FANS SAY CRUISING IS GREATER ON A FREIGHTER : ON LOCATION.

Byline: Arline Bleecker Orlando Sentinel 

The fact that the planet seems to be running out of exotic new places to visit doesn't worry some folks a bit.

Ask any passenger on a freighter and you're likely to hear: It's not where you go that's important, but how you get there.

They're self-described ``freighter fanatics'' - devotees for whom the lure of travel isn't food, entertainment or mysterious ports of call. It's the love of days at sea - sometimes 30 or more on a voyage, some of them eight at a stretch.

``A voyage doesn't hold any appeal unless it's 90 days or longer,'' says 79-year-old Leo Schumacher, a seasoned salt from Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Schumacher, who takes as many as three freighter cruises a year, has racked up more than 25 such trips.

Freighters, many of which carry 12 or fewer passengers, offer a unique intimacy and hospitality more like a British pub or an inn at sea.

Freighter travel appeals to those who have unconventional, independent personalities. ``You have to love being by yourself,'' says Dorothy Adams of Jackson Hole, Wyo., a retired social worker who makes several freighter trips annually.

Steve Kravitz of Ivaran Lines, which operates the San Antonio and 11 other passenger-carrying freighters, says: ``Think of freighters as luxury ships that carry cargo.''

Ivaran's newest ship, the 88-passenger Americana, was launched in 1994. It carries 1,120 tons of cargo, but was designed with passengers in mind. The 578-foot freighter has lots of deck space, a swimming pool and jacuzzi, an indoor lounge, a wood-paneled library and game room - even a tiny casino with blackjack tables and slot machines, a fully equipped gym and a sauna with masseuse.

Regardless of size, however, freighters aren't for everyone. ``Passengers have to be flexible and not thrown by unexpected delays or long stopovers,'' says Steve Wellmeier, director of marketing for TravLtips, a freighter travel association.

Because cargo-driven itineraries leave schedules uncertain at best, departures are often tentative.

Accommodations vary widely among the 50 or so freighters that still carry passengers; per diem rates generally run about half of what you would pay on a traditional liners, from $100 to $125. On the more luxurious Americana, they average around $160.

If cabin fever doesn't daunt you, popular freighter routes include East Africa from the U.S. Gulf Coast (usually 60 to 70 days in length), Montreal to Belgium (32 days), U.S. East Coast or West Coast to Australia (70 to 75 days), the Mediterranean from the U.S. Gulf Coast or Montreal (35 to 45 days) and around the world from Los Angeles (84 days). Several lines offer fly/sail options that permit booking half-length voyages.

Two ships operated by the British steamship company Blue Star Line have plied South Pacific waters for more than 70 years, calling on ports in Australia and New Zealand. The California Star and the Columbia Star, which each accommodate 12 passengers in air-conditioned cabins with windows and private baths, depart about every three weeks. Fares for 42- to 45-day voyages departing Los Angeles for Suva, Fiji, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and Wellington and returning to Seattle, are $4,400, double occupancy, or $5,300 for singles.

If you prefer visiting dozens of remote South Sea islands with unrecognizable names, consider the refurbished 100-passenger cargo ship, the Aranui.

Since 1984, the Aranui has cruised the Pacific on 13 runs per year to the Marquesas and nearby Tuamotu Islands. The freighter, operated by Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime in San Francisco, offers a medley of amenities, including swimming pool, video room, sun deck and library. Most cabins are air-conditioned and have private baths.

Fares for 16-day voyages from Papeete to Takapoto, Ua Pou, Nuka Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Fatu Hiva, Ua Huka, Rangiroa, and back to Papeete go as high as $3,920 for a deluxe cabin with queen-size bed. Bargain hunters can book bridge-deck passage offering a covered deck space, sleeping pad with ``sheets, shared toilet'' and shower, for $1,560.

Before embarking on a freighter voyage, most cargo lines insist you be fully insured, and they also require proof of good health. Some restrict travel to passengers younger than age 80; others levy a $150 ``deviation insurance'' fee to cover the ship's owner in case the vessel must make an unscheduled stop for medical emergencies.

Because most travel agencies don't keep tabs on or book cargo ships, news about freighter departures is scarce. (Only an estimated 3,000 passengers cruise annually on freighters, compared to nearly 5 million on luxury liners.)

The two most respected sources for freighter information and bookings are TravLtips and Freighter World Cruises, which also publishes a biweekly newsletter. For more information, call TravLtips at [phone] or Freighter World Cruises at [phone].

Travelers who want to keep up to date on freighter sailings can subscribe to Freighter Space Advisory, a twice-monthly newsletter published by Freighter World Cruises of Pasadena. The publication carries freighter sailing dates, ports of call and fares (they average about $100 a day, including meals) for passenger-carrying cargo ships.

Also included are photos of passenger cabins and public rooms, plus deck plans of ships, which usually accommodate up to a dozen passengers.

For a free sample copy of the newsletter, call [phone] or [phone]. For a year's subscription, send $29 to: Freighter World Cruises, 180 S. Lake Ave., Suite 335P, Pasadena, Calif. 91101.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Passengers aboard a freighter can expect longer-than-usual cruises - you go where the ship goes and for as long - but a unique experience. Some voyages keep passengers more than a month at sea in one stretch.

(2) Passengers who aren't in a rush can see the world from the decks of an ocean-going freighter.

Box: ON LOCATION (see text)