American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL) is offering travel agents and a companion 50 percent off Caribbean cruises departing January through April to the Bahamas and Belize. “We are offering this special discount on travel early in 2010 because we want travel agents to experience our style of casual cruising so they have a good understanding of how we differ from ocean cruising,” said Nancy Blount, president of ACCL.

Silversea Cruises opened all 2011 voyages for sale on Nov. 23 and released complete itineraries at www.silversea.com. In the next few weeks, reservations will also open for the expedition ship Prince Albert II. In 2011, the company’s four all-suite ships –Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and the new Silver Spirit- will offer 170 itineraries visiting over 335 ports in more than 100 countries.

Crystal Cruises is offering more seven-day options than ever for 2010 European cruises. Six itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Baltic and British Isles are shorter than Crystal’s more prevalent 11- and 12-day European cruises.

This winter, TUI Cruises will start its seven-day cruises from the port of La Romana, Dominican Republic, through March. The port of La Romana will replace Santo Domingo, also in the Dominican Republic, as the port of departure and arrival of Mein Schiff.

Royal Caribbean International celebrated the floating out of Allure of the Seas, the sister to the 225,000-ton Oasis of the Seas that just debuted in Fort Lauderdale.

With several of the largest, flashiest cruise ships ever designed making their debuts over the next few years, cruise lines are investing in their older ships to keep them competitive.