American Safari Cruises has introduced a new itinerary on the Columbia and Snake rivers of Washington, Oregon and Idaho to "help fill the void left by Majestic America when it ceased operating three riverboats in the area," the company said.
The nine-day "Rivers First" itinerary, a one-way river cruise from Lewiston, Idaho, to Astoria, Ore., is the company's first on the Northwestern rivers. The river cruise will take place aboard American Safari's flagship yacht, the 145-foot, 36-passenger Safari Explorer.
Majestic America Line, which ceased operations last year, had three vessels that sailed along the Columbia and Snake rivers at various times: the 223-passenger Empress of the North, the 142-passenger Queen of the West and the 150-passenger Columbia Queen, all of which are currently laid up while they await a sale by parent company Ambassadors International.
Two of the few remaining U.S. river ships in operation in the Pacific Northwest along the Columbia and Snake rivers are Cruise West's 96-passenger Spirit of '98 and 84-passenger Spirit of Discovery.
Dan Blanchard, CEO of American Safari from 2001 until October 2008, formed a new company, InnerSea Discoveries, and purchased American Safari's assets in February. Among the plans for American Safari announced then was the introduction of the Columbia and Snake rivers itinerary.
"With Majestic America pulling its boats from the Mississippi River as well as here and Riverbarge Excursion ceasing operations for this year, the opportunities to enjoy this experience are very limited," Tim Jacox, American Safari executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in a release.
The Seattle-based company decided to do one-way cruises because of the time required to lock through the eight dams on the Columbia. "If we did roundtrip itineraries, we'd have to go through 16 lockings, and we'd see a lot more of the dams than the river," Jacox said in a statement.
As with all American Safari cruises, guests will explore by double sea kayaks and motorized skiffs as well as on guided hikes. Cruises include a jet-boat excursion into Hells Canyon; wine-tastings at two Washington state wineries; a visit to Hood River, a wind-surfing destination; a tour of Bonneville Dam; and the Lewis and Clark Discovery Center in Ilwaco, Wash.
The Safari Explorer features exercise equipment, a sauna, top-deck hot tub and yoga sessions, and guests are offered a complimentary massage with the onboard masseuse. Staterooms feature Tempur-Pedic mattresses, heated tile floors in the private bathrooms and DVD players. Meals are cooked using local ingredients. A complimentary bar offers spirits, wines and microbrews. American Safari said the crew-to-guest ratio onboard the Safari Explorer is 1 to 2.
There are eight departures scheduled for 2009: Sept. 30; Oct. 8, 16 and 24; Nov. 1, 9, 17 and 25. Prices begin at $5,295, per person, cruise only. An additional five departures are scheduled for spring 2010: March 20 and 27; and April 3, 10 and 17. 2010 prices begin at $3,395, per person, cruise only.
The April 3 departure will be a food-and-wine-themed cruise featuring eight winery, distillery and brewery visits along with vintner and guest chef-hosted wine and food pairings to be held in the onboard wine library, which offers selections from the wineries visited. Prices for the themed program start at $4,295, per person, cruise only.