Sailing a la Mode with the Radisson Diamond

Personally, we expected to succumb to utter boredom and cabin fever when embarking on a transatlantic, nonstop, 11-day cruise from San Juan, PR to Lisbon, Portugal. Instead, that miracle of modern technology, the Radisson Diamond, wafted us across the oce an with a degree of enjoyable relaxation that we have rarely experienced. Why is this ship different from all other ships? The overall word is "smooth." The sailing is smooth, because of the ship's unique twin-pontoon design. The service is smooth: soothi ng, unobtrusive, friendly, and accommodating. The days flowed seamlessly together, with plenty of entertainment available if one so chose, excellent food, and, as an added bonus, cooking seminars led by the Dean of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, who prepared special dinner menus using personal favorites from the CIA's acclaimed book, The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking.

The Diamond crew members treat their passengers as adult, welcome guests. Room service runs 24 hours, and is included in the price of the cruise. There's also a no-tipping policy. Executive Chef Mario Valero believes in handling food with a light touch - - so one can eat a starter, salad, main course, and dessert without feeling overloaded. Each day's menu highlighted a different international cuisine.

Depending on your mood, you can dine either in the elegant Grand Dining Room, or in the more informal Grill, open to the sea and sky. Two comfortable and elegant lounges, Windows and The Club, make ideal settings for shipboard friendships.

The amenities include an outdoor pool, a casino, a library, underwater viewing room, boutiques, golf driving range and putting green, complete spa and exercise facilities, and for workaholics, a well-equipped business center. With a total capacity of onl y 354 passengers, the Radisson Diamond offers a variety of cruises in the Caribbean and trans-Atlantic, pampering passengers in a manner that is hard to match.

We spent a couple of days poking around Lisbon, staying at the Inter-Continental Hotel Ritz. Exemplifying all the best of the grand European tradition, this comfortable, elegant hotel boasts an impressive dining room, whose dishes would not be out of pla ce in any cosmopolitan multi-star restaurant.

For information: (800) 333-3333.

9/2/94