CARIBBEAN CRUISE TO ADVENTURE.

Byline: Carol Fowler Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

The jungle sings with the rustle of leaf-cutter ants, swishing vines and parrot calls.

We were used to that.

But then the eerie sound, somewhere between the bark of a dog and the hoot of an owl amplified to top decibels drowned out the gentle sounds. We shivered under sweat in the midday heat. The call echoed back and forth and started again louder and louder.

``Howler monkey,'' said our guide Willie, experienced in the ways of the jungle. We never did see these raucous primates, but only noticed the jungle canopy sway as they dashed from tree to tree. Their howl accompanied a good bit of our excursion.

We were in the Guatemalan lowlands, seeking out the fantastic Maya ruins of Tikal. This is adventure territory. ``Raiders of the Lost Ark'' was filmed here. But we didn't get here cutting our way through the jungle with a machete.

We came on a cruise ship, Holland America's Noordam. And so, after a day trekking in the jungle and climbing pyramids, we were whisked back to the ship for mai tais.

That night we had a formal six-course dinner on Rosenthal china with crab cakes, swordfish and baked Alaska.

Like all cruise ships, the 1,214-passenger Noordam is a floating resort with bingo in the morning, napkin-folding classes in the afternoon, Broadway-style shows in the evening and buffets at midnight. But the stop at Guatemala, new this year for the Western Caribbean itinerary, reflects a cruising trend. Ships are taking travelers to more and more exotic ports of call.

Many of these are on lengthy and expensive Asia cruises. But Holland America is doing it in the Western Caribbean on seven-day cruises that, for most cabins, cost less than the $225 per day industry average. The new itinerary will continue this year and next when the ship is in the Caribbean.

The cruise began in Tampa, a less hectic and congested cruise port than Miami or San Juan, Puerto Rico. Only one ship was docked at the Garrison Terminal, so there was little confusion in boarding procedures. Because the ship travels from Florida deep into the Western Caribbean, there are three full days at sea, one at the beginning, middle and end of the cruise.

For people who love being at sea or cruise ship activities, this is ideal. It gives one the opportunity to appreciate the rhythms of the ship.

By contrast, Eastern Caribbean cruises have about five ports of call with most of the sailing at night. They will appeal more to those who like to spend more time in port, especially to shop at the duty-free emporiums of Nassau in the Bahamas or the jammed markets of Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas.

On our cruise, the restless and bored were entertained with diverse activities: lectures on the ports of call, at least eight movies a day (this was a film festival cruise), big-band dancing, deck tennis, a chef's ice-carving competition and limbo contest. There were enough silly games to allow a second childhood.

For those with the itch to gamble, the ship has a casino with blackjack tables and gaming machines. In addition, a mileage pool and bingo offer other chances to court lady luck.

For fitness buffs, there is a gym with weight machines and free weights and a program of stretching and toning classes. Five laps around the Upper Promenade Deck equals a mile.The dining room goes along with the plan to keep the pounds off at sea by offering spa dishes on each menu.

But with all these diversions, what I liked best was sitting on one of the classic, wooden deck chairs and reading. Every few lines I'd look up to watch the texture of the sea. The Caribbean, turquoise at the shore, is intense sapphire out at sea.

After the first day and two nights of sailing, we stopped at Grand Cayman Island. There were scuba excursions for certified divers, snorkeling for those who were not and an Atlantis excursion submarine for those who didn't want to get wet. One of the island's top attractions is sting-ray city, where these graceful creatures undulate in the water and seem to seek out human contact.

We spent a few hours at Seven Mile Beach, which the Frommer Guide calls the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean. There are several hotels along its long crescent, but they are small and hidden in a fringe of Australian pines, so the beach seems undeveloped.

We also spent part of the day on an island tour, which included a visit to a turtle farm. Columbus called Grand Cayman La Tortuga because of the many sea turtles that he found laying eggs on the beach or swimming in the sea. But long ago, they almost disappeared, gone into turtle soup and translucent shell combs. The farm, which breeds the creatures in captivity, is making an attempt to restore these aquatic reptiles to Grand Cayman waters.

Another shore stop was at Playa del Carmen, a town on the Yucatan Peninsula about 30 miles south of Cancun and considerably quieter than this Acapulco-style resort. Shore excursions took in Tulum, a lesser ruin than Tikal, but the only Maya settlement to be built at the edge of the sea.

Another short stop is at Xcaret, a vast complex of re-created Maya altars, temples and grottoes, a botanical garden and a snorkeling channel. Developed on the site of crystal lagoons, it offers a dramatic short course in Maya history with thunderous drums, incense and feather-clad dancers during its evening show. Most of the cruise passengers loved it. ``It's a privilege to be here,'' declared one sophisticated New Yorker. But those who knew this unsullied site before think of it as a Disney-style attraction.

After the ship docked at Santo Tomas de Castilla, a container port that the captain claimed was one of the best in the Caribbean, we were taken to a military air field, a reminder of Guatemala's military government. An Aviateca jet from the national airline took us on the 30-minute flight to Santa Elena. There, a bus met us for about an hour ride to Tikal in the remote northern Peten lowlands.

This site was the Athens of the Maya world with a vast acropolis, the tallest pyramid in Central America and grand causeways.

But even without this splendid monument from the Western Hemisphere's ancient world, the jungle with its howler monkeys, soaring Ceiba trees and brilliant wild turkeys is reason enough for a visit.

On Location

Holland America will offer Western Caribbean itineraries with ports of call at Grand Cayman Island, Mexico's Playa del Carmen and Guatemala through its spring and fall Caribbean seasons this year. Other cruise lines go to the region, but a Guatemala stop is rare.

Brochure prices range from $694 to $2,095, depending on the stateroom and season. Air fare to Tampa, Fla., is additional. Shore excursions range from $21 to $429 for the Tikal excursion and $499 for a trip by private plane to Copan in Honduras. Information: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: (Color) You can while away your time in a deck chair during a Caribbean cruise, or, on some ships, takea shore excursion to adventure.

Carol Fowler/Contro Costa Times

Box: On Location (See text)