Cruise West

SEATTLE (17 September 2010) - Cruise West today announced that they will cease operations on Saturday, 18 September 2010. For the last year, Cruise West has aggressively purused a number of options with interested parties to maintain operations, including investment, selling assets, and selling the company. In part because of the most recent dip in the markets and continued lack of economic confidence, these options have not come to fruition.

"I have never given up hope that we might be able to find a way to survive by working with the various interested parties. I am absolutely hearbroken that this family legacy has come to and end", shared Dick West, Cruise West's Chairman and Managing Director. "We have a product that appeals to the type of traveler who wants to experience the destination, not the inside of a ship. We have a passionate following of repeat guests and I am particulary distrssed that our most loyal guests who have booked with us will now not be able to travel. We have done absolutely everything to maintain operations, but with limited resources and the current tight financial market, we simply cannot continue"

With the exception of the September 22 Danbue Cruise, Cruise West has cancelled all future cruises in 2010 and beyond and Cruise West has taken steps to notify booked guests via phone, email and through media outlets.