P.J. Thomas: Cruisin' is easy - & less expensive

IMAGINE TAKING a cruise and never disembarking to visit the ports of call. That's just what one couple did on a four-night excursion out of Long Beach, Calif., aboard Celebrity Cruises, the premium cruise line.

They reasoned that they had seen all the ports on a previous cruise. Since they lived within driving distance of the embarkation port, they viewed the cruise as a relaxing weekend getaway.

Where else could you enjoy luxury accommodations for four nights, with breakfast in bed, great dining and entertainment for just $499 a person?

Cruise lines were in a precarious position right after the terrorists strikes of 9/11, since the majority of travelers had to reach a Florida port for departure. Business plummeted as Americans, skittish about flying, found vacation alternatives they could reach by automobile.

After successfully negotiating for new passenger terminals in port cities around the country, a myriad of choices in cities such as Galveston, Texas, Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans became available. For the first time, millions of people could drive their cars right to the ship, eliminating the need for air travel.

Unfortunately for Delaware Valley residents, there are no scheduled cruise departures from Philadelphia for 2010, though Danelle Hunter, spokesperson for the Delaware River Port Authority, said, "We are actively pursuing home-port cruising."

But Carnival Cruise Lines, the market leader controlling roughly 60 percent of the market, resumed sailing out of Baltimore earlier this year. Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, second in the cruise market, offer departures from Bayonne, N.J., and New York City.

Because these ports are so far from the Caribbean, you still must travel to Florida for shorter four-, or five-night cruises in that region. But there are great deals within a 90-minute drive.

Depart from New York for a four-day New England/Canada cruise aboard Carnival for just $269 per person with 90-day advance purchase. (No problem, since the first cruise doesn't depart until June 2010.) Get more selective - ocean view or veranda - and the price goes up to a still-attractive $489.

Prices aboard Carnival ships departing from Baltimore start at $790 for a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas with stops along the way in Charleston, S.C., and Key West, Fla.

Carnival and RCCL are in constant battle for increased market share of the majority of the population that has never cruised. And they aren't just competing against each other but against all-inclusive resorts and the outrageous theme hotels and entertainment in Las Vegas.

Recently, both companies have debuted new ships of amazing size and features.

Here's a rundown on what you can expect.

The Carnival Dream debuted in Europe in September and, after elaborate inaugural events in New York City this weekend, it will travel to Port Canaveral, Fla., to begin a schedule of seven-day Caribbean cruises.

The Dream has 13 passenger decks and will carry 3,646 passengers. It has an open-air promenade and innovations such as the largest at-sea water park, an expanded children's area, an adults-only retreat and a 23,750-square-foot spa.

The Carnival Cruise Line is known for its fun ships and lower prices on many itineraries compared with Royal Caribbean. The decor, music and entertainment are more in-your-face, and you can expect your shipboard companions to include lots of families with kids, first-time cruisers and anyone who's looking for a value-priced vacation.

As it makes its scheduled American debut today in Florida, the Oasis of the Seas will take the title of world's largest cruise ship from its sister ship, the Independence of the Seas.

The ship has 16 passenger decks and will carry 5,400 guests.

Of the 2,706 staterooms, 1,956 have balconies to give passengers a front-row seat to the ocean. The Oasis has a boardwalk with shops, cafés and viewing areas, but its much-anticipated Central Park - complete with real trees and flowers - is what has the industry buzzing.

According to the Royal Caribbean Web site, per-person prices for a seven-day Caribbean cruise on the Oasis start as low as $729 for an interior room and can go to $2,569 or more for a luxury suite, depending on travel dates. Prices for a five-day excursion start at $739.

If you're the type of cruiser who must sail on the newest ship, you'll have to board this one in Florida. The Oasis will sail a regular Caribbean itinerary from the Port of Ft. Lauderdale.

And pooh, pooh to those critics who say there's not enough to do on a cruise. These days, you can expect to choose from basketball, volleyball, table tennis, ice skating, jogging tracks, water parks, miniature golf, intimate jazz lounges, Latin dance clubs, casinos and productions from luminaries such as Cirque du Soleil and others that really do rival Vegas entertainment.

Of course, there is always food and plenty of it.

But daily exercise classes, fitness rooms and special menus are available if you're worried about weight gain.

And cabins with wider doorways, roll-in showers and other features make cruising with disability or mobility concerns easier.

Such a cliché, but so true: The newest cruise ships really are floating cities with something for everyone.

P.J. Thomas is editor and co-publisher of Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color, a nationally distributed publication founded in 1997. Contact her at

pjthomas@pathfinderstravel.com or www.pathfinderstravel.com.