Cortés Cruise with Rail Mexico’s Copper Canyon!

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I received this press release from Cruise West and thought it would be
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Cruise West’s Comprehensive Land-Sea Package Combines Small-Ship Sea
of Cortés Cruise with Rail Tour of Mexico’s Copper Canyon

SEATTLE, October, 2003
Mexico’s legendary Copper Canyon railroad, which climbs from sea level
to almost 8,000 feet in the remote Sierra Madre Occidental, is the
centerpiece of a comprehensive 11-night land-sea package that combines
a week-long Cruise West sailing in the Sea of Cortés and exploration
of the Copper Canyon, which is deeper and narrower than the Grand
Canyon. Departures begin with the Christmas holiday season and run
through March 2004.

The cruise-tour features seven nights aboard Cruise West’s
102-passenger Spirit of Endeavour, exploring and viewing the beaches,
mountains, exotic deserts, whales and wildlife and colonial towns, two
nights at the Hotel Posada Mirador Barrancas on the rim of Copper
Canyon, a night in the 16th-century town of El Fuerte and a night in
Chihuahua, principal city of Mexico’s northern interior. The
all-inclusive rates, which include all meals, flights from La Paz to
El Fuerte, the jumping off point for the canyon, airport transfers,
daily excursions and tours and first-class seating on the Copper
Canyon train, range from $3,749 to $5,398 per person, double.

Conceived in 1880 and not fully completed until 1961, the Chihuahua al
Pacifico railroad remains one of the extraordinary engineering
achievements of the Western Hemisphere, with 89 tunnels, some
negotiating a complete 360-degree circle entirely underground in order
to adjust elevations to the intricate network of intersecting gorges
that comprise the Copper Canyon. The original inhabitants of this
stunning landscape, the Tarahumara Indians, represent one of Mexico’s
best-preserved traditional cultures and lifestyles. Tours include
visits to a Tarahumara village and guided walks along canyon rim
trails. In El Fuerte, a walking tour takes in the colonial-era City
Hall, the Main Plaza and the town’s oldest church. In Chihuahua,
travelers see Pancho Villa’s house and the city’s magnificent baroque
Cathedral.

The cruise portion of this Mexico adventure explores 200 miles of Baja
California peninsula coastline and the Sea of Cortés, once described
by Jacques Cousteau as “the aquarium of the world” because of its more
than 800 marine vertebrates species. Highlights include viewing the
area’s whales, dolphins, sea lions and other sea creatures, landings
on several uninhabited islands -- Espiritu Santo, San Jose, San
Francisco and Partida -- for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and guided
nature walks to see the great variety of cacti, succulents and other
desert flora, viewing colonies of blue-footed boobies and swimming
with sea lions at the seamount Los Islotes; sightseeing and shopping
in the centuries-old communities of La Paz and Loreto; and attending a
private Mexican fiesta at the Governor’s mansion in La Paz with music,
traditional dancers and piñatas.

More deluxe than most small cruise ships, the 217-foot Spirit of
Endeavour has a large forward viewing lounge, teak decks, and all
outside cabins with picture window, tiled bath, telephone and TV/VCR.
The dining room serves Mexican and international cuisines. Dining room
seating is open, and the intimacy of the ship lends itself to meeting
and getting to know the other passengers.

Cruise West is celebrating its 20th year in 2003 and was recently
named
“Best Cruise Line-Small Ship" by travel agents voting in Recommend
Magazine's Sixth Annual Readers' Choice Awards.
Reservations, additional information and brochures can be obtained
from travel agents.

Background Information:

Cruise West is a family-owned small-ship cruise line based in Seattle
and headed by Richard G. West, chairman and CEO. The company was
founded in 1973 by Charles B. (Chuck) West, founder and former owner
of Westours.

Destinations served: Alaska, British Columbia and Islands of the
Pacific Northwest, Columbia and Snake Rivers, California Wine Country,
and Baja Mexico's Sea of Cortés.

The emphasis for all Cruise West destinations is outward on scenery,
wildlife, history, local cultures, and shoreside attractions--rather
than inward on shipboard activities such as gambling and nightclubs.
Each ship features a Cruise West certified Naturalist Guide who is
trained in the natural history and lore of the destination.

Ships: For 2001 the company owns and operates eight small ships--seven
cruise ships, with capacities ranging from 52 to 114 guests, and a
90-foot touring yacht. Each of the overnight vessels has a comfortable
forward lounge, substantial outside deck space, private facilities in
all cabins, and a dining room that seats a full complement of guests
at a single sitting. Open seating in dining rooms helps travelers meet
and come to know one another. Dining is more sophisticated than is
typically associated with small-ship expedition cruising. The
motoryacht Sheltered Seas has two carpeted lounges and a beverage bar.
The lower-deck lounge converts into a dining room. All ships have bow
thrusters for maneuvering close to shore. Passengers are welcome on
the bridge. Ships are American-built and registered and are crewed by
Americans, except for the line's new flagship (May 2001), the
Bahamas-registered Spirit of Oceanus.