So many cruises, so little time...

Seatrade 2006

The annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami Beach is always interesting and often intriguing. With little fanfare, cruise industry leaders took to the Miami Beach Convention Center stage on March 24th for "The State of the Industry Debate." There was good news and not-so-good news from executives of the Big Four cruise lines present.

In addition to cruising trends, passenger safety and ship size were discussed. CruiseDiva.com shares comments by industry leaders and their insight into the future of cruise vacations from The State of the Industry Debate.

What's Happening on Land & Sea: The past week hasn't been all good news for the cruise industry. Twelve passengers from Celebrity's Millennium died and two were seriously injured when their private tour bus plunged off a mountain road in northern Chile. Our condolences are extended to the victims' loved ones. 

This accident highlights the need to know exactly what you're doing in foreign ports as well as how to do it. CruiseDiva.com focuses on Going Ashore: Shore Excursions vs. Private Touring; weighing the pros and cons.

In a second tragedy, an early morning fire on Star Princess left one passenger dead of a heart attack and others injured. The blaze, extinguished by the ships' crew, affected about 100 cabins on passenger decks 9 through 12. Star Princess docked in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where passengers were debarked and flown home. Cause of the fire is unknown; however, assessment teams have arrived from the U.K. and the U.S. Coast Guard to begin the investigation. Reports of a cigarette causing the fire are, at this time, unfounded.  It has been confirmed that the 3/26 and 4/2 cruises are cancelled; watch Princess Cruises web site for further information. Cruise Diva's Cruise News has details on these and other stories.

This is a good time to mention that the greatest danger facing cruise ship passengers is fire. Learn how fire prevention and safety begins with you—read CruiseDiva.com's Cruise Travel Safety & Security: Mustering, Safety & Your Crew. Don't laugh off or try to dodge attendance at the mandatory Muster Drill. Your life could depend on taking it seriously.

Cruise News... All the latest itinerary announcements and other industry news are in Cruise Diva's Cruise News. March highlights include details about Disney Cruise Line's planned Mediterranean season in 2007; the Greek Isles cruises to be offered on the new Carnival Freedom; new beds and bedding being introduced on Royal Caribbean's fleet; and the re-branding of Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, now renamed REGENT Seven Seas Cruises.

Where's Cruise Diva? Hopping on and off planes to reach Barbados, where I'll board ROYAL CLIPPER, flagship of Star Clippers line and the world's largest full-rigged sailing ship, to explore the Grenadines. This promises to be an unforgettable experience (and I hope my sea legs don't fail me)!

Writing a guidebook from scratch was a daunting task. However, it was personally rewarding to share all the tips and tricks from CruiseDiva.com with readers beyond the Internet. And there's much more... inside the book is all the planning information you need, plus cruise line profiles and ship reviews—everything you should know to make the right choices so your cruise will live up to your personal expectations.

  Fodor's Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises, A Cruise Lover's Guide to Selecting the Right Trip, With All the Best Ports of Call, by Linda Coffman, is available now on the shelves of your local book stores and listed by Internet book sellers

Get even more advice from the Cruise Diva. Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call 2006 is the only guidebook you need to plan days ashore and contains a brand-new cruise primer section and cruise line profiles and and ship reviews by Cruise Diva, Linda Coffman. A bonus is the inside scoop about cruise lines' Private Islands... what they are, where they are, and all the best things to do when you get there.

* Norwegian Sun
* Costa Allegra
* Carnival Pride
* Star Clipper
* Costa Magica;