September

The hard hitting reviews in this eagerly awaited Guide expose the best and worst scoring cruise ships using an internationally accepted rating system devised by the author, the most feared critic in the business. .  Having reviewed 285 cruise ships, the new Berlitz Guide names the top-rating ships for 2012, with the 10 most highly rated being officially 'small' or 'boutique', and explains why they scored as highly as they did. Europa, a 'Small Ship' of Hapag Lloyd Cruises, comes out on top for the 12th year and is once again the only vessel to be placed in the exclusive 5-star Plus 'club'. Seabourn's ships scoop a remarkable 6 of the 10 Top places, while SeaDream gets the top two slots in the Boutique Ships category. more...

Monfalcone, Italy
In a time-honored maritime tradition, a ceremony was held aboard Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Breeze at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, during which a commemorative coin was welded - VIDEO -  to the ship’s mast to mark a construction milestone. Following the coin ceremony, the dry-dock facility was filled with water and the Carnival Breeze was floated out and repositioned to another dock to undergo final interior outfitting in preparation for its June 3 debut. Following its trans-Atlantic crossing, Carnival Breeze will launch year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami Nov. 24, 2012, becoming the largest Carnival ship to ever sail from that port.

Kochin
With cruise tourism becoming an increasingly popular leisure choice in India, Chennai-based Amet Cruises will launch a Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai service from January next year. It will visit the shores of Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Lakshadweep, Kutch and Goa in India and will sail to destinations such as Sri Lanka, Maldives, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore amongst others. 'We are also exploring the options of creating a route to Lakshadweep from Mumbai, apart from trips to Goa and Kutch. Due to the monsoons, the Western coast voyages were put on hold. more...

Cunard - Video - is set to turn its back on Southamptonin favour of Liverpool to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the world-famous cruise line’s foundation. It comes at a time when the two ports are locked in Cruise Wars over the northern port’s attempt to use public funds to muscle in on the British cruise industry, which has its northern European hub in Southampton. A major campaign, co-ordinated by the UK Cruise Ports Alliance, backed by Southampton, together with other UK ports, is now under way to stop Liverpool’s plan’s to become a “turnaround’’ port. more...

Wilhelmsen Ship Management and Niton Capital Partners have merged their competence to offer a complete management solution for small, niche cruise operators. The new joint venture named Global Vessel Management (GVM), in cooperation with Ligabue Cruise Services, will offer complete Ship Management, Shipboard Personnel and Hotel Services to small cruise operators. “We believe there is a segment of the cruise industry, small operators, predominantly in the high end sector, that would benefit from GVM’s experience and expertise,” said Les Royle, Managing Director of Nitons Cruise Division. Global Vessel Management will offer technical management and supply of deck & engine personnel through Wilhelmsen Ship Management. Complete hotel operations, including supplying of all hotel crew will be offered by Ligabue Cruise Services.

London
Noble Caledonia has announced the acquisition of a sister vessel to the Island Sky (which is the former Renaissance VIII). The company has acquired the former Renaissance VI, which sailed for a period as the Herbridean Spirit. That vessel also saw a stint at Star Cruises, and was sold to its current owners in 2009 and was said to have had a major refit in Dubai aimed at use as a private mega-yacht. Recently, the ship was listed on various yacht broker sites at 29.5 million euro. The company is to take delivery of the vessel in May 2012, naming it Caledonian Sky, and said the ship would undergo refit before delivery. The company said in a prepared statement that the ship will be bound to South America, Australiasia and the Pacific Rim, but will also spend much of 2012 in the British and Arctic waters.

Papenburg, Germany
Disney Cruise Line's new Port Canaveral-bound ship, the Fantasy, reached a major milestone in its construction over the weekend. The final building block of the ship -- a 265-ton portion of the ship's bow - VIDEO --- was installed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy is scheduled begin its maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. It will be based at Port Canaveral, offering alternating seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including stops at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

John Wayne's yacht, the Wild Goose, is being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The ship is based in Newport Beach, where the Duke lived, and is now owned by Hornblower Cruises. VIDEO

London
More than 130 British holidaymakers are taking legal action against cruise line Fred Olsen after allegedly falling ill on board one of its ships. The cruise line was this week accused of “repeatedly failing to protect the health of tourists” on the MV Boudicca - Video - following several outbreaks of sickness. Fred Olsen accepts that illness has occurred on the ship, but says the symptoms suffered by passengers were indicative of norovirus – a common cause of infectious gastroenteritis that it says is beyond its control. “The health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff on board remains our priority at all times, and we believe that our systems for preventing the spread of illness on board our ships are among the best within the industry.” more...