The revolutionary design of Allure of the Seas will fill your days at sea with wonder: wake to two-story ocean views in our contemporary Loft Suites, hop onto a classic, full-sized carousel in our Boardwalk neighborhood, spend some quiet time in our adults-only Solarium, and let the kids' imaginations run wild in our Youth Zone - the largest dedicated youth area at sea. Jump right into our Pool Zone, where you'll find our H2O Zone, cantilevered whirlpools, FlowRiders® and a thrilling zip-line view of the ship and sea below. When it's time to unwind, go for a stroll in Central Park - a meandering garden and lush public space lined with foliage and fine restaurants - or take in the majestic view from any of the multiple balconies overlooking the AquaTheater, the first amphitheater at sea.

With 28 ultra-modern loft suites and 2,700 spacious staterooms, this 16-deck marvel proves that the impossible is possible. You have to see it to believe it.

Since Celebrity Eclipse joined the fleet in 2010, she has dazzled and amazed even the most well-traveled cruisers. Like her Solstice Class sisters before her, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, she showcases spectacular vistas with 85% of all staterooms having sweeping veranda views. Celebrity Eclipse hosts QsineSM, a dining venue with a unique and playful approach to familiar dishes from around the world, and Celebrity iLoungeSM, a hip, modern Internet café offering guests what they have asked for - easy access to the Internet, inspiring classes and latest tech gadgets. Add the fresh green grass on the top deck's Lawn Club and the incredibly pampering services in AquaSpa®, and you may never want to set foot on land again.

The 155,873-ton, 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Cruise Line's newest -- and biggest -- ship, is a mishmash of decorating styles and themes, a blend of contemporary, retro, kitschy and elegant. And that's a good thing. Tastes, a fee-free restaurant venue, is sleek and sophisticated while O'Sheehan's, a pub and bowling venue, is kitschy and Victorian in ambience. In an era in which cruise lines are often decorating ships based on one specific vibe (Oceania's country house hotel influences and Celebrity's contemporary boutique hotel-like schemes come immediately to mind), the mixed style design approach on Norwegian Epic is refreshing. It's fun to be able to find a venue that matches whatever mood you're in at the moment.

Launched from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Venice on July 4, 2010, the 86,000-ton Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates the glamour and history of New York City, formerly called Nieuw Amsterdam, with its inspired interior design and art collection.

Holland America Line has installed an array of works valued at over $3 million, ranging from antiques by traditional Dutch masters to creations by renowned contemporary artists. Some pieces reflect the Dutch Golden Age while others, such as the spectacular centerpiece in the atrium, express a contemporary curiosity. Adorning the ceiling of Nieuw Amsterdam is an eye-catching abstract sculpture of the inverted New York skyline made from clear translucent blocks that hang upside-down. The sculpture was created by husband and wife Italian artists Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger of Creazioni Lebigre & Roger. The significant collection, which includes works by celebrated artists Andy Warhol, Richard Estes and Roy Lichtenstein, continues with astounding displays throughout the ship.

A complimentary self-guided iPod® art tour is available for guests wishing to view the entire collection. The iPod art tour is also available to download at no charge at www.hollandamerica.com and on iTunes®.

Nieuw Amsterdam joins the recently launched Eurodam to further define and expand the Holland America Line premium brand with new concepts such as the innovative pan-Asian Tamarind restaurant and Silk Den lounge surrounded by panoramic views overlooking the ocean expanse and the Lido pool. Other additions are an Explorer's Lounge Bar, a premium wine-tasting lounge, an elegant luxury jewelry boutique, new atrium bar area, enhanced and reconfigured The Showroom at Sea, and a new photographic and imaging center.

The new ship continues several much-admired Holland America Line features, including outside-view, glass elevators at midship; the Explorations Café -- a cyber-coffee house powered by The New York Times; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and intimate classes in a state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with thermal suites and hydro-pool, the largest gymnasium ever built for Holland America Line; and a youth facility that includes the teens-only Loft. In addition the ship will feature the family-style Canaletto Italian restaurant.

Nieuw Amsterdam features 11 guest decks and staterooms spotlight all the Signature of Excellence® premium amenities. Also featured are innovative spa staterooms with additional spa amenities.

The first Nieuw Amsterdam was launched in 1906 and used both a full set of sails and steam engines. She was 17,149 tons and carried 2,886 passengers, 2,200 of them in third class. She sailed in regular service through World War I and then through to 1932.

The famed Nieuw Amsterdam II joined the fleet in 1938 as the company's flagship. The silhouette of this ship can still be seen today behind Henry Hudson's Half Moon in the company's logo. At 36,287 tons, "the Darling of the Dutch," as she was known, was decorated in great style and was launched by Her Majesty Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands. Nieuw Amsterdam II served proudly in World War II completing 44 war time voyages carrying nearly 400,000 passengers (mostly troops). Following the war she was rebuilt and, as the queen of Holland America Line's "spotless fleet," hosted countless well-known figures among her guests, including Katherine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Spencer Tracey and Albert Schweitzer.

Nieuw Amsterdam III was launched in 1983 as one of the most elegant ships of her time. At 33,900 tons, Nieuw Amsterdam III sailed in Alaska in the summers and in the Caribbean in the winters.

With innovative design and guest offerings, Nieuw Amsterdam IV continues the proud tradition of her name and evolution of Holland America Line's sophisticated mid-sized ships.

Relive in modern glamour high society events of the 1930s and 1940s as you grace ornate rooms whose rich décor recalls the halcyon days when our first Queen Elizabeth ruled the waves.

Your entrance into this graceful realm is dramatic indeed, as you encounter the curved staircases, geometric patterns and spectacular artwork of the soaring Grand Lobby. Overlooking its stately grandeur is the two-tier Library, a calm haven of warm wood tones bathed in natural reading light and crowned with a fabulous leaded glass ceiling.

Deck 9 is the centre of Queen Elizabeth's al fresco world, focused on The Garden Lounge and the Games Deck. Discover more intimate venues like the Yacht Club, named after the aft lounge on QE2, with 270° views in all directions and dancing until the small hours.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, has been the most anticipated new-build to debut since Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Its innovations -- such as the first-ever Boardwalk and Central Park at sea, which uniquely occupy space that's carved out of the middle of the ship -- are already legendary.

The ship features new-to-Royal Caribbean types of eateries that range from spa cuisine to elaborately staged food and wine pairings. Its entertainment district, a hub for late owls, offers ice skating and disco, comedy and jazz, and a three-tiered theater that features a 90-minute version of "Hairspray," the popular Tony Award-winning Broadway show. Particularly dazzling is the ship's AquaTheater, with its deepest-pool-at-sea, which serves as a platform for performers such as divers and synchronized swimmers.

Innovations on Oasis of the Seas are by no means limited to passenger-friendly advances. Royal Caribbean also has introduced a number of new technical and environmental tools that enable the ship to be more efficient and more eco-responsible.

Beyond the innovations of Oasis of the Seas (and its sister Allure of the Seas, which will debut in December 2010), what kind of cruise does it really offer? Will a ship that accommodates 6,296 passengers (when all berths are filled) feel crowded? How can a vessel that's so big -- and that holds so many people -- offer the kind of attentive service that cruise ships are typically known for? And will the hordes descending from Oasis of the Seas in ports such as Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten overwhelm the islands?

The new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, the largest Carnival ship ever constructed, debuted September 21, 2009. Constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the 3,646-passenger, 1,004-foot SuperLiner is a new class of vessel for Carnival.
Carnival Dream New Features and Facilities
New features of the Carnival Dream include Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue; enhanced children's facilities, including expansive play areas and a huge Carnival WaterWorks aqua park; "scenic whirlpools" that extend over the ship's beam; and a variety of new stateroom categories, including those specifically catering to families.
Ocean Plaza is designed to be a comfortable oasis during the day and a bustling entertainment complex at night. This indoor/outdoor café and live music venue features a bandstand where a variety of musical genres will be showcased, along with a large circular dance floor. A floor-to-ceiling curved glass wall separates the room, creating indoor and outdoor lanai seating areas offering stunning ocean views. Guests at Ocean Plaza can also enjoy full bar service, along with an espresso bar offering gelato and a variety of baked goods, along with high-speed Internet access.

The 122,000-ton, 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox, the second ship in Celebrity Cruises' innovative Solstice class, set off on its maiden voyage in Southampton on 31 July 2009. As a sister ship to Celebrity Solstice, which was launched in November 2008, Equinox brings back everything we loved about the first-in-class.

Expect the same interesting onboard features that made Celebrity Solstice such a knockout. These include The Lawn Club, a dedicated area on the top deck of the ship that features real, growing grass, where passengers can play croquet or golf; the Hot Glass Show, the first glass-blowing studio at sea; large, standard staterooms, 85 percent of which are outfitted with verandahs; and Quasar, a mod-futuristic disco that's James-Bond-meets-"The Jetsons."

In fact, there's really not that much differentiation between Equinox and Solstice, aside from some decor and colour palette changes. Yet, Equinox really does leave a lasting impression -- it is just as beautiful as its predecessor, featuring the same contemporary, chic-yet-classy style. And you won't feel crowded on this ship, which offers a clustered setup (entertainment forward, restaurants aft) that allows for excellent passenger flow and easy navigation.

Wonder received a face lift in 2004 where a lot of the external furnishings were replaced and public space was re-purposed to make way for more adult focused activities such as a coffee bar with Internet access, a sports bar now a pub with ale available.

Disney characters are everywhere, whether we are talking about costumed actors dressed as Mickey and Dopey hugging your kids for a photo-op, or just referring to the wall-art, statues, banisters on the stairways and wallpaper. Even the ship's horn sounds "When You Wish Upon A Star" instead of the traditional blast as it departs a port. Still, grown-ups as well as kids are likely to enjoy this stunning ship, whose cabins are huge and beautifully decorated, because it has that Disney quality of attention to detail and finding something interesting in everything you see. Disney's private island, Castaway Cay may well provide the best private island experience of any cruise line. The dining program is marvelously innovative; you dine at the same table number with the same dining companions and servers each evening, but in a different restaurant. There's non-stop fun for all, including some adults-only lifestyle and enrichment courses with guest lecturers, wine tastings, cooking classes and a champagne brunch.

There are a few odd notes amid all the opulence here. The 24-hour coffee station has only styrofoam cups, and instead of butter, what you get with your meals is a margarine blend called "butterine." In view of the fact that everything from soup stock to all of the breads and pastries, is made fresh on board, this can only be adjudged as "oddly out-of-place".

Carnival Splendor is a big vessel with a huge personality -- and it has already set itself apart in grand style. For starters, Splendor has inaugurated a new cabin category, the spa cabin, which is as much about lifestyle as real estate. A retractable sky dome covers Splendor's pool deck, which is something new for Carnival; it means that passengers can swim when it's balmy -- and when it's not. And with Splendor, the line introduced its first-ever itineraries in the Baltic and South America, a notable expansion for the fleet.

Splendor is also Carnival's largest ship. Designed to accommodate up to 3,744 passengers, it deserves its own zip code. Remarkably, there is only an occasional sense of overcrowding, and there are plenty of quiet spaces -- like Serenity, the adults-only sun deck -- to seek respite.

The 113,300-ton Splendor marks a new class of vessel for Carnival. One of Splendor's most impressive features is its luxurious, 21,000-square-foot spa, the most elaborate in the fleet. Pan-Asian in design, the Cloud 9 Spa spans two decks and includes a state-of-the-art fitness center that easily rivals any at sea. And, with 22 lounges and bars, outdoor movies, a water slide and a singing maitre d', Splendor also delivers what Carnival passengers have come to expect: fun.

Splendor is designed around the theme of "splendid things," a celebration of the magnificent, lustrous and elegant. The center of it all is the atrium. I'm no architect, but when I first walked on board -- and I am not alone in reacting this way -- I felt under assault by a design that I can only describe as overwhelming. Carnival's longtime interiors designer Joe Farcus sees "whimsical" in the massive dining room chandeliers. I see a DNA helix. He sees "drama" and "excitement" in the squiggly pink and black image that appears on table tops, elevator panels and walls. I see an amoeba. And I've never stayed in a cabin that had bright pink crown molding and a pinkish couch before. Let's just say there is nothing understated about Splendor. Understandably, some passengers have nicknamed it "The Pink Ship."

Decor notwithstanding, Splendor has great bones and a festive spirit. I talked to a lot of passengers, many of them Carnival loyalists, and asked a single question: "Are you having fun?" In just about every case, the answer was an emphatic "yes."

Solstice is the first of a new class of five vessels to be launched through 2012, and on the first swing Celebrity has hit it out of the park. In many cases, a cruise line's "new class" often means just a larger, or slightly tweaked, version of a previous design. At 122,000 tons, Solstice has the size credentials, being the largest Celebrity ship ever launched, but there's much more to this vessel.

Solstice has one of the best interior architecture designs we've ever seen, and passenger flow is excellent. While the ship's passenger-to-space ratio is standard for the industry, we never felt crowded and never experienced a single long line. On our completely full sailing the ship felt half-empty. Solstice is also an extremely easy ship to navigate, even for first-time cruisers. Everything is clustered: all the entertainment is forward; the food is aft; and -- insiders are quick to point out -- the money (casino, reception, shops) is in the middle. Even the specialty restaurants are all clustered on a single deck (Deck 5).

Solstice's style blossoms from the root of its name, "sol," meaning "sun." Even the casino chips bear images of the sun, a different stylistic representation on each denomination. And the sun plays an important role for the ship, from powering the 216 solar panels that contribute -- although to a minor extent -- to the ship's electrical grid, to nurturing what is perhaps the most unique feature of this, or any other, ship: a full half-acre of lush living grass. Called the Lawn Club, this area features bocce courts, a putting course and the Hot Glass Show, where passengers can delight in seeing the creation of complex works of glass art from basic raw materials to the finished objects. Other "green" innovations include improvements in hull design and coatings, which boost fuel efficiency, and the use of eco-friendly refrigerants and lighting.