On a sunny April afternoon in Seattle, I boarded an Argosy Locks Cruise, not knowing how much of the city I'd see in just two hours. What followed was a floating front-row seat to the sights, sounds, ...

Tourists are starting to arrive in Seattle for long ocean-bound cruises. But affordable, scenic cruises are firing up engines, too. Cruises take visitors along the Columbia River, up fjordlike lakes ...