Era of luxury travel slowly sails into the sunset

Recalling a bygone era of stately passenger liners and quaint colonial traditions, the RMS St. Helena is making its last journeys before weekly flights to the far-flung South Atlantic island are introduced and the ship no longer sails.

A day aboard the five-day cruise to rugged St. Helena, one of the world's most remote inhabited islands, is marked by aristocratic pastimes alien to modern travelers accustomed to no-frills long-haul journeys.

A final chance to experience a slower way of life has spiked interest in the RMS St. Helena, a nearly 7-metric-ton ship built in 1989 to carry passengers and goods across the ocean, said John Hamilton, the cheerful purser who organizes activities on board, including card games and on-deck cricket matches.