Much depends on what route the ship takes. If you're on Celebrity's Millennium, you'll take a southerly one, which will stop in the Madeira Islands before heading south toward St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Fort Lauderdale. You'll also stay to the south on Radisson Seven Seas' Voyager, which does the Barcelona-to-Fort Lauderdale itinerary by way of the Canary Islands off Africa.
Transatlantic cruises on Cunard are another story. The Queen Mary 2 travels between England and New York, so it takes a more northerly route, which is generally smooth sailing in summer, but stormier in fall. It does the transatlantic journey itinerary from April through October, spending the colder months in the Caribbean. The Queen Elizabeth 2 does a couple of winter crossings between New York and Southampton, England, which "has a lot of devotees who love it just because of the movement," according to Gary Gerbino, a spokesman for Cunard.
Where is an American-friendly destination that is no more than a three-hour flight from Dulles with a beautiful beach, mountains and calm and clear water?
Lora Lansinger
Herndon
That's a tall order. You could stay in the United States, which would at least assure the American-friendly aspect. Florida has calm, clear water, but mountains would be a problem. San Diego has mountains nearby, but the water isn't very clear or calm, and it's a 5 1/2-hour flight.
Flight times are the biggest stumbling block to your perfect vacation recipe. Many Caribbean islands meet four of your five criteria, although the American-friendly issue is debatable for some, but very few are within three hours of Washington.
I'd opt for Puerto Rico. The flight is a bit longer than you'd prefer -- nonstop service to San Juan, offered by American, takes 3 hours 45 minutes from Dulles -- but it has everything else.
The Luquillo Beach area is just 30 miles east of San Juan, and its calm water is protected by a coral reef. The mountainous Caribbean National Forest, known as El Yunque, offers miles of hiking trails and isn't far from Luquillo. Many private villas and apartments are available for rent in the Luquillo area. Several major resorts are within easy driving distance, including Wyndham El Conquistador (877-999-3223,
www.wyndham.com
