Princess Cruises has announced it will expand its fleet by adding a sister vessel to the line´s popular Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess. The 680-passenger ship will be named Royal Princess, taking the name of a former, much-beloved Princess ship which had long been cruising in Europe and other exotic worldwide destinations.

Princess Cruises is expanding its fleet with the addition of a 680-passenger, 30,000-ton ship it will call Royal Princess. The ship is currently cruising as Swan Hellenic´s Minerva II and will enter service with Princess in April 2007, joining the line´s other small-ship vessels, the 670-passenger Tahitian Princess and Pacific Princess ships. The future Royal Princess´ first itineraries will be 12-day European sailings in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

From the halls of the famed Louver Museum to a junior suite at the Hôtel du Louvre, guests of the Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator can explore Paris, the city that had Robert Langdon on the run, with The Da Vinci Code pre- and post-cruise land program. Seventeen 2006 European sailings from Nice and Monte Carlo offer the optional two-night luxury hotel stay including a tour of the Louvre, pointing out real life highlights of the best-selling novel and soon to be released movie.

The recent opening of the Port of Chiapas highlights the growing importance of cruise tourism for Mexico. The facility will join more than two dozen port cities in the country. Offering access to the nearby Panama Canal, Puerto Chiapas provides an interesting variation on current trans-canal cruises for the market. In 2005, the Mexican Government invested more than $7 million in the development of the Port of Chiapas, which is expected to receive a significant number of cruise calls in 2006. In fact, the authorities are hoping it will give a big boost to tourism generally.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) welcomed American Cruise Lines as its newest member on March 15, said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. American Cruise Lines (ACL) will bring to 20 the number of CLIA-member cruise lines, which collectively represent 97 percent of the cruise capacity marketed in North America. CLIA is also comprised of nearly 17,000 travel agencies, making it the largest travel industry association based on agency membership. ACL ships sail with no more than 100 passengers along the smooth, inland waterways of the United States, on nine itineraries between Maine and Florida.

Royal Caribbean International recently introduced a new fleet-wide bedding program that includes an extreme makeover from bed frames to covers. The new bedding program will be introduced on Freedom of the Seas in May and rolled out across the entire fleet by May 2007. Guests cruising with Royal Caribbean International will soon experience the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation with the introduction of a new fleet-wide bedding program.