For nearly three years, I have been wondering about the loss of a favorite cruise vessel, the Spirit of '98. In August, she will be back.
Cruise West, the company that owned Spirit, ended its touring days in 2010, and I feared that the ship, which needed some renovation, was lost as well.
I should have known better. Serviceable vessels get reborn.
Newly refurbished, re-named, and operated by Un-Cruise Adventures, the 88-passenger S.S. Legacy now sports a hot tub, sauna, fitness equipment, and a massage suite.
My review of Cruising the Columbia and Snake
Sharing time between Alaska and the Columbia
Legacy is cruising in Alaska starting in August, and will move to the Columbia and
Snake rivers in September.
The ship will chug along the Columbia and Snake, rivers made famous by explorers Lewis and Clark, on seven night trips from Portland Sept. 7 - Nov. 23. In 2014, river cruises will be available in spring and fall, Alaska in summer.
Other competitors on these rivers include American Cruise Lines, Lindblad Expeditions (with National Geographic), and starting in 2014, American Queen Steamboat Company.
David Molyneaux writes regularly about cruising news, tips and trends at TheTravelMavens.com. His cruise trends column appears monthly in U.S. newspapers and on other Internet sites. He is editor of TheTravelMavens.com
