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03:33 PM CDT on Friday, October 8, 2004

By ARLINE BLEECKER / The Orlando Sentinel

Few moments are as unforgettable to me as peering at the frigid black waters of Antarctica from the observation lounge of a luxury ship. It was an exquisitely calm moonlit night some years ago. And, while a famous Polish pianist on board played Liszt, a 10-story-tall iceberg the length of three football fields floated by.

To capture the moment, the captain maneuvered the vessel to circle the berg at a snail's pace while training the ship's klieg lights on it to illuminate its icy-white surface against the pitch-black setting.

The music clinched the moment. Natural beauty and a Liszt sonata: Nothing plucked at the core of existence quite so effectively.

For those, though, who consider classical music sounds to snooze by, there's a medley of cruises that just might strike the proper chord.

Because rock music rocks a lot of people's boats, Carnival Cruise Lines is betting that its weeklong "Rock 'n' Roll Holiday Cruise" to the Caribbean will be a splash hit. The special music aboard the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph will be live performances by three giants of rock: Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx.

Departing Miami Nov. 27, the voyage will sail to Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, among other ports of call. It also includes private concerts, Q&A sessions with band members, and exclusive cocktail parties, as well as limited-edition band memorabilia to buy.

According to Carnival, this is the first time these bands, considered among rock's biggest, have participated in such an event. Together they have sold more than 100 million records, and they fill stadiums and arenas wherever they appear.

Cruise fares begin at $1,299 per person, double occupancy. Discounts for third and fourth passengers in the same stateroom are available. Information: 1-866-236-6696.

Rock addicts also will have reason to cheer the launch of Show Boat Cruises, a tour operator that promotes musical cruises. Founded this year, the company kicks off its first season Jan. 3 with a seven-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Holland America's Ryndam.

The voyage down the Pacific Coast, notes the company, will feature the finest rock, jazz and Motown musicians, including Grammy winners Michael McDonald and Tom Scott, Hall of Fame inductee Gregg Rolie, and rock 'n' roll singer Eddie Money.

Show Boat Cruises promises to donate a portion of the cruise proceeds to Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit program that provides free instruments and music instruction to disadvantaged children in public schools.

Fares for the cruise begin at $895 per person, double occupancy, plus taxes and port charges. Information: 1-866-927-6732; www.showboatcrui ses.com.