Voyages With a Special Theme

Ten years ago, theme cruises were limited mostly to musical festivals at sea, things like the annual Floating Jazz Festival aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norway and the Classical Music Festival at Sea on Paquet French Cruises’ Mermoz.

But now, as more and more new ships come on line and there are more beds to fill, cruise lines are luring some new cruisers in with special-interest and theme cruises, everything from Scottish dancing and quilting to cruising the Caribbean with Fred Flintstone and Yogi Bear on the three ships of Dolphin Cruise Line.

This season, you can improve your golf game, step out to the music of a famous big-band, or go in search of the humpback whale just off the islands of Hawaii on upcoming theme cruises.

The big ticket for 1994 is the 50th anniversary of D-day, commemorating June 6, 1944, when about 60,000 Allied forces--Americans, British and Canadians--stormed the Normandy beaches.

A nine-day New York-to-London transatlantic crossing May 29 kicks off the D-day program for Crystal Cruises’ elegant, 940-passenger Crystal Harmony, which will visit Honfleur and the invasion beaches on June 6. Fares begin at $2,695 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from the West Coast.

Seven Seas’ luxurious, 214-passenger Song of Flower offers two nine-night sailings calling at Caen, one of the most beleaguered cities of World War II, with its museum and memorial to the Battle of Normandy. A May 28 departure from Lisbon visits Caen on June 5 and ends in Rouen (the port for Paris) on June 6; the second sails from Rouen June 6 back to Caen, calling also at Honfleur, St. Malo and Guernsey, among other ports, before arriving in Bordeaux June 15. Fares for the cruise range from $4,095 to $6,975 per person, double occupancy, and include all tips, wines, liquors and soft drinks. Air add-ons are available, and bookings made before Feb. 15 save $500 per person.

Seabourn Cruise Line’s ultra-deluxe, 212-passenger Seabourn Pride sails from London June 3, and will be in Cherbourg June 5-6 to participate in commemoration activities. Ports of call on the 14-day voyage to Copenhagen also include Portsmouth, Caen, Guernsey in the Channel Islands, St. Malo, Rouen, Dover and Amsterdam. Fares for the cruise begin at $11,465 per person, double occupancy, with air fare to and from London included on some sailings.

The Royal Viking Sun will also cruise to Normandy for D-day commemorations, arriving in Cherbourg June 5 and spending the day of June 6 there. The cruise leaves Montreal May 25 and crosses the Atlantic, calling at St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Waterford, Ireland, en route. The 17-day sailing ends in Rouen; prices begin at $5,195 per person, double occupancy.

Royal Cruise Line’s 1,052-passenger flagship Crown Odyssey has two cruises linked to the anniversary: a 12-day sailing from Lisbon to London with a post-cruise D-day package available, and a 12-day anniversary program round trip from London with special commemorative shore excursions offered. Participants in the first sailing leave the United States May 22, and for the second, air departure is June 3. Fares range from $3,998 to $11,918, plus air-fare add-ons.

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On the music front, Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians, led by Al Pierson, will play on four big-band cruises for Holland America’s 1,494-passenger Westerdam on Canada/Alaska cruises from Vancouver May 21 and 28, and June 4 and 11. Cruise fares start at $1,095 per person, double occupancy, for bookings made before Feb. 18 on the early booking savings program. The ship calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park and Sitka on the seven-day round-trip sailing.

The Peter Duchin Orchestra will play for New Year’s Eve revelers, with guest hosts to dance with unattached ladies, aboard Sun Line’s 620-passenger Stella Solaris. The 14-day holiday sailing sets out from Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 20 and calls at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, La Guaira (for Caracas, Venezuela), Aruba, Port Limon and Grand Cayman.

Mr. Blackwell, famous for his “worst-dressed” lists, will also be along with his acerbic comments on Hollywood, and astronomer Dr. Anthony Aveni will conduct an evening “skywatch” on deck under the stars. Fares range from $3,270 to $6,795 per person, double occupancy, plus air add-ons. Call (800) 872-6400 for details.

The QE2 sets out on its world cruise from New York Jan. 3 with a clutch of chefs who cook for kings and heads of state--Steven Gervais, chef to the governor general of Canada; Henry Haller, who served as executive chef at the White House for more than 20 years; Werner Matt, chef to the president of Austria; Bernd Raths, official chef for the Republic of Germany, and Heinrich Lauber, chef to the president of Switzerland. Besides preparing special dishes during the cruise, they’ll lecture about gastronomy. Fares begin at $3,360 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from 79 North American cities.

History buffs can take a riverboat cruise to major Civil War sites next Aug. 18 or 25 aboard the 400-passenger Mississippi Queen. One stop is Pittsburg Landing, the steamboat landing where General Grant moved up his reinforcements for the Battle of Shiloh. Passengers tour forts, plantations, battlefields and cemeteries, and visit Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee. Fares range from $1,590 to $4,150 per person, double occupancy, plus air fare.

American Hawaii Cruises celebrates the humpback whale on whale-watch sailings Feb. 19 and 26, and March 5, 12, 19 and 26 on their 778-passenger sister ships Independence and Constitution. Fares range from $995 to $3,950 per person, double occupancy, plus air fare.

Fans may find some of their favorite sports stars aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships in the Caribbean. Football fans can find NFL standouts aboard every seven-day cruise to socialize with passengers and answer questions. Golfers may be interested in the golf cruises every week aboard the Seaward and Dreamward, with on-board clinics and workshops and in-port competitions on such courses as St. Thomas’ Mahogany Run, San Juan’s Dorado and Nassau’s Paradise Island.

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Worldcruise Ltd. will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement with a special Greek Islands cruise May 14-21 aboard the luxurious new Silver Cloud from Silversea Cruises. Prices begin at $3,989 per person, double occupancy, for the all-suites ship, and include all beverages, tips, transfers and insurance. Call (212) 779-7267 for details.

Women-only cruises promoted by Olivia Travel aims at the lesbian market. In November, Olivia sponsors an eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the 800-passenger Crown Dynasty, an elegant new mid-sized ship with a classy sunbathing and pool deck.

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Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.