Cruises

A cruise ship ran aground off southern Chile on Wednesday, but all 73 passengers--mostly foreigners, including some Americans--were rescued and flown to Santiago, the capital, the semiofficial news agency Orbre reported.

More than 380 passengers and crew aboard the world's largest cruise ship were sickened by a virus during a seven-day Caribbean cruise, cruise officials said in Miami. Norovirus sickened 338 passengers and 46 crew members aboard the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, and they were treated with over-the-counter medication, officials said. The ship, which carried about 3,800 passengers and 1,300 crew members, returned as scheduled to the Port of Miami.

The world of jazz on land today is sadly circumscribed. There is no longer a 52nd Street where clubs were nestled so close together that the musicians could sit in with each other's bands between sets. Concerts are even more firmly structured; after two hourlong sets, it's all over at 11 p.m. For this reason, among others, the floating jazz festival has certain advantages over any other form of presentation.

About 1,000 passengers on a luxury liner that ran aground in the Delaware Bay crossed a gangplank Monday night to a ferry that brought them back to land, the Coast Guard said. Nearly two days after the cruise had been scheduled to end, the ferry Delaware pulled alongside the 642-foot Regent Star, and passengers transferred to it, the Coast Guard said.

Sanitation scores for some of the ships inspected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late March, April and May. A score of 86 or higher indicates satisfactory sanitation. A perfect score is 100.

Here is a listing of cruise lines and their vessels. One caveat: Many cruise companies prefer to sell through travel agents, so it's often best to book through an agent who specializes in cruises. American Canadian Caribbean Line (800) 556-7450 www.accl-smallships.com Grande Caribe, Grande Mariner, Niagara Prince American Cruise Lines (800) 814-6880 www.americancruiselines.com American Eagle, American Glory American Safari Cruises (888) 862-8881 www.amsafari.

Abercrombie & Kent The M/S Explorer (96 passengers) makes luxury expedition cruises with Zodiac landing craft and naturalist lecturers in remote regions of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Antarctica. (800) 426-7794.

Spending related to cruises run by Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and other lines grew at the slowest pace in at least six years as fewer new ships were launched. Cruise ships traveling to and from U.S. ports and their passengers pumped $32.4 billion into the U.S. economy, a 7.9% increase, the International Council of Cruise Lines said in a report. Passengers traveling from U.S. ports rose 6.3% to 8.6 million last year, less than half the rate of growth in 2004.

The nation's cruise ship industry, in a turnaround from its long-standing position that no additional government oversight is needed, endorsed proposed federal safety legislation Monday, paving the way for increased security measures on cruise ships. Cruise Lines International Assn., the industry's chief lobbying and advocacy organization representing 24 member cruise lines, sent a letter of support to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), one of the bill's sponsors.

News flash for Beverly Beyette ["A Royal Entrance," Feb. 22]: People no longer travel with a seven-piece set of matching luggage, men no longer wear suits while journeying and women now travel without matching outfits with purse. One of the reasons that cruises have become so popular is that the former stodgy and regimented dress and social codes have given way to casual attire and free-choice dining. Why on Earth would someone who never wears a suit and tie want to dress formally on a cruise?