California Steamin'

By Patrick Andersen - Last year Celebrity Cruises offered a new treat for the seafaring set, a weeklong jaunt up and down the California shore between San Francisco and Ensenada. Though some unexpected snarls threatened to cast a cloud over it, the overall experience will nevertheless leave a glow on passengers' memories. If Celebrity irons out the glitches before the 2004 season begins, the California Coastal route could well become a staple that other cruise lines will emulate.

First, some background: Due to an archaic law, foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing out of California ports have historically, for the most part, sailed to out-of-the-way, non-U.S. ports before turning toward the more popular attractions on their itineraries. Thus, excursions setting out for Hawaii from Los Angeles or San Diego would stop first in Mexico. Ships sailing from San Francisco mostly head north to Canada before continuing to Alaska, Hawaii, or any other destination.

So Celebrity's almost all-California lineup - San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara (here's the glitch - see below), San Diego, Ensenada and Catalina Island - would give even seasoned cruisers a new experience.

And the Mercury - Celebrity's 1,870-passenger, 78,000-ton ship stretching the length of almost three football fields - provides an ambiance that reflects California's laid-back attitude. While other ships dazzle passengers with flash and splash, the Mercury instead impresses with quiet elegance and stately service. For example, on other ships the captain will make a public announcement over the intercom system at least once a day, reporting the ship's position, speed and estimated time of arrival at the next port of call. Celebrity, on the other hand, prides itself on making very few - if any - announcements that might abruptly disrupt a conversation or upset a moment of meditation. The ship's quieter attitude even shows itself in minor, innocuous details. For instance, other ships announce the day of the week by printing it in large letters on carpets in every elevator, changing the carpets daily. Not so on the Mercury; if you have any interest in learning what day of the week it is, you can ask.

Back to the itinerary: We were delighted that Monterey would allow us to come ashore, because that town's view of cruise ships has taken a nasty turn. The ship Crystal Harmony has been permanently banned from Monterey for inadvertently dumping bilge in the offshore marine sanctuary. We viewed Celebrity's admission to the port as a prize that could easily be snatched away in the future, and our visit there did not disappoint. The Monterey Aquarium alone justifies the entire trip. (Even natives will enthusiastically advise tourists to make a point of seeing the jellyfish exhibit.) Nearby Carmel adds icing to the cake.

   1 :: 2