The native steel band is playing “Yellow Bird.” Hot dogs and burgers are sizzling on the barbecue. There are island arts and crafts for sale. The limbo contest is in full swing. And the beach beckons.
“We are 120 miles from the mainland, but it feels like we’re worlds away,” said Ana Fernandez, a South Floridian enjoying a private island port of call during a three-day cruise out of Miami to Key West and the Bahamas.
Short voyages stand tall when it comes to popularity. They are, in fact, the fastest-growing cruise segment, according to a 1995 Cruise Industry Overview report by the Cruise Lines International Association. Two- to five-night sailings have enjoyed a whopping 387 percent increase from 347,000 passengers in 1980 to 1,691,000 in 1994.
The reason for their popularity is that they appeal to a variety of passengers, beginning with cruise lovers who would like to sail often to those people who, like novelist John Steinbeck, find that four hoarse blasts of a ship’s whistle raise the hair on their necks and set their feet to tapping.
They are also the ticket for many first-timers, people who would like to try a cruise without a big cash outlay and without devoting too much time to it in case it turns out that they do not like sailing or, worse yet, that they get seasick.
Finally, they appeal to those who, like Fernandez, want a fast escape and who wish to pack a lot of vacation into a very short time.
Fernandez selected for her escape Norwegian Cruise Line’s Leeward, the latest entry into the three- and four-night cruise market out of Miami. At 25,000-tons and 950-passenger capacity, the newcomer is the most intimate of the ships doing the short runs out of South Florida.
Despite its low capacity, the vessel has some big ship amenities: an 80-seat alternative restaurant offering Italian and Continental fare at no extra charge, open seating and flexible dinner hours; a two-story show lounge featuring a production of “The Pirates of Penzance”; an observatory lounge (great for watching sunsets as the ship is sailing from Key West); and a Sports Bar & Grill with baseball, football and other sports’ memorabilia hanging on the walls, and multiple televisions featuring live broadcasts of major sports events; a large casino; and a fitness center and spa.
Where the ship’s size is a drawback is in the pool/Jacuzzi area. The teak deck is inviting, but the area feels small. The ship’s size also shows adversely in its jogging/walking track on Promenade Deck; you have to circle the ship umpteen times to do just one mile.
But on the whole, the ship, which was built in 1992 and chartered by the Queen of Sweden to live on during the Olympics in Barcelona, is comfortable, tastefully decorated and elegant.
Shortly after its $60 million refit by Norwegian Cruise Line, charter from Effjohn International of Helsinki, and its introduction in the fall, ex-president George Bush was a passenger, occupying the presidential suite with its terrace for entertaining and its personal Jacuzzi, of course.
Two-thirds of the staterooms are outside, decorated in hues of dusty rose and gray, with natural wood cabinetry. Each is equipped with television offering in-cabin movies and broadcasts of CNN and ESPN, radio, bathroom with shower and individual thermostat controls. The majority of cabins have two lower beds that can be arranged as a queen-size bed.
The three-night itinerary which Fernandez selected took her to Key West, where she shopped and went sightseeing in the historic section of town and where she visited the Hemingway House (907 Whitehead St.). Ernest Hemingway lived in this house in the 1930s and he wrote here some of his best works including “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “A Farewell to Arms.”
Guided tours inside the house include his writing studio. Descendants of Hemingway’s many-toed cats still live on the grounds and let visitors pet them.
While Fernandez shopped and went sightseeing in Key West, her husband went sportfishing. Their second port was the cruise line’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas.
“We went swimming, had some barbecue and fell asleep in a hammock. We were so relaxed,” Fernandez said.
Next time, Fernandez added, when her schedule and her husband’s permit it, she will try a four-day cruise, but on another line, as she has already visited Cancun, Cozumel and Key West–the Leeward’s winter four-day itinerary.
DETAILS ON SHORT CRUISES
Other vessels doing short runs from Miami include the following:
– Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s 1,600-passenger, 48,563-ton Nordic Empress is a popular choice, offering three-night cruises to Nassau and CocoCay (the line’s private island in the Bahamas); and four-night sailings to Nassau, CocoCay and Freeport. Three-night sailings are priced from $629 including air; four-nights, from $779. The ship features excellent food, a good array of entertainment and activities and Royal Caribbean’s trademark Viking Crown Lounge for panoramic views of the sea and ports.
– Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,040-passenger, 70,000-ton Ecstasy is the biggest of the ships on the short runs. It offers three-night cruises to Nassau ($549 including air) and four-night sailings to Nassau and Freeport (from $649). Instead of a private island stop, the ship’s itinerary calls for a “Fun Day at Sea” with scores of activities and entertainment.
– Majesty Cruise Line’s Royal Majesty is a classy 32,090-ton vessel with capacity for 1,056 pampered passengers. Onboard entertainment, cuisine and activities are topnotch. It features three-night sailings to Nassau and Key West (from $369, cruise only), and four-night runs to Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Key West (from $489, cruise only).
Fares quoted are “brochure rates.” Check with a travel agent who specializes in cruises to see what specials are available for the time you plan to sail.
