Cheap cruise fare

Cruise ships don't come much less populated than 49 passengers, a full complement for the American Eagle, a new U.S.-flag coastal cruiser that entered service in April 2000. Belonging to American Cruise Lines, she is the product of the owner's own Chesapeake shipyard in Salisbury, Maryland.

For the eagle-eyed, the ship's profile, red, white, and blue funnel colors, and some of the company's early ads might seem just a bit familiar, and indeed they should be. American Cruise Lines first surfaced in 1974 with a ship called the American Eagle, and after operating six coastal vessels over a period of 15 years, the company quietly went bust. Now under new ownership, ACL is back to compete head on with other coastal lines such as American Canadian Caribbean Line, Clipper Cruise Line, and Delta Queen Coastal Voyages (currently idle and undergoing Chapter 11 reorganization). The 165-foot American Eagle is the first of a pair; the second, slightly larger American Glory, is set to sail from the owner's shipyard in July. Depending on the season, ACL's itineraries range from Maine to Florida.

There are five cabin categories, all outside. AA's, the second lowest grade, measure 192 square feet, largish for any ship and comparing very favorably to the competition. The half-dozen AAC suites spread out to 249 sq. ft. including verandas. Five dedicated single cabins are priced at a little less than a 50 percent premium over the AA category. I found our AA cabin's cane-style couches comfortable for an afternoon's read, and it's a treat to slide open the windows and allow tangy salt air to gain supremacy over the processed kind.

Four decks may not sound like much ship, but the public spaces are especially roomy. The forward-facing Nantucket Lounge seats all passengers, and a ship-wide foyer amidships offers additional comfy couch seating. A library, occupying a cabin-size space, features TV with VCR and books. The decor is a bit plain with utilitarian-looking walls and ceilings, but the carpets and fabrics help to dress things up.

Glass-enclosed on three sides, the dining room operates on an open-seating plan at large round tables. The ship does not have a liquor license to sell alcohol; instead, there is a complimentary bar at cocktail hour, and carafes of chardonnay and burgundy appear on the table at dinner. Sumptuous pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres may be jumbo shrimp, beef sate in peanut sauce, or melted brie on French bread.

The chefs hail from the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales, and their expertise shows in the delicious and often creative meals. Set dinner menus offer a choice of two entrees and include delectable dishes such as grilled artichoke hearts, hearts of palm in balsamic vinegar, Cornish game hen with wild rice, grilled catfish, sliced breast of duck, boiled live lobster, and desserts such as pecan peanut-butter pie and whipped chocolate mousse in a pastry shell. Lunch is much lighter fare such as crab cakes and chicken Caesar salad with garlic croutons. The food was uniformly excellent throughout the cruise.

The fourth or Sports Deck is open to the sky and has an ample number of deck chairs, plus some seating around tables, and a putting green. Additional covered deck space faces aft, and the open deck forward of the lounge is excellent for viewing ahead.

Life onboard is a low-key social experience. The passengers are an amiable, mostly retired lot who like booking into a small club-like setting. There also may be mothers of grandmother age with adult daughters and sons in tow. Considerable trade also comes from non-profit groups who charter the entire ship and bring aboard their own lecturer.

The all-American crew includes a captain, first mate, engineer, college-age men serving as deck hands, and same-age women cleaning the cabins and waiting tables. The level of service has improved since a regular training program was instituted in a small building located at the company headquarters in Haddam on the banks of the Connecticut River.

That's the ship, plain and simple, and delightfully sans casino, health spa, shops, staff pitching expensive drinks, fake friendly celebratory dining-room events, and the like. Cruising can be different; and our cruise was a most pleasant vacation from the milling throngs and multiple entertainment choices aboard the big hulls.

Our one-week New England Isles cruise began with a peaceful Amtrak train ride up the Connecticut shore to New London where the ship was docked. When the last passengers boarded, the bow thrusters aimed us toward the New London Light and out into Long Island Sound. Drawing only six feet, the American Eagle can roll in a swell, but there was none, so we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon sail easterly to New Harbor, on Rhode Island's Block Island, arriving at dinner time. The protected anchorage can, and was, handling several hundred private yachts, and the little docking patch at the end of the wharf allowed us to tie up and walk off.

Compared to the rest of the visiting fleet, we might have been the Queen Mary arriving. People peered and pointed, and when we slid open a window, they inquired who we were and where we were bound. At sunset the adjoining towboat set off a couple of cannon shots announcing the end of the day and giving an excuse for a rousing cheer and raised beer bottles.

We stayed docked overnight, and in the morning mini-vans gave us an hour's island tour for $8.50 apiece that included a much-too-quick look at Victorian Old Harbor, the majestic Southeast Lighthouse, and 100-foot cliffs that take the brunt of the Atlantic storms. By 11 o'clock we put to sea and headed out past Martha's Vineyard for Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Having spent many summers there from age six, I offered to give a talk on the island's history and what to see during the 24-hour stay. Again, the ship offered a quick overview tour, 90 minutes for $13, but happily, as on the Vineyard, the island selectmen have funded an outstanding local bus service that is both cheap and frequent for independent island-touring. We walked the Town of Nantucket and then hopped a one-dollar ride (free to seniors, who make up most of the American Eagle's passengers) to 'Sconset for lunch and a stroll through the diminutive village streets, returning via the winding Polpis Road for an entirely different view.

The next day, on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, we bought a $5 all-day pass and rode to upscale Edgartown harbor, crossed on the On Time ferry to Chappaquiddick Island, and came back via Oak Bluffs with its pretty village green and gingerbread Victorian Methodist summer campground.

Then in New Bedford, Massachusetts, one could opt for a trolley tour ($4.50) with stops at the outstanding whaling museum, 17th century whaling captain's house, and Seamen's Bethel (chapel)--or do it on foot without strain. Newport, Rhode Island, included a three-hour bus tour ($25) along Ocean Drive and a visit either to the Vanderbilt's Breakers or the equally impressive Marble House. The final call back at New London gave access to nearby Mystic Seaport. This historic village complex offers an authentic look back into New England's sailing-ship days with lots of activities to enjoy on the waterfront and in the various commercial enterprises lining the lanes.

Because of the island geography, a trip such as this one could not be easily done any other way than aboard a small passenger vessel--certainly not by car, unless you wish to mortgage the house to pay for the ferry fares. ACL offers varied itineraries that celebrate Americana from New England through the Chesapeake Bay to the Deep South and Florida via the Intracoastal Waterway. Published rates per person for this or any seven-day ACL cruise run from $2,160 to $4,940 per person/double occupancy; single rate is $3,420.

For more information contact your travel agent or American Cruise Lines (Cruise Travel Magazine), One Marine Park, Haddam, CT 06438; or log on to www.american cruiselines.com.