Running away to sea was not always synonymous with romance. In the past, it was often an experience in nastiness, witness the phrase book lessons of early guidebook author Dr. Karl Baedeker in 1886. Passengers were encouraged to memorize (in various languages) sentences of such fashion:
”. . . the rolling of the vessel makes me sick; I have got a headache.”
”My head is very bad. The smell of the tar affects me.”
”I am very much inclined to be sick.”
”I am very weak; I must lie down in my hammock.”
In olden days, cruising did not exist; ships offered point-to-point transportation, and while first class passengers might enjoy a music room for concerts (impromptu) aboard the Furst Bismarck (1890, Hamburg-America Line) or a dancing lounge of Indian Moghul-Arabian Nights persuasion on the Italian Conte Grande (1927, Lloyd Sabaudo), the second and third class and steerage passengers (the last two the most lucrative) tossed in canvas bunks stretched across iron tubing that would have made a Spartan sore. The greatest source of entertainment was trying to keep warm.
Expect resort amenities
Today, if you want transportation, you take a jet. Cruise ship passengers expect and receive all the amenities of a land-locked resort: stage shows of Hollywood slickness, swimming pools and spas and health and fitness programs, movies and fashion shows, lectures on everything from investments to cosmetics, lessons in ballroom dance or foreign languages or tennis, cabarets and casinos, and play on simulated golf courses.
In addition to these delightful divertissements, most major lines offer
”theme” cruises, sailings designed around such activities as dancing to classic big bands or acting out murder mysteries or tasting fine wines.
During late autumn, winter and spring of 1990-91, there`s a plethora of pleasures awaiting the passenger who plans ahead. Here`s a sampling:
The two Greek-crewed ships of Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey and Golden Odyssey, have designated their 7-to-16 day sailings in Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Hawaii and South American waters as Winter Festivals 1991. That means more celebrity cruises than ever before, with such stars as June Allyson, Vincent Price, Eve Arden and Esther Williams.
There are boffo Boutique Events with surprise sales of such items as Lladro porcelain or Lalaounis jewelry from an on-board shop stocked with goods bearing names like Dior, Gucci or Calvin Klein.
Royal Cruise`s New Beginnings program is a series of lectures, workshops and classes presented by experts in the fields of psychology, finance, health, stress manageirst-run movies, televised sports programs and two full evening shows a night.
The sparkling ships of Royal Viking Line (the Sun, Sea, Sky and Star) are celebrating a sixth year of culinary and wine cruise programs with tastings and cooking demonstrations conducted by highly regarded chefs, vintners, wine buyers and noted food and wine writers. In addition, these sailings will feature famous names from the worlds of journalism, bridge and music. As just one example, on a sailing out of San Francisco to Hawaii and Tahiti in November-December aboard the Sky, Melvin Master will explain how to complement cuisine with wines; geologist Neal Fahy will describe underwater earthquakes and volcanoes and actor Fred Crane will take listeners ”inside Hollywood.”
I remember with great pleasure some entertainment dividends enjoyed on Royal Viking cruises: showings of current and classic movies fitted to ports of call; ”Zorba the Greek,” for instance, in the Greek Islands and ”The Bridge on the River Kwai” in Malaysian-Indonesia n waters.
Norway the largest
The longest passenger ship ever built (1,035 feet) and one of the grandest, the recently renovated S.S. Norway of Norwegian Cruise Line
(originally the France, 1962) is once again the largest cruise ship afloat
(75,000 gross registered tons, 2,000 passengers). She will resume seven-day Caribbean service on Oct. 13.
The newest and permanent theme on the Norway is health and sybaritism as offered by the new Roman Spa, a 14-room complex with the first hydrotherapy baths on a cruise ship and a wide range of beauty treatments, cosmetics, cuisine and exercise. In addition, there are two swimming pools, Jacuzzi and jogging track.
Throughout this year and into 1991, the Norway will present such theme cruises as the Eighth Annual Floating Jazz Festival. As the official cruise line of Universal Studios, NCL will showcase on the Norway film festivals, movie theme cruises and appearances of live and cartoon screen characters.
In addition, NCL`s Sunward II and Southward will highlight such theme sailings from January through spring as sports, 1950s-`60s, movies, improvisation and comedy at sea and country and western music.
The first ship of new Crystal Cruises, Crystal Harmony is ”committed to offering our guests the best and most diverse on-board activity and entertainment program afloat,” according to vice president Cliff Perry. He boasts a 45-member staff to help him out.
Crystal is the first line to feature a series of nightly pre- and post-dinner cabaret shows in addition to elaborate productions in the Galaxy Lounge showroom. Crystal Harmony`s Hollywood Theatre will show current movies daily; an extensive lecture and seminar series will feature speakers from diplomats to popular authors to business leaders to historians.
Seagoing Caesars Palace
Caesars World of Las Vegas has established the first seagoing Caesars Palace aboard Crystal Harmony, offering blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines.
Crystal Harmony will make Trans-Panama Canal cruises from September 1990 through March 1991, several Atlantic crossings between April and November 1991, and two western Mediterranean sailings in April and May 1991.
Widely recognized for lavish Broadway- and Las Vegas-style entertainment, the Love Boats of Princess Cruises will debut two new production shows on its nine ships, to play from now through at least spring, 1991.
Regular shipboard activities include culinary demonstrations, Italian lessons, singles get-togethers, current movies, fashion shows and guest lectures.
Princess will end its 25th anniversary year (1990) with a trans-Atlantic Woody Herman Thundering Herd Big Band Cruise on the Royal Princess (Oct. 31); Polynesian Romance on the High Seas with romance novelist Janet Dailey and a representative of Estee Lauder, etc. (Sea Princess, Nov. 6) and Great Sports Legends with Dave Winfield, Bucky Dent and Tracy Austin (Dawn Princess, Dec. 11).
Themes here to stay
Theme cruises are important in the view of Max Hall, Princess` public relations guru. They keep passengers returning.
”We do lots of sports sailings,” says Hall, ”carrying entire teams. These teams seem to be an actual, tangible draw; fans will follow their heroes onto ships even if they never thought of cruising before. When we carried the Chicago Bears, we could show 400 passenger bookings from the Chicago area on two different cruises-booked because of the Bears. They are the people who sit in the stands and worship their heroes and here they can drink with them at the bar, mingle with them-and they can`t get away unless they`re very good swimmers.” From the Bears to journalists such as Richard C. Hottelet, from comedians to chocolate-tasting, the theme sailings of Princess keep `em coming.
That`s today`s cruising; that`s entertainment.
