Evening star., 1954-10-17
BY Jacques Futrelle, Jr.
The Sfar'. Trovel Editor

The Stars IFcvei Editor
A wide choice Of ships and
combinations Of ports in the
sunny West Indies has been
made available to cruise fans
for the 1954-5 season. The
number OF cruises already an
nounced just about equals the
sailings of last fall and winter,
when the postwar record was
set.
Travel agency surveys show
sailings from mid-December into
early spring will number nearly
100. That takes in not only
cruises departing from New
York. where most of the cruises
originate. but also New Orleans.
which is becoming a favored
departure port.
The 100 total also includes
ships providing regular runs but
glamorizing the voyages with a
cruise like atmosphere and ac-
tivities: also, ports of Latin
America as well as the sun
bathed, evergreen islands that
dot the Caribbean area.
Wide Selection
Admittedly, the sea-going va
cationer will make but one sail
ing in the upcoming winter sea-
son. So the number of cruises
is impressive only in that it
promises a wide selection of
ships, plus dates suited to ones
individual convenience. Also-if
this means anything-it con-
firms the fact among prospective
cruise newcomers that they will
be deciding on most popular
type of winter holiday.
AS is the practice among cruise
ship operators, itineraries are
geared to preferences of two or
three weeks at sea, spiced with
shore visits at delightfully."- foreign
ports. They can be much
shorter-four days on a Ber-
muda trip, if one chooses to say
that is a Caribbean trip - or
longer. For instance, the Cum
ard Lines transatlantic liner
Mauretania will explore many
Caribbean ports on a 29-day
voyage that will include New
Years at sea.
AS a preliminary guide to
budgeting such Carrib b e a n
cruises, figure on about $50 a day
for minimum accommodations.
Around the World
The choice of cruises broadens
greatly for those having more
time and money, to invest in
shipboard holidays.
With about a month and a
half to devote to seascape relaXa-
ton, one can cruise around
South America. In the Pacific,
several sailings from West Coast
ports have been billed as Hawaii
or Orient cruises.
In lot days. travellers can sail
around the world. Here, too,
there is a choice of ships and
dates. American President Line
ships sail regularly from New
York and the West Coast: Cum
ards Caronia will leave New
York January 81 on a special
"great world cruise" by way of
Rio de Janeiro, South Africa,
Bali, Japan, Honolulu, Acapulco
and the Panama Canal, with
stops at many ports in many
countries.
That rule of thumb as to cruise
prices also holds for the Caronia
round the world junket, too.
Minimum shipboard accommoda-
tions bear a price tag of $2,950
for the 106 days.
The Swedish American Lines
Kungsholm also will sail around
the world on a 97-day schedule,
via Madeira, the French Riviera,
Naples, Singapore, Bali, Hong
Kong. Honolulu and the canal.
More Mediterranean Cruises
In number-and, therefore,
attesting a greater popularity
world voyages are exceeded by
special Mediterranean cruises.
Give or take a week or two,
these cruises require two months.
Among ships already listed for
exploring the Mediterranean
early next year are the Nor
wegian American Lines Oslo
ford, the Home Lines Atlantic,
American Exports Independ-
ence, Cunard's Britannia and
the Holland-America Lines
Nieuw Amsterdam. The yacht
like Stella Polris will sail from
New Orleans March 81 for the
Mediterranean. That cruise of
SO days terminates in England.
More within the budget of the
average American are the Carib-
beams cruises. And greater is
the choice of ships and timing.
Although the cruise season may
be counted on as beginning in
December, when cold weather
virtually guarantees some sort
of departure southwark for
relief, the seagoing vacationer
can sail about as soon as he can
pack.
Not only are cargo-passen-
ger ships in the regular Carib-
bean service sailing now from
New York at the rate of four or
five a week, but liners with the
cruise flavor are following the
sun south and coming back for
more vacation sailors. They are
heading for such relaxing hOli-