Mediterranean Cruise to Egypt and Libya

The Costa Classica makes an 11-night cruise to Libya and Egypt. Sails from Savona (Genoa), Italy and visits Naples, Italy; Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt; Limassol, Cyprus; Rhodes, Greece; Valletta, Malta; and Tripoli, Libya.

Departs December 27, 2005. An exotic way to start the new year. The Costa Classica was recently refurbished, becoming more beautiful, modern and comfortable. High atop the ship, Galileo Disco and Observatory offers 360 degree views -- an observatory by day, a state-of-the-art disco by night. Cruise the Mediterranean Italian-style with Costa Cruises.

Celebrity Cruises to refurbish Century, offer Mediterranean cruises

Celebrity Cruise Line will completely refurbish the Celebrity in 2006. Century will emerge with 314 new verandas, more ConciergeClass category staterooms, a new specialty restaurant, and amenities that typify the line's Millennium-class fleet. The contract with Fincantieri involves Century's major structural modifications, new verandas and associated stateroom interiors, new staterooms on deck 12, and regular drydock work. Other interior outfitting contractors also will handle portions of the work.

A new specialty restaurant will present a menu designed by Celebrity's longtime culinary and wine consultant, Master Chef Michel Roux. The venue will follow the style of Celebrity's "Olympic," "SS United States," "Normandie" and "Ocean Liners" restaurants, which presented the industry's first tableside cooking, carving and flambe. The "Casual Dining Boulevard" on the lido deck will be expanded to include a Sushi Cafe, and made-to-order Pasta and Pizza Bar, along with buffet breakfasts, themed lunches, and dinner service with a casual dress code. Fans of light, healthy cuisine will find what they're seeking in a new Spa Cafe.

For evening cocktails, a sophisticated new Martini Bar will offer more than 30 versions of the popular drink, while outside on the aft deck, a new bandstand and bar complete with tapas carts will offer a romantic setting at sunset, complete with live music.

Century's "Fun Factory" children's area will be expanded, with a new teen room added to offer new activities geared exclusively toward that age group.

Following its revitalization, Celebrity's "new" Century will set sail on a series of 12-night Baltic and 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises.

Five 2007 world cruises to depart from Port Everglades in span of 7 days

All eyes in the cruise industry will be on Fort Lauderdale when five world cruises depart from Port Everglades in January of 2007. World cruises are the most exclusive and extended of cruises, with itineraries ranging from 81 to 126 days. Only seven world cruises are scheduled for 2007 and five of those will leave from this one south Florida port in a span of seven days.

On January 9, 2007, the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager departs from Fort Lauderdale on a 111-night world cruise. It will provide all of the romance and mystique of a global itinerary while exploring 34 destinations in 26 countries in five continents in six-star luxury. This will be the most extensive World Cruise ever offered by Radisson Seven Seas.

January 10th will be a very special day for Port Everglades as the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Mary 2 depart together, sailing on a southward journey to begin their world cruises. The world's most famous cruise liner, the QE2, begins its historic Silver Jubilee World Cruise with an exotic 108-day itinerary. After 25 world cruises, the QE2 really knows her way around.

The Queen Mary 2 makes its own history as it continues the Cunard Line's time-honored liner tradition by embarking on her very first world cruise. The QM2 will circumnavigate the globe in just 81 days. The QM2 World Cruise 2007 can take place at high speeds and in great comfort for the guests due to the fine seakeeping capabilities of the ship. Passengers will enjoy an exotic journey in the grand manner of the golden age of travel, with an abundance of sea days allowing time for fine dining, self enrichment and the opportunity to meet fellow travelers.

On January 15th, two more world cruises will depart from Port Everglades. Holland America's ms Amsterdam's world cruise will commemorate the company's 43rd year of globe-spanning sailings and mark the return of the popular 1,380-guest flagship to world cruising. The Amsterdam will make a 104-day journey to 38 ports in 26 countries and six continents. Staff will help guests celebrate the Panama Canal transit with an evening deck party, and the crossing of the Equator with a King Neptune Ceremony initiating guests into south-seas sailing.

2007 will be a groundbreaking year for ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises, as the line debuts its first World Cruise. Also departing January 15, 2007 from Fort Lauderdale, the World Cruise will cross three oceans, seven seas and six continents, visiting 61 different ports, and conclude in New York City, on May 22. The voyage of 126 unforgettable days aboard Silver Shadow will follow the trade winds from the island jewels of the Caribbean to the Incan treasures of Peru and across the wide Pacific to the fabled South Seas, Down Under, the enchantments of the Far East, India, the spice ports of Arabia, ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean.

Travelers can learn more about all the world cruises at World Cruise Central, the new online resource from the Cruise Guide Network. The site includes a complete calendar of the cruises and full details about the offerings of each cruise line.

Star Cruises to Sail Mediterranean from Malta

Star Cruises, the leading cruiseline in the Asia-Pacific region will have a ship based in the Eastern Mediterranean for the first time during the summer 2006 season. Currently sailing from the homeport of Mumbai, India, the 1,480-passenger capacity SuperStar Libra will reposition to the homeport of Valletta, Malta in June 2006.

Star Cruises will be selling the SuperStar Libra Eastern Mediterranean cruises in its core markets in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East in addition to the European market. This is part of Star Cruises’ ongoing strategy to contribute to the growth of the international cruise market by increasing the awareness of cruising in the Mediterranean to a wider base.

SuperStar Libra is the first ship in the Star Cruises Asian fleet to operate in Europe. Most cruises will depart from the homeport of Malta. The Eastern Mediterranean cruises will visit Rome (Civitavecchia), La Spezia (for Florence and Pisa), Olbia, Naples, Venice and Messina (Sicily) in Italy; Athens (Piraeus), Santorini, Corfu and Crete in Greece; Valetta in Malta; Istanbul and Izmir in Turkey; Dubrovnik in Croatia; and Alexandria in Egypt.