Royal Caribbean came in first of domestic cruise lines in the use of advanced marketing, according to a report by Market 21, the leading advisory firm in the use of advanced marketing tools. Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruises came in second among the large cruise lines.

Monaco-based Star Clippers will operate a limited season of cruises in Cuba in 2014 aboard Star Flyer. The line currently plans two repositioning cruises ending or originating at Cienfuegos, Cuba -- one six-night roundtrip from Cienfuegos, and five seven-night roundtrips from Cienfuegos in February and March 2014.

China has started construction of a 2,000-passenger cruise ship, the first major cruise ship to be built in that nation. According to a report by China News Service, the 100,000-ton ship will cost 3.1 billion yuan, or about $488 million, and take nearly four years to build.