Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-29
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.
The stars Travel Editor

The stars Travel Editor
Every once in a while in the
travel business, someone coins a
phrase or an idea that has both
initial impact and haunting
qualities. In an ads bold type or
properly injected into a CONVEX
tsation by a travel agent. it can
resolve vacation doubts and bring
the peace of mind that comes
with an end to indecision. Then
specific details can be worked
out, then come the joys of antic-
ipation.
Such a phrase is Have fun
getting there-go by ship" There
are other versions, such as Your
vacation begins when you board
the ship" Naturally. it is the
ship operators. trying to get your
business. But the yacationer
who has allowed the automobile
and the air age to monopoliZe
his travels would broaden his
horizons of pleasure by giving
vacations-at-sea a whirl.
Many Sailings
There is a wealth of choices.
Liners, some of them the utmost
in luxury and diverted from their
transatlantic runs, are sailing
from New York on special cruises
into sunny waters at the rate Of
four or five a week. New Orleans
also has become a favored cruise
port. Or one can wait until
May. when the Silverstar will be-
gin a series of cruises to such
ports as Havana and Nassau
from Washington's own Maine
avenue docks.
Right now, the choice of sail
ings from New York is so rich as
to be bewildering. The cuisine
and atmosphere can be French,
Italian or Swedish as we'll as
English, Dutch, Norwegian or
American. There is no reason
to think that any of the choices
would be disappointing in ac-
quiring or renewing a love of sea
vacations.
Furness Lines Queen
Again, let's resolve the indeci-
sion by settling on the Furness
Lines (English) sturdy and
stately Queen of Bermuda. which
is now sailing from New York on
popular triangle cruises to Ber-
muda and Nassau. The lines
Ocean Monarch, relatively new
and especially built for cruising
in American waters, is currently
being operated on two-week
cruises to such Caribbean ports
as Curacao. Trinidad, Cartagena
and Kingston.
The Queen, as an illustration,
is apt for several reasons. A
number of travel editors recently
had the opportunity to become
reacquainted with the ship, some
for the first time since New
York-Bermuda service was re-
stored in 1949. The atmosphere
was the same-that of dignified
hotel afloat-but there seemed to
be a disposition toward more fun
and informality. Talent shows,
with the principals drawn from
among the passengers, and an
auction of souvenirs. unwanted
on second thought, added amuse-
ment to the congenial hours.
Vacation Aboard
Afternoon tea -. bingo. the
parlor gambling game of neat
profit when you win cock
tail hours d ancing =.
deck sports swimming in
the ships pool a chance to
catch up on letter-writing
lazing in the sun on deck .
storing up sleep seeing the
movie you missed back home
these are impressions that come
to mind with the phrase Your
vacation begins when you board
the ship" But these memories
are getting ahead of the story.
The Queen is an appropriate
illustration now for other rea-
sons. One is that the charm
ingly British island of Bermuda
soon will be enjoying its early
spring, and that the Queen and
Monarch will make a total Of
eight sailings in March and nine
in April to handle the thousands
of Americans who annually visit
Bermuda during the Easter sea-
son. On four of the sailings, the
ships will be used as hotels while
locked in Bermuda.
When the liners are serving
the direct New York-Bermuda
route, the shipboard vacation can
be linked with the speed of the
plane one way. either down or
back. Furness is one of the few
ship lines Offering this option
The direct service also brings
into play stopover privileges in
Bermuda, with return on a SUBJ
sequent voyage.
Three ports in the Caribbean