The Bigger the Boat, the Bigger the Splash
A new fleet of cruise ships hits the water this year, the likes of which have never been seen. When Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas launches in June, it will surpass the Queen Mary 2 as the world's largest passenger ship. A month later, the Costa Concordia will jump to the top of the list in terms of capacity, with 3,780 passengers. But it's not just the size that's impressive. The new boats are loaded to the gills with diversions: Freedom of the Seas has an ice rink, a wave pool, and a regulation-size boxing ring.
COSTA CRUISES: COSTA CONCORDIA
Launch date: July
Passengers: 3,780
Itineraries: 7-, 9-, or 11-night cruises out of Rome with stops in Istanbul, Venice, Barcelona, Alexandria, and Santorini Cool
Features: Samsara, a two-level, 20,000-square-foot spa--the largest at sea--with a thalassotherapy pool, in which seawater is used for body wraps. Less relaxing, but more fun: the Formula 1 racing simulator (price to be determined)
Something Special: Retractable roofs over the pools on the top deck for when the weather turns chilly
Splurge: As on most ships, the best restaurants aren't included in the cabin price. Options include Ristorante Samsara, for lighter fare near the spa (from $23), and fine Italian dining at Club Concordia ($29)
ROYAL CARIBBEAN: FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
Launch date: June
Passengers: 3,634
Itineraries: Seven-night round trips from Miami, with stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and a private beach in Haiti
Cool Features: FlowRider, a 40-foot-long wave pool for surfing and body-boarding. The ship also has the largest rock-climbing wall afloat, a boxing ring, an ice rink, and the H2O Zone, a huge water park where passengers can douse each other with water cannons
Something Special: Solarium, an adults-only area with whirlpools cantilevered off the top deck for sweeping views of the sea
Splurge: Six- and eight-person family rooms come with bathtubs and curtained-off sleeping alcoves with bunk beds
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: NOORDAM
Launch date: February
Passengers: 1,918
Itineraries: 10- or 11-night round-trip cruises from New York City to Turks and Caicos, St. Thomas, and Barbados from fall through spring, as well as 10-night summer cruises out of Rome to Dubrovnik, Santorini, Monaco, and Barcelona
Cool Features: Culinary Arts Center, a state-of-the-art kitchen that'll welcome celebrity chefs and sommeliers for sailings; also, flat-panel TVs and DVD players in all staterooms
Something Special: The Loft, a teenagers-only lounge with karaoke, music videos on big-screen TVs, and Internet access
Splurge: The Pinnacle Bar sells 60 different wines from around the world, priced from $4.25 to $9.50 a glass
PRINCESS CRUISES: CROWN PRINCESS
Launch date: June
Passengers: 3,080
Itineraries: Seven-, eight-, and nine-night cruises departing from New York City for Bermuda, Jamaica, Antigua, Aruba, St. Kitts, and other warm-water ports
Cool Features: International Café, a 24-hour restaurant where the menu changes its theme every few hours: French, Spanish, and so on
Something Special: The cruise line's popular Movies Under the Stars program, showing first-run features every night on a 300-square-foot LED screen on the pool deck
Splurge: Ultimate Balcony Dinner, a candlelit, five-course meal, including champagne and a choice of lobster, beef tenderloin, or surf and turf as entrées, served on your cabin balcony ($100 per couple)
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: PRIDE OF HAWAI'I
Launch date: April
Passengers: 2,376
Itineraries: Weeklong Hawaiian cruises from Honolulu, stopping at Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai Cool Features: Freestyle Dining, with a choice of 10 restaurants, and a recently introduced system of plasma screens throughout the ship that list how long the wait is at each restaurant
Something Special: The ship is unusual in that it's registered in the U.S. and therefore doesn't have to touch international waters between port stops. As a result, passengers spend less time out at sea and have more opportunities to explore the islands
Splurge: A traditional Hawaiian lomi lomi massage, which was once reserved only for island royalty, at the Mandara Spa ($99 for 50 minutes)