For anyone who's never been on a cruise and isn't sure if a shipboard routine is right for them, a three-night (two days at sea) cruise may be the sampler fence sitters have been waiting for. Mini cruises give passengers the whole cruise experience: dockside embarkation procedure; security screening; finding (or being escorted to) your cabin; exploring the ship before your luggage is delivered to your cabin; sail-away party topside; dinner with strangers who later may become new friends; the nightly show in the ship's theater; at-sea activities such as trivia games, casino gambling, pool and spa visits, and "fine" art auctions.
This year, Holland America had five ships sailing between British Columbia and Southern California in the spring and fall. For example, the Amsterdam sailed from Los Angeles to Vancouver and finally Seattle at the end of an 18-day Panama Canal cruise. At the outset of a 19-day fall Panama Canal cruise to Ft. Lauderdale, the Volendam was scheduled to sail from Vancouver to Astoria, Ore., and on to San Diego. The short cruises are purchased as segments of the longer cruise, a Holland America spokeswoman said.
An official for Princess Cruises said that company's short West Coast cruises vary annually, depending on ship positioning. Princess is scheduled to have four short West Coast trips this fall and seven next spring.
Of course, mini cruises are less costly than seven-, or 10- or 14-night cruises. The cruise lines don't want their ships sailing to and from the Pacific Northwest and Southern California empty, so cheap fares are available, starting at around $299 or $399 per person (usually for an inside cabin, or an outside cabin with a partially obstructed view and no balcony).
Although my travel agent/companion and I are seasoned cruise travelers, we sailed the 1,970-passenger Island Princess from Los Angeles to Vancouver. (Once in Vancouver, the Island Princess would begin her summer season Alaska Inside Passage itineraries.) We knew a three-night cruise would be a leisurely way to get to B.C., and from there we would take a shuttle bus to Seattle where neither of us had been in many years.
To our surprise, an army of Canadian families - including a large wedding party - that had gone to Disneyland in early May booked most of the ship's cabins as their way of getting home. Many on board had never been on a cruise. By trip's end, some were saying they were anxious to go on a longer cruise, and a few others were negatively shaking their heads when asked if they would ever venture on a ship again.
Eating aside, the Island Princess' library - supposedly a place where one can read quietly undisturbed - was actually part of the Emerald deck starboard passageway. Who's idea was that? So much for solitude.
Did we like, or love, anything about the Island Princess? Yes: Sabatini's, a speciality restaurant where diners pay $20 per person. Here, the service and cuisine were first-class. Because so many courses are served in this Italian food eatery (where reservations are required), prospective patrons should eat a light lunch before their Sabatini's dinner.
We also liked disembarkation. These days, many ships are allowing passengers to carry their luggage with them when they disembark rather than put luggage outside their cabin the night before disembarkation day. And while we did not take advantage of "carry your own," getting off was still wonderful. We knew we would be able to get an omelette the next day in Seattle, and probably not have to worry about some sweat-soaked jogger with hairy shoulders sitting near us.
