New cruise ships keep pushing the limits

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - A flotilla of new ships will be taking a bow.

In the cruise industry's effort to float your boat, nearly a dozen vessels from name-brand lines will be christened this year. In 2010, a dozen more new ships should set sail, and in 2011 and 2012, another 13 will hit the high seas.

In this year's batch of behemoths and boutique ships, nearly every desire will be addressed. By December, for example, the world's largest and most revolutionary leviathan, Royal Caribbean's 220,000-ton Oasis of the Seas, will introduce cruising's first zip-line at sea, a high-wire act nine decks above the Town Square. Oasis also premiers the first dedicated amphitheater at sea at the megaship's stern, as well as the first loft suites, 304 aeries overlooking the first oceangoing "city" within a ship.

Oasis' city consists of seven neighborhoods, including a Central Park, a tranquil setting for al fresco dining and a "seaside" boardwalk with a handcrafted carousel.

Adding to the glitz at sea, Carnival Cruise Line's 130,000-ton, 3,652passenger Carnival Dream will debut in September. And dream you can in the ship's huge water park filled with sprays and spigots or in whirlpools jutting over the edge of the vessel with nothing below but deep blue sea.

In August, Celebrity Cruises introduces its 122,000-ton Equinox, sister ship to last year's Solstice, both with a maritime novelty: a half-acre patch of grass forming the centerpiece of a country club setting on the top deck, where passengers can indulge in a game of boccie ball or croquet.

Elbowing out the competition for the most prolific lines this year, Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises each launch two new vessels, all with a decidedly Italian flair.

Costa's 114,500-ton Pacifica and 92,700-ton Luminosa are slated to launch in June. The 3,780-passenger Costa Pacifica bears the same amenities as its earlier sister ships, the Concordia (2006) and the Serena (2007), but adds its own vitality to the family of European-styled cruising with a panoply of spa suites connected to a massive 23,000-square-foot Samsara Spa.

Costa Luminosa also ushers in a new class of vessel for the line. The 2,828-passenger titan will be followed next year by its twin, the Costa Deliziosa. Besides interior designs by marine architect Joe Farcus, who famously spruces up Carnival's ships, the Luminosa boasts new sports facilities, including a jogging and in-line skating track and a golf simulator featuring 37 virtual golf courses as well as an expansive outdoor area with a putting green.

Italy-based MSC Cruises introduces two of its own innovations, the 133,500-ton Splendida in June and the smaller 93,000-ton Magnifica in December.

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Splendida is the second of the line's flagships, and the Magnifica is the fourth ship in the Musica class. In 2011, the MSC Meraviglia, will enter service, followed by MSC Favolosa in 2012.

Because these vessels replicate features of earlier launches, they will bear the hallmark amenities of their siblings. The Splendida, for instance, will boast four restaurants, two buffets, four pools, 12 hydro-massage pools and a 17,000square-foot spa. The Magnifica has 236,000 square feet of public spaces, seven themed areas, two pools and four hot tubs, plus a 13,000-squarefoot spa.

The 36,000-ton Art Deco-styled Silver Spirit from Silversea Cruises will pamper its 540 passengers in the largest suites in the line's fleet _ 95 percent featuring a private veranda _ when it debuts this fall. Accustomed to delivering some of the tastiest tidbits at sea, Silver Spirit boasts six dining venues, including Seishin, a Japanese restaurant, and the Stars Supper Club, which offers live music, dancing and nightclub-style entertainment.

Of the intimately sized oceangoing ships to premier this year, Seabourn's 32,000-ton Odyssey is the smallest. The uber-luxe Odyssey is Seabourn's first new vessel in 15 years and carries 450 passengers, more than double the capacity of current Seabourn ships: Pride, Spirit and Legend.

Only three other debuting vessels _ the 8,700-ton Pearl Seas Cruises' Mist, 3,000-ton American Cruise Lines' Independence and 4,200-ton Sea Cloud Cruises' Hussar _ are tinier.

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© 2009, Chicago Tribune.