Frequently Asked Questions

California Wine Country

General	Alaska	British Columbia	Columbia & Snake Rivers	California Wine Country
Grand Asia	Japan	Panama Canal & Costa Rica	Mexico's Sea of Cortes	Ring of Fire	South Pacific

Activity Level
Q. How active are these tours?
A. This cruise is best enjoyed if you are in good health, fit and able to enjoy comfortably paced, moderate walks over some uneven terrain. The overall activity level and pace is kept easy on these cruises.

Arrival
Q. Where does the boat dock and can I go directly there?
A. Guests will not be able to go directly to the ship. All guests should check in at the hospitality area near the Fisherman’s Wharf.  We will transfer you to where the ship is docked.  Complete instructions will be sent to you with your final documents.

Q. Do you transfer guests from the Oakland Airport?
A. We offer transfers only between the San Francisco International Airport and the Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Wharf.

Q. Where can I park near the dock?
A. Due to the limited amount of parking available in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, we recommend that you park near the airport and take our complimentary shuttle into town.

Packing
Q. You say casual, but just how casual are we talking?
A. We believe in traveling in comfort.  Come as you are - you'll feel at home in jeans and sweaters during the day and the evening. Even at dinner time no jackets, ties or formal dress are required.

Q. What clothes should I pack?
A. We suggest casual clothes such as cottons, breathable fabrics, and layers. You will want to bring comfortable walking shoes and a light raincoat or sweater.  A more comprehensive packing list will be sent to you before you receive your final documents.

Shore Excursions
Q. How do we know if we have time for shore excursions?
A. We coordinate all optional shore excursion offerings with local operators and all offerings are carefully selected to match the itinerary and the time allowed in each port.

Solo Travelers
Q. Is this cruise appropriate for singles?
A. Yes. We do get many single passengers on our wine country trips.

Weather
Q. What is the weather going to be like?
A. Typically the weather will be moderate to warm and somewhat arid. At times you may have some morning fog that will burn off by early afternoon.

Wheelchairs
Q. Are your vessels wheelchair accessible?
A. Cruise West appreciates the differences in accommodation needs of our guests wishing to travel with us. However, our vessels do not meet all applicable standards of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for buildings and facilities. Furthermore, guests should be aware that ships and operating conditions can always present challenges to wheelchairs or those with limited mobility and participation may not be possible for some activities and events. Ship interiors often have raised door thresholds, steep stairs and narrow passageways that can prevent wheelchair passage. Gangways between the ship and docks can be steep due to variable tide conditions. Inflatable excursion craft that do not accommodate wheelchairs are sometimes used for shore visits where no docks exist.

Land tours present a variety of physical environments including high altitude, uneven terrain, rocky trails, museums and buildings without elevators and stairways without handrails.

These conditions and guest expectations should be discussed in detail at the time of booking and confirmed in writing to ensure travelers will get the most out of their Cruise West experience.

Why a Wine Country Cruise
Q. Some of the places on these itineraries are accessible by car.  Why cruise?
A. The experience of traveling these rivers by small ship is unparalleled.  Think of it as having a moving, comfotable base camp from which you explore the wine regions. Exploration Leaders and well-planned excursions all come together to make this easy, fun and intellectually rewarding. It would be almost impossible to get all this from eithre independent travel or group land travel.

Wine
Q. Is wine included with dinner?
A. If you choose, yes. Alcoholic beverages are an additional cost but wine tasting at the wineries is included.

Q. Are they harvesting the grapes while we are there?
A. Yes. We only operate the cruises during the fall “Crush” season, which is the main harvest and processing period. 

Wineries
Q. How do we get between wineries?
A. We arrange motorcoaches to transport you between the different wineries.

Q. Can we buy wine and bring it home?
A. Yes, though due to airline restrictions it is often best to have the wineries ship your purchases directly to your home.