Here is your guide to the new cruise ships for 2009:

Ready to hit our shores in May 2009, Costa Luminosa sister ship to Costa Serena is currently under construction at Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Mantimo.  The 13th ship in the Costa fleet has a GRT of 92,600. There are 1130 cabins onboard, 56 of these have direct access to the ships innovative and exclusive Samsara spa, 718 have private balconies, 44 suites have private balconies, and 4 suites have direct access to the Samsara spa. The ship will accommodate over 2,260 passengers, and with its theme of light and elegance, we can ensure the latest addition to the Costa family is going to be a real jewel. 

The ship boasts 4 restaurants, 11 bars, 2 swimming pools, 4 Jacuzzis, the Samsara Spa, and for the more adventurous, the ship even contains a Grand Prix simulator.
Costa Luminosa will set sail from Venice on its inaugural voyage on the 5th May 2009. The 10 night Vernissage Cruise around Greece and Turkey, will visit Bari, Katakolon/Olympia, Rhodes, Izmir, Istanbul, Mykonos, and Piraeus. After the ships initial voyages in May, it will take mini Vernissage cruises from Venice, before heading to Amsterdam to visit Northern Europe and the Norwegian Fjords throughout the summer.

The ships christening on the 5th of June, will be an extraordinary event, taking place in Genoa. This unique event will display both Costa Luminosa, and Costa Pacifica, as a double celebration, with both of MSC’s new additions to the fleet being christened together.

Costa Pacifica, the fleets 14th ship in the fleet, will be the 3rd sister ship in the Concordia class, making the Costa Pacifica, the newest and largest of the Costa fleet. Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Genoa Sestri Ponente shipyard in Italy. The Italian lines newest addition is an impressive   114,000 tonnage, with 1540 cabins, the ship can take up to 3780 passengers. The ship will share many features with the other Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, its sister ships including the Samsara spa, 5 restaurants, 13 bars, 4 swimming pools, and 5 Jacuzzis.

The ships design and styling has been inspired by the musical theme onboard. Each area has been characterised by a different type of music, you will see this in the My Way restaurant, Ipanema Lounge, Route 66 Sports Bar, La Bamba pool deck and other areas around the ship.
The Grand Inaugural cruise will be sailing from Savona on the 6th June, the 9-night cruise will visit Marseille, Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Valetta, Palermo, and Civitacheccia/Rome. After this, the ship will be based in Barcelona, for the summer taking 7 night Mediterranean cruises.

Ready to launch in July 2009 is MSC Splendida.  The second in the new design style from MSC and sister ship to the recently launched MSC Fantasia, you can expect ‘cutting edge technology and luxurious comfort’. The 133,500-tonnage ship currently under construction at the STX Europe, St Nazaire, France, will take up to 3,300 passengers.

To ensure pure luxury, MSC are offering six star service in the form of the MSC Yacht Club, with 99 suites, a special VIP area as well as 24-hour butler service. Onboard MSC Splendida you can also experience the Aurea Spa, a wellness centre offering amazing treatments, including Balinese massage, Turkish baths, solariums, relaxation rooms and much more.

After the christening of MSC Splendida in Barcelona, the maiden voyage will visit La Goulette, Valletta, Messina, Civitacheccia, Genoa, and Marseille. Throughout the summer, the ship will be based in Barcelona, visiting the Mediterranean.

The Seabourn Odyssey will be launched in June 2009, the 32,000 tonne, 450-passenger ship is the first new build ship for The Yachts of Seabourn for over 15 years, and the first new build luxury ship for 6 years.  Under construction at Italy’s T Mariotti’s shipyard, the ships christening had been scheduled for June 24th 2009 in Genoa, Italy.

With 225 ocean view suites on offer, 90% with private balconies, luxury is guaranteed. With great onboard facilities including a spa, it will be a treat to be onboard the newest luxury liner in the cruise industry’s offerings. The maiden voyage from Venice will see you sail 14 nights around the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting Dubrovnik, Kotor (Montenerago), Mylos, Aghios Nikolaos, Rhodes, Santorini, Navplion (Mycanae), Piraeus (Athens), Mykonos, Kusadasi (Ephesus), and Istanbul. Before spending the summer cruising these islands, visiting some amazing locations.

The latest addition to the fleet of Celebrity Cruise line is the Celebrity Equinox.  Set for its launch in August 2009, the Celebrity Solstice class ship is 122,000 tonnages with the accommodation taking up to 2850 passengers. Under construction at Germanys Meyer Werft, Papenburg, the ship has incredible features and has been designed to exceed your expectations, from start to finish.

Onboard the Celebrity Equinox, you will find some familiar features from the Solstice class. The Lawn Club, a freshly manicured lawn area onboard that features real grass, for passengers to play sports including golf and croquet. You will also find the Aqua Class staterooms, which are cabins sharing a deck with the Aqua Spa, a relaxation room, incorporating spa elements into the staterooms.

The Maiden voyage from Southampton is set for 8th August 2009. The 10-night “Best of Europe” cruise will visit Paris, Cherbourg, Vigo, Lisbon, Gibralter, Cartagena, Barcelona and Rome. It will then sail 13-14 night itineraries “Ancient Empires” these are based from Rome, on these voyages two brand new ports Haifa and Ashdod, Israel will be visited. After this, the ship will cruise the transatlantic to Fort Lauderdale, before starting the 10 and 11 night “Ultimate Caribbean” itineraries.

In September 2009, we will see the arrival of Carnival Dream. The 130,000-tonnage ship will be accommodating around 3562 passengers. Currently under construction at the Fincanteri shipyard in Italy. The ship boasts the largest outdoor deck space, more stateroom categories, the largest spa Carnival have ever built, Carnival Waterworks, and a new indoor/outdoor entertainment area called the Ocean Plaza.

The ships maiden voyage ‘The 12-night Grand Mediterranean’ cruise from Rome is scheduled in September. Before heading across the Transatlantic to New York, where it will start 8 night Port Canaveral and Bahamas cruise, before operating year round 7 night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises itineraries.

Late in 2009, we will see the arrival of the much-anticipated Oasis of the Seas. The latest creation and addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet.  Oasis of the Seas, comes in at a massive 220,000 tonnage, and will accommodate an incredible 5400 guests in 2700 staterooms. The ship was originally ordered in February 2006, and had been constructed at the STX Europe, formerly Aker Yards.

With seven different neighbourhoods onboard, we can see a new concept by the cruise line introducing different areas similar to those found at a theme park. Each neighbourhood will have distinct characteristics, and will be themed and named; examples of these are the Youth Zone and the Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk  will feature a unique Aqua Theatre, the first ever Carousel at sea, and games and amusements to entertain the whole family. Amongst the new additions, you will also find Madame Zamara’s – a psychic and tattoo parlour.

Based out of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale. The ship will be visiting the Caribbean, alternating seven night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Finally, in late 2009, the Silver Spirit will be debuting. Currently at the Fincantieri Ancona Shipyard, the 36,000 tonne, 540-passenger vessel will feature more balcony cabins, more dining choices, more facilities onboard and more luxury.

The ships debut voyage features an 11 night maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon, before the 16 night transatlantic to Fort Lauderdale where the naming ceremony will take place. In January 21st 2010, the Silver Spirit will commence its 91-day South American voyage from Fort Lauderdale to La and back to New York.  It will then spend the summer in the Mediterranean, before spending the Winter/Autumn in the Caribbean. 
 

Among the many pioneering elements that Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced to the industry, is free-style dining. Breaking tradition with the stuffy practice of a rigid dining schedule with pre-assigned seats, dress code and limited menus, NCL has brought the convenience of open dining to the sea. Not only do passengers have a range of anywhere between 6 to a dozen dining facilities from which to choose at any given time but each dining facility has a different genre of menu to offer. From pre-prepared cafeteria-style to be chosen and loaded onto your tray, to the main dining halls where menus are served around a theme and dress is casual, to the upscale dining experience that so many have come to expect and enjoy on a luxury cruise line. Of course, for an additional fee, passengers with a taste for the more exotic delicacies and the more discerning pallet can choose from a number of small, ethnically themed restaurants such as Ethiopian, French-Vietnamese and Italian to name a few.

For most of us, good food is always an attraction, and for the 7 pounds that the average passenger gains each week they’re on board the cruise, there are also a number of on-board activities and pursuits from which passengers may choose. An Olympic-sized pool is always a major attraction in the hot-summer months. And a fully-equipped gym allows the health-minded to mind their physique while vacationing. A number of lounges, dancehalls, bars and stages provide venues for theater, stand-up and musical performance which are also all included in the price of the vacation. So this leaves you with additional money with which you may choose to gamble away in international waters.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has ten large ships in it’s fleet, the most luxurious of the 10 being the Norwegian Star which alternately runs the Alaskan cruise in the Summer months and a Mexican cruise in the Winter months. The Norwegian Spirit also cruises out to Alaska but in the Summer it crosses down into the Caribbean. The Norwegian Wind will sail to many major areas through out the year. The Pride of Aloha, as one might think, focuses on cruises in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The New York to Florida and Caribbean routes are covered by the Norwegian Dawn. The Norwegian Sea sails from Houston to the Caribbean and the Norwegian Majesty sails through Mexico, the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

No matter where your tastes will take you, the Norwegian Cruise Line has your destination covered. From innovative techniques in boarding passengers and troubleshooting, to time-honored customs that involve full frills customer service and opulent productions, Norwegian Cruise Lines sets the bar for high-end quality and affordable luxury cruise at all price points. And they continue to improve on the old adage “Getting there is half the fun”.

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Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America’s Vista-class series.

However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line’s “Signature of Excellence program.”

The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.

They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.

NCL America’s Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.

For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.

It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America’s “Freestyle Cruising” concept being offered for your cruise vacation.

The Pride of Hawaii’s interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.

This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.

In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.

The Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.

This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.

The Freedom of the Seas has an added feature that other cruise ships do not. It actually has a place to surf on the top cruise deck. This is a new and unique amenity for RCCL’s Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Other cruise lines have virtual golf or movies under the stars but no one has a surf park. The cruise line has built the largest rock climbing wall ever.

Following its launching, the Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-day cruise vacations to the Caribbean from Miami.

The Crown Princess, Princess Cruises christened in June. The Crown Princess is expected to accommodate 3,110 cruise travel passengers with 1200 crew.

Princess Cruises lines redesigned the Skywalker’s Disco, which gained popularity from cruise passengers on their cruise vacations. They also have the Lotus Spa which has been expanded on the Crown Princess.

New pastries and snacks will adorn the International Cafe. Crown Princess will have the first ever wine and seafood bar of the entire cruise line.

Expansions were made to other popular features like the Wheelhouse Bar, Sabatini’s Trattoria, and the Sterling Steakhouse.

Crown Princess cruise vacations will sail roundtrip from the Red Hook terminal in New York. This cruise vacation will make stops in the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.

MSC will launched their new cruise ship MSC Musica on July 01. Musica is an Italian ship that will bring MSC into the ranks of big cruise ships. It is expected to accommodate 2,550 passengers.

One of its outstanding features will be that a full 80% of its 1,275 staterooms will be outside rooms. In addition, 65% of these staterooms will have verandas.

It will also feature a large spa area. The Musica’s cruise passengers will also have several dining options. They will enjoy a three deck high waterfall and many different entertainment venues.

Musica will sail the eastern Mediterranean from Venice.

The Costa Cruises’ new ship the Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corporation based in Miami, while Costa cruise lines is based in Italy.

This will be the largest cruise ship to join the Costa Cruises’ fleet. It will be launched late this year on July 14. It is expected to accommodate 3,000 passengers.

The Costa Concordia will have an European theme for its interior decor. All the room’s names will be European inspired. They will have the Grand Bar Berlin, Cafeteria Helsinki, and the Milan and Rome dining rooms.

A unique amenity to the Costa Concordia is a Formula 1 driving simulator for cruise passengers to enjoy on their cruise vacation.

This new cruise ship will sail year round in the Western Mediterranean. For those taking their cruise vacation on this ship, they will make ports of call in Spain, France, Italy, Gibraltar, and Malta.

So much to choose from! Check out other cruise reviews of these new cruise ships to find out on which cruise ship you will spend your 2006 cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
and http://www.CruisingTips.com