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The black-tie naming ceremony for the new flagship of Costa Cruises, Italy’s largest tourism group and Europe’s largest cruise company, took place on Saturday, July 2, in the magnificent setting of the Piazza Unità d’Italia in Trieste and the presence of 2,000 guests..

The new ship’s godmother was Italian actress Margareth Madè, best known for her starring role in the movie Baaria. In keeping with tradition, Ms Madè was invited by the ship’s captain, Ignazio Giardina, to cut the ribbon and break a bottle of Aneri Prosecco wine on the bow of the new flagship. [Costa Favolosa in Trieste]

The 114,500-ton Costa Favolosa, fifteenth ship in the Costa fleet, can carry 3,800 passengers. And as an Italian-built ship and the largest ship under Italian flag she now sails the seas as a symbol of great Italian pride. The naming ceremony was incorporated into the official celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Italian Unification.

The new ship will now spend the summer sailing out of Venice to Olympia, Bari, Izmir, Dubrovnik and Istanbul. Among other things, this 1,508-stateroom ship (594 with private balconies) has a 4D Cinema, a Grand Prix Simulator, Golf Simulator and PlayStation World Area.

Mark Tré last wrote about Cuba in “The Cruise Examiner” of November 23, 2009, under the heading “Cruising to (and from) Cuba” (www.cybercruises.com/cruisecolumn_nov23.htm). But news coming from Canada last week of a new Havana-based ship leads us to ask when will Cuba really be opened up for cruising? [Havana - The Cathedral]
Since the Cuban Revolution, an American ban on its citizens travelling to Cuba and US-based companies trading with Cuba has prevented cruise lines from developing this largest island in the Caribbean as a market. And under the terms of the Torricelli Act and the Helms-Burton Act, no ship of any flag calling on Cuba will be allowed to trade into a US port for a period of six months after making a call in Cuba.

Before the US ban, all the important cruise lines had called regularly on Cuba, mainly at Havana and Santiago de Cuba. The Florida-based Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Company also ran a three-times-a-week service between Miami and Havana, leaving Miami every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with its 4,923-ton Florida. The Monday and Wednesday sailings also accommodated round trip mini-cruisers, who would get a full day (but no lunch on board) in Havana. After the ban, no further ships from the US could call on Cuba and the Florida went to the Miami-Nassau trade instead.

In September 1962, after the Cuban Revolution, the last ship to leave Havana was the cruise-ferry City of Havana, and for almost a half-century now, only European-based ships have been able to make calls at Cuban ports, and even then only if they do not intend to call on the US immediately thereafter.

There have been several attempts by European lines to start cruising from Cuba. One of the most serious was by Costa Cruises, who began cruising from Havana with the 8,583-ton Costa Playa, ex- Pearl of Scandinavia, in 1995. But when Carnival Corporation bought a half share in Costa in 1997, along with Airtours of the UK, the Cuban cruises had to be dropped. Carnival, although a Liberian corporation, was based in the US and was thus prohibited from trading with Cuba. The Costa Playa was sold in 1998 to owners in China.

Costa had gone further than just basing a ship in Havana though. It also had to dispose of a 50% interest it had acquired in Silares Terminales del Caribe, a joint venture with the Cuban Government that was formed to operate three cruise ship terminals in Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. This interest had to be sold to other interests, but in 2005 the Cuban Government under Fidel Castro, terminated its agreement with Silares after criticism of the cruise shipping industry by the Cuban dictator. Silares had been working with fourteen cruise lines, primarily from the UK, France and Germany. [The map of Cuba and the cruise itineraries]

A second Italian attempt to offer cruises from Havana was made by the tourism group Valtur in 1999-2000, using the 15,614-ton Italia Prima, renamed Valtur Prima to cruise from Havana. This ship ended up laid up in Havana in 2001 and then Festival Cruises took her over in 2002 to run Cuba cruises under the name Caribe. For a while, Festival also used its own 47,276-ton Mistral, built in 1999, on a seasonal basis from Havana, with flights provided from Milan, Paris, London, Madrid and Frankfurt. In 2004, however, Festival went under and the Valtur Prima went to Classic International Cruises and now trades in Europe and Australia as the Athena.

In 1999, Airtours of the UK also began operating cruises that called on Cuba, with its 37,773-ton Sunbird, the largest cruise ship yet to call on Havana. She set a record for Havana, with 1,414 passengers, in January 2003. Eight years later, in January 2011, Thomson Cruises’ 53,872-ton Thomson Dream caused the latest stir when she became the largest yet to call on Havana, which was scheduled into several of her 2011 cruises. Ironically, the Sunbird is now also a Thomson ship, trading today as the Thomson Destiny. [Valtur Prima]

Spain’s Pullmantur Cruises then began a series of cruises from Havana in late 2004, with its 37,301-ton Holiday Dream, but had to cancel the program in 2006 after Pullmantur came under the control of the other large US cruise operator, Royal Caribbean Cruises. Every weekend since October 2004 the Holiday Dream had been leaving Havana on cruises to Cancun, Isla de la Juventud, and Jamaica, another program that had to be terminated because of American control. The Holiday Dream now trades as the Bleu de France and will no doubt return to Havana as the Saga Sapphire after she joins Saga Cruises in April 2012.

As part of this particular deal, Pullmantur also had to terminate the employment of all Cuban nationals working on its ships. Cuban chefs, bartenders, stewards and waiters were not eligible to work for a US-controlled company as its government prohibited commercial relations with that country. Two hundred and thirty Cuban employees were let go. About half the Holiday Dream’s passengers had come from Spain, with the rest largely from Latin America, especially Mexico and Brazil. And while in 2005, Cuba had seen 102,440 cruise passengers on 122 calls, this dropped almost 90%, to just 11,000 on 23 calls in 2007, after the forced withdrawal of Pullmantur.

Earlier this year, there was talk of a new cruise-ferry line being formed. To be called United Caribbean Lines, the idea was to put a European car ferry into service between Tampa and Havana, on the original Peninsular & Occidental route. Proposed fares would be $350 round-trip based on double occupancy in a cabin, or $150 in an airline-style seat, with an 18-hour voyage in each direction. With the liberalization of travel arrangements for Cubans, more than 400,000 Cuban-Americans flew to Havana in 2010, and the cruise-ferry idea has been offered as a substitute.As of yet the US Government has issued no permits for such an operation but United Caribbean Lines is examining a start-up cruise-ferry service between Florida and Mexico that could later add calls in Cuba.

A travel license application has also been submitted for the 24,318-ton Explorer, which, under the auspices of the Institute for Shipboard Education, proposes to visit Havana between December 9 and 11 this year in the course of her Autumn 2011 World Cruise from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale via Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean and Panama. If the permit is granted, this will be a first visit to Havana by any US-based passenger ship for almost half a century.

In the meantime, since earlier this year, Tropicana Cruises, a Russian-owned company based in London, has been operating the 4,490-ton Adriana as part of a 13-night holiday itinerary, tying in with Cubana Airlines flights from Gatwick on Wednesdays, and returning from Havana on a Tuesday. The package includes three nights in Havana, a 7-night cruise in the Adriana from Havana and three nights post-cruise at Varadero Beach. [Adriana] The Adriana’s weekly cruises leave Havana to visit Nueva Gerona, Trinidad de Cuba, then Montego Bay and Ocho Rios in Jamaica, before returning to Havana by way of two more Cuban ports at Santiago de Cuba and Cayo Saetia.

While no formal announcement has yet been made, the news from Toronto indicates that a Canadian organisation called Cuba Cruise, located the same address as the Merit Travel Group and Exclusive Tours, wholesale cruise specialists, as well as Cruise North Expeditions, a small ship operator, will run a series of fifteen weekly Round Cuba cruises from Havana this winter.

Starting on December 4, the 25,611-ton Louis Cristal, operating as the Cuba Cristal, will offer a series of fifteen weekly cruises from Havana to Cayo Guillermo, Bahia Nipe, Santago de Cuba, Cayo Caguama, Cienfuegos and Isla de la Juventud. Although Louis has started posting shore excursion information to its own web site, it appears that the operation will depend largely on Canadian tourists escaping their northern winter. [Leeward - Louis Cristal]
The new cruise operator’s site at www.yourcubacruise.com, is about to go live with dates and fares and a reservation system for the upcoming winter season, with the final departure of the season set to leave Havana on March 11, 2012.

The story first came to light about six months ago, when the Cuban tourism ministry indicated that it was working to attract a cruise line that will offer round-Cuba cruises for Canadian tourists over the winter of 2011/12. José Manuel Bisbé, commercial director at the Tourism Ministry, didn’t specify the line, but made the statement on the event of the first Montreal-Havana flight of Canadian airline Sunwing. This was the first time Sunwing had offered a city destination to Canadian tourists travelling to Cuba, as opposed to beach destinations such as Manzanillo de Cuba and Varadero. Traditionally, Air Canada has been the only Canadian carrier to serve Havana (as well as three other Cuban airports) while Cubana serves both Montreal and Toronto.

In 2010, Cuba received about 2.5 million tourists, with Canada supplying the largest number of these, or 941,000. It is only natural, therefore, that any significant increase in the numbers of cruisers travelling from Cuba might come from there as well, especially in the absence of Americans. Europe and Latin America supply the balance of Cuba’s tourist trade, a very small number of whom arrive by cruise ship from outside Cuba.

While the Tropicana carries about 300 passengers, the Cuba Cristal is three or four times as large, with 966 lower berths and 1,278 berths in all. This ship is best known in North America from the five years between 1994 and 1999 when she operated on charter to NCL as its Leeward. This new series of cruises will mean that two cruise ships will now be sailing from Havana, with the Adriana departing on Saturdays and the Cuba Cristal on Sundays. Even if just for the winter season, this is truly an important development.

But while two ships sailing from Havana will be a great advance for that port, it will not be until the Americans lift their total ban that real numbers will come, and then they will easily number between one and two million a year, but at first as cruise ship calls rather than embarkations. There is berthing space for five or six cruise ships in Havana, and many British, French, German and Norwegian ships have also called on Cuban ports, but the real expansion will come with the American return, which cannot now be that far off.

On board cruise ships, there is one particular brand that is worth looking into a little bit, and that brand is Steiners Leisure, as it is know today. Founded in London in 1901 by Henry Steiner, the single salon prospered when his son joined the business in 1926 and was granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Mary in 1937. Many more royal clients followed and in 1956 Steiner won its first cruise ship contract to operate the salon on board Royal Mail Lines’ Andes as well as ships of the Cunard Line.

In addition to massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and sensual body treatments, Steiner offers beauty salon services and products for hair and skin. Other brands, such as the spa product and skin care brand Elemis (an odd name as one tends to wonder whether this might be a cure for or a laxative) and Bliss, are owned by Steiners.

Elemis partners with such firms as British Airways, Four Seasons, Hilton, Intercontinental and Raffles as well as more than a dozen cruise lines including Celebrity, Crystal, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar, among others.

Now Bahamas-based, Steiner Leisure, with installations on board 152 cruise ships as well as 69 land-based locations, employs more than 2,000 new employees every year to work aboard cruise ships. Steiner’s own spas are to be found on board Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Holland America, NCL, P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Thomson Cruises, among others

Today, Steiner also owns the spas operated by Mandara Spa. In about 2000, Mandara Spa, a Hawaii-based company that had started in Bali and operated in resort hotels, had managed to win the spa operations on board Norwegian Cruise Line and Silversea away from Steiner. That did not last very long, however, as in 2001 Steiner retaliated by taking a 60% interest in Mandara Spa.

More recently, Bristol-based ship chandlers and shipboard retail operators Harding Brothers also got into the shipboard spa business, forming the Onboard Spa Company, and developing new business on P&O Cruises, Cunard (apart from Queen Mary 2), Windstar, Fred Olsen, Thomson, Saga, Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic. But six months ago Steiner purchased the shares of the Onboard Spa Company, after which Fred Olsen decided to run its own spas. There seems to be no getting away from Steiners spas!

Beyond Steiner, Canyon Ranch has emerged as the only other operator of shipboard spas, having succeeded in gaining a presence on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, as well as the seven ships of Oceania and Regent in the Prestige Cruises group.

Spas are not inexpensive. A massage can run to anything between $110 and $150, or more, and other treatments up to $500, while the spa staff is on 10% commission to sell spa products and treatments, which again can cost into the $100′s. One spa employee recently posted in a cruising web site that commission was their only income. Even more expensive than a high end massage are the lectures given in on board spas for things like detoxification and weight loss, which are in turn teamed together with the sale of treatments and dare we say “cures.”

Typically, on board spas are marketed as pampering and service in luxurious surroundings, with a range of tempting sensory pleasures, But today, partly because of their high prices and partly because of their hard sell, they are probably the single largest source of complaints from cruise passengers, along with on board art auctions where they still exist. It is to this area that on board spas will need to pay more attention.

Spas are big business, and with cruise ship spas now reaching up to 40,000 sq ft over two decks (Carnival Splendor, Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze) and have been expanding their product range into wellness. More recently, they have even expanded into acupuncture, Botox treatments and teeth whitening, and account for an ever increasing proportion of on board spend. These days, to make them more attractive, they are often tied to their own restaurants (Aqua class on Celebrity) and with their own private deck areas (forward decks on Azamara and Oceania) that are exclusive to spa customers, or available to others only on the purchase of a daily pass.

Although Canyon Ranch once talked about building its own ship, the only thing we have not yet seen yet is an actual spa cruise ship.

A European cruise line executive was recently quoted as saying that while European cruise operators are more interested in the actual cruise experience, North American-based cruise lines are becoming “all about brands.” Whether he meant cruise line brands or the brands with which their ships are associated was not totally clear, but he probably meant both.

With the recent introduction of Dreamworks Animation to Royal Caribbean Interbnational and Nickelodeon to Norwegian Cruise Line, this seems to be quite true, at least with the big brands. Last week, just to confirm this, Royal Caribbean International surveyed a number of its past and recent cruisers on three or four dozen brands they are already associated with or thinking about taking on board.

Included in this survey were brands such as Coca Cola, Johnny Rockets, Dreamworks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Bliss, Elemis, Chicagoand Hairspray, just to name a few. Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line has is its own in-house brand. [Nickelodeon and Norwegian Cruise Line]

The only major line that now uses its own on-board branding seems to be Carnival Cruise Lines – and this in itself is significant. As Royal Caribbean and NCL add more and more brands and diversions to their ships, Carnival is positively beginning to look a bit more like a more traditional cruise line. It is even promising to offer more space per passenger in its new ships than RCI and NCL, who are retreating back to less space in their own new ships (see last week’s Cruise Examiner, “Back to the 30′s”).

But let’s step back just a moment and look at the cruise line brands themselves. The mission statement at the ten-brand cruise group Carnival Corp & PLC mentions brands: “to deliver exceptional vacation experiences through the world’s best-known cruise brands that cater to a variety of different lifestyles and budgets, all at an outstanding value unrivalled on land or at sea.”

Today, the Carnival Group operates ten brands – Aida, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Iberocruceros, P&O Cruises, P&O Australia, Princess and Seabourn – and controls more than half the world’s total cruise capacity. More than 9 million a year cruise with these brands.

Some cruise groups are more confusing than Carnival though. For example, at first glance, many might think that Royal Caribbean International is the holding company and Royal Caribbean Cruises the brand, but in fact it is the opposite. Now, however, even Royal Caribbean has followed the Carnival precedent, and numbers five brands of its own – Azamara, Celebrity, Croisières de France, Pullmantur and Royal Caribbean,

Sometimes, as well, subtle changes have to be made. Recently, for example, Seabourn took delivery of three new 35,273-ton ships that each measure more than that most famous of post-war luxury cruise ships, the 34,183-ton Caronia, which was also known as the “green goddess.” [Seabourn Sojourn in London]

Yachts of Seabourn, as the line was called, had to decide that it was no longer operating just yachts and thus changed its name to simply Seabourn, a brand that anyway speaks for itself. About a year before that, Azamara Cruises had become Azamara Club Cruises to bring it a bit more upmarket and make it seem more exclusive.

Profits and margins are all about brands, market positions and relationships. When going beyond the individual cruise line brands, this is certainly true as well – if you find some brands on one cruise line, for example, one is increasingly less likely to be able to them on others. Brand relations such as Dreamworks with Royal Caribbean and Nickelodeon with NCL have become exclusive, as of course is Disney to Disney Cruise Line. In other cases, brands, such as Steiner, pay the cruise line for exclusivity on board, but are able to buy that exclusivity with more than just one cruise line.

One thing is certain, however, and that is that the presence of brands and the payments they make to the cruise lines may well allow the lines to keep cruise fares affordable to the general public. And, what’s more, those same cruise line guests will be quite willing to spend money on those brands while on board.

There is also a form of captivity that exists with a brand that is exclusive to a particular cruise line. For example, customers who book a cruise with a certain line based on its brands are more likely to be committed, profitable and reasonably safe from competition from the point of view of the cruise line.

That, along with private lounges for repeat clients (such as the Diamond Club lounges on Royal Caribbean, for example) that give them privileges over the average cruiser, give those guests the type of exclusivity that will attract them back many times. One can also probably watch for more overlaps between brands and affinity programs as time goes on.

In the end, however, while the other lines jump hoops to try to work with outside brands, the Carnival Group seems quite happy to rely on its own cruise line brands. In the case of their children’s entertainment programs, however, Royal Caribbean’s Shrek and NCL’s Spongebob Squarepants may well be pushing adults, and even some parents, over towards Carnival lines. And although Carnival Cruise Lines does have its own Fun Ship Freddie, that particular character is not as overpowering as the others. Time will tell.

With the impending christening of the 114,500-ton 3,800-guest Costa Favolosa in Trieste next week, an event that is being tied in to the 150th Anniversary of Italian unification, it is worth having a look at the Costa Cruises Group. With its Aida and Iberocruceros branches in Spain and Germany it is now by far the largest cruise operator in Europe. We also take a look at why some people in Charleston have decided to sue Carnival Cruise Lines for basing a ship in their port. And the European Cruise Council confirmed last week that the European cruise market numbered 5.5 million in 2012, accounting for 30% of the global market.

Figures released by Costa Crociere SpA of Genoa confirmed its position as Europe’s largest cruise operator, with 2.15 million passengers carried by its Costa, Aida and Iberocruceros brands last year. The overall passenger increase was 18% over 2009, with Costa group now operating twenty-six ships, fourteen under the Costa banner, eight with Aida and four with Iberocruceros, with another four for delivery by 2013, two each for Costa and Aida. The delivery and naming of the Costa Favolosa at Trieste on July 2 will bring Costa to fifteen ships and the Costa Group to twenty-seven. [Costa Favolosa]

The group’s consolidated revenues rose by around 12% in financial year 2010, reaching just under 3 billion euros. Costa Crociere is now one of Italy’s top ten most profitable companies and ranks 49th in terms of revenues in a 2010 survey of more than 3,700 Italian businesses that generated revenue of at least 50 million euros the previous year.

Costa has also recently announced its cruise itineraries for autumn 2011 and spring 2012. Its new programs will include new mini-cruises, for those who would like to try Costa for the first time, new and exclusive itineraries in the Caribbean, new routes for South America and a new extended cruise from South America to China. [Costa Allegra in Rio de Janeiro]

For those who would like to try Costa without going for a full week, in the spring and autumn of 2012 the Costa Atlantica will offer a series of new 3-4-5 night mini-cruises from Savona to Barcelona, Ibiza or Palma, Ajaccio and Marseille, with embarkations available at any of Savona, Barcelona or Marseille.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the Costa Mediterranea will offer a brand-new Caribbean itinerary from December through March. A new 7-night cruise from Guadeloupe will alternate on two itineraries that include Aruba, Curacao, Costa’s private island (Catalina), Isla Margarita, St Lucia, St Maarten, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados and Antigua.

Costa will also enhance its South America program when the Costa Victoria is based in Santos between December and March for 9-night cruises calling at Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Porto Belo and Ilhabela.

The Costa Serena will also offer new Canaries and Madeira programs. [Costa Serena]
From November through March, she will offer 11-night cruises from Savona to the Canaries and Madeira, as well as 14-night cruises to the Canaries and Madeira that will include calls in Spain and Morocco. Between November and March, the Costa Serena will also offer 11-night cruises to Greece, Turkey and Israel, leaving Savona and calling at Katakolon, Ashdod, Haifa, Izmir, Piraeus and Civitavecchia.

In a special sailing to position the Costa Victoria from South America to Asia, she will depart Santos on March 7, 2012, on an exclusive 72-night cruise to Shanghai, with four different sectors being offered to the public. The first leg, from Santos to Savona, will be a 17-night crossing with calls at Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia, Recife, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Barcelona. The second leg, leaving Savona on March 24, 2012, will depart for Dubai on an 18-night cruise calling at Naples, Port Said, the Suez Canal, Sharm el Sheik, Safaga, Aqaba, Salalah and Muscat.

The third leg will commence on April 11, 2012, in Dubai on a 20-night cruise to Singapore that calling at Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Malè, Colombo, Phuket and Port Kelang. And finally, the fourth leg to Shanghai will be a 17-night cruise with calls at Bangkok, Ho Chi Min City, Da Nang, Halong Bay, Hainan and Hong Kong. Thereafter, from May 18, the Costa Victoria will be based in Shanghai to offer a series of 4-5-6-7-night cruises for the growing Asian market. [Costa Victoria]

In the Indian Ocean, meanwhile, the Costa Allegra will again sail from Mauritius on 14-night Indian Ocean cruises from November to March, calling at the Seychelles, Madagascar and Reunion on a route offered only by Costa.

Starting in 2012, there will be a Costa ship positioned in the Red Sea year-round. From November to March, the Grand Voyager, be chartered from Spanish affiliate Iberocruceros, will offer 7-night Red Sea cruises with calls in Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Given characteristics that make her ideal for sailing the Red Sea, the ship will be operated by Costa Cruises with its own staff, and the service, atmosphere and style of a Costa cruise. Then from March until the end of 2012, Costa’s own Costa Marina will take over the 7-night Red Sea itinerary.

In Europe, 8-night cruises on the Costa Magica out of Amsterdam will allow guests to visit six of Europe’s top capital cities on one cruise: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Oslo. This cruise will also be available for boarding in Dover, which has been abandoned by MSC Cruises in favour of Southampton. [Costa Magica in Harwich]

Meanwhile, after returning from her first world cruise, the Costa Deliziosa will offer 11-night cruises to the North Cape and the Baltic, departing from Amsterdam.

From Germany, the Costa Pacifica will offering a series of 10-to-16-night cruises from Kiel and Hamburg, to the North Cape, Iceland, Spitzbergen and the Baltic.

The Costa Luminosa from Amsterdam and the Costa Fortuna from Copenhagen will complete Costa’s North European operations, with7-night summer cruises to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic.

Meanwhile, the new flagship, Costa Favolosa, will operate 7-night cruises in the United Arab Emirates and Oman throughout the winter of 2011 and 2012.

In the Far East, the Costa Classica will leave Singapore on a 14-night itinerary, which can be broken down into two 7-night segments, sailing to Thailand and Malaysia. She will also operate 5-night cruises out of Hong Kong to Taiwan and Vietnam.

Back in the Caribbean, in addition to the new program by the Costa Mediterranea, the Costa Atlantica will operate a new 10-night itinerary from Miami, with calls at Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel and Nassau. And for the first time the Costa Luminosa will be positioned in the Caribbean to run 7-night cruises from Guadeloupe, calling at a different island each day. Caribbean guests will also be able to enjoy the line’s private beach resort at Catalina in the Dominican Republic.

In South America, there will be four Costa ships operating next winter: Costa Pacifica, making her South American debut, Costa Magica, Costa Fortuna and Costa Victoria. Cruises will be offered from Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires to ports in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. [Costa Deliziosa]

And looking further ahead, on January 6, 2013, the Costa Deliziosa will set sail from Savona on a 100-night Round-the-World cruise, a westbound route embracing all five continents. Her 2012 cruise, by comparison, will be only 76 nights.

For the winter in the Mediterranean, the Costa Deliziosa will leave Savona in December on an 11-night cruise to the Canary Islands and three Mediterranean mini-cruises. The Costa Concordia will offer 7-night cruises from Savona to Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Palermo and Civitavecchia. From February, the Costa Romantica will also be deployed on 11-night cruises to the Canary Islands.

In the summer of 2012 the two new ships, Costa Fascinosa and Costa Favolosa, will sail from Venice and Bari on 7-night cruises to Greek Islands and to Greece and Turkey, The Costa Fortuna will also operate week-long cruises out of Venice and Bari, in her case to the Greek Islands and Croatia. The Costa Romantica will meanwhile leave Venice on 11-night cruises to Egypt and Israel or the Black Sea. And the Costa Classica will operate 7-night cruises from Trieste and Ancona to the Greek Isles. [Rhodes"]

From Savona, the Costa Serena will offer a 7-night itinerary to Naples, Catania, Tunis, Barcelona and Marseille and Costa Concordia will offer a 7-night itinerary to Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Palermo and Civitavecchia. The Costa Mediterranea, meanwhile, will offer 11-to-13-night cruises to the Canary Islands and to the Black Sea, or Egypt and Israel. Finally, from July to September, the Costa Atlantica will operate 7-night summer cruises from Savona to Civitavecchia, Naples, Tunis, Valencia and Marseilles.

In the autumn of 2012, Costa Deliziosa will be deployed on 11-night cruises from Savona to the Canary Islands, Costa Luminosa on 9-night cruises to Lisbon and Casablanca; Costa Pacifica on 11-night cruises to Egypt, Greece, Israel and Turkey and Costa Fortuna 10-night cruises to Egypt, Greece and Turkey. During the autumn and spring the Costa Magica will also offer a special 10-night itinerary to Marseilles, Livorno, Palermo, Athens, Izmir, Rhodes and Malta.

Thirty years ago, in 1981, after surpassing the Soviets with a mix of ten owned and chartered ships, Amerikanis, Carla C, Danae, Daphne, Enrico C, Eugenio C, Federico C, Flavia and World Renaissance, and the Costa Riviera about to come on line, Costa claimed to operate the world’s largest cruise fleet. [Eugenio C] Now, as the largest cruise operator in Europe, there is no doubt that, with fifteen ships to its name and twenty-seven under its control, Costa has come a long way, and has picked up a significant role in the development of cruising on a world scale.

Carnival, Holland America, Princess Cruises to Institute More Restrictive Smoking Policies

Citing changing passenger preferences, Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America and Princess Cruises have announced more restrictive smoking policies.

Effective January 15, Princess will no longer allow smoking in cabins and balconies across its fleet.

Princess says it will continue to provide areas for smokers. Smoking will continue to be allowed in the Churchill's cigar lounge, a section of the disco and casino and a portion of the open decks.

Also effective January 15, Holland America's new smoking policy designates cabins as non-smoking areas. Smoking will still be, however, permitted on cabin balconies.

For those who wish to smoke, there will continue to be designated areas available for this both inside and on outside decks.

Step 1: Effective today (June 15), cigarette smoking in public venues will only be permitted in Carnival's dance clubs as well as in designated areas within the casino and casino bar. Smoking (including cigars) will be permitted in designated exterior open deck areas (starboard side) of all ships. Additionally, smoking will also be allowed in the jazz clubs of the following ships: Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Splendor.

Step 2: Effective December 1, smoking will be prohibited in all guest staterooms. Those guests in balcony accommodations will be permitted to smoke cigarettes and cigars outside on the balcony. Spa staterooms -- currently featured on Carnival Splendor, Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic -- will continue to remain entirely smoke-free, including on the balconies.

All three lines cited consumer studies revealing that only a small minority of passengers smoke. Reps added that a $250 cleaning fee would be the penalty for breaking the rules.

Other lines that ban smoking in cabins and balconies include Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises and Oceania Cruises.

NEW YORK--Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises, revealed to Travel Agent that the luxury cruise line is planning to unveil a new, innovative trip-length shedule rotation in 2013, as well as offer itineraries that are carefully timed to major world events and festivals. Michel spoke with Travel Agent at the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Media Marketplace, held yesterday at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

The new trip rotation schedule involves sailings that take place on a seven-day/12-day/11-day/seven-day schedule, Michel explained, in order to better serve a wider range of luxury cruisers with more limited and/or flexible travel schedules.

"We're known pretty much as a 12-day cruise product," Michel said. "But in 2013, we want to offer a schedule that will involve a seven-day voyage, followed by voyages that last 12 days, 11 days and seven days. The initial seven-day departure would depart on a weekend; the 12-day departure leaves mid-week; the 11-day departure leaves mid-week; and the second seven-day departure departs again on a weekend."

Michel said that the new schedule structure will allow for cruisers to have more flexibility and would allow Crystal to appeal to a broader market of travelers. He also said that the ports visited in these itineraries would not be repeated.

For 2012, Michel also said that travel agents can expect to see more itineraries that feature overnights in major cities and destinations of interest, especially in prime embarkation and disembarkation ports. A new itinerary of note for 2012, Michel highlighted, was a new seven-day cruise along the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Canada.

Moreover, Michel said, the line is continuing to commit to new initiatives and promotions that enhance the onboard ship experience for its guests, as well as make it easier for travel agents to book their clients on its ships. Recently, the line launched a new Private Adventure option that allows passengers to book traditional group shore excursions for private parties of up to six guests. The line's Crystal Serenity also recently came out of a major drydock that included major upgrades to its stateroom and suite accommodations. The line has also placed great emphasis on its onboard dining options, recently teaming up with famed Taiwan-based Chinese dumpling specialists, Din Tai Fung, to offer authentic Chinese comfort cuisine on its ships. And, in spring 2012, Crystal is going all-inclusive with complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff.

To promote sales going forward, Crystal Cruises also recently launched a fall fare sale that Michel and Crystal Cruises Vice President of Public Relations, Mimi Weisband, highlighted as a major selling point for travel agents.

"There are so many incredible deals and consumer incentives available," Weisband said. "Agents should be proactively reaching out to consumers and communicating these values to ther clients--now is a perfect opportunity. With our fall fare sale, we're much more affordable than what may be traditionally perceived of with a Crystal Cruises vacation."

Michel added, "There's a value message, a product message and a luxury message with Crystal Cruises. Agents can expect to hear more from us in the coming months."

Orion Expedition Cruises showed gratitude to the three ladies who have travelled most on their line by offering them the joint title of ‘Godmother’ for their latest ship, Orion II.

Having travelled on over 50 voyages between them, Godmothers Jill Bennette, Laurel Norris and Shirley Turtle joined Sarina Bratton, founder and managing director Orion Expedition Cruises at the christening in Seattle.

Orion’s inaugural 24-night voyage from Vancouver to Otaru, Japan will depart on 10 June with many guests onboard who travelled on Orion’s first voyage from Tahiti to Australia in 2005.

Commenting on the popularity of the ‘bigger and better’ megaliner of late, Ms Bratton said, “…instead of a theatre with wide screen movies we offer the real thing, 3D outdoor 360 degree panoramas to far horizons with surround sound emanating from cascading waterfalls or the rhythmic beat of drums. Our rock climbing takes place up real cliffs.”

“This is not growth for the sake of growth. We are expanding to meet demand from past guests and new guests who seek stimulating adventures exploring paths less travelled.”

Up to 100 guests can be accommodated onboard with each suite offering ocean views, separate living area, iPod dock, flat screen TV and DVD player.

Onboard facilities include a library with internet access, beauty salon, two lounges with complete AV, state-of-the-art gym and spa, dining room and swimming platform among others.
Following her inaugural voyage, Orion II will embark on expeditions to the Russian Far East, Inland Sea of Japan and the Ryukyu Islands before heading on a variety of 10-night itineraries around Borneo.

Norwegian Cruise Line is adding new departures from Rome for the summer of 2012, on the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic.

The line had announced in December that the Norwegian Epic would sail seven-night Mediterranean voyages out of Barcelona for the summer of 2012, and that's still the plan. But passengers now also will have the choice of embarking the ship for the sailings in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, as an alternative to Barcelona.

Rome already was one of the four port calls scheduled for the seven-night Norwegian Epic sailings out of Barcelona. The other stops are Livorno, Italy (for day trips to Florence and Pisa); Nice, France; and Marseille, France.

The itinerary for the sailings isn't changing, and passengers who board in Rome can expect the same experience as those boarding in Barcelona. The only difference will be the order of ports. Passengers who board the Norwegian Epic in Rome will disembark the ship in Rome, just as passengers who board in Barcelona will disembark in Barcelona.

RELATED: Norwegian plans big expansion in Europe
PHOTO TOUR: See cabins, more on new Norwegian Epic

A spokeswoman for the line notes the additional embarkation point for the sailings adds flexibility for customers.

"For some guests, it's easier to get to Rome than to Barcelona," spokeswoman AnneMarie Mathews tells USA TODAY. It also "gives guest the opportunity to do pre- and post-cruise packages in Rome," she says.

Mathews also notes the addition of cruises beginning in Rome will allow the line to tap into the local Italian market to fill some cabins.

Sales for the new Rome sailings start immediately with a limited number of cabins on the ship available from the city, the line says. The choice of cabins available from Rome includes every category from the smallest single cabins to the biggest suites.

Fares for a balcony cabin from Rome start at $1,299 per person, based on double occupancy.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (June 8, 2011) -- Princess Cruises has debuted a new section on its Facebook page dedicated to stories from passengers. This new Princess Stories "tab" offers a unique space just for Facebook users to share tales of their favorite Princess experiences, whether they be discovering new places and people, interactions with crew members, connections with family and friends, a milestone celebration or a romantic occasion.

The section will be updated regularly so readers can enjoy, rate, and comment on, new stories as they are posted. In addition to stories shared by users, the space also features "Our Favorite Story from the Mailbag" showcasing interesting stories shared with Princess. "Our fans have told us some fantastic stories over the years, and with this new feature on our Facebook page, we can share stories we love and also give passengers a formal place to recount their best memories from their cruises," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.

Among the first stories featured in the Princess Stories section are tales of secret weddings, meeting future spouses at sea, and even a guide dog's cruise experience. The first featured "From the Mailbag" story describes a chance meeting with a Princess employee who went out of her way to make sure some delayed passengers made it to their ship -- by driving them to the port herself.

The Princess Stories section can be reached directly here or by logging onto Princess' Facebook page at facebook.com/PrincessCruises and clicking on "Princess Stories" in the left navigation column. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.

Royal Caribbean's 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas has swept the board in the first ever Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, proving that big is beautiful in the eyes of the British cruise passenger.

The awards, announced this week, honour the top cruise ships based on review for cruises taken in 2010 which were submitted before February 15, 2011.

Here's how we worked it out. The awards are divided into three ship classes -- small (1,119 or fewer passengers), mid-sized (1,200 – 1,999) and large (2,000-plus) -- and are given to the top 10 ships in each class. Awards were also given to ships in special categories, which include: Value-for-Money, Service, Dining, Cabins, Entertainment, Shore Excursions, Public Rooms, Family, Fitness and Embarkation. A ship has to have a minimum number of member reviews to qualify for its category – but it's the scores given by Cruise Critic members to the ships, not the physical number of reviewers for each one, that have created the winners.

As well as receiving the highest score overall in its category, Oasis of the Seas was voted top big ship for cabins, dining, embarkation, entertainment, value, fitness and public rooms among British reviewers, making it a clear favourite. Two Southampton-based ships, Celebrity Eclipse and Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, came second and third overall in this category.

And proving that not only the new and innovative vessels win awards, Thomson Spirit was voted best ship in the mid-sized class, as well as being ranked top in that category for dining, entertainment, value, service and shore excursions. Celebrity Century and Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas, also older ships, were runners-up overall.

Meanwhile, Azamara Club Cruises is clearly ticking the boxes for British cruisers following a recent makeover; its 694-passenger Azamara Journey was voted best small ship overall, as well as winner in its class for cabins, dining, embarkation, public rooms and value. Twin sister Azamara Quest is also clearly a British favourite, coming second overall and top in the fitness and shore excursions categories.

In the Best for Families category, which was applied to all ship sizes, Celebrity Eclipse was the winner, followed closely by Norwegian Gem, Oasis of the Seas and P&O Cruises' Ventura.

Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas will sail away from the Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia today after a $20 million renovation. The 21-day revamp, which included a dry-dock period, adds many of the features found on Royal Caribbean’s two newest ships, the 225,282-ton Oasis of the Seas and twin Allure of the Seas.

As part of a press group invited to a hard-hat tour of the ship last week, I was amazed at the extent of the work. Indeed, the Radiance looked almost like a newbuild in its final days at the shipyard, with wires, bare walls and floors, and construction materials and workers everywhere. It seemed as if virtually the entire ship was being freshened up, rebuilt or reconfigured.

The 10-year-old, 90,090-ton Radiance will end up with the same number of restaurants as Oasis and Allure, though it won’t have the high-end 150 Central Park and burger joint Johnny Rocket’s. The extent of the dining options is certainly impressive given a ship the size of Radiance. Additions include Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse, the casual Park Café, the Asian Izumi, Rita’s Cantina, Quill & Compass Pub, Giovanni’s Table, the Boardwalk Doghouse and the upscale 16-seat Chef’s Table.

Lisa Bauer, senior vice president of hotel operations, said Royal Caribbean was careful to balance the number of restaurants that charge service fees and those that don’t. For example, the Boardwalk Doghouse, which is free, serves as many as 1,200 hot dogs a day on Allure of the Seas. The most upscale experience is Chef’s Table, which serves 16 people a five-course dinner paired with wine for $95 per person. Royal Caribbean is finding that people are willing to shell out for that experience -- it has sold out every night since it was introduced on Oasis, according to Frank Weber, vice president of food and beverage operations.

Also being added to Radiance are three inside single staterooms, an oversized outdoor movie screen, enhanced Wi-Fi throughout the ship, and the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, where certified staffers care for children age 6 to 36 months, often until midnight. The latter has proven quite popular with parents eager for a night out while on vacation.

Aside from upgrading a decade-old ship, the renovations will help Royal Caribbean “create a consistent footprint” among the ships in the fleet, Bauer says. That consistency will let passengers who can’t or don’t want to sail on Oasis and Allure take advantage of the additional amenities and restaurants that have proven so popular on those two ships. It also will allow you as travel agents to promote the same features on several ships of varying sizes and destinations. In order to create that consistent footprint, the line is renovating other ships as well under its $70 million Royal Advantage program, but the renovation of Radiance was more extensive than most of the others will be.

Although less than two years old, Oasis of the Seas was included in the program to receive the DreamWorks Experience and a 3-D movie theater introduced on Allure. The 154,000-ton sisters Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas also have completed renovations that added the DreamWorks Experience, 3-D theater, poolside movie screen, nursery, enhanced Wi-Fi and other amenities. Next up is the 69,130-ton Splendour of the Seas, which will begin a 28-day refit in Cadiz, Spain, in November.

Royal Caribbean’s ambitious Royal Advantage program aims to breathe new life into the line’s older ships. And I suspect that passengers boarding Radiance of the Seas today will feel almost like they’re on a brand-new ship. I certainly felt that way. For more information on Royal Caribbean, visit the line’s agent website at www.cruisingpower.com.

Many have commented over the years on the Skywalkers night club on Grand Princess and some of her sister ships, and how it makes the ship look like a shopping trolley, or at best looks like a spoiler on a hot rod. But now that will be all over in a major remake of the ship that will actually give her tiered pool decks aft and allow the sun to shine on her after decks.

During the 24-day makeover this spring at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, the Grand Princess will receive many of Princess' trademark features, introduced since her début in 1998, including the signature Piazza atrium. Several new features will be also be added, including a tea lounge and library called "Leaves"; and a full-service pizzeria called "Alfredo's, as well as a steakhouse called the "Crown Grill."

A new nightclub called One5, for its location on deck 15, will be installed on the top deck to replace the shopping buggy handle. Skywalkers will be removed in a change that will significantly improve the operational performance of the ship, something that will include greater fuel efficiency.

"This is the largest makeover we've ever undertaken for any of our ships," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. "When Grand Princess was launched she was the most innovative ship at sea, and now were adding some of the later innovations we introduced on subsequent ships."

The rebuilt ship will debut on May 5 in Ft. Lauderdale, when she will depart on a Transatlantic crossing back to Southampton, where she will cruise to a variety of European itineraries.

In an interesting departure from what the other major lines are doing, Princess Cruises will in future be promoting their product as a relaxing one, and less frenetic than the likes of NCL, Royal Caribbean and sister brand Carnival. The approach will be more traditional and even the lay-out of Grand Princess's new after decks looks more traditional.

Meyer Werft of Papenburg, Germany, pulled off a coup on Friday with the announcement of an order for the first of a pair of large cruise ships for Royal Caribbean. Apart from a raft of five ships for Celebrity, this is the third pair to be ordered at Meyer Werft recently, following two ships for Disney Cruise Lines and more recently, another pair for Norwegian Cruise Line.

Project Sunshine is the name Royal Caribbean has given to this next generation of ships, the first of which will be delivered in the autumn of 2014 and the new ship will be the fifteenth ship to be built for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines by Meyer Werft. The yard has built ten ships for Celebrity Cruises, starting with its first newbuilding, the Horizon, in 1990, plus the four Brilliance class ships for Royal Caribbean International.

An option has also been placed for a second Project Sunshine ship for delivery in the spring of 2015. These new 158,000-ton ships will carry something over 4,100 passengers in lower berths at an overall cost per berth of €170,000 (170 thousand). [Grand Bahama Shipyard - Photo Courtesy the Grand Bahama Shipyard]

Richard Fain, chairman and ceo of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, in announcing the letter of intent, stated that "Royal Caribbean has worked hard to earn a reputation of offering the most innovative ships in the cruise industry and this next generation will not disappoint. While we continue our policy of keeping our newest ideas and features under wraps during the early stages of construction, I can say that I am very excited about the passion and imagination that our teams have devoted to the project. Project Sunshine builds on the best ideas of our existing ships and adds exciting new activities and entertainment concepts.

It will offer features for everyone: from grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families. I am also excited about the energy efficiency and environmental technologies which have been incorporated. Our existing ships are some of the most energy efficient in the world and Project Sunshine takes this one further step. Based on our over 20 years of experience with Meyer Werft, along with their compelling proposal, we know they will deliver on all of the innovations Royal Caribbean's guests have come to expect."

Of the ships previously on order for Royal Caribbean, the Celebrity Silhouette is to be delivered later this year and Celebrity Reflection in 2012. Meanwhile, Meyer Werft has just delivered the first of another pair for Disney, with the Disney Dream now in service, and Disney Fantasy to follow in 2012.

This latest announcement leaves Korean-owned STX out in the cold. For now, having lost these latest orders to the competition, it has only three new ships on order, the MSC Divina for MSC Cruises, Phoenicia for GNMTC of Libya and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europe 2, just announced. STX's large cruise ship shipyards in both Finland and France now seem to be genuinely short of possible places to obtain new orders.

Fincantieri, meanwhile, continues to thrive on orders from Carnival Corp & PLC, from Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Crociere and Princess Cruises. And to the chagrin of STX, even Meyer Werft has a steady supply of Carnival Corp orders, for its German-based Aida brand.

Last week The Cruise Examiner ("Bad Luck Year For Polar Cruise Ships") stated that the February 6 departure of the Polar Star would be cancelled, but since then owners Polar Star Expeditions have confirmed that it will have to cancel her last three Antarctic voyages of the season so that she can be drydocked for repairs.

She is expected to return to service by May 3 to take up of her scheduled spring voyages around the northern regions of the UK and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Disney Cruise Line on Feb. 11 celebrated the keel-laying of the Disney Fantasy at the Meyer Werft shipyard. Disney Fantasy is the sister ship to the Disney Dream, which entered service on Jan. 26. The keel-laying ceremony is a milestone in the shipbuilding process when the first block, or section of the ship, is lowered into the building dock and a coin is placed under the keel for good fortune. Placing the coin was Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line, who was assisted by Minnie Mouse.

The Disney Fantasy will offer many of the innovations that the Disney Dream features, including AquaDuck, a water coaster. At the same time, the Disney Fantasy will feature a few new design elements and guest experiences. The 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy will sail week-long Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral with its maiden voyage scheduled for March 31, 2012.

This summer, MSC Cruises will call nine times in the port of Cherbourg allowing travelers to embark on the MSC Opera for a 9-night cruise with an itinerary alongside the Atlantic coast.

In adding the port of Cherbourg to the French ports and neighbouring already linked by MSC company, MSC wants to get closer to its customers and wants to reinforced its French market.

"We diversify our French embarkation locations because we want our passengers not to have to move too far to start their holidays. In addition with this new call, about 18000 international passengers could debark in Cherbourg and visit the town and surrounding areas during summer 2011. We offer shore excursions to Mont-Saint Michel, Cap de la Hague and Barfleur," explains Erminio Eschena, Head Manager of MSC Cruises.

"Since 2006, Cherbourg is well positioned as a top quality cruise destination in a full expanding market. Being aware of our capacities, we refurbished our prestigious Transatlantic terminal in order to have a modern cruise terminal. We are now able to welcome every type of cruise ship in transit as well as turnaround. We are very proud today to announce our new partnership with MSC Cruises who has trusted us and chosen Cherbourg as a turnaround port," says Gilles Lechevallier, President of Cherbourg Cruise Club.

Located in the Cotentin peninsula, Cherbourg is a logical call for a cruise sailing alongside the Atlantic coast. After its departure, the MSC Opera will reach Southampton (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands), La Rochelle (France), Bilbao and La Corogne (Spain), before coming back to Cherbourg. The first departure will be on the 13rd of July.

MIAMI and PAPENBURG, Germany, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. has signed a letter of intent with shipyard Meyer Werft to build the first of a new generation of Royal Caribbean International cruise ships. Developed under the code-name "Project Sunshine," the new vessel design incorporates new and exciting features that take advantage of the best of Royal Caribbean's experience and imagination. The project is a result of over a year of dedicated research and development.

The order calls for one ship to be delivered in the Fall of 2014 with an option for a second ship for Spring 2015. The 158,000 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) new build will carry just over 4,100 guests based on double occupancy. The estimated all-in cost per berth is about euro 170,000. This all-in cost includes the yard's base contract price plus everything needed to design, operate and build the vessel, from architect fees to supervision costs and all loose inventories from computers to art and bed linens.

"Royal Caribbean has worked hard to earn a reputation of offering the most innovative ships in the cruise industry and this next generation will not disappoint," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. "While we continue our policy of keeping our newest ideas and features under wraps during the early stages of construction, I can say that I am very excited about the passion and imagination that our teams have devoted to the project. Project Sunshine builds on the best ideas of our existing ships and adds exciting new activities and entertainment concepts. It will offer features for everyone: from grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families. I am also excited about the energy efficiency and environmental technologies which have been incorporated. Our existing ships are some of the most energy efficient in the world and Project Sunshine takes this one further step. Based on our over 20 years of experience with Meyer Werft, along with their compelling proposal, we know they will deliver on all of the innovations Royal Caribbean's guests have come to expect."

"Meyer Werft is pleased to be working with Royal Caribbean especially in light of their reputation for building such innovative ships. I am very happy we are continuing our long time partnership with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and its brand Royal Caribbean International. Their projects always present incredible opportunities for Meyer Werft to create the latest cutting edge hardware in the cruise industry," said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft shipyard.

The letter of intent is subject to customary conditions being satisfactorily met.

Founded in 1795, Papenburg-based MEYER WERFT GmbH is currently owned by the sixth generation of the Meyer family. This well-established company has some 2,500 employees. MEYER WERFT's extensive production program covers a wide range of ship types, from cruise ships and gas tankers, to car and passenger ferries. In order to stay successful in worldwide competition, production technology has been continuously extended. Today, MEYER WERFT has the most modern production premises in the shipbuilding industry. For more information go to www.meyerwerft.de.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 40 ships in service and two under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Dubai, Europe and South America. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.cdfcroisieresdefrance.com or www.rclinvestor.com.

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