We call it yacht cruising.
Because your cruising party is small, you get to know your fellow travelers, people you'll have more to talk and laugh about with as the days go by. They're people like you, curious about new places and able to appreciate roads less traveled. Hiking or kayaking side by side, you and your shipmates will form lasting friendships. Our mega-yachts accommodate just 12 or 39 guests, which also makes them perfect for a group of friends or family to charter.

Expert Guides, Friendly Captains!
You also become familiar with your crew and staff, whose goal is to make every aspect of your journey a pleasure and to facilitate your adventures ashore. Most times, you're welcome to visit the bridge and discuss navigation with the captain. Throughout your voyage, you're accompanied by a knowledgeable expedition leader who offers timely narratives about the local history and wildlife, introduces you to local indigenous peoples, and keeps a lookout for wildlife. Humpback whales abeam while you're in the lounge? Your guide will sound the alert!

Gourmet Dining, Casual Style.
Dining is a true delight, a cornucopia of fresh local seafood, just-baked breads, hearty soups, exquisite entrees, sinfully delicious desserts. Everyone is served at one seating, family-style; dress is always casual. Of course, we're happy to plan for any special dietary needs, and if there's something you've got a craving for, let us know.

American Safari Cruises Announces Additional Yachts to their fleet and Yacht Cruising in the Hawaiian Islands.

American Safari Cruises becomes the first cruise line to offer unstructured inter-island yacht cruising in Hawaii, where the next “port” may not be a port at all. Instead, it may be a passage rich with wildlife, a secluded sandy beach or a quiet cove where guests explore their surroundings on the shore or in the water.

The company’s signature cruising style is built on flexibility, which allows the yachts to follow whales and dolphins or dodge unpleasant weather. “We’ve built our reputation on spontaneity,” says Dan Blanchard, President and CEO, who has explored the islands extensively by private boat. “Our style makes it possible to explore Hawaii without having to be at a specific port at a specific time. We can gunkhole, stop in out-of-the-way bays and coves, and be ready for whatever experiences may come along.”

American Safari Cruises’ sights always focus on a close-up look at wildlife and nature. Travel is in the daytime only, with nights spent in protected coves and bays, so nothing is missed. The yachts offer exceptional cuisine, complimentary fine wines and premium spirits and a 2-to-1 guest-crew ratio. They carry mountain bikes, kayaks, skiffs and other watercraft, and their relatively small size enables them to go where big ships can’t.

In Hawaii, guests will see and experience the islands from a different perspective than at a high-end resort. “Hawaii will never be closer,” says Tim Jacox, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This will be a new way to see the islands, places you can only explore by boat. We’ll meet the locals and learn from them. Our goal is to establish new traditions in cruising while respecting the age-old traditions of Hawaii.”

On the eight-day, seven-night Hawaii cruises; the Safari Explorer will sail one-way between Kailua-Kona on the Big Island and Kahului on Maui. Along the way, guests will learn the legend and lore of the islands from resident historians and experts. Cruising will focus on the leeward side of the Maui island group, which also includes the islands of Kahoolawe and Lanai. The half-sunken crater of Molokini offers unparalleled snorkeling and certified divers may also explore the reef; the yacht is fully equipped for scuba diving activities. The company also will customize add-on extensions to Kauai and other Hawaiian islands, pre- or post-cruise.

Among the included shore excursions are a helicopter tour over Volcanoes National Park, a mule ride into Kalaupapa National Historic Park on Molokai, a drive to Haleakala National Park on Maui and night cruising along the Big Island to see Kilauea’s lava flow into the sea. An inclusive Hawaiian Islands 7 night/8 day itinerary price begins at $3,995 per person double occupancy.

The Safari Explorer Alaska 7 night/8 day itinerary includes up to two days in spectacular Glacier Bay National Park, where other vessels cruise in and out in a matter of hours. Other highlights will be a circumnavigation of Admiralty Island and exploration of its rugged bays, wildlife-rich waters to see whales, and Endicott Arm and Dawes glaciers. Inclusive prices begin at $4,395 per person double occupancy.

Wherever its destination, the Safari Explorer offers elegant accommodations in a casual atmosphere. There is an overall spa influence with complimentary massages from an onboard masseuse, yoga classes, sauna, on-deck whirlpool spa and exercise equipment. The yacht features a wine library for special tastings. The salon has a large-screen TV/DVD and video library. A variety of 20 staterooms are available, including three adjoining cabins for families. All have TV/DVD players, a sliding glass door or view window, some small balconies and private baths with some Jacuzzis.

The All-American crew will include the captain, mates, executive chef and assistants, expedition leader/professional naturalists, hotel manager, stewards, engineers and deckhands. The guest-crew ratio will be approximately 2 to 1.

American Safari Cruises pioneered yacht cruising in Alaska in 1997. Other destinations include Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, Columbia and Snake Rivers and Pacific Northwest.

American Safari Cruises to Mexico.
Travelers who want to experience Mexico’s Sea of Cortés with a small group of friends or family now have an opportunity to explore this remarkable desert sea by private luxury yacht, thanks to American Safari Cruises’ new charter offering for groups of 12 or under. The new program is in response to requests for small-group charter cruises in Mexico.

The eight-day, seven-night cruises aboard the 120-foot yacht Safari Quest are available for up to 12 guests now through March 25 for $99,995, which includes a six-person crew with professional naturalist, gourmet dining, a complimentary bar with premium spirits and fine wines, all off-yacht experiences and transfers. The Safari Quest usually carries 22 guests at a higher charter rate; the special offer for 12 guests represents a savings of up to $27,900.

“We’ve received a number of requests to put one of our 12-guest yachts in the Sea of Cortés for small groups, but the time and expense involved to deadhead another, smaller boat makes it prohibitive,” says Tim Jacox, vice president of sales and marketing. “So we’re making this offer to meet a stated demand for smaller charter parties on the bigger, more spacious yacht that’s already there.” American Safari Cruises has two 12-guest yachts, the 105-foot Safari Spirit and the 112-foot Safari Escape.

The one-way itinerary between Loreto and Baja California Sur’s capital of La Paz includes tiny Isla Coyote where fishermen and their families live in the only permanent settlement in the islands, snorkeling with juvenile sea lions, a burro ride into the arroyos, and plenty of time for watching whales and other wildlife, kayaking, sailing, beachcombing and hiking.

Please call 1-800-951-5581 for reservations

American Safari Cruises to Send New Small Ship to Alaska.
With the plethora of cruise ships plying Alaska waters this summer, the newest one may well be the smallest. American Safari Cruises' new luxury yacht, the 36-guest, 145-foot Safari Explorer, will make its first Alaska port call May 30 in Juneau for the start of its eight-day, seven-night roundtrip cruises from the Alaska capital.

Now undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation in Seattle, the Safari Explorer is the cruise line's fourth luxury yacht and offers an active spa environment with a licensed masseuse for complimentary massages, yoga classes, a dedicated fitness area, on-deck hot tub and sauna. "The 'real' spa is the natural one, of course, the great Alaska narrow waterways and islands for kayaking and guided hiking," says Tim Jacox, vice president of sales and marketing.

Other new design features include two large suites with Jacuzzi tubs and balconies, some triple accommodations and all outside or above-deck staterooms. Like other American Safari Cruises vessels, the new yacht carries double sea kayaks and motorized shore boats for close-up exploration of the Alaska wilderness.

The Safari Explorer will cruise from Juneau May 30 through Sept. 5. The itinerary focuses on wildlife – whales, sea lions, bears – and glaciers, including up to two days in Glacier Bay National Park and a full day hugging the fjord walls of Endicott Arm to view the rarely visited Dawes Glacier. Following the Alaska season, the yacht will debut in Hawaii with inter-island itineraries in the waters less traveled.

"Our cruises are built on spontaneity," Jacox says, "and because our itineraries are flexible, we can always follow the wildlife without worrying about sticking to a rigid schedule to the next port."

In addition to kayaking, Alaska guests hike in the Tongass National Forest and visit the tiny picturesque village of Elfin Cove and the small Norwegian fishing port of Petersburg. The yacht travels only during the day, spending the nights at anchor in small coves and bays or quaint harbors. The crew includes two professional naturalists, plus a park ranger in Glacier Bay, and has a guest-crew ratio of two to one. The inclusive cruises feature complimentary fine wines, premium spirits and exceptional cuisine served at a single seating.

Whether you are at anchor in the deep reaches of a glacial fjord in Alaska, viewing a mother bear with her cubs along the British Columbia coast, snorkeling among sea lions in Mexico's Sea of Cortés, or following the path of Lewis & Clark on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, American Safari Cruises will take you there in luxurious, personal style.