Intracostal cruising on the Grande Mariner: American Canadian Caribbean Line's small ships offer unique views of America

Cruise Travel, Sept-Oct, 2002 by Theodore W. Scull

While underway during morning hours, the onboard historian discussed the seafood industry, the barrier islands' ecology, and the Gullah people's language and cultural connections to the West African slave trade. More informally, he pointed out sights from up on Sun Deck.

On one night, a musical trio came aboard to play jazz and Dixieland; and on another, a Southport storyteller charmed us as only Southerners can do with some entertaining local history spiced with ghost stories. One told of a lighthouse keeper's little girl, who after drowning in a gale, occasionally appears at the bow of fishing boats to warn of an impending storm. Hurricanes are hot topics in these parts, with considerable evidence of mined docks and damaged houses to be seen.

The Grande Mariner sailed into Charleston harbor past Fort Sumter where in April 1861 the Civil War began, and from the pier a shuttle took passengers to the city center for walking tour of the Battery. The ship then cruised up the Savannah River to dock alongside remodeled 19th century brick and stone warehouses now serving as attractive restaurants, bars, and shops.

While our ship would continue for another five days along Georgia's and Florida's Intracoastal Waterway to Palm Beach, we left at Savannah and boarded Amtrak's Silver Meteor for a what turned out to be a most pleasurable overnight ride. We enjoyed dinner in the diner featuring deftly prepared grilled salmon and Maryland crab cakes, an upper-/ lower-berth compartment for a reasonably comfortable night on the rails, and a full breakfast as the train skirted the top of Chesapeake Bay to arrive on time at Penn Station, the start of our journey 10 days earlier.

Rates for the cruise described herein, per-person/double-occupancy cruise-only, range from $2,655 to $3,265. The next sailings (on all three ACCL ships) are November 3, 5 and 7, 2002. For more information contact your travel agent or American Canadian Caribbean Line (Cruise Travel Magazine), P.O. Box 368, Warren, RI 02885; phone 800-556-7450; or log on to www.accl-smallships.com. Amtrak operates frequent trains to Providence along the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, and three trains a day--carrying coaches, sleepers, lounges, and dining cars--link major cities throughout the Eastern Seaboard; again, your travel agent has more info; or call 800-USA-RAIL; or log onto www.amtrak.com.