Small luxury line American Safari Cruises is bringing back week-long sailings along the coast of British Columbia for the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013.

The line on Tuesday announced the 22-passenger Safari Quest would sail more than a dozen roundtrip voyages out of Seattle on an itinerary that includes a call in Victoria, B.C. and stops in such British Columbia wilderness areas as Jervis Inlet and the Harmony Islands; Princess Louisa Inlet; and Nanaimo and Gulf Islands. The voyages also will include a visit to the San Juan Islands in Washington state.

American Safari dropped sailings along the British Columbia coast this year after offering just a few voyages in the area in 2010. The line's 2012 plans for the region are far more extensive than in 2010, with more sailings and a changed itinerary. The 2010 trips started in Friday Harbor, Wash., instead of Seattle (in years past, the line also ran the trips out of Vancouver, B.C.).

In addition to the British Columbia cruises, which the line is marketing as "Pacific Northwest Passages," the Safari Quest also will be returning to Mexico's Sea of Cortés from January to April 2012.



For the winter of 2012-13, the company also will be back for a second season of seven-night cruises around the Hawaiian islands -- a new itinerary the line is pioneering later this year. The "Hawaiian Seascape" cruises will take place from November 2012 to April 2013 on the 32-passenger Safari Explorer and include stops on five Hawaiian islands: Maui, Hawaii (the Big Island), Molokai, Molokini and Lanai.

Founded more than a decade ago in Alaska, American Safari specializes in high-end, off-the-beaten-path adventure cruises featuring outdoor activities such as kayaking and hiking; wildlife viewing; and fine dining.

All three of the line's small yacht-like vessels spend the summer in Southeast Alaska, sailing roundtrip from Juneau.

American Safari on Tuesday also announced that the 12-passenger Safari Spirit will sail the Columbia and Snake Rivers from September to October 2012. The itinerary will include visits to the Columbia River Gorge, Bonneville Dam, Hood River, Washington Wine Country, Palouse River Canyon and Hells Canyon.

The Safari Spirit also will sail five additional Columbia and Snake River voyages in October and November 2012 that will be targeted at food and wine lovers. The Culinary and Wine Discovery cruises, as they're being called, will have the same itinerary as the earlier voyages on the rivers but include additional visits to winemakers and food and wine pairings.