Cruise West Spirit of Discovery - River Voyage of Discovery with Cruise West

Columbia and Snake River Cruise of the Pacific Northwest

We arrived in surprisingly warm, sunny Portland around 11 am on a Sunday morning in late September and were met by the friendly Cruise West representative at baggage claim. She was meeting other groups, and soon we were all on the bus to the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Portland.

Cruise West provided a secured meeting room at the hotel for us to store any carry-on gear we didn't want to have the bus take directly to the ship on the Columbia River. Having this central meeting place allowed us to explore downtown Portland while Cruise West was getting the Spirit of Discovery ready for boarding. Most passengers flying in were met at the airport, and many of those driving parked at the Embassy Suites while we were on the cruise.

Mom and I picked up a map of downtown Portland from the front desk of the hotel, and we were off exploring. First stop--lunch. We made a few inquiries and decided a nearby Irish pub sounded good. After a delicious shepherd's pie, accompanied by a glass of Guinness, we were recovered from our flight.

The unusually large lunch led to the need for a good walk, so we spent a couple of hours strolling the downtown area. Lucky for us, there was a large weekend outdoor market near the river that occupied most of our free time. It's always fascinating to visit markets when traveling; it gives you a good sense of the interests and activities of the locals, even in the USA.

Returning to the hotel around 3 pm, we started to meet some of our cruise mates. Most of the 77-passengers on the Cruise West Spirit of Discovery Columbia and Snake Rivers Cruise were American or Canadian couples middle-aged or older. There were a couple of multi-generational family groups (grown children with their parents) like my mother and I.

Two buses transported us to the ship, which was docked on the Columbia River in nearby Vancouver, Washington. The captain and hotel manager greeted us as we boarded the ship. Our baggage was already in the cabin. We had a short get-acquainted meeting, followed by the mandatory safety drill. We still had plenty of time to unpack before dinner.

Cabin #203 on the Spirit of Discovery is in category AAA on deck 2, right next to the Observation Lounge and Bar and close to everything. Of course, on a very small ship such as this one, everything is nearby, with the dining room on main deck 1 and the bridge deck on deck 3. Cabins are on all three decks, and the deck 3 cabin doors open directly to the outdoors. The cabins are very small, with built-in twin beds that are a little shorter than a standard bed.

The cozy cabins are adequate for a one-week cruise, and the shower is good, always an important factor for most of us. Little time is spent in the cabins, as most people gather in the comfortable common areas to socialize and enjoy the panoramic river views.

Before dinner, the captain took the small ship down the Columbia to the Willamette River, so we saw some of Portland from the river before he turned the Spirit of Discovery around and we headed back upstream. The early evening was clear, and we saw both Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens from the deck. I had never seen Mount Hood without its traditional snow cover, so it really looked different.

As described below, our first dinner on the Spirit of Discovery was excellent. We quickly determined in subsequent days that this was no fluke. The chef and his staff are exceptional.

After dinner, we had a short overview presentation of our upcoming cruise in the lounge. By the end of the presentation, I think we were all ready for bed.

For dinner, the ship always features a soup, appetizer or salad, and choice of two entrees, followed by dessert. The first night we enjoyed mushroom soup, a spinach salad, a choice of grilled salmon or beef, and old-fashioned strawberry shortcake made with a yummy flaky pastry for dessert.

A grilled chicken breast, sirloin streak, baked potato, and ice cream for dessert are always available. We were pleasantly surprised by the wonderful hot breads served at all meals. The ship's baker is one of the best I've encountered anywhere, and she continually spoiled us with marvelous pastries and breads the entire cruise.

Our exploration leaders, Teresa and Chelsea, had promised a 6:45 am wake up call for those who wanted to be on deck for our passage through the lock at the Bonneville Dam. Each cabin has a speaker that you can turn off if you don't want to be disturbed. We were a little surprised when we were awakened at 6:15, but quickly determined that due to high winds, we were going through the lock earlier than expected.

Many of us gathered outside on the deck (some in pajamas) to go through the first of eight locks we would pass through twice (upstream and downstream) on the voyage -- four locks and dams on the Columbia and four on the Snake River. It was windy and only 52 degrees, but watching the sunrise was a magical way to start the day.

After passing through the lock, the Spirit of Discovery docked near the Bonneville Dam Visitor's Center. Since we had such a big dinner the night before, Mom and I decided to enjoy the light continental breakfast of delicious hot pastries and fruit in the observation lounge. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, and soft drinks are included in the fare, and are always available in the lounge.

Those who ate in the dining room, which is open from 7 am to 8 am for breakfast, gave us an excellent report of the omelets and quiche available as the daily breakfast special downstairs. In addition to two daily specials, Cruise West breakfast includes all the standard fare including pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, oatmeal, and pastries.

By 9 am, we were off the ship for our 1.5-hour tour of the Bonneville Lock and Dam, which was very interesting. We learned about the history of the dam, saw fish moving up the fish ladders, and went inside the power plant.

The Bonneville Lock and Dam is a national historic landmark built between 1933 and 1937. It was the first federal locks and dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Bonneville is named for Army Captain Benjamin Bonneville, who was an early explorer who charted extensive sections of what later became the Oregon Trail.

The visitor's center has a nice viewing center for watching fish navigate the fish ladders. The tour also included a visit inside the dam, where we saw the fish-friendly turbines.

At 10:30, we boarded two buses for the 5-minute ride to the Multnomah Falls, a 620-foot waterfall located right next to I-84 near the dam. We only had an hour at the falls, which allowed enough time to walk up the trail to the bridge, but not enough to climb the 1.3 miles to the top. The hike to the bridge was strenuous enough for most of us, and the view from the bridge of the pool below the falls and the Columbia River in the distance made us forget our pounding hearts and heavy breathing. The Multnomah Falls were quite beautiful, and an excellent start to our voyage.

Returning to the ship, we were delayed for about 15 minutes by a ship passing through the lock, but we arrived just in time for lunch.