Because of the length and the location. We love to cruise because it is a great way to see several places without packing and unpacking. Also, great to know where you can have great meals every day. The Columbia River area has always been of interest to us. We were not disappointed. Even though it was early in the season, we had good enough weather to enjoy being outside at the ports. We enjoyed the tours and feel they were well-chosen. The Queen of the West was a fun ship to be on. We especially enjoyed the evening entertainment on this ship and hope they will continue to invite the artists on future voyages. We enjoyed the fact that there were only ninety-one people on board which gave us a chance to meet several very nice people. We enjoyed being able to move around at meal times and sit with different people.