Visiting the most beautiful and exotic and fascinating corners of the world from the sea is possible. Venture to Asia, Europe, South America, Africa or the Caribbean, as each year new ships arrive on board heading in familiar or new directions. All this can be bewildering as to which to experience and 2008 is no exception as the boom to travel by sea continues.

Most of these have been devoted to the American marketplace but Europeans are discovering the advantages of cruising also and are booking in record numbers, so book yours early so you won’t be disappointed.

Listed are 10 new ships that will make this coming year, something to talk about.

1) AIDAbella – (April 2008) Ship Yard of Meyer Werft – capacity 2,050 passengers. Now a part of the Carnival Corp., this will be German Aida lines 1st new ship. AIDA ships operate from German ports to Scandinavia and the Baltic, as well the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.
www.aida.de

2) Celebrity Solstice (Dec 2008) Ship Yard of Meyer Werft – capacity 2,850 passengers at two to a cabin. This is the first of a new and larger class of Celebrity ships, with larger cabins, 90 percent with ocean views. Slated to be energy saving, the Solstice will be powered by a diesel-electric pod propulsion system and other new technologies.
Home port: Ft. Lauderdale
Itinerary: Caribbean, others to be announced
www.celebritycruises.com

3) Carnival Splendor (July 2008) Ship Yard of Fincantieri – capacity 3,006 passengers at two to a cabin. During the summer, she will be in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean before repositioning to Ft. Lauderdale in the fall for the Caribbean. The Splendor will have the largest Carnival spa and 68 staterooms and suites with direct access to the spa.
Home port: Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles
Itinerary: Northern Europe, United States, Caribbean
www.carnival.com

4) HAL Eurodam (July 2008) Ship Yard of Fincantieri – capacity 2,044 passengers at two to a cabin. Eurodam will feature a new restaurant deck and more cabins with balconies. In the fall, Eurodam will reposition from Europe to Canada for several sailings. Home port: Quebec City
Itinerary: Canada, New England, Florida
www.hollandamerica.com

5) MSC Poesia (March 2008) Ship Yard of Chantiers de l’Atlantique – capacity 2,550 passengers at two to a cabin. This is the third of the Musica class. MSC has become a more high-profile player in the European cruise market giving Costa a little competition.
Home port: Venice
Itinerary: Mediterranean
www.msccruises.com

6) Ventura (April 2008) Ship Yard of Fincantieri – capacity 3000 passengers at two to a cabin. Ventura will a freedom of choice family designed specifically for her British customers on the P & O Cruises.
Home port: Southampton
Itinerary: Mediterranean, Canary Islands & Baltic
www.pocruises.com

7) Ruby Princess (November 2008) Ship Yard of Fincantieri – capacity 3,100 passengers at two to a cabin. Inaugural in November 2008. The ship, a sister to Crown and Emerald Princess, will feature all of its signature touches.
Home port: Fort Lauderdale
Itinerary: Caribbean
www.princess.com

Independence of the Seas (May 2008) Ship Yard of Kvaerner Masa – capacity 3,600 passengers at two to a cabin. Third of the Freedom-class ships, following Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. Independence will cross the Atlantic in November for fall and winter Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale.
Home port: Fort Lauderdale
Itinerary: Caribbean, Europe
www.royalcaribbean.com

9) Norwegian Gem (now sailing as of 11/2007) – capacity 2,384 passengers at two to a cabin. The famous freestyle cruising continues with this gem of a ship, as the Gem is scheduled to be based in New York City for winter and spring of 2008, on 7-day Bahamas and Florida itineraries and on 10- and 11-day Caribbean itineraries. Summer will find her in Barcelona doing Western Mediterranean itineraries.
Home ports: New York and Barcelona
Itinerary: Caribbean, Mediterranean
www.ncl.com

10) Cunard Queen Victoria (now sailing – see posting of Jan. 3, 2008) – capacity 2,014 passengers. This is the third of the Queens of Cunard, which will become two when the Queen Elizabeth 2 ties up in Dubai as a floating hotel in 2009. Like the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria will sail a mix of cruises, ocean crossings and world cruises.
Home port: Southampton, England
Itinerary: World wide
www.cunard.com

About Veronica Shine – Native New Yorker, Veronica Shine’s career has been diversified within the fashion/beauty/accessory/theatrical industries and she now hangs her hat mainly in Europe with her husband and 13 year old son.
Perhaps from being in the theater since a child, a natural transition to write emerged. Her published works have appeared in ezines and magazines in Europe and the United States with a focus towards beauty, fashion and travel. For more of her cruise and travel experiences, visit Mediterranean Dreams.