has supplied hydroelectric power, fish and wildlife protection, and recreation – here you stop at the dam’s Visitor Center.

Carved by cataclysmic floods, the Columbia River Gorge is a defining beacon of the American West. This spectacular river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, is a natural wind tunnel that cuts the only sea level route through the Cascade Mountains. Cruise the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and The Dalles, where pioneers once loaded their wagons onto barges and floated down the Columbia to the mouth of the Willamette River. Transit the John Day Dam, the highest single-lift lock in the free world at the head of Lake Celilo.

Travel to Pendleton along a route used by the Oregon Trail Pioneers. Uncover the Wild West past of Pendleton’s underground tunnels, dug by Chinese emigrants between 1870 and 1930 connecting businesses from Chinese laundries to illegal saloons, bordellos, and opium dens. Weaving blankets for the Natives, the Pendleton Woolen Mills opened in 1909 and still produces them today. Lunch is served at the impressive Hamley’s offering handcrafted meals drawn from locally grown produce and the finest Northwest wines and micro-brews. Explore the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute honoring the 10,000-year history of the confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla. Learn about their history through interactive exhibits and a Living Cultural Village.

Hells Canyon. After your final upriver locking at Lower Granite Dam, the vessel will dock in historic Clarkston, Washington, “the Northwest’s most inland seaport” at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. Board jet boats for an exhilarating excursion into Hells Canyon. This free-flowing river cuts its way through North America’s deepest canyon and boasts incredible scenery beneath steep cliffs rising thousands of feet on both sides of the gorge. Keep your eyes peeled for elk, bighorn sheep and 7,000-year-old petroglyphs.

Walla Walla. Internationally recognized for its production of award winning wines, you will enjoy an historic tour of this quaint town and time allowing, an opportunity to explore and shop on your own. A special casually elegant lunch has been arranged at a local favorite Walla Walla restaurant before a tour and tasting of two unique wineries. Return to the ship for dinner and evening cruising.

River Cruising. The river lends its unique rhythms to life onboard. You will have a full day of leisurely cruising past ancient petroglyphs, granite and basalt cliffs, Beacon Rock, Multnomah Falls, Cape Horn and legendary Rooster Rock. By end of day you’ll have locked through McNary, John Day and The Dalles, where man and nature work hand in hand.

Longview & Mt. St. Helens. See the aftermath of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens at the Mt. St. Helens Volcanic Monument. Travel within 5 ½ miles from the crater, and conditions permitting, look into the crater from the nearby Johnston Ridge Observatory. Here you will see and learn more about the cataclysmic 1980 eruption – an explosion that leveled 230 square miles of mature forest and removed 1,300 feet from the top of the mountain. Discover that the eruption was more than just a single event and see first hand how scientists continue to monitor this active volcano.

Back to Portland. Return to Portland’s attractive riverfront where your week-long voyage ends. A transfer is included to the Portland Airport.