The Port of New Orleans is a step closer to realizing another new, modern cruise ship terminal at the Julia Street Wharf after the board of commissioners moved ahead with an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s Port Priority Program.

MSC Cruises is offering 16 Mediterranean and 11 Northern European itineraries featuring more than 60 ports of call in 2010. Eastern Mediterranean itineraries include Venice, Istanbul, Mykonos, Santorini, and Dubrovnik, while the routes in the Western Mediterranean include Barcelona, Marseille, Naples, Rome, Toulon (St. Tropez) and Monte Carlo.

Crystal Cruises unveiled its 2011 season with returns to Alaska and West Africa, among the 58 cruises visiting 163 ports in 67 countries.

Travel Bound has added scenic cruises in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East to the company’s extensive lineup of commissionable sightseeing options for independent travelers and groups of 10 or more passengers.

Crystal Cruises is offering food lovers myriad of luxury vacation choices in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Amazon. On board, guests can sate their palates with the cuisine and instruction by acclaimed guest chefs aboard back-to-back wine and food cruises on the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, where aficionados can enjoy cooking lessons in Barcelona, wine tasting in Italy, authentic Turkish feasts, and other culinary indulgences.

The founder of Orient Lines and Discovery World Cruises will launch a new cruise line centered around Mediterranean history and culture, called Voyages to Antiquity.