In many of the remote waterways visited, small ships are the only way to explore the area. We forsake the wider shipping lanes for channels just a few hundred feet wide, tie up to inner piers in tiny villages, and share waterways with local fishermen and perhaps a few private yachts. And our ships carry inflatable excursion craft to take you to where the action is.

Your cruise on our small ship is not filled with elaborate distractions, sleek resorts, and packaged tours. Rather, our small ships are perfect for intimate exploration of off-the-beaten track waterways, narrow channels and tiny ports that passengers on large ships will never see.

When Cruise West guests visit a small port in Alaska's Inside Passage or along Baja Mexico's Sea of Cortés, we don't overwhelm the local communities or crowd nature trails. In fact, our largest vessel hosts just 138 guests. And in the small ports we visit, we've nourished excellent relationships with the local innkeepers, port directors, and storytellers. That means everywhere you travel, you have entrée to the very best experiences that each community can offer. And in every Cruise West destination, at least one shore excursion or highlight is included in each port of call, to further encourage your active involvement.

Your time is spent wisely, too. Rather than making a beeline from port to port, our Captains have the flexibility - and the inclination - to linger when nature is putting on a show, whether it's a spectacular rainbow or a rare view of wildlife.

When Chuck West first offered unique and personal travel experiences more than 60 years ago, he built his business on the philosophy that drives Cruise West to this day: to provide up-close travel that focuses on the destination - its scenery, wildlife, natural history and culture - all in the company of limited numbers of like-minded travelers.

While magnificent sweeping views are certainly abundant in every one of our destinations, it's the glory of the details, viewed close up, that bring you the most rewarding memories - cruising so close to a waterfall you can feel the mist, or seeing the barnacles on a humpback's fin.

The casual style onboard all of our vessels encourages relaxation and congenial interaction between guests and crew alike. And the experience is personally enriching, through onboard narratives and lectures, special local guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library provided on each vessel.

Destinations include Alaska, Japan, California Wine Country, South Pacific, Mexico, Asia, Costa Rica, Columbia River and British Columbia.