DATE: Sunday, August 24, 1997               TAG: 9708230064

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E4   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  133 lines

TRAVELER'S ADVISORY

CRUISING ABOARD INDEPENDENCE

American Hawaii Cruises is owned by American Classic Voyages Inc., which also operates The Delta Queen Steamboat Co., whose paddlewheel vessels cruise the rivers of America's heartland.

The S.S. Independence, built in Massachusetts, was designed by Henry Dreyfuss, one of the foremost industrial engineers of this century (his classic credits include the desk telephone, the John Deere tractor and the interior of the Lockheed Constellation, the 747 of its day). Today it is the only U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed ocean liner afloat. The Independence made her maiden voyage in 1951 and spent most of its first decade sailing from New York to the Mediterranean. Laid up at the end of 1968 by soaring oil prices and the rise of commercial air travel, the Independence re-entered service in 1980 as the only ship to cruise exclusively among the Hawaiian Islands. The 20,221-ton ship, with a passenger capacity ranging from 867 to 1,021 depending on berth occupancy, has been refurbished twice at Newport News Shipbuilding, in 1959 and 1994. Its sister ship, the S.S. Constitution, was retired in 1995.

What it costs: Cruise-only fares start at $1,230 per person, double occupancy, for seven days, including port charges, onboard meals, activities and entertainment. Children 17 and younger sharing a cabin with their parents cruise for $280.

Air supplement: Air fare from Norfolk, if booked through American Hawaii Cruises, is $786. The company has announced that in 1998 it will offer a $395 round-trip fare between Honolulu and 100 U.S. gateways or a $300 per-person discount on all seven-day cruises for those who book their cruise and make their deposit six months before sailing.

Accommodations: This is a ship of another age, and even numerous refurbishings can only do so much with the cabin configurations. It was built in an age when ocean liners had several classes - first and second - as airlines do today. Just as in today's airlines, there is a significant difference. While there is only a single class on the Independence, the cabin layouts vary significantly, even in the same price category. There are quad cabins, triples, singles; some have a double sofabed, some have upper and lower fold-out Pullman berths only, others have a settee that converts to a single. If you want, say, a double bed, you'd better specify that. Make sure your travel agent understands exactly what you want. Space in the 446 cabins and 37 suites ranges from 75 to 575 square feet. Two cabins are configured to allow easy access to mobility-impaired passengers.

Facilities: 23,000 square feet of open deck space, side promenades that have been converted to pleasant open-air lanais, three bars, two dining rooms, lounge, showplace, conference center, study, buffet, two freshwater pools, beauty salon, movie theater, fitness center, massage, self-service laundry, gift shop and medical facility.

Eating aboard: The food is fine and abundant. The menus offer a wide variety of selections, with emphasis on combinations of fresh, local ingredients from each of the islands.

Dress: Casual, informal. Think of the ship as a floating Hawaiian island. Shorts, etc., all day long; they'd like men to wear long pants and a shirt with a collar at dinner, but a tie isn't necessary.

Onboard programs: On every cruise special emphasis is placed on Hawaii's history, heritage and traditional lifestyle, featuring Hawaiian music, dance, arts and crafts and cultural presentations. The focal point is an interactive cultural exhibit in the beautiful Kama'aina Lounge. The ship's kumu (Hawaiian teacher) is an integral part of the Hawaiiana program, providing education through ``talk story'' of island history, legends, royalty, gods and goddesses.

Shore excursions: The line's program, named ``Best of the Best'' by Travel-Holiday magazine, offers more than 50 ways to experience the diversity of the Hawaiian Islands. Individual shore excursion prices range from $16 to $179 (some helicopter flights) per person. Special children's rates are available for most excursions.

Theme cruises: American Hawaii offers special cruises that focus on whale watching, Hawaiian heritage, big bands and golf. The big band cruises, bringing back the sounds of the '40s, are scheduled for Dec. 6 and, in 1998, April 18 and 25, Oct. 31, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5. Golf enthusiasts can play at all four island stops from a selection of 20 courses.

Info and reservations: For a free brochure, call (800) 474-9934. For more information and booking, see a local professional travel agent. The cruise line's World Wide Web address is www.cruisehawaii.com.

DOING THE BIG ISLAND

Getting there: A travel agent can advise you on packages from the mainland that include both air and hotel accommodations (and sometimes a rental car). Packages are invariably better than separate buys. Interisland flights, say from Honolulu to the Big Island, run about $150 round trip; the flight is about 30 minutes.

Getting around: A rental car on the Big Island is really the only way. The best deal I found was about $165 for a week, plus gas. Gasoline is more expensive than on the mainland; if you find it for less than $1.89 a gallon you've found a deal. The highways are good.

Getting a bed: There are hotels, condos (again, check for package deals) and B&Bs in wide price range. Here are three I sampled:

The Orchid at Mauna Lani on the (west) Kona-Kohala coast, a truly elegant resort on 32 acres of oceanfront with sandy beach, private lagoon, waterfalls, fish ponds and tropical gardens, is an ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection hotel that rated highest in overall approval for Big Island resorts in Conde Nast Traveler's 1997 ``Gold List.'' The former Ritz-Carlton is surrounded by two championship golf courses carved out of a vast lava flow and is adjacent to one of the more extensive prehistoric pertoglyph parks on the island. The spa offers oceanside outdoor massages in private cabanas, accompanied by tropical breezes and the sound of the surf - an enchanting way to end the day. Highly recommended for a splurge. Info: (808) 885-2000.

The Hawaii Naniloa Hotel sits on beautifully landscaped grounds on a lava peninsula jutting into Hilo Bay (east coast). Moderate to deluxe. Room balconies offer a view of Mauna Kea - when it's clear, usually in early morning, you can see the observatories on top - the delightful Coconut Island in the bay and the town of Hilo. A short walk leads to the delightful 30-acre Lili'uokalani Japanese-Hawaiian Garden, named for Hawaii's last ruling monarch. Banyon Drive, which circles the little peninsula and embraces a nine-hole golf course, is lined with giant spreading banyan trees planted by the eternally famous and the momentarily significant during a span mostly between 1933-37. The ones you'd probably recognize today include Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Cecil B. DeMille and Mrs. C.B., Franklin Roosevelt and and King George V. Very pleasant place. It's less than an hour's drive from here to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Info: (808) 969-3333.

Royal Kona Resort is a moderate-to-deluxe, three-building hotel located on a lava promontory overlooking Kailua Bay and within an easy stroll of many restaurants and historical sites in the town of Kona (west coast). The sight of waves crashing against the lava just below the room balconies is spectacular. Info: (808) 329-3111.

And here are two more where I made a cursory inspection:

The Volcano House sits at the edge of the great Kilauea caldera in the national park. I would have stayed here if there had been a vacancy. There's been a Volcano House here since 1846; the present 42-room complex dates to 1941 and is a National Historic Landmark. The fire in the great stone fireplace has been burning constantly since 1874 (embers from it were salvaged when the original hotel burned down). The rooms are more ``homey'' than luxurious, and those with a crater view are worth at least the $131 tariff. Info: (808) 967-7321.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village on the (west) Kona-Kohala coast is a sprawling and spectacular Disneyesque complex so large that guests and visitors are transported to its various buildings both by canal boat and tram railway. Its dolphin lagoon is said to be the largest man-made marine mammal habitat in the world. Here, for about $100, you can swim for about half an hour with their tame dolphins - if you're lucky in the daily lottery drawing.

Info: Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Big Island Chapter (808) 961-5797.

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