Spirit of Oceanus Is Sold; Cruise West in Limbo

 Update: 8:49am PST, 9/18/10


Cruise West issued a detailed statement late yesterday announcing that the sailings scheduled for this weekend have been canceled, and the line is ceasing all operations effective immediately.  

Guests booked on the line's Galapagos program, which was operated by another company, Canodros, are urged to contact that line via email at lmontalvo@canodros.com to secure alternate arrangements.

Affected guests booked on future sailings should immediately contact their travel agent or credit card provider in order to secure a refund.  More information is available on the statement posted to Cruise West's website.


While the fate of small-ship line Cruise West still rests in limbo, that of their flagship, Spirit of Oceanus, has been revealed.

She's been sold to Danish investors.

Renamed Sea Spirit, the vessel is reportedly up for charter by any interested parties.  No word yet on whether the ship has departed her St. John's, Newfoundland berth where she ended what was to be one of the longest voyages in cruising history: a year-long world cruise that came to an abrupt halt when passengers were told their cruise was over.

CruiseWest still hasn't issued any information on the state of the company or their "reorganization."  Reports from the Seattle Times indicate the majority of staffers at the Seattle-based line have been laid off - an action that doesn't bode well for the future of the line.

In fact, the entire incident with Cruise West is strikingly reminiscent of the events that led to the downfall of Premier Cruises in 2000.  Made famous for their iconic ship, The Big Red Boat, the line specialized in short trips to the Bahamas in conjunction with Universal Studios and, until they launched their own ships in 1998, Disney.

Operationally, the two lines couldn't be more different.  Cruise West specialized in small-ship, expedition-style cruising while Premier operated a fleet of older, former ocean liners run-hard on the competitive Bahamian runs.  But in both cases, each line was struggling financially.  Premier was undercutting its own fares in order to attract passengers, slashing prices to the point where the line was barely able to cover its basic operational costs.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Cruise West was charging an absolute premium for its voyages - and then some.  While their low passenger count and 'expedition' nature were strong selling points, for a similar price passengers could choose to sail aboard many of the ultra-luxury lines, most of which offer expedition-style cruising with a dazzling array of amenities. 

Premier had passengers who cruised almost free; Cruise West was reportedly struggling to find passengers to fill its vessels.  In both cases, each line was struggling to break even.  And in both cases, the situation reached a critical tipping point when vessels were seized by creditors eager to recoup their costs.

What will come of Cruise West?  For now, with bookings suspended and future sailings scrapped, it would be nothing short of a modern-day miracle for the line to return to the status it held even a month ago.  We can only hope the company and its creditors can come to an agreement that will benefit its passengers and dedicated employees.