Lunch on the island is an outdoor buffet with typical barbecue fare -- fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, ears of corn and all the fixings. We sat at a picnic table in one of several open pavilions, where we met another couple from South Florida, Sydnee and David Horowitz of Biscayne Park.

Like many others on this cruise, they were taking a break from the office. ''Both of us work, so this is an easy weekend,'' Sydnee explained. Passengers board the ship Friday afternoon and disembark early Monday morning, not missing a day of work.

Back on board, evening dress that night was programmed as ''formal,'' but most guests came in casual outfits and nobody seemed to care. I felt almost overdressed wearing a jacket and tie.

We had requested a large table in the main restaurant, and our tablemates proved to be both charming and gregarious. Happy newlyweds Inu and Anitha George, both natives of India in a recent arranged marriage, told us they went parasailing at CocoCay and danced by the pool after midnight. Allen and Vicki Colantuono, veterans of many cruises, drive leisurely from California to Florida every year in their 40-foot recreational vehicle. This ''nice, short cruise'' was their break from road travel.

IN NASSAU

Sunday was our day in Nassau. Like many South Floridians, we've been to the Bahamian capital many times and opted to explore on our own. OK, we shopped. It's easy here: Downtown's Bay Street is just a block from the cruise ship docks. Liquor is attractively priced, but we were mainly looking for a topaz pendant for my wife Pat's omega necklace.

As the Majesty of the Seas was the only ship in port that day, downtown Nassau was blessedly uncrowded. That's the good side; less happily, because it was Sunday, many stores were closed.

Back on the ship, I couldn't resist going to the pool deck to watch one of those outrageous activities that cruise directors dream up to amuse passengers, a ``Men's Sexy Legs Contest.''

First, a jury of young women was chosen after each was asked what qualified them to be a judge in such a contest. ''I know men,'' replied one. ''I'm an expert from the waist down,'' said another. Lots of laughs. Judging the legs of the five men who volunteered to compete led to a lot of leg caressing, sexual innuendo and a lot more laughs.

Plenty of entertainment options beckoned to us that evening -- cocktails in the always-popular Schooner Bar, the Viking Crown Lounge or in Boleros, the new Latin bar. The ship's singers and dancers were featured in the a revue in the main showroom (a singer and a comic were solo performers on the two previous nights).

We chose to go to the late-night Spectrum lounge, where the cruise director hosted another audience-participation activity. This was an adults-only scavenger hunt called Quest, in which teams of couples had to obtain specific items.

First, there were easy things like a baby's picture and a diamond. Then it got crazy. Calls went out for an empty woman's purse (lots of frantic dumping of contents), a man wearing ladies shoes (much hobbling), two women's bras not being worn (a lot of discreet unhitching) and two men's pants not being worn (we saw a lot of colorful underwear). In the finale, the pantless men had to parade around the lounge wearing a bra, lipstick and carrying a ladies purse. What a hoot!

And a nice note for ending our weekend cruise. For three days we had put aside the cares of everyday living and let ourselves enjoy the moment.

As passenger Mary Lewis, traveling with husband Bob from Pennsylvania, told us, ''I'd go back in a heartbeat.'' So would we.