Evening star., 1939-09-24
The Travellers Notebook
Cruise Fleet Bridge to the Caribbean
Still Open to Traffic; Sun Valley
Builds for Big Winter Season
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr,
Travel Editor.

By JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr,
Travel Editor.
When wars typhoon drove east
bound Atlantic liners from the sea
and struck the gay fleet Of ships
that formed the vacationist's bridge
to the sunny Caribbean, the Ameri-
can traveller seemed doomed to the
prospect, albeit it Is all and all
very pleasant one, of doing all his
travelling on the mainland. Even
before he ventured from the vaca-
ton storm cellar, he had decided
rightly that Mexico would receive
him by air, by train or by bus with
open arms. He wasn't sure about
Canada, although word from Ottawa
since has assured the American
traveller he will not be hamstrung
with the red tape belligerents seem
to be in the habit of using. And aft
er three weeks of war abroad, even
the cruise horizon is clearing up.
The cruise fleet has been decimat-
ed. but ships on regular routes still
are sailing and right now they have
space. Belligerent ships sscurried to
port when the storm broke, Ameri-
can shippers sailed boldly forth with
very little change in schedules and
other neutral vessels trimmed their
sails. Virtually every special cruise
was Cancelled. But late last week
came the news that the Kungsholm
Of the neutral Swedish American
Line not only would abide by it's
scheduled sailing from New York
on October 10, but would add an
other cruise, leaving from New York
also on October 81. for Port au
Prince, Haiti, and Santiago. Cuba.
The novelty of setting sail from
New Orleans on a special cruise to
peaceful ports of the Caribbean is
the prospect held out 70 the vaca-
zionist by the neutral Holland
American Line. The preliminary
announcement of three or four 12-
day cruises, received late last week.
did not include details, which will
be something to look forward to.
The Swedish-American Lines
Gripsholm cruise from New York to
Port au Prince. Havana and other
neutral ports has been shifted from
November "a to November %. and
thus it will cover both the "of1iciar'
and unofficial" Thanksgiving. The
itinerary includes the West Indies
and Miami.
The travel industry expects fur
ther clariflcation of the cruise field
muddle within a few weeks, when
the neutral lines operating special
and regular cruises southwark an
nounce their winter schedules.
X
Among the lines which have not
changed their cruise routines-ex-
cept to make sea trips doubly safe
by displaying the American flag
prominently and throwing spotlights
on them at nights the Grace Line.
which operates weekly, 18-day
cruises from New York to the Carib-
bean and also weekly service to
the west coast of South America
through the Panama Canal.
Passenger traffic on Grace Line
ships now is reported showing a
marked increase over same periods
OF former years, perhaps in final
recognition of the fact that all
the best features of far-away travel
fields are found right here in our
own halt of the globe"
Pointing out the attractions of
cruises to Curacao, Venezuela, Co.
lombia, Panama and Haiti and its
other service to Panama, Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru and Chile, and the
fact that attention has turned more
to South American travel than ever
before, officials of the line point out
that, "even in peace time, these
near-home cruises offer several ad-
vantages over trips to Old World
countries. No passports are re-
quired for cruise members who fol-
low the regular schedule and do not
make stop-overs en- route.
''The lands below the Equator
right now are enjoying spring and the
weather is ideal. Many towns scat
tered along the Pacific coastal
plains see no rain, the sun shining
each day. Scenery in South Ameri-
ca-mountains, lakes and rolling
ranch lands, dense jungles and for
ests-is unexcelled anywhere in the
world. Shore itineraries present
amazing contrasts, modern cities
and charming Colonial towns, prim-
tive Indian villages, ruins as an
cient as those along the Nile, smart
seaside and mountain resorts with
new and up-to-date hotels"
Strangest Qu1rk of Europe's war is
the virtual isolation, as far as travel
is concerned, Of the bright little coral
isles lying of the Carolina coast that
Americans have learned to love-
Bermuda. The Furness Bermuda
Line English) has withdrawn serv-
ice from New York to Hamilton,
leaving Pan Americas clipper planes
as the sole link between the United
States and this quaint bit of Eng
land. There has been talk In travel
circles that American ships might
take up where the liners Monarch
OF Bermuda and Queen of Bermuda
left oil when ocean service was
crippled early in the war, then sus-
pended entirely. Returning travellers