Yesterday, at a ceremony at the Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste, shipbuilder Fincantieri officially delivered to Carnival Cruise Lines the 130,000-ton, 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze. The handover made the Carnival fleet just a little bit more enormous, but more importantly, it represents a real step by Carnival into a slightly different future.

A sister ship to the 2010's Carnival Dream and 2011's Carnival Magic, Breeze represents a real break from Carnival's long-established, over-the-top interior decor style, which has been in place (with the designer responsible, Joe Farcus) since 1975. Designed instead by German firm Partner Ship Design, the ship has a more clean-lined, open, and contemporary look than any of her fleetmate. See? . . .

Ocean Plaza (rendering: Carnival Cruise Lines)


Atrium (rendering: Carnival Cruise Lines)


Spa reception area (rendering: Carnival Cruise Lines)

Breeze will be previewed to industry types over the next couple of weeks, and I'll be aboard myself beginning June 14. Check back then for my from-the-ship observations.

Breeze will operate a summer schedule of Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona through October 25. From there, she'll sail a 15-day transatlantic crossing from to Miami, which will be her home port for year-round 6- and 8-night Caribbean departures beginning November 24, 2012.

Last week Disney Cruise Line's Disney Magic made headlines by sailing into New York for the first time, preparatory to beginning her first summer season from the Northeast. This week, on Memorial Day morning, sister ship Disney Wonder sang a similar tune in the Pacific Northwest, sailing into Seattle for the first time to embark passengers for her first Alaska cruise of the year. While Wonder has sailed Alaska before (last year, from Vancouver), this is the first time she's homeported in Seattle.

This year's Disney Alaska itinerary differs slightly (and in a good way) from last year's, adding a call in Victoria, British Columbia, to the three Alaska cruise ports they visited in 2011: Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. In total, Wonder will sail 14 seven-night AK cruises between now and late August.

Beginning Disney Cruise Line's first-ever season of sailing from New York, the 83,000-ton Disney Magic sailed into New York Harbor this morning sporting an enormous "[Mouse] + New York = Magic" bumper sticker pasted across her stern — and when I say enormous, I mean it: 50 feet long, 11 feet tall, and bigger (says Disney) than a city bus.

Between today and mid-September, Magic will sail a total of 20 cruises from the city, broken down like this:

• The Bahamas: Eight 8-night cruises (departing May 25; June 2, 22, and 30; July 20 and 28; and Aug. 17 and 25) will visit Nassau (Bahamas), Port Canaveral (Florida, for the Orlando parks), and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Cruise fares include a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation between Port Canaveral and the resort. Rates start from $1,379 per person, double occupancy.
• New England/Canada. Nine 5-night cruises (departing June 10 and 17, July 8 and 15, Aug. 5 and 12, and Sept. 2, 7, and 12) will visit Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Saint John (New Brunswick). Rates start from $1,308 per person, double occupancy.
• Cruises to Nowhere. Disney will revive the once-popular nowhere route on three 2-night cruises departing June 15, July 13 and Aug. 1. Rates start from $498 per person, double occupancy.

With the 2012 Alaska season getting underway, cruise travelers have two new small-ship options to choose from. Late last week, adventure line InnerSea Discoveries and luxury sister-line American Safari Cruises relaunched two ships acquired last year from the fleet of now-defunct Cruise West: Spirit of Endeavour, now renamed American Safari's Safari Endeavour, and Spirit of Discovery, now renamed InnerSea Discoveries' Wilderness Explorer.

Both ships underwent thorough renovations that upgraded their interiors and amenities to the sister-lines' standards. Safari Endeavour's cabin layout was rejiggered to provide larger accommodations, in the process reducing her passenger capacity from 102 to 86. Four new Commodore Suites were created (each with step-out balconies and Jacuzzi tubs); cabins were upgraded and outfitted with flatscreen TV/DVDs and iPod docks; a wine bar and a resource library were added to the dining room; the lounge bar was redone to put six microbrew beers and eight vintages from Walla Walla, WA's Proletariat Wine Company on tap; outside decks were redone; two massage rooms, two hot tubs, a sauna, and fitness equipment were added where absolutely none existed before; and a high-tech kayak platform was added to the stern, from which the ship's 20 double kayaks can be launched.

The 76-guest Wilderness Explorer also got a makeover: Staterooms were refreshed with new decor, linens, flatscreen TV/DVDs, and iPod docks; the lounge bar was reconfigured to put eight microbrews and two Proletariat wines on tap; a new buffet setup was added to the dining room to streamline meal service; and fitness/adventure/spa equipment including a hot tub, a sauna, fitness equipment, a massage room, and a kayak launch platform were added. In addition to kayaks, the ship also carries a custom-made human-powered watercraft powered by two peddlers and up to six paddlers. It will be used for low-impact, up-close exploration of remote areas of Glacier Bay that are closed to motorized vessels.

Both boats were officially welcomed into the fleet on Friday, May 18, at Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal, near the company's headquarters. This summer, Safari Endeavour will sail weeklong, inclusive luxury adventure cruises in Alaska, round-trip from Juneau (June through August) and including two days exploring inside Glacier Bay National Park, with opportunities to hike and kayak with park rangers. Rates start at $4,795 per person. Wilderness Explorer will spend the summer sailing weeklong active adventure cruises in Alaska, sailing from Juneau to Sitka (and reverse) June through August, with each cruise spending three full days in Glacier Bay National Park, including the lesser-visited East Arm, home to McBride Glacier and Muir Glacier. Rates start at $3,095 per person. Rates for both vessels include adventure activities: hiking, kayaking, skiff excursions, whale watching, paddle boarding, etc.

To people (like me) whose tolerance for flashy song-and-dance revues is low, the occasional appearance of a local act on a cruise ship's entertainment calendar can be a nice break. Often brought aboard when a ship reaches port and debarked right before sailing, these acts can run the gamut from completely authentic and fantastico to, y'know, touristy as hell. But still, they're better than yet another read of "Memory" from Cats.

Which brings us to luxe line Crystal Cruises. This summer, with its ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony staying in certain ports later into the evening or, in some instances, staying docked for the whole night, the line has made arrangements for local acts to join the evening programming on all 26 of its scheduled 2012 Europe sailings. Some of the acts (and the cities in which you can see them) include:

• Venice: Interpreti Veneziani, an interpretive string ensemble that mixes baroque, classical, and modern repertoire.
• Odessa: The Chamber Orchestra from the Music School of Stolyarsky, a school for gifted children created in 1933 by violin pedagogue Pyotr Stolyarsky.
• Monte Carlo: Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco, a boys' choir that tours under the patronage of the Prince of Monaco.
• Istanbul: Hodjapasha Culture Center Whirling Dervish ceremonial show — maybe not as authentic and spiritual as performances by the Mevleviye of Konya, but whattaya want on a cruise ship?
• Sorrento: Teatro Tasso, featuring tarantella song and dance with 19th century southern Italian folkloric themes.

Shows will also be offered in St. Petersburg, Honfleur, and Stockholm.

Over the weekend, the MSC Cruises fleet got a bit bigger. At a ceremony at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, the 139,400-ton, 3,502-passenger MSC Divina was officially handed over to the line, becoming the current fleet's 12th ship.

During the traditional flag ceremony, the shipyard’s pennant and the French flag were lowered as "La Marseillaise" played, at which point STX France General Manager Laurent Castaing formally handed the ship over to MSC Cruises’ owner, Gianluigi Aponte. Mr Aponte then gave command of the ship to Captain Giuliano Bossi, and the flags of Italy and MSC Cruises were raised as "Il Canto degli Italiani," the Italian national anthem, was played.

“I am very proud of MSC Divina, the 12th addition to our wonderful fleet and our third Fantasia-class ship," said MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago in a media statement. "I believe she is the most beautiful ship in our fleet and that her innovations and polished features bring this successful class to perfection."

Said STX's Laurent Castaing, "MSC Divina is the 11th ship in just over 10 years that our shipyard has built which is operated by MSC Cruises. Her sister ship MSC Preziosa, currently under construction, will become the 12th ship. Throughout our 150-year history never before have so many vessels been built for one ship builder, and this is a record which deserves to be highlighted today."

MSC Divina is already sailing her pre-christening cruise from Saint-Nazaire, calling at Lisbon (Portugal) and Cadiz and Valencia (Spain). On Friday she'll sail into the port of Marseille, where actress Sophia Loren will, as she has for every other recent MSC ship, do the godmother honors during a gala ceremony.

Following her christening in Barcelona late last week by celebrity chef Cat Cora (with a 15-liter bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, no less), Oceania's newest vessel, the 65,000-ton, 1,258-passenger Riviera, set sail this week on her maiden voyage, a 10-night cruise from Venice to Athens.

A sister ship to last year's Marina, Riviera is more or less identical in layout and tone, though a few details have been changed.

“When asked, I've repeatedly said that it was going to be hard to improve on Marina's perfection," said Frank J. Del Rio, the line’s founder and chairman, "but I didn't say it would be impossible. And we have done just that — improved on perfection.”

Like Marina, Riviera features a Bon Appétit Culinary Center (the cruise world's only hands-on teaching kitchen, with cooking stations for 24 guests), a Canyon Ranch SpaClub, suites created by noted designer Dakota Jackson, Owners Suites designed and appointed by the folks at Ralph Lauren Home, and a Lalique staircase in her understated atrium. Changes from Marina to Riviera included the addition of a Thalassotherapy pool in the spa, higher ceilings in the Toscana and Polo Grill specialty restaurants, and the inclusion of a large collection of Latin American art throughout the ship.

From May 16 through November 29, 2012, Riviera will be sailing a total of 20 Mediterranean voyages, calling at ports in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Morocco, Monaco, and the Canary Islands.

Got an iPhone? If so, chances are you've already got an app like Instagram or Hipstagram that allows you to take a picture, run it through one of many included filters to make it look like a photo from the 1930s, '50s, '60s, or '70s, then post it on Facebook or e-mail it to friends. Late last week, Crystal Cruises jumped on that bandwagon with The Storyteller by Crystal Cruises, a new photo app that lets you snap, filter, add captions, then post your pix to social media, e-mail them, or send them to Postcard on the Run and have them printed up into a real postcard to mail home.

Designed with an aesthetic to match Crystal's current "Begin a New Story" ad campaign, the app is free; compatible with the most recent generations of iPhones, iTouches, and iPads; and includes an option to share your photos in a section of the line's Facebook page called "Never Ending Journal," which will categorize photos by cruise date so you'll be able to see your own cruise through your fellow passengers' eyes.

"This app provides the perfect venue for contemporary storytelling, combining photography, technology and creativity in an easy and intuitive way," said Nitsa Lewis, Crystal's VP of Marketing, in a press release. "It's also a lovely nod to classically vintage travel correspondence and photos past, while celebrating the modern era of vacation storytelling . . . not to mention the added benefit of expanding communication channels for our loyal Crystal community."

In case you need it, there's a "how to" video for the app on Crystal's website and Facebook page.

Since its Solstice-class ships became such an immediate hit in 2008, Celebrity Cruises has had in place a plan to "Solsticize" its older Millennium-class vessels, retrofitting them with Solstice-class features, venues, and amenities to create a uniform onboard feel across the brand. This week, the process was completed as Celebrity Millennium, the very first of the Millennium-class ships, became the fourth and last to get her Solsticizing upgrades.

Completed during a three-week dry dock, Millennium's new and improved venues include:

• Qsine: A restaurant serving eclectic international cuisine with a theatrical twist: Menus are loaded onto iPads; decor is Alice in Wonderland quirky, and dishes are artfully prepared and presented. One is delivered in a kind of open-sided suitcase with individual slots containing twelve small plates, another is a wire tower that holds five different cones of French fries, and the "Disco Shrimp" come in a bowl with a built-in strobe light.
• AquaClass staterooms: Extra-pampering digs where the cabin experience is tied to an overall wellness aesthetic, with niceties like extra-large balconies, pillow menus, jetted body-wash showers, and special music/sound and aromatherapy options tied to specific vacation goals. AquaClass guests also get special perks around the ship, including unlimited access to the spa's Persian Garden aromatherapy steam room and relaxation room, special wellness classes and invitations to VIP events, and the option of dining at . . .
• Blu: A restaurant for the exclusive use of AquaClass guests (plus suite guests based on availability), serving cuisine that emphasizes healthful ingredients and preparation.
• The Celebrity iLounge: The cruise industry's first Authorized Apple Reseller. You can lounge, buy an iPod or other gadget, take a computer class, or surf the web.
• Celebrity's "eXhale" bedding program: Featuring mattresses designed for Celebrity by Reverie, each hand-made in the U.S. with natural raw materials such as bamboo and sustainable natural rubber. "Almost entirely recyclable and biodegradable" (says Celebrity), the mattresses feature removable, hypo-allergenic, antibacterial, and dust-mite-resistant covers and a breathable plush pillow top, and are wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets.
• Michael's Club 2.0: A re-do of the line's perennial Michael's Club, which was once a cigar lounge, then a piano bar, and has now morphed into a gourmet beer and whiskey bar with 50 international brews in bottles (and a few on tap as well).
• Martini Bar and Crush: Two stylish venues with ice-topped bars.
• Bistro on Five: A casual creperie.
• Cellarmasters wine bar: Where you can buy wines by the glass, poured  by a machine.
• Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria: For coffees and frozen desserts.
• New art: An expanded collection of original, contemporary art.

"Solsticizing has been such an exciting initiative for us — and more importantly, for our guests, as indicated by their response to each of our Solsticized ships," said Celebrity's President & CEO, Dan Hanrahan, in a press release. "Our Millennium Class ships . . . served as significant inspiration for the design of the Solstice Class. So now, we're bringing it full circle, incorporating on the entire Millennium Class what our guests enjoy most on the Solstice Class. It ties our whole fleet together in a very powerful way."

Millennium is currently sailing a Panama Canal voyage from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego. Following a 5-night wine-themed cruise from San Diego to Vancouver on May 27, the ship will begin her Alaska season, sailing 7-night north- and southbound cruises between Vancouver and Seward/Anchorage.

Carnival's newest, the 130,000-ton, 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze, is one step closer to her public debut, having just completed a series of sea trials on the Adriatic.

Sea trials are a series of tests performed to judge the new vessel's maneuverability, speed, sea-keeping abilities, comfort (for example, evident vibration while underway), and the performance of her propulsion systems, navigational equipment, safety equipment, etc. Officers, technicians, and engineers from Carnival and Fincantieri shipbuilders were aboard for the trials, which looked something like this:

Breeze's debut will be one of the more closely watched launches in the cruise business this year, as the ship will be the first Carnival vessel to break with the line's signature, over-the-top interior decor style, which has been in place (with the designer responsible, Joe Farcus) since 1975. With Farcus stepping down as Carnival's go-to guy, Breeze was designed by German firm Partner Ship Design, which—judging from the renderings I've seen—designed the ship to have a more clean-lined, open, and contemporary look. We'll see soon. I'll be aboard the ship June 15, and reporting back.

Following her debut, Breeze will operate a summer schedule of Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona through October 25. From there, she'll sail a 15-day transatlantic crossing from to Miami, which will be her home port for year-round 6- and 8-night Caribbean departures beginning November 24, 2012.