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I had signed up for this cruise months ago, but it was already sold out, so I asked to be placed on a wait list. Portland Spirit only offers this cruise twice a year, once in May and once in October. They said they need this cruise to be close to sold out to break even. Since they can't do their lunch and dinner cruises in Portland on the days they do these cruises, they need to make enough to cover the revenue they miss from those cruises as well as all the fuel to travel the 200 miles to Astoria and back.
On the day before this cruise, I receive an email that said that some spots had opened up on this cruise and I was next on the wait-list. Barbara and I called them and signed up right away. So this was one more item to cross off my bucket list!
The broad waters of the Columbia River will carry you from Portland's vibrant harbor through the forest covered coast range on an adventure filled day retracing the route of Lewis & Clark. Ocean freighters and tugboats share our route to Astoria, a quaint scenic river town filled with rich history. This day-long adventure covers nearly 100 miles of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Throughout the day you'll be treated to freshly prepared Northwest Cuisine and live historical narration.
"This boat goes from Portland to Astoria only twice a year; here's why you should try to snag a seat." - Lizzy Acker, The Oregonian
Schedule Timeline:
8:30 am - Board at Caruthers Landing
9 am - Cruise departs Portland
6 pm - Arrive in Astoria and board motor coaches (approximate)
8 pm - Return to Caruthers Landing (approximate)
Price: $229, plus processing fee and tax.
About This Experience:
Duration: All-day cruise to Astoria (approximately 8 hours)
Three meals included, Non-smoking vessel, Stairs required to disembark.
What's Included:
All-day cruise to Astoria, Reserved tables for all parties of 2 or more (single bookings may be seated together),
Live historical narration, Plated hot American breakfast, Plated lunch, Dessert, Coffee & hot tea, Light evening course of soup or a sandwich,
Service charge (gratuity), Bus transportation back to Portland.
Not Included: Beverages from the bar, Souvenir boarding photo, Appetizers (optional add-ons at check-out)
Menu:
Plated Breakfast: Fresh fruit, Scrambled eggs, Roasted potatoes, Sausage & bacon.
Plated Lunch: Choice of one entree below | Served with fresh baked bread
(1) Pasta Primavera (veg), Tossed with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, asparagus and a roasted garlic cream sauce.
(2) Blackened Columbia River Steelhead Caesar Salad Topped with pickled red onion and parmesan cheese.
(3) Hungarian Beef Goulash (gf) Served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
(4) Parmesan Crusted Caprese Chicken Breast Topped with balsamic glaze and served with couscous salad.
Dessert: Assorted miniature desserts.
Early Evening Snack: Choice of one below
Soup: Sausage Zuppa Toscana -or- Vegetarian Ragu (vegan)
Sandwich: Ham -or- Roasted Mushroom (vegan)
Sweet Treat: Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Menu subject to change without notice. Entrees on the menu can be modified to be vegan/GF when requested in advance of the cruise. We use extra virgin olive oil and canola/olive oil blend in our Galley. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
The above left is a photo of the Princess Sapphire in for service in Portland. This is the ship we spent 32 days on last year on our South America Cruise from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles. Click here to view photos and the report from that cruise. We also saw this cruise ship again on September 4, 2025, while we were on our Alaska Cruise. Click here to view a photo of the Sapphire Princess that I took while we were in port in Ketchikan, Alaska. The above right is a photo of "America Jazz" one of the 6 river boats operated by American Cruise Lines that offers multiday cruises up and down the Columbia River and Snake Rivers. American Cruise Lines also provides multiday cruises of the Mississippi River.
From the looks of the controls and the displays, I could probably operate this ship. The controls look identical to the ones on the 50 foot yacht that we used to own. I guess controls on dual engine ships are pretty similar. On the other hand, I think I'd be lost trying to fly a commercial airliner even though I have soloed a number of times in a Cessna 150. There are far more and different control in a commercial jet than a small private plane.
We boarded a fleet of buses to take all the passengers back to Portland which was about a 2 hour ride. We departed Astoria about 7 PM and arrived back into Portland about 9 PM.
Click on each photo on this page for a larger and clearer image or click on the first photo for a slide show.
If in this report you see any typos, misspellings, factual errors or other types of errors, please let me know.
Please include the web address (URL) of the report in which you found the error. Thank you! Send your email to:
