Radisson Seven Seas today has just unveiled an innovative "Circle of Interest" concept, offering guests of select cruises their choice of exclusive packages featuring ship and shore programs linked by a common theme. Participants of the "Archaeology & Ancient History" package will enjoy in-depth historical perspectives of ancient Mediterranean sites.

Visiting the Caribbean onboard an MSC Cruises´ ship is not your "typical" Caribbean cruise experience. MSC Cruises combines its uniquely authentic Italian culture and cuisine (which are part of every MSC cruise) with a distinctly European way of experiencing Caribbean destinations to create lifetime memories for its guests.

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is rolling out an expanded collection of 15 Culinary Arts Cruises and 12 Wine Series Voyages in 2006. It´s the biggest program the line has ever offered and will feature, for the first time, award-winning authors in addition to a stellar lineup of international wine experts, winemakers, and acclaimed chefs from the world´s top restaurants. Among the talented food and wine writers set to join the program is the culinary power couple of Jill Van Cleave and William Rice, scheduled to jointly host Silver Wind´s Voyage 2610, sailing April 8 from Lisbon to Barcelona. Van Cleave is a renowned author, food stylist and chef and Rice is the food and wine columnist for the "Chicago Tribune," former editor-in-chief of "Food and Wine," and winner of the Who´s Who award for "Best Food Journalism."

Silversea Cruises is installing WiFi hotspots around its four ships and revamping its Internet centers with 17-inch flat-screen monitors and new computers. The “enhanced cyber technology”, as Silversea called it, was installed on the Silver Shadow in August and will be installed onboard Silversea´s three other ships by the end of the year. Maritime Telecommunications Network is providing the satellite technology.

Delta Queen Steamboat Co. canceled cruises on its American Queen vessel between Sept. 16 and March 6. The ship was scheduled to operate three- and four-day cruises from New Orleans coupled with overnight stays in the city. The line said that due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina, it will be “impossible” to operate the American Queen in the area. Refunds will be automatically generated within the next 60 days and will go through the line´s agent partners, it said. Delta Queen said it is working with various government authorities to make the American Queen available in the overall relief efforts for the Gulf Coast region.

Cypriot line Louis Cruises will consult EasyCruise for low-cost start-up and advise the maritime company on the acquisition and building of new ships. Louis Cruises will equally assist EasyCruise with “further expansion of its activities,” according to a statement from EasyCruise.