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Those who have never taken a cruise vacation, as well as those who have made numerous sailings, should take a look at what cruise ship operators have just over the horizon, AAA travel agents say. New ships, upgraded amenities, flexible dining options, and innovative shipboard entertainment are just some of what the industry is doing to make cruising even more fun and entertaining in the new year. Innovative shore excursions and multi-million dollar enhancements to private island resorts will be waiting for passengers aboard some ships, and even the sometimes frustrating boarding process is being streamlined by at least one operator. "It is common knowledge that cruise lines have been discounting berths this year to attract budget-minded travelers," said Amy Nicholas, managing director, AAA Travel Services. "What is not so widely-known, is that despite the soft economy the industry has continued to invest in an ever-more attractive vacation experience for the upcoming cruise season." Top innovations in cruising for late 2009 and 2010 are: 1. Six new ships will be launched this year and next: Launched in 2009 are the Carnival Dream (3,646 passengers); Celebrity Equinox (2,850 passengers); and the largest cruise ship yet commissioned, Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas (5,400 passengers). Next year will see the launch of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth (2,092 passengers), the Celebrity Eclipse (2,850 passengers), and Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas (5,400 passengers). 2. Upgrading amenities on private islands: Disney's Cruise Line's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay, will have a larger beach, private cabanas, and new water play areas, including a 2,400 square feet water slide platform featuring a 140-foot open slide and an enclosed cork-screw slide. New restaurants and a beach bar are being added. Holland America Line added a pirate-themed play area with two pirate ships on Half Moon Cay. Carnival Cruise line placed a Flowrider surfing simulator in Grand Turk (although not a private island), and private, air-conditioned cabanas are available on Princess Cruises' Princess Cay. 3. Flexible dining: By February, Celebrity Cruises' fleet (except for Celebrity Xpedition) will offer a flexible dining option that lets passengers reserve when they want to eat dinner on every day of their cruise, before they set sail. Called the Celebrity Select Dining Program, the innovation is intended to avoid some of the long lines associated with flexible dining plans that typically allow passengers to show up without a reservation during specific hours. 4. Around-the-world cruising: Holland America Line's flagship ms Amsterdam will depart from Los Angeles on Dec. 23, 2009 for a 128 day Grand-Holiday-and-World Voyage making 45 port calls to some of world's most remote and exotic destinations, including a transit of the Panama Canal, and visits to Mexico, South America, Africa, India, the Far East and scenic cruising in Antarctica. 5. A look below deck: Carnival has created "Behind the Fun", a tour to see the inner-workings of a Carnival "Fun Ship". The guided tours give guests a unique behind-the-scenes look at shipboard operations. 6. Floating fine art gallery: Celebrity Cruises is presenting a permanent, seagoing collection of museum-quality contemporary art aboard the Celebrity Equinox with the "Essence of Equinox", a collection of nearly 500 original works. The newly-commissioned ship began sailing the Mediterranean this summer. 7. Easier air connections: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced a new air purchase service called "ChoiceAir". Customers of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises can now choose specific airlines and flight times while shopping for the best published fares. This will allow passengers to know their airline itinerary as soon as they book and have the cruise lines air support team available before, during and after the cruise. Users pay a $15 fee per person for domestic flights and $25 per person for international air. 8. Pocketbook protection: Several cruise lines, including Carnival, have added job-loss coverage to their cruise protection plans. Besides the standard trip cancellation coverage, the plans typically provide for reimbursement up to the total cost of the cruise if you lose your job.

As part of her Autumn Colours voyage, which features maiden calls through the New England and Canada coasts, Cunard's Queen Victoria made her inaugural visit to Boston yesterday. Joining the festivities was celebrity chef Todd English, whose at-sea eponymously named restaurants are exclusively featured aboard both Queen Victoria and flagship Queen Mary 2. Travel agents, media and local dignitaries, including British Consul-General Phil Budden, were among the guests who enjoyed a sumptuous lunch prepared by the native Boston chef in his onboard restaurant. "It's a privilege for me to welcome Queen Victoria to my city," said English. "To have my Todd English restaurants - the only at sea - aboard Cunard's legendary liners is truly an honor for me." "It is a pleasure to bring Queen Victoria into Boston for her inaugural visit, a city with which Cunard shares a great history - welcoming us and our guests so warmly for many years," said Queen Victoria's Master, Captain Ian McNaught. "We continue to provide our guests with legendary voyages and historic ports of call, and Boston is always a highlight," he added. Also welcoming Queen Victoria into the largest city in New England was CEO & Executive Director of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), Thomas J. Kinton, Jr., and Massport's Chairman of the Board, John A. Quelch.

Carnival Cruise Lines wants to make sure kids always have a good time – even while they’re waiting to board their "Fun Ship" cruise. In keeping with its reputation as the family cruise leader, Carnival Cruise Lines has installed the first-ever "Fun Zone" at the Port of Miami cruise terminal, providing a welcome diversion for families with a host of toys, games and activities. Located on the upper level of the facility, the "Fun Zone" includes indoor playground equipment, video game consoles, board games, coloring books and more. The line plans on adding "Fun Zones" to other year-round homeports in the future.

Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Hugh Downs, Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and Prince of Tides author Pat Conroy are among influential leaders in media, sports, arts, sciences and international politics set for lectures and interactive workshops on Crystal Cruises' 108-day "Exploration of Ancient Empires" World Cruise in 2010. With nearly 200 guest presenters offering hundreds of classes and workshops, Crystal's sophisticated onboard enrichment is as stimulating as the awe-inspiring destinations. The epic journey departs from Miami on January 10, culminating in London on April 29. "Crystal's World Cruise guests value the learning experience of travel -- gaining insights into the destinations they're visiting as well as the world and themselves," says Bret Bullock, vice president, entertainment. "The caliber of experts for our 2010 World Cruise will entertain, enlighten and inspire fascinating discussion." Among the many notable presenters are: Intellectual Luminaries • Hugh Downs - Emmy Award-winning journalist and 20/20 host; • Bill Toone - Conservation expert in recovering endangered species; and • Dr. Bulent Atalay - Scientist, author and Renaissance and da Vinci authority. Military and Politics • Brigadier General Nick Halley - Vietnam, Grenada and Desert Storm commander; • Thomas W. Lippman - Washington Post Middle East Bureau Chief; • Phil Gramm - Retired U.S. Republican senator from Texas; and • Dinesh D'Souza - Best-selling author, scholar and former White House policy analyst. Arts and Americana • Pat Conroy - Acclaimed author of The Prince of Tides; • Johnny Bench - Baseball Hall of Fame catcher, and • Rick Senat - Batman and Superman film producer. Crystal's Creative Learning Institute will offer expanded programming, including additional classes through the Travel Channel Academy, Yamaha and Berlitz. The 2010 World Cruise visits 41 ports in 37 countries, including maiden calls at Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Bandar Abbas, Iran; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Manama, Bahrain; Khasab, Oman; Al-Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Segments of 12 to 21 days are also available.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that the company has added two new Hawaii cruises on Pride of America next spring. Pride of America is the only ship offering seven-day interisland cruises from Honolulu to all four of Hawaii's most beautiful islands. The two sailings go on sale Monday, October 5 with fares starting at $999 per person, based on double occupancy. The sailings on April 24 and May 1, 2010 will feature a new itinerary that includes a day at sea along with the four ports currently offered on Pride of America: Hilo, Hawaii; Kahului, Maui; Kona, Hawaii; and an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai. In addition, the two sailings will include an evening sail by Kilauea Volcano, a day cruise by the north coast of Molokai and an afternoon sail by the breathtaking Napali coast. Pride of America features the innovative attributes of Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising with a star spangled line up of eight culinary options, dynamic public rooms such as the Hollywood Theater, the expansive Rascal's Kids Center and the luxurious Santa Fe Spa & Fitness Center. The heart of the ship, the Capitol Atrium, is inspired by the Capitol Building and White House and features a decorative stone floor, impressive water feature and a stunning backlit glass dome. Pride of America offers an extensive choice of staterooms highlighted by an expansive Grand Suite, a broad range of family accommodations with more than 250 staterooms that interconnect, more than 660 balcony staterooms, as well as Family Suites, accommodating up to eight people. The ship features the latest in relaxation and fitness facilities with the Santa Fe Spa and Fitness Center. The Sports Deck includes a basketball and volleyball court. The large South Beach sunning and swimming area is inspired by Miami's Art Deco district and features some novel distractions including a gyroscope and bungee trampoline and activities capturing the energy and fun of Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. The ship also offers the best meeting facilities at sea with the largest conference facilities and the only dedicated meeting deck on water. Plus, on-board meetings may qualify for both corporate and individual federal tax deductions. For more information, go to www.ncl.com/incentives. The new sailings were added as a result of the ship's scheduled dry dock being postponed to a later date.

Holland America Line's ms Rotterdam will sail three 30-day South America adventures in 2010 and two more in 2011, allowing guests to visit the remote site of Machu Picchu and explore the mysterious and exotic Inca civilization. With Rotterdam's "Incan Empires" voyages departing Feb. 6, April 10 and Oct. 23, 2010, and again on Feb. 2 and the "Secret Civilizations" voyage departing April 17, 2011, these voyages sail round-trip from U.S. ports on the East and West coasts, making a cruise to Central and South America more convenient for North American travelers. "Having these itineraries sail round-trip from a U.S. port is ideal for our guests looking to take an exotic cruise, but who don't want to travel extensively to get to the port of embarkation," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs, Holland America Line. "These cruises offer a premium onboard experience, overnight calls, late-night departures and opportunities to explore many different ports and countries." Rotterdam's "Incan Empires" voyage spends 30 days exploring 15 ports along the west coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru. Extended calls at Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, give guests extra time ashore to enjoy the culture, history and local attractions of that region. A highlight of the itinerary is a two-night call at Callao (Lima), Peru, enabling guests to take an excursion to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most mysterious archeological locations in the world. Because of the extended three-day call, guests will still visit all the ports and can easily rejoin the ship in Callao after their adventure. An overnight call at Fuerte Amador, Panama, the gateway to Panama City, is another highlight of the itinerary. On April 17, 2011, Rotterdam returns to Central and South America, setting sail on a 30-day "Secret Civilizations" round-trip Fort Lauderdale, Fla., cruise that visits 14 ports in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. The itinerary features a double transit of the Panama Canal on the way to and from Callao. The daylight transits allow guests to observe the intricate passage through the lakes and locks of the man-made engineering marvel. This voyage also has a two-night call at Callao, making it possible for guests to take an excursion to Machu Picchu, as well as an overnight call at Fuerte Amador and an extended stay at Cozumel, Mexico.

Planning a cruise to South America this winter? If it stops in Brazil, as many South America cruises do, and you live in the West, you better be sure you apply for a visa far in advance. Industry watcher Seatrade Insider today reports a marked slowdown in visa processing at Brazil's Los Angeles consulate could cause problems for thousands of cruisers heading to South America in coming months. Brazil's Los Angeles consulate handles visa applications from California, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming -- states that represent a significant percentage of cruisers nationwide. The slowdown is ‘severe and it hit at the worst time," the head of the National Association of Passport and Visa Services tells Seatrade Insider, adding that in the worst case if passengers are unable to get visas lines may have to bypass Brazil this winter. "We're not at the point of no return, but we’re getting close." The news outlet says the backup comes in the wake of the implementation of a new online visa processing system at the Brazilian consulate earlier this year.