A unique duel christening is set to take place of two new Princess Cruises liners next year. Princess Cruises is an American cruise line that operates cruise ships. It is one of the many cruise lines operated by the Carnival Corporation. The company was made famous by The Love Boat TV series, in which two of its former ships, the Island Princess and Pacific Princess were featured.

The 710-passenger Royal Princess and the 3,100-passenger Emerald Princess will be christened at a ceremony in the Greek island of Santorini on May 12th. Royal Princess is a cruise ship currently operating as Minerva II for Swan Hellenic. The Emerald Princess is a cruise ship for Princess Cruises that will be going

into service in 2007. She is the sister ship of the Caribbean Princess and the Crown Princess.

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A Mediterranean cruise is without doubt the most
varied type of cruise available. There are more than
120 seaports around the Mediterranean coastline,
offering numerous combinations of cruise vacations
over one-week, two-week or longer trips.

A huge clash of cultures await all who opt for a
Mediterranean cruise. You can visit no less than
17 different countries, including such nations as
Spain, Italy, Greece and Egypt. Each nation has its
own unique attractions, all of which you can sample
as your cruise ship gracefully sails around the calm
blue Mediterranean Sea.

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If you like the biggest of everything, then the new Royal Caribbean International cruise ship is for you! The Liberty of the Seas will be the second in the Freedom family of ships. And when she begins her duties in June, she will be the newest and largest cruise ship in the world. Among the amenities that will be included on this magnificent beauty will be the surf simulator; the wet and wild H2O Zone aqua park; whirlpools cantilevered112 feet above the ocean; an ice skating rink; a boxing ring; and a fabulous Presidential Family Suite which can sleep up to 14 people!

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As if the film director suddenly switches the scene and characters, the plot of the Greek Sea Diamond catastrophe unfolds similarly to that of the Italian Andrea Doria 50 years ago. To this survivor of the latter event, the d j vu experience of watching another seafaring vessel being claimed by the sea that gave it life, is fearsome.

While reading every news article and watching every clip of the latest Greek tragedy, I recall my skirmish with death on the open seas five decades ago. I was a nine-year-old Italian girl immigrating to America with my grandparents, when we played a role in one of the most dramatic sea rescues in history. On July 25, 1956, the

setting and characters were notably different: the Andrea Doria lay mortally wounded on the Atlantic, 185 miles from New York after having been rammed by the Swedish liner, Stockholm. And, unlike being flooded by the glimmering sun that flooded the beaches of Santorini, the Italian crown sea jewel was glutted by impenetrable fog. On board, were not tourists evading realities of daily life, but rather immigrants on a serious mission to confront a new lifestyle.

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A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we ll focus on luxury cruises here.

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