Expansive children’s water parks, a new design style and features for the pool areas, and the creation of the Serenity adults only deck area will be part of a dramatic transformation of the open decks of Carnival Cruise Lines’ eight Fantasy-class ships.

Royal Caribbean is looking to give East Coast travelers more embarkation options in the upcoming season. The cruise line will offer more than 80 sailings to New England, Canada, Bermuda and the Eastern Caribbean from ports in such places as Bayonne, NJ, Baltimore and Boston.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has exercised its option to build a second ship in its “Genesis Project”. Destined to become the 24th ship in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, the 5,400-guest, 220,000-gross-registered-ton ship would be built in Finland, with delivery projected for August, 2010.

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced casino tournaments taking place on a score of sailings that can send winners home pocketing as much as $2,500 each and a free cruise for two.

From the sun-soaked beaches of Mykonos to the Mauresque medinas of Morocco, Costa, Europe’s number one cruise line, offers the best of the Mediterranean in year-round cruises spanning from seven to twelve nights.

Royal Caribbean International will send the Empress of the Seas to its Pullmantur, its Madrid-based sister brand, in spring 2008.