Today marked the inaugural voyage of Club Mirage, a vintage 1973 former ferry and Mediterranean cruise ship now operating out of Port Canaveral, Florida, for the new line Ocean Club Cruises (tel. 866/SEA-CLUB, www.oceanclubcruises.com). Variously known over the years as Bolero, Scandinavica, Jupiter, and Magic I, the 15,000-ton, 850-passenger Club Mirage will sail 2-night Bahamas cruises and 3-night Bahamas/Key West cruises, with 2-night rates starting at $349 for inside cabins, $459 for standard outsides, and $549 for suites, and 3-night rates starting at $499 inside, $619 outside, and $699 suite.
Ocean Club joins two other lines operating exclusively short cruises from Florida. Imperial Majesty Cruise Line (tel. 954/956-9505, www.imperialmajesty.com) offers a year-round schedule of 2-night Nassau cruises from Ft. Lauderdale aboard the 21,486-ton, 1,021-passenger OceanBreeze. Christened by Queen Elizabeth II way back in 1954 and once a part of now-defunct Premier Cruises, OceanBreeze is one of the few real ocean liners in service in the U.S. today, with a classic raked bow, teak decks, and etched-glass doors. High-season rates run from $179 for an inside cabin to $279 for a standard outside and $409 for a suite.
Those seeking something different should check out Scotia Prince, a 1,000-passenger, 200-car cruise-ferry operated between Tampa and Merida/Progreso, Mexico, by Yucatan Express (tel. 866/670-3939, www.yucatanexpress.com), November through April. Passage-only tickets transport you and your car to Mexico then bring you back at a later date, but you can also create a more traditional cruise by booking both the out and back sailings for four nights total, with 11 hours in port. In its inaugural season the company also offered extended stay cruise/hotel packages of 7, 11, and 14 days, and something similar with likely be offered for 2004. Prices for 4-night back-to-back cruises range from $174 for an economy cabin to $749 for a suite, plus port and security charges, government taxes, and transfer charges.
