Holland America Line will offer nine select voyages throughout Australia and New Zealand in 2009 aboard the 1,432-passenger ms Volendam. The ship will operate itineraries ranging from 14 to 19 days, departing from Auckland, Sydney or Singapore.

Carnival Cruise Lines has enhanced its “Fun Pass” online embarkation portal to allow guests the ability to register for the line’s shipboard credit card system and to electronically accept the Terms and Conditions of Passage prior to their cruise, thus further expediting the embarkation process.

The sailor’s knot is known for being easy to tie but hard to break. Now, guests who wish to be married at sea by captains of Azamara Cruises’ and Celebrity Cruises’ ships will soon be able to “tie” their own steadfast “knot” at sea, when the lines launch legal, captain-led wedding ceremonies later this year to complement their existing vow renewal and in-port wedding offerings.

Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a new on-board program called “Circle C” aimed specifically at the 12- to 14-year-old age group, with expansive new clubs, a full schedule of activities and trained staff.

MSC Cruises announced the technical float-out of the MSC Fantasia in St. Nazaire, France. MSC Fantasia will join the MSC Cruises fleet on Dec. 18, as the largest ship to date to be commissioned by a European ship owner. The float-out took an hour to complete.

Uniworld is offering a nine-night package that includes a weeklong cruise on the Douro River through Portugal and Spain. The Douro River package begins with a two-night hotel stay in Lisbon before embarking on a seven-night cruise.