Senegal & The Gambia

You've heard of the passenger-carrying freighter; now meet the "cargo liner." Cheaper in many instances than ships in the freighter mode, it also overcomes what some regard as the latter's drawbacks. To avoid the necessity of carrying a costly doctor on staff, the freighters limit their complement of passengers to 12 persons, the legal maximum for dispensing with a professional physician. With so few voyagers on board, passengers have run of the ship, dine with the ship's officers, fix their own sandwiches and snacks in a galley to which they have access. It's an idyllic way to vacation, in the view of the mostly middle-aged and elderly audience that flock to these unpretentious vessels. Others aren't so sure, either because they prefer the security of nearby medical assistance, or because they fear being confined with only 12 fellow passengers; if a large part of that number aren't congenial or interesting, the trip can become unpleasant or boring. Others aren't always thrilled by the extremely casual ways of the freighters--their sometimes unscheduled, erratic sailing dates, flexible lengths of voyage, and constantly changing itineraries. Enter the cargo liner. Its passenger complement is at least 60--large enough to supply companions of interest at meals and social occasions--and occasionally reaches a high of 80 or 90 persons. Most liners have a passenger age limit of 79. Voyages are invariably scheduled and regular; and aboard the ship, the passenger-carrying function is almost as important to officers and crew as the hauling of cargo. There are frequent social activities, although matters never reach the activities-full levels of the passenger cruise ships. Equally important, the cargo liner is occasionally cheaper, an average of $100 a day, as compared with the $125-a-day range of the passenger-carrying freighter. Two cargo lines currently offer the majority of cargo liner opportunities: Norwegian Coastal Voyage (formerly Bergen Line) Here's a distinguished company with a rich, 150+-year history and tradition, which today operates 11 modern cargo liners up and down the fjords of the west coast of Norway. After decades of performing only those prosaic functions, the line was "discovered" in the 1960's by tourists, journalists, and authors, and today, passengers are carried aboard throughout the year--not simply in the popular summer months of the "midnight sun," but under the "northern lights" of the winter. The voyage starts in Bergen, and takes 12 days for a round trip, stopping (among other places) at bustling Trondheim, Bodo, Svolvaer, Tromso ("gateway to the Arctic"), Hammerfest (where the sun doesn't set between mid-May and late July), and Kirkenes (close to both the Arctic Circle and the Russian border). Elaborate shore excursions are offered, buffet "smorgasbords" are a highlight of most luncheons, and even air-sea packages using SAS and other carriers are today available for these former milk-runs along stunning scenery, populated by a gracious people. Cruise-only prices start at $100 a day per person in minimum rate cabins, cost between $140 (low season) and $210 (high season) per person double occupancy a day in the great bulk of cabins, and reach $400 a day in only a small number of instances for luxury suites. Sailings are daily year-round, and with considerable frequency in warmer months. It is possible to book one-way six or seven-day voyages as well. Discounts are available for seniors aged 67 and over, so be sure to ask. Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime Operates the comparatively plush 200-passenger "M.S. Aranui III" making monthly sailings from Papeete, Tahiti, to bring food and supplies to residents of the Marquesas Islands. Those are the barely-developed atolls chosen by Paul Gauguin for the last years of his life and for his last resting place. Voyages last 16 days, go to all six of the inhabited islands, make double stops on two successive days at some islands, and spend two full days at sea. Takapoto is visited on the way to the Marquesas and Rangiroa is a stop on the way back to Papeete. Both are in the Tuamotu Atolls. On this last-of-all-opportunities to witness the unspoiled, as-yet unaffected, life of a tropical paradise, passengers accompany the crew ashore to a crude customs house, and watch the tatooed sailors sling sacks of copra (dried coconuts). They put tropical flowers behind their ears, strum ukuleles by night, and enjoy all this at higher-than-usual rates for a cargo liner ($132 for dorm accommodations to $330 for suites with balconies), but charges include shore excursions of a rare sort and French wine at lunch and dinner. The line has no U.S. office, but information and bookings can be made by Freighter World Cruises, Inc., 180 South Lake Avenue, Suite 335, Pasadena, California 91101, phone 626/449-3106 or 800/531-7774, Web: freighterworld.com. The company represents both Norwegian Coastal Voyages as well as Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport, in addition to 40 some odd "hard-core" freighters with smaller passenger capacities (6 passengers per trip), and pricetags. Trips on these basic ships average $100 per person per day. Visit the company's website to peruse listings, routes and prices.

In 1993, Steve Ells, a chef at the multi-starred Stars restaurant in San Francisco and fan of Mission District taco joints, asked a fundamental question: What if fast food went fine? What if grab-and-go meals used good, nongreasy ingredients? His answer was Chipotle Mexican Grill, where they stuff the burritos with lime-and-cilantro rice, cumin-spiced black beans, and adobo-marinated chicken or juniper-infused pork. "Just because it's fast doesn't mean it has to taste like 'fast food,'" says Ells. Distinct from burger-and-fries purveyors, the new hybrid Chipotle and contemporaries like CosI, Panera Bread, Noodles & Company, and others became known collectively as "quick casual" or "adult fast food." Serving upscale fare in limited-service settings (meaning, for the most part, that patrons order and receive food at a counter) keeps per-person checks in the $7 to $9 range, according to industry analyst Joe Pawlak of Technomic restaurant consultants. And that attractive price range for high-quality food makes these new, fine-food outlets ideal for the fast-moving budget traveler visiting cities in the United States. "Baby boomers want better quality food, but they still don't have time to sit down-and that's especially the case for travelers," says Pawlak. Quick, casual eateries may only account for a $5 billion nibble of the $138 billion fast-food business. But their numbers are growing. Fast-food giant McDonald's joined in, backing upstarts Chipotle and Pret A Manger, while Wendy's recently purchased the Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. A boon to penny-wise travelers who don't want to sacrifice flavor, this burgeoning new breed includes the following: Deli sandwich boutiques Briazz Seattle-based Briazz caters to daytime downtowners in its markets, serving upscale deli sandwiches. In addition to cold grab-and-gos, the chain offers hot meals from "piadinas" (Italian wrap sandwiches made with warm flat bread) to basil-chicken chili and jambalaya. Look for Briazz sandwiches in many Starbucks locations, which are currently test-selling the fare in pursuit of a lunch trade for the coffee giant. Info: Smoked turkey and Havarti cheese on ciabatta bread with lemon-caper aioli, $3.79. There are 46 caf,s in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle; www.briazz.com. Cosi Crusty, hearth-fired bread, baked continually in on-site ovens and closer than anything else in America to true Italian focaccia, distinguishes CosI from the corner-deli pack. Breakfast service touts square bagels ("squagels") made from the dough, and lunches feature sandwiches that globe-trot from Indian tandoori chicken and Middle Eastern hummus to Italian-esque goat cheese panini. Mismatched tables and chairs, faux-painted walls, and oversize couches engender comfort. Nearly 75 percent of shops-those not in business districts such as New York City's Wall Street-stay open for dinner, and waiters serve from a hot-meal menu, similar in price to the daytime carte du jour but including a full bar. Don't miss the do-it-yourself s'mores. Info: Tandoori chicken and roasted red-pepper sandwich, $5.95. More than 90 locations in 11 states (Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin) and Washington, D.C.; www.getcosi.com. Pret A Manger Founded in 1986 in London by two British developers who could not find good-quality take-out lunches, Pret A Manger has mushroomed, gaining the attention of fast-food giant McDonald's, whose recent minority purchase of Pret has enabled it to expand internationally. The sleek-looking shops vend freshly made sandwiches-some on baguettes imported (partly baked) from France-with fillings such as chicken tikka or arugula, avocado, and Parmesan with pine nuts, primarily for off-premises eating. Acclaimed pastry chef Claudia Fleming, formerly of New York City's Gramercy Tavern, recently signed on, boosting Pret A Manger's foodie appeal. Info: Arugula, avocado, Parmesan, and pine-nut sandwich, $5.25. More than 130 outlets in Hong Kong, New York, Tokyo, and the U.K.; www.pret.com. Fusion Cafes Noodles & Company From Wisconsin mac-and-cheese to Indonesian peanut "saut,," Noodles & Company serves noodle-based bowls from a U.N. of larders. Most come without protein, but chicken, beef, tofu, or shrimp can be added for about $1.50 to $2. Salads, soups, and seasonal specials supplement ten noodle-based entr,es in lively, bright storefronts serving lunch and dinner. Bars dispense beer and wine as well as soft drinks. Info: Japanese pan noodles with chunky vegetables, $5.25. Nearly 70 units in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Coming very soon to Michigan, Texas, and Utah; www.noodles.com. Wolfgang Puck Express Tinseltown celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck does quick-service business of his signature dishes-many pulled from his Spago repertoire-like Chinois chicken salad, butternut-squash soup, and four-cheese pizza at a growing number of self-service outlets. Like Wolfgang Puck Caf,s, which offer table service, Express shops sport vibrant mosaic-tile patterns and an open kitchen, where cooks fire pizzas in an open hearth and toss salads to order. Info: Chinois chicken salad, $7.95. About 22 locations in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, and Illinois, including at airports in Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles; www.wolfgangpuck.com. World Wrapps World Wrapps borrows from global ethnic cuisines and packages each-from Japanese "samurai" salmon to Spanish paella-in an oversize Mexican tortilla (also available in a ten-inch small), assembled to order. "Bowl" versions of the sandwiches come unwrapped and tortilla-free. Bento boxes and kids meals expand the choices. A franchising effort is newly under way, with expansion expected west of Chicago. Info: Texas Roadhouse BBQ Chicken with mashed potatoes, slaw, and tomato-corn salsa, $5.50. There are 16 shops in the San Francisco and Seattle metro areas; www.worldwrapps.com. Bakery Cafes Corner Bakery Cafe Founded in Chicago and now run by Brinker International of Dallas (owners of Chili's and Maggiano's chains, among others), Corner Bakery shops prepare up to 17 different breads daily from brioche to sourdough. The loaves (also sold whole) form the foundation of a sandwich-based caf, menu that spans soups, salads, and sandwiches. Typical choices include minestrone soup served in a bread bowl, chicken-bacon-avocado chopped salad, tomato-mozzarella-basil on ciabatta bread, and ham and Havarti cheese on pretzel bread. The warm, wood-paneled settings draw coffee-and-pastry snackers between major meals. Info: One-half chicken pesto sandwich and one-half caesar salad combination, $5.99. Eighty-two outlets concentrated in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, southern California, and Washington, D.C.; www.cornerbakery.com. Panera Bread Originally established as the St. Louis Bread Company (and still operating under that name in parts of Missouri), Panera specializes in "artisan bread" from a grape-based starter used in a range of flavored loaves including kalamata olive, sesame semolina, and three seed. Take-out breads and pastries supplement the caf, operation, which serves sandwiches, salads, and daily soups like broccoli cheddar and black bean. Wooden booths and fireplaces in some caf,s encourage lingering. Info: Turkey with chipotle mayo, field greens, and red onion on Asiago focaccia, $5.55. There are 478 locations in 32 states. Markets include Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Jacksonville, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.; www.panera.com. TEX-MEX GRILLS Chipotle Mexican Grill Chef Steve Ells fused his fine-dining background and love of Mexican tacos in Chipotle, wrapping lime-and-cilantro-tossed rice, cumin-spiced black beans, adobo-marinated chicken, and juniper-infused pork in 20-ounce, made-to-order burritos sauced by four varieties of house-made salsa. Most locations pour margaritas and beers as well as soda. Corrugated-metal walls, blond-wood floors, and curving surfaces generate a hip, urban vibe. McDonald's now holds a majority share of Chipotle, enabling the chain to add about 100 stores annually. Info: Steak burrito with black beans, cheese, rice, and chile-corn salsa, $5.25. More than 230 outlets in the U.S.; www.chipotle.com.

As the cool weather approaches, and visions of tropical islands dance in our heads, a great many Americans are finally aware that the cheapest way to achieve those dreams is on a cruise. For as little as $1,400 to $1600 per person (if you're paying the standard catalogue price), and sometimes averaging out to cost less than $75 a day (if you're lucky enough to find a discount), the cruise lines will fly you to Miami or San Juan, place you in a modest but thoroughly comfortable cabin (you'll scarcely spend any time there), and then sail you from island to island for seven days as they ply you with constant food and entertainment. Even more affordable are the drive-cruise vacations, which have seen considerable growth in the post-9/11 world. For at least the short term (the trend will likely end in spring 2003), many cruise lines upped the number of cruises departing from ports that are easy for huge populations to drive to: New York, Boston, Charleston, Baltimore, Galveston, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, New Orleans, and the like. This way, people who prefer not to fly can still take a cruise, often for less than the price of the traditional fly-cruise vacation. No matter whether you fly or drive before beginning your cruise, often what you'll find is a remarkable, rub-your-eyes value, available at that level nowhere else in travel. Put aside the possibility that these low prices are the product of substandard wages paid to the Emerging World sailors who staff the ships (see "Slave labor on the loveboats?" in the "Testy Opinions" area of this Web site or that massive government subsidies to European shipbuilders permit the vessels to be built for costs no U.S. shipyard can currently match. However they do it, more than 100 large cruiseships are not only offering low and moderate rates (even in the luxury class,) but a broad variety of bargain rates for every purse, and an even broader array of new, low-cost travel itineraries or themes, both colorful and complex. Consider ten separate cruise developments: 1. The continued erratic appearance of secret discounts As if we were a broken record, we've been pointing out for a dozen years that it's exceedingly unwise (polite understatement) to pay the published price for a cruise. There has been a major "sea change", so to speak in this regard, thanks to a crackdown by the cruiselines on cruise discounters. Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity, and Carnival all announced in the fall of 2004 that they would no longer be allowing travel agents to rebate their commissions; or to buy group cabins at a discount and then resell them to the public. This has led to a severe diminuition of discounts, especially on these lines. But many discounters are still doing what they've always done for sailings on the other lines, and there are still major price breaks to be had. Where do you get the discounted rates? From retail travel agents specializing or heavily into cruises or from so-called cruise-brokers; they all offer unpublished rates. As well, an online site called Cruise Compete serves as a reverse auction site for many of these agencies, allowing users to put in which dates they wish to cruise and various travel agents to bid for their business. The system works quite well actually. Why do the cruiselines, unlike the airlines, handle their discounting in that clandestine manner? Beats me. But if you'd like examples of the savings available from favored outlets, call such travel agents as the ones listed in our Top Cruise Consolidators section of this chapter. 2. A growing variety of ships Hard on the heels of several mega-monster cruiseships carrying as many as 2,600 passengers apiece, comes a newer wave of small ships limited to between 100 and 250 passengers, "exploration" cruiseships (capable of entering small coves) of such as the Seaquest company, the sleek vessels of Windstar Cruises, and a number of others. (Some say the trend is a backlash against the oversized ships, with their atrium lobbies more resembling a hotel at sea than a boat.) Though the small new ships aren't rock-bottom in price, they're generally less expensive than the larger luxury ships whose standards they emulate. Even on an ultra-deluxe, one-week cruise, suites sell for as little as $350 and $450 a night per person (published) and occasionally for as little as $250 to $350 a night per person (through discounters). Thus, in just about any reasonable price range, you now have a choice of tiny, small, medium-sized, large, and monstrous vessels. 3. The growth of "drive market" cruises As spelled out above, many cruise lines post-9/11 have adjusted their itineraries allowing more ships to depart from drive-friendly ports such as New York, Boston, Mobile, New Orleans, and Galveston, to accommodate travelers preferring not to fly. It make take longer to get the more popular cruise destinations, but the cruise lines have tapped into an eager market who'd rather drive over fly before hopping aboard a ship. 4. The rebirth of the passenger-carrying freighter There's yet another cruise alternative. Having all but disappeared about a decade ago, freighter sailings have made a remarkable comeback and are now available on no fewer than forty vessels going to all inhabited areas of the world. The reason: Increasing computerization of freighter operation has lessened the need for crew and made their cabins available for passengers, at rates that can run as low as $80 a day per person, but more usually hover around $100 to $110. For a totally comprehensive list of all such ships, their dates of departure, prices, and destinations, contact Freighter World Cruises, Inc., (180 South Lake Avenue, Suite 335, Pasadena, CA 91101, 626/449-3106 or 800/531-7774, Web: freighterworld.com). 5. The "explosion" in itineraries Time was (and not that many years ago) when nearly all cruise ships went to Bermuda and the Bahamas in winter, and to the Caribbean in summer. Then came the discovery-probably by a junior cruiseline employee-that it costs no more to operate ships in other seas of the world; only the airfare for getting there rises by a relatively insignificant amount. And thus it came about that cruiselines today, in their fierce competitive struggle, vie with one another in offering exotic cruise destinations for not much more than they charge for the standard one-weeker to St. Thomas/St. Croix/St. Kitts. Southeast Asia is coming on strong (four lines now cruise there), as are cruises to the lengthy coastlines of Africa and India, the Antarctic, South America and the South Seas. Europe's Mediterranean has returned to popularity, but this time supplemented by cruises of the North and Baltic Seas, especially to port cities of Eastern Europe. If you've "had it" with steel bands, straw hat souvenirs, and tours of the "Governor's Mansion"--the staple of Caribbean cruising--you now have countless cruise alternatives to areas far less heavily touristed. 6. The boom in "theme cruises" Along with this expansion in itineraries has come a vastly greater schedule of activities at sea, almost always at no extra charge to the basic tariff. Movies have been joined by full-scale stage shows; ocean skeet shooting now takes a rear seat to spa-style aerobics and yoga meditation; and "theme" cruises--extra heavy attention to styles of music, historical periods, food specialties, murder-mystery, square dancing, lectures by athletes, chefs, poets, and inspirational psychologists--are numbered in the dozens. Another popular theme cruise in recent times, even though it carries an extra fee? Sailings for spouses of either sex who really don't enjoy cruises, and therefore spend their time on board learning computer software programs. 7. The bonanza of wind-driven cruises Low-cost cruising (a current average of $110 to $150 a day per person) with 80-or-so other passengers in a sail-powered "tall ship" was the breakthrough idea of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises in the early 1960s; it presently operates seven 200-to-230-foot ships. When competition arrived in the late 1980s, it took the form of high-priced and extremely elegant ships (upwards of $350 and $400 a day per person). Wonder of wonders, a mid-priced line ($200 to $225 a day, on average) operating the Star Clipper and Star Flyer has recently emerged on the scene for unpretentious people who nevertheless crave the creature comforts that Windjammer doesn't always provide. Here's the beginning of what may become a major segment of the cruiseship industry, best analyzed by phoning "Star Clippers" at 800/442-0551 or go online to starclippers.com for literature. 8. Thr "slightly longer" cruise The length of the voyage is also undergoing change. After years of almost exclusively operating 3-night, 4-night and 7-night cruises some lines are clearly moving toward a 10-night and 11-night pattern, at prices that capitalize on the obvious economies involved in such a step (for one thing, air fare to the embarkation point is amortized over more days). The now defunct Fantasy Cruises was among the first to experiment in 10- and 11-nighters followed by its sister company Celebrity Cruises whose Mercury, Galaxy and Zenith periodically traverse the Panama Canal and surrounding areas on 14- and 15-night stints (the line's Horizon also takes 10- and 11-night sails through the Caribbean in Spring). For that matter, the number of four- and five-night cruises has also increased over the past two years, so overall there is more of a variety out there in terms of cruise length than in the past. 9. A rush to the antarctic In a spurt of new activity, a handful of cruise lines (including Holland America, Orient, and Society Expeditions) nw take hardy adventurers to that frigid continent during its relatively "warm" time of late December, January and February; and for the first time, they include larger vessels normally carrying from 400 to 800 passengers apiece. Use of so large a ship drops the cost to starting at around $5,500-plus-airfare per person for a two-week Antarctic expedition. Note, though, that environmentalists have decried the introduction of that many people to a largely untouched and undisturbed terrain. 10. All (not) inclusive cruises In the past, cruisers could be reasonably sure that nearly everything onboard (except drinks) was included in a "one-time" price. Not so anymore. Some cruisers now pay one price for their cruise and port fees, which includes accommodations and standard dining, and then they are charged extra for other optionals onboard. Eating in certain upscale restaurants onboard costs extra on some cruises. Also, many of the trendy new activities on cruises, such as the rock-climbing wall or miniature golf, often incur a fee. So, before booking, ask questions about what is, and what isn't, included in the "one-time" price. What makes cruising so popular? No daily packing and unpacking, one price for everything, multiple destinations, remarkable value. But there can be too much of a good thing. That's why cruiselines have taken a once-simple activity and added a multitude of complex options, alternatives, and formats. In the process, they've now created a custom-cruise for everyone, and I find that good news.