In a bid to explore the possibilities of cooperation in the area of cruise shipping, India and the Bahamas have decided to enter into a memorandum of understanding in this regard. The decision was taken at a meeting between Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T.R. Baalu and the visiting Foreign Affairs and Public Service Minster of the Bahamas, Frederick Mitchell, here yesterday.

Passengers interested in Northern California departures can now take advantage of an extended season of Mexican Riviera voyages as Princess Cruises has added 12 additional sailings of this popular itinerary to Dawn Princess´ 2006-2007 schedule. These 11-day roundtrip San Francisco cruises call at Mazatlan, Acapulco, Ixtapa/ Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. A full-day and evening call in Acapulco highlight the itinerary, providing an opportunity to experience more of this resort city´s dynamic energy and enjoy the port´s nightlife.

Silversea Cruises rolls out its 2007 worldwide schedule. Highlights Include a record number of 350 destinations, with 29 new ports and the line´s first-ever world cruise In 2007, ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is offering its most diverse collection of worldwide itineraries with a record number of 350 destinations featured on 137 different itineraries ranging from six to 126 days. Calling in nearly 120 countries, the line´s four award-winning, all-suite ships will visit 29 new ports in an exciting year of firsts, including the company´s long-anticipated first World Cruise to completely circle the globe.

Over 3,000 gay cruisers are expected to converge on Grand Cayman tomorrow in what has been billed as “The Largest Gay Cruise in History II” by the specialist gay tour operator, Atlantis Events. The Navigator of the Seas cruise begins in Miami on Saturday, 28 January with 3,200 out of the ship´s 3,840 passengers, reported to be gay men and women. The seven-day journey took guests to Cozumel in Mexico yesterday and is sailing on to Grand Cayman (January 31), Labadee in Hispaniola (February 2) and Miami (February 4).

Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem are the names of two new ships due to be delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line next year. The vessels are expected to enter service in February 2007 and October 2007 respectively. They will complete the delivery of seven new ships in seven years. Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem are both in the same class as Norwegian Jewel, launched in Dover last summer, and which returns to Europe in May to offer Mediterranean cruises.

The Queen Mary II, the world´s largest cruise ship, set sail again Thursday two days after being forced to return to port near Miami when one of its motors hit an underwater channel, resulting in the cancellation of scheduled calls at Barbados and St Kitts. “Queen Mary 2 departed Port Everglades at 6:00am (1100 GMT) this morning and is now underway following technical work to decommission one of the ship´s four propulsion pods,” Cunard Lines, which operates the ship, said in a statement.