In less than a year, Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas will make her debut in Southampton, England where she will be the largest ship ever to be home-ported in Europe.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the official cruise line of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, has launched a new Golf Bermuda program, giving guests more options for hitting the links in Bermuda, where there are more golf courses per square mile than anywhere in the world.

For a growing number of travelers, a vacation is no time to leave health and fitness behind. For them, paradise includes a spa, fitness facilities and nutritious, healthy cuisine. Increasingly, that paradise is to be found on a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean International will operate 14 Australia cruises and two transpacific voyages aboard Rhapsody of the Seas for winter 2008-2009. The cruises range from seven to 15 nights. Five roundtrip voyages from Sydney to the Coral Sea will visit New Caledonia, Vanuatu Islands, and Society Islands.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) is launching a new cruise brand, CDF Croisières de France, which will target and cater to the French market. The new brand will begin sailing with the Bleu de France in May, after the ship has completed extensive renovations and undergone a cultural transformation to adapt French tastes.

MSC Cruises is offering savings of at least 50 percent on the MSC Lirica’s New Year’s cruise. The seven-night Western Caribbean sailing departs Fort Lauderdale on December 28 and calls at Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Nassau. Cruise-only fares begin at $899 for an interior stateroom and $1,049 for an ocean-view stateroom.