Courses in History for Students of Luxury

The stylish and luxurious little 80-passenger Aurora II, and its sister ship Aurora I, are two of the best-kept secrets in the cruise world. They sail to some of the most exotic spots on the globe, with naturalists and historians on hand to tell passengers everything they might wish to know about Cambodia’s Angkor Wat or Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula.

The ships carry a clutch of Zodiac inflatable landing craft to cruise past blue-footed boobies nesting on rocky cliffs in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, or to study the endangered Pacific Ridley sea turtle in Costa Rica.

There’s a gala captain’s party, open single seating in the dining room and a sophisticated singer-pianist for after-dinner dancing.

The only problem with falling in love with the Auroras is that they make it tough to plan your next trip. While most cruise lines provide travel agents and potential passengers with a brochure covering all sailings for the next year or two, the Auroras’ parent company, Classical Cruises, sends out information one cruise at a time as it comes available, usually six to nine months before sailing.

The reason: Classical Cruises is the retail arm of New York-based Travel Dynamics, a leading cruise-charter company for museum and alumni group travel. Group charters take priority (they are usually arranged well in advance). Then Classical Cruises takes over the marketing on any given sailing with space remaining, or on any unchartered date. At that point, they send out brochures to travel agents and former passengers. All a prospective Aurora passenger has to do is get on the mailing list. Your travel agent should be able to help.

It’s also possible to join an affinity group such as the Smithsonian Institution or the American Museum of Natural History to go on one of these lecture-intensive educational voyages, or join up with fellow alumni from your college or university.

A third way to book is through Tauck Tours in Westport, Conn. (tel. 800-468-2825). The company has chartered the Aurora II this summer for sailings to Scotland, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Aegean.

The Aurora II has long, sleek, yacht-like lines, a trim dark-blue hull and big windows in all cabins except the lowest passenger deck, which has portholes. There’s one owner’s suite with two separate rooms and two marble baths that can sleep three adults or a young family. The suite costs about $525 a day per person, double occupancy.

Then there are 16 large A-category cabins (about $350-$450 a day per person, double occupancy, depending on itinerary), with twin beds that can be electronically cranked up or down by remote control for reading or TV.

Each cabin has its own TV with built-in VCR, and the library has a full stock of feature films on video. A desk/dresser combination, mini-refrigerator, corner table with lamp, reading lamps over the beds, two overstuffed armchairs, two low chests, two large closets with folding doors and an especially spacious bathroom with marble counter, tile walls and tub with overhead shower make these comfortable quarters for two people.

Nineteen B, C and D category cabins are very similar, with lower prices because they are located slightly fore or aft. (Amidships offers the most stable ride.) Two considerably smaller E-category double cabins on the lowest deck provide showers instead of tubs and portholes instead of windows, and are listed at about $269-$367 a day per person, double, depending on the cruise.

Six single cabins round out the picture at $375 a day. Air/sea packages are offered for all sailings, with a group escort on hand every step of the way to handle any questions.

While we found both the food and service to be better than average, we were disappointed to find only very large tables in the dining room for six, eight or 10 people with open, single-seating, with no options for a couple who may wish occasionally to dine alone.

At most dinners the Austrian chef offered three main dish choices--a meat, fish and vegetarian specialty--along with a choice of appetizers, soups, salads and desserts. The wine list is fairly priced, with some choices for under $20 a bottle.

Breakfast is served in the cabins, the dining room and on the deck, the latter a quicker service of many of the same dishes. The stewards and stewardesses ladle out food from the buffet and carry plates to the table for the passengers, so there is little real self-service. They serve the increasingly rare midmorning bouillon, homemade cookies turn up every afternoon at teatime, and a pizza-and-Bloody-Mary pre-lunch party and full-scale barbecue dinner on the outdoor deck are scheduled during every cruise.

Lunches are usually served in the dining room or on deck when the weather is nice.

Coming up for the Aurora II later this spring: a 13-day land/sea itinerary departing Naples May 12 for Lisbon, calling in Tunis, Malaga and Casablanca and overnighting in Marrakech. A 14-day land/sea program from Lisbon to Glasgow follows on May 24.

For brochures of upcoming sailings, call (800) 252-7745.