The inaugural Taste of the Pacific Northwest culinary cruise will feature the rich history and delicious flavors unique to this region. Journey along the mighty Columbia River through Washington's Wine Country round trip from Portland, Oregon.

Travel this scenic riverway punctuated by orchards, vineyards, evergreens and imposing bluffs. Throughout your cruise, the Pacific Northwest's respectable wines and other epicurean delights are introduced with a special series of tours, tastings, excursions, and narration and presentations by your onboard Exploration Leader.

Sail From Portland, Oregon. Upon arrival, transfer to the Cruise West hospitality area in downtown Portland. We’ll welcome you onboard with a taste of Willamette Valley’s signature flavors: a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris. Relax on deck, lift your glass to the journey to come and take in the Portland city skyline as we cruise the Willamette River.

The Columbia River Gorge. Carved by cataclysmic floods, the Columbia River Gorge is the lifeblood of human development through the ages — a defining beacon of the American West. Approaching Bonneville Dam, the spillway spews gushing water and the sky is filled with shrieking gulls, cormorants, and ospreys that plunge into the swirling water for breakfast. Fish often jump as ships line up to transit the navigational locks. Watch our deck staff lasso the floating cleats and secure the vessel to the lock chamber. The giant concrete back door closes and by force of gravity, water is piped into the chamber, lifting the ship 60 feet. Once filled, with the lock chamber level to the water above, the front door opens and we head towards the dock at Bonneville.

You are at the entrance of the 4,000-foot-deep Gorge. Enjoy a guided tour of the wildlife and rich history of the area. Cross the Bridge of the Gods and continue to the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center for a presentation on Native foods.

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.

Hanford Reach National Monument. Home to the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River, the Hanford Reach National Monument is swept with towering bluffs and expansive vistas. Rare flowers and abundant wildlife stubbornly defy persistent drought, wind and heat. Elk, mule deer, coyotes, great blue herons and white pelicans are common sights. The Monument is also a reminder of our history. Plutonium reactors, now being dismantled, stand in the distance, remnants of WWII and the Cold War. Depart by jet boat for a 4-hour tour of the Monument’s rich history and enduring habitat.

Join a local farmer on a private motorcoach tour of the region. Learn about the abundance of crops and the agricultural heritage of the Columbia River Basin.

A lunch-to-go will be prepared by your ship’s Chef while on your excursions. Upon your return to the vessel, enjoy an exclusive onboard wine tasting as we relax overnight dockside at tree-lined Howard Amon Park in Richland.

Horse Heaven Hills & Red Mountain. Today explore two of Washington's distinct American Viticultural Areas. The Red Mountain Viticultural Area is one of Washington's most well-defined and distinctive viticultural areas where good air, drainage and light soils encourage the vines to seek nutrients via deep roots. As one of Washington's newest AVA's, Horse Heaven Hills was classified in 2005 and is distinct in its character due to its proximity to the Columbia River and a topography that benefits the area by moderating temperature extremes, providing steep, south-facing slopes for optimum vineyard locations and quick-draining silty loam soils.

The vineyards of Coyote Canyon Winery, located in a very remote reach of Horse Heaven Hills will afford a rare and exciting opportunity to get up-close and personal with the vines and explore the life and experiences in a vineyard from an insider's perspective. Enjoy a vineyard tour, exclusive tasting and mouth0watering chocolate dessert hosted by the winemaker.

Continue on to a lunch and wine tasting at Red Mountain’s Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyard. As a geologist, owner and winemaker, Keith Pilgrim carefully selected this area on the edge of the Red Mountain AVA. In 1993 the first estate vines were planted. High levels of calcium carbonate dropped off thousands of years ago in the soils of Terra Blanca's Red Mountain Estate Vineyard have proven to be an invaluable asset to the quality of their wines. Stroll along cobbled walkways past meticulously landscaped courtyards and savor the regional varietals from this increasingly notable viticultural land or take a tour of the winery's expanded cave system. Your final stop is a tasting at Kiona Winery, located in one of the prime growing regions of Washington state.

Return to the ship to cruise the Columbia River.

Walla Walla, Washington.

Note: you may visit today’s wineries in an alternate order. Winery selection is subject to change.

Set on top of a small knoll overlooking the surrounding vineyards, the Three Rivers Winery boasts remarkable views of the Blue Mountains and the Whitman Mission and is named after the three rivers that border the region, the Columbia, the Snake and the Walla Walla. Winemaker Holly Turner prides herself on producing well-balanced wines with delicate aromas, be they expressions of Chardonnay or Syrah, Grenache or Gewürztraminer. You will tour the state-of-the-art barrel room and taste the results of careful vineyard selection and artful blending. Located in the heart of one of th most acclaimed new wine growing regions in the world, you will take in breathtaking views, savor a variety of flavors and perhaps take a short time to relax on the sweeping outdoor deck.

Enjoy a casually elegant winemaker's lunch at one of Walla Walla's finest restaurants, Backstage Bistro.

Visit Beresan Cellars Winery, home of truly exceptional handcrafted Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Semillon wines, for a tour and tasting. Return to your ship for dinner and evening cruising.

Hood River, Oregon. The Hood River Valley’s nutrient-rich volcanic soils, pristine glacial waters and ideal microclimate create the perfect fruit-growing environment … which is exactly why the family-run Fruit Company has been harvesting and hand-picking fruit from orchards in the valley for 65 years. Their idea is to simply deliver the best-tasting pears in the world directly to the doorstep, ripe and ready to eat.

Take a tractor tour of the company’s orchards, plucking pears and apples along the way, soaking up a breathtaking view of the Hood River Valley. A wide variety of fruits are produced in Hood River, Oregon, and only Mother Nature will be able to predict what amazing flavors will be ready for harvest upon our arrival. Tour the Fruit Company’s packing facility and explore an authentic picker’s cabin and historic artifacts at the Fruit Heritage Museum.

Follow the scenic Rowena Loop stretch of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. Completed in 1915, this highway was considered the premier highway in the U.S. for its time, with many scenic pullouts, masonry walls, bridges and tunnels with arched openings. From the lofty ridge top perspective of Rowena Crest you will be taking in the expansive view of the Columbia River and Gorge from 1,000 feet up. Clouds permitting, capture a photo of Mt. Hood. Some geologists say that in 30 years this volcano could blow its top similar to Mt. St. Helens, with lava flows directed towards Government Camp and Hood River.

Astoria, Oregon. Return to the cool coastal region to enjoy the regional flavors from the Pacific Ocean and delve into the seafood of the Oregon coast. Astoria is named for John Jacob Astor who built Fort Astoria to support his fur trading company. With its position situated just within the Columbia River entrance, other industries here included a departure and supply port for gold-seeking 49ers, fishing and canneries.

Spend the morning at the Consumer Seafood Center where we will participate in preparing a delectable lunch using only the freshest local ingredients. Chef Eric Jenkins will share his perspectives on seafood preparation and show us in a cooking demonstration some of his own techniques and methods to best highlight the bounty of the sea. Listen and learn as Chef Jenkins shares tips and techniques on fusing seafood with the unique local flavors of the Oregon coast: halibut, salmon, Dungeness crab, oysters, clams, locally-produced artisan cheeses, farmer’s fruits and vegetables.

See the spectacular view from the Astoria Column on Astoria's highest hill. Visit the nationally acclaimed Columbia River Maritime Museum, considered to be one of the best of its kind on the West Coast, hosts unique artifacts and amazing displays featuring the various aspects of the maritime industries of the area. This evening, enjoy a farewell gourmet dinner onboard, hosted by the Captain.

Disembark in Portland. Return to Portland’s riverfront. After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the Portland Airport.