The new Silver Savings programme introduces the most substantial savings opportunities first, and the discount reduces significantly as the sailing date approaches - offering a compelling incentive for guests to firm up their holiday plans well in advance. For a limited time, and to coincide with the publication of its new Voyage Atlas, Silversea is offering a Silver Savings fare for all 2010 sailings aboard all the ships in the fleet, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, the new Silver Spirit and the expedition ship, Prince Albert II.

More on the 2010 Silver Sailings programme

Last Wednesday (July 1), 2,044 people booked voyages from the two programmes, 47 per cent more than on the same day last year for 2010 world voyages, when a total of 1,385 bookings were made. P&O Cruises is offering its largest ever world voyage programme in 2011, with four ships offering itineraries. For Cunard, the brand new ocean liner Queen Elizabeth is sailing on her maiden world cruise, with Queen Mary 2 undertaking her fourth Grand Voyage. P&O Cruises managing director, Nigel Esdale, said: "We hope the figures for both companies are indicative of shoots of growth for the travel industry as a whole, and show the resilience of the cruise sector. The appetite to take that 'once in a lifetime'’ voyage is far from in decline, and for many experienced cruisers a world voyage is becoming a regular winter holiday experience. The success of this launch day suggests that cruising is more immune to the current economic climate and that holidays are still a priority." Cunard president and managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “We are delighted to see this great response to the Cunard world voyage programme. We were the first to offer a world cruise back in 1922, and guests still seek out that civilised and authentic Cunard experience. Queen Elizabeth will take her maiden word voyage in 2011."

For last minute bookers, there are amazing bargains, with cruises from just £549 per person. Destinations include Norway, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and round Britain, and there are cruises aboard all five Fred. Olsen ships. Join Braemar on her Norwegian fjords cruise for seven nights from Dover, departing August 29. This cruise visits Amsterdam en route to Norway, then some classic ports in the heart of the lovely fjords and prices start from £549 per person based on two sharing an inside twin cabin Black Watch has a 13-night cruise to the Western Mediterranean departing Southampton on July 21 for 13 nights. Visit some wonderful ports bathed in summer sun, including Lisbon, Tangier, Barcelona and Gibraltar, with prices from £799 per person. For families sharing a cabin, selected cruises also offer a third and fourth upper berth for just £99 per person. Cruise prices include all meals and entertainment on board and port taxes.

Find out more about great value cruises for summer from Fred. Olsen at www.fredolsencruises.co.uk. Or to book, call reservations on 01473 742424.

The second largest Cunarder ever built, Queen Elizabeth's keel is the third Cunard has laid in the space of seven years. When she enters service in October 2010 she will become the third in a fleet of Queens which already comprises Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria; together these three liners define a new golden age of ocean liner travel. Cunard president Carol Marlow, pictured today before the ceremony, said: "I am sure that Queen Elizabeth will be just as popular and successful as her two sisters. We at Cunard are always impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone at Fincantieri, and we look forward to the next year-and-a half of working closely with them on this ship, which will be nurtured by their skill and vision and built into a vessel equal in stature to the other great Cunard liners."

More about the Queen Elizabeth and her keel laying ceremony

The brochure, available on line at www.pocruises.com, features

• Oriana, 84-night world cruise from September 23, 2010
• Artemis, 98-night Asian Grand Voyage from January 4, 2011
• Arcadia, 82-night world cruise from January 5, 2011
• Aurora, 95-night South America and Pacific Grand Voyage from January 9, 2011

More details to follow

The third and fourth passengers sharing a cabin with two full paying adults will pay just £1 each for a ten-day cruise on the Orient Queen's Mediterranean Jewels itinerary. The deal is available on two sailings this year, departing Marseille on August 29 and October 28. The Orient Queen visits Genoa and Naples before heading for Greece and Turkey to call at Piraeus (for Athens), Kusadasi, Patmos, Mykonos, Santorini and Katakolon (for Olympia) before heading back to Messina on the toe of Italy, and Marseille. The offer is available on a range of four-berth cabins, with full-paying fares for the October cruise starting at £439 for a standard inside stateroom. This means a family of four (or four good friends!) can enjoy a ten-day cruise for the grand total of only £880. The August cruise starts at £920 for four people. This includes full board on the Orient Queen, on-board entertainment and all port taxes - but not flights. The 912-passenger Orient Queen offers two pools, a fitness centre, sun deck and a choice of bars and restaurants, plus a casino.

Call Louis Cruises on 0800 018 3883, or visit louiscruises.com

The NCL ship, which entered the Miami mini-cruise market approximately one year ago, received enhancements to its public areas including a larger dance floor in Dazzles Bar and Nightclub, the refurbishment of existing staterooms and suites plus the addition of three new staterooms. Says gneral NCL manager Stephen Park: "Norwegian Sky is great for customers looking for mini-breaks with guaranteed sun and is easily combined with a stay in Miami or Florida. These short itineraries are an excellent way for families, friends and couples to test the water with cruising, and with such low prices they offer exceptional value." Norwegian Sky’s total refurbishment includes:

• Major updates to 14 suites which received new wallpaper, marble tiles in the showers and bathtubs and refinished wood work including the teak around the whirlpools on the suite balconies
• Improvements to Dazzles Bar and Nightclub, including refinishing of the dance floor; reupholstering of the club’s chairs and bar stools and removal of banquette seating to create additional room on the dance floor
• Installation of new food stations in the Garden Café, NCL’s signature action station restaurant, along with refurbishment of Il Adagio, the ship’s Italian restaurant
• The addition of three new staterooms
• Reupholstering all1,000 seats in the Stardust Theatre
• New upholstery to all of the seating in the Atrium
• Repainting of the colorful murals surrounding the pool area

For reservations and more information call NCL on 0845 201 8900 or visit www.ncl.co.uk

But the German cruise line, owned and run by Gisa and Hedda Deilmann, twin daughters of its founder, Peter Deilmann, will continue to operate its five star cruise ship, Deutschland. This year's summer river cruise programme will operate as normal until the end of October after which the fleet of eight luxurious counry house style riverboats will be sold off. The company blames the economic downturn and unfavourable exchange rates for its decision. Peter Deilmann Cruises is best known in Britain for its river journeys along Europe's main rivers such as the Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Rhône and Seine.

The 115,000-ton ship is taking shape at Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste and today saw the float out of Azura in a special two part ceremony. Amanda Dowds, wife of Azura's Captain, Keith Dowds acted as godmother for a symbolic ceremony in which a newly-minted two pound coin and a new euro are welded at the foot of the ship’s mast for good luck. Azura will be named in Southampton in April 2010 and depart on her maiden voyage on April 12.

More about the Azura float out

The lineup of guest speakers includes the British stage, film and television actor Christopher Cazenove, Terry Hughes, former head of BBC TV Variety, news correspondent Michael Buerk and John Harrison, the British explorer and author. Says Cliff Perry, Silversea's Director of Entertainment: "We are honoured to include such a distinguished group of guest speakers on our voyages. Our enrichment programming has always been about offering unique perspectives, and these lecturers will offer insightful views."

More on Silversea's line-up of guest speakers

Overland Adventures allow guests to extend their holiday or Grand World Voyage with an in-depth exploration of regions such as India, the Far East, Africa and South America. The adventures range from two and three-day tours to eight-day explorations. "More cruise guests are looking to fully immerse themselves in the culture they've flown thousands of miles to see," says executive vice president Richard Meadows. "By prearranging and offering these unique tours, we're making it simple for our guests to take full advantage of their time."

More on Holland America's overland tours in 2010

At its tightest point along the course, there are as few as four metres - not even adequate room to park a London black cab – between each side of the 317 metre-long, 37 metre-wide ship and the riverbank. During Celebrity Equinox’s transit from Papenburg to Eemshaven, Netherlands, the ship has navigated the passing of a railway bridge in Weener, a highway bridge in Leer, and a lock in Gandersum. The journey takes between 12 and 15 hours to complete, and is likely the most complicated ride the ship will encounter in its life. Due to the size and scale of the ship, the transit can take place only during absolutely ideal weather conditions: when the river is at high tide, when winds are extremely calm, and when tidal barriers are closed, in order to ensure there is enough water to accommodate the draft of the ship. "The conveyance is an interesting challenge for any Captain," said Celebrity Equinox’s Captain Apostolos Bouzakis. “The limited space available for navigation, the nature of sailing in reverse, and the number of locks and bridges to traverse are all factors that cruise ship captains normally do not have to contend with. But, a real benefit of this event is the opportunity to test the maneuverability of the ship at reduced speeds. With an average channel breadth of 111 metres it is a bit like taking a brand-new sportscar down winding country lanes: It’s exhilarating, but not without its share of trepidation." Tens of thousands of spectators are estimated to have lined the banks of the River Ems to watch Celebrity Equinox make its challenging and historic transit. Together with sister ship Celebrity Solstice, the two are the largest ships ever to have sailed on the River Ems. After provisioning and loading activities in Eemshaven, followed by sea trials, Celebrity Equinox will be officially delivered from Meyer Werft to Celebrity Cruises July 16. The ship then will sail to Southampton, England and complete a series of inspections, followed by eight days of launch celebrations, including the maritime tradition of a naming ceremony over which the ship’s Godmother will preside. The 122,000-ton Celebrity Equinox is scheduled to enter service July 31 from Southampton, England, on an eight-night cruise through the majestic Norwegian Fjords, followed by a series of romantic Mediterranean sailings from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, beginning 8 August. Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Solstice will become members of triplets in April 2010, when Celebrity Eclipse joins the fleet. Like Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox will present guests with brand-defining, industry-first features, including a half-acre Lawn Club with real, growing grass; a glassblowing show and studio developed with The Corning Museum of Glass; 10 unrivalled dining venues, and widely varied entertainment, including shows with breathtaking aerial acts.

The programme continues Cunard's tradition of offering legendary voyages to legendary places. The three Cunard Queens will meet for the first time in New York on January 13, and Queen Mary 2 will meet Queen Elizabeth in Sydney on February 22. This presents the unique opportunity of two "Three Queens Combination" options, enabling guests to enjoy the whole fleet in one ex-Southampton full world voyage, as well as another two "Two Queens Combination" options. Cunard Line's 2011 World Voyages programme goes on sale globally on July 1 at 1300 GMT.

More about the 2011 World Voyages

This was considerably down on the net income for the same period in 2008 - $390 million on revenues of $3.4 billion. But chairman Micky Arison said: "We were pleased with the quarterly operating results in light of the current economic environment." A variety of energy conservation programs resulted in a six percent reduction in fuel consumption during the quarter which helped to mitigate some of the recent fuel price increases.

UK call volumes have increased by 41 per cent between January - May 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, and bookings are up by 48 pr cent - May being the highest booking month ever. Says Graham Sadler, RSSC's UK managing director: "We have introduced a number of unique promotions, which is creating unprecedented demand. Our strategy has been to offer exceptional added value benefits rather than to significantly reduce fares. These promotions are proving extremely popular with our guests, who not only seek luxury and relaxation but are looking for new and genuine authentic travel experiences." He adds: "This incredible growth is even more amazing considering the challenging economic environment. Our strategy to preserve our guest integrity by retaining our fare prices and adding value to our cruises has proved to be the right decision."

More about cruising with Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The 3-night mini-cruise, departing September 23, goes on sale today (June 12) The man once dubbed the 'scariest man in Britain' will hold perform two interactive 45-minute shows on board in the Curzon theatre. The 3-night cruise departing September 23 from Southampton will call at Zeebrugge and La Havre. Prices start from £214 per person.

For more information or to book call P&O Cruises on 0845 3 555 333 or visit the P&O website

The brochure features more than 200 ports of call from ten different ships. Of these, 25 ports will be called at by the latest Southampton ported ship, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010. Savings of up to £400 per stateroom are available on all bookings made before July 31.