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SCMP Reporter

IT is at CocoCay of the Bahamas where the legacy of the renowned pirate Blackbeard originated, and they say the buried treasure has never been found.

  While there is no guarantee of fruition for a treasure hunt attempt today, a tan and water fun are assured on the cay where you can dive, snorkel, have a ride on a paddle boat and banana raft or simply lie on a gently swaying hammock under a shady palm tree.

  The small island is the last stop of the seven-night itinerary around the western Caribbean of the 750,000-ton vessel Majesty of the Sea of the Royal Caribbean Line - the owner of the cay and the oldest cruise line in the world.

  While cruising is yet to become popular among Asians, it is worth trying if you are tired of the need to move from hotel to hotel and apply for the various visas needed for the countries you want to tour.

  From Miami, Mexico, Jamaica to the Bahamas, all you need on this cruise is a US visa.

  Leaving Miami Port on Sunday afternoon, the vessel carries more than 3,000 passengers and crew members heading for the first stop, Cozumel of Mexico.

  Centuries ago, Mayan named the flat island Cuzamil which means island of the swallow. Today it is called Cozumel, meaning transparent water, white cool sand and a place to rest.

  Ninety per cent of the 50,000 people on the island, which measures 270 square miles, work for the tourism industry.

   There are seven local tours to choose from, but you may choose to travel on your own by hiring a taxi. Taxi drivers can serve as tour guides. Cozumel is one the best snorkelling areas in the world with a fantasy of coral reefs and marine life.

    I joined a four-hour tour around Cozumel island which takes in the Mayan ruins at San Gervasio where there are interesting rock tombs, temples and an altar where humans were sacrificed to the gods more than 2,000 years ago.

  The place was abandoned in the 1600s during an epidemic. The Mayan returned to escape from a war with the Spanish in the 1800s on the mainland of Mexico.

  Leaving San Gervasio, the tour heads for Chankanaab lagoon and a park where there is a natural aquarium with more than 60 species of fish and a botanical garden.

  Finishing this tour will still leave you several hours to shop around the downtown area if you do not want to return to the ship before it departs around sunset.

  Cozumel is a free port. You may bargain on perfume, solid gold jewellery, rubies, emeralds, leather goods, embroidered cotton dresses, blouses, original ceramics and paintings.

  Fancy Mexico's famous drink marguerita? You can enjoy one at any one of the cantinas if you walk back to the pier along the esplanade.

  Next day, we visited Grand Cayman, one of the three islands of the Cayman Islands located nearly 800 kilometres south of Miami, Florida. The British colony flourishes on offshore banking and tourism.

    Discovered by Columbus in 1503, the three islands were named 'Las Tortugas' because the place was full of turtles or 'tortugas'. By 1530, their names changed to 'Caymanas', a tribute to the iguanas which roamed the islands.

  The islands were initially inhabited by pirates, deserters from Cromwell's army in Jamaica, and shipwrecked sailors. In 1971, the Cayman Islands chose to remain under the British Crown with a national symbol being a peg-legged turtle.

  The Stingray City and Island tour is recommendable. You may watch through the clear glass windows of a semi-submersible as divers feed dozens of sting rays.

  The Cayman Turtle Farm is a short drive, the only commercial sea turtle nursery in the world. Some of the turtles there are raised for their meat and shells.

  Before heading to the capital, George Town, a stop can be made at the town of Hell, a place named for its unusual rock formation. You may send postcards to your friends from the Hell Post Office.

  On Thursday, we landed at Ocho Rios, the lozenge-shaped island of Jamaica. The first stop is Brimmer Hall Estate where a cool welcome drink and fruits precede a tour of the coffee plantation. Then on to the 600-foot Dunn's River Falls.

  Climbing up the falls where waters cascade along a rocky elevated course down to the sea is exhausting but exhilarating.

 Bargain hard at Ocho Rios for Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee, rum and wood carvings and you could end up paying less than half the marked price.

  Finishing the tour at the last stop CocoCay, the vessel sails back to Miami where you may linger a few extra days to extend your sun-drenched holiday.

  There are many hotels near the port. One of which, Biscayne Bay Marriott is less than five minutes walk from Miami Beach and close to many shopping malls.

  The seven-night itinerary includes two whole days sailing, but activities arranged on board keep you too busy to be bored.

  There are fitness classes, pool games, sports tournaments, and disco dancing and karaoke at night. In fact, last year the ship was named the world's best for entertainment.

    Food is also a big plus on board the Majesty of the Sea. There is a wide variety of international dishes with different themes every night.

   The Royal Caribbean offers other itineraries around the world with a price range from US$62 to US$407 a night.

  For further information, contact RCCL Cruise Line at 316-1673, operated by Lotus wholesale division in Hong Kong.

  There is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Miami. A route suggested is via Tokyo and then Detroit. For further information, contact the local reservation office of Northwest Airline at 810-4288.



Treasures the pirates were unable to bury