Chandris Fantasy Cruises is seeking to broaden the limited geographical passenger base of the traditional Bermuda cruise market by launching two new seven-day sailings from Port Canaveral next summer.

The cruise line, which will cruise to Bermuda from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wilmington, N.C., and Charleston, S.C. in 1989, reportedly developed the new itineraries after Chandris discovered that several hundred northern Florida passengers had flown to New York on its air program before cruising to Bermuda in 1988.

Senior Vice President Al Wallack said that Chandris expects at least 60 to 70 percent of the new market to be group passengers and will launch co-op advertising programs and cruise and group nights to promote the sailings.

Wallack said that between five and 10 percent of the cruise line’s Bermuda passengers hailed from either Texas or the Midwest in 1988 and that about 90 percent lived in the Northeast corridor between Boston and Washington.

Wallack added that the “discovery” of the potential new market convinced Chandris to expand its Bermuda season from May 1 to April 8 with two Port Canaveral sailings and an additional cruise from Charleston on the 1,062-pax. Galileo.