Evening star., 1938-10-16
The Travellers Notebook
Luxury Liners of atlantic to Join in Caribbean
Parade for Short Cruise Fans for the Season.
Which Officially Arrives in December.
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.

BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.
When October sets the door ajar
for winters freezing winds and the
spotlight that has played on Europe's
summer travel pales the curtain call
is sounded on season that strikes
an exceptionally responsive chord in
the heart of every traveler-the winter
cruise season. OF late there has been
tendency to dramatize the Carlb-
beams tropics throughout the year,
upsetting the dubious decree that one
winter only. For the travel industry
has fortified itself with charts and
statistics on temperatures and the
constancy of ocean breezes to prove
that Jamaica in summer, for example,
is not an oven where eggs are baked
on the sidewalks. Still, winter remains
the season. for ports in the sun
and the magnet then shifts to pull
the vacation compass needle toward
the Caribbean, and beyond
Accustomed to shape its plans far in
advance, ship lines and travel agen-
cies have been releasing schedules of
short and long cruises from time to
time during the summer. In July
one could pick his ship for special
Christmas cruise to foreign islands
that lie off Americas Southern coasts.
The program was kept in the back
ground. however, until summer died
When the budgets, dented by summer
trips or swelled by stored-up ammuni-
ton for winter recreation, are smoothed
over or are about to pop, the ever
popular winter cruises will be brought
to the attention of all. But, nesting
down in his easy chair, inspired to
dream before an open fire, the Wash
ingtonian can begin to toy now plans
for a sun-ship holiday.
X X
study Of the list of special sailings
confirms. the impression that ship
lines have delayed the peak tempo of
sailings until chill weather has begun
to penetrate to the marrow of the
bones. But even now comfortable
transatlantic liners have turned their
proud bows southwark for bright
ports-Port-au-Prince, Kingston. Fort
de France, Curacao, Colon, Nassau,
Havana. to name few.
White Stars Carintha already is on
a tWo-sailings- a-month short cruise
program, and by the time the winter
social season has begun, the lines
motor vessel Britanic and the Georgia
will join the merry-go-round of ships
bearing their gay burdens to near
America tropics. Holland American
Lines Rotterdam sails again on
October %; the North German Lloyd's
Columbus on the same date, and the
Carintha again on the 26th-just
taste of the program to come.
But the popularity of the short
cruise has done more than draw
name" ships from their Atlantic
courses. 1t has developed a regular
service, with some of the ships spe-
cially built for Caribbean waters;
not freighters, accepting a few pas
sengers as super cargo but vessels
giving the traveller excellent. even
sumptuouS accommodations. Famous
among these are the Grace Line ships
sailing weekly from New York and
the Great White Fleet, with sailings
on Wednesdays and Saturdays, all
touching Pan-American ports in their
Caribbean parade.
The Furness- Bermuda Lines Mon
arch and Queen maintain what
might be called de luxe ferry service
to Bermuda, sailing three or four
times week.
Only four special cruises are listed
for November-the Carinthia and the
Rotterdam, sailing on the 5th for Mas
sau and Havana; the Carinthia again
on November 16 for the same ports,
and the Gripsholm, of the Swedish
American line, on the 18th. Then
come the Christmas and New Year
cruises, and the season is on!
Holiday cruises take the Spanish
Main ships that have, in their sea-
going way, sauntered around the world
and spread their figurative sails on
each of the seven seas. One of the
snappiest aristocrats of the cruise
field, the yacht-like motor ship Stella
Polaris, especially built for limited
number of passengers, will warm up
for its world trip in one December and
one early January support cruise.
The Italian liner, Roma, the Gdynia-
American Lines Pilsudski, which
gained popularity with its fiesta voy-
ages to the West Indies last winter,
and the famed Europa, will place
their luxurious facilities at the dis
posal of short cruise fans for the year.
end holidays.
Here is the complete schedule Of
christmas and New Year special
snort-cruise sailings.
December: 4.
II. Stella Polaris, IS days, Miami,
Port au Prince, Kingston, Havana,
Nassau.
TO- Kungsholm, Is days. Virgin
Islands, Martinique, Grenada. Curacao.
Panama, Havana.