Happy New Year 2009

10 ... 9... 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1... Happy New Year 2009!!
A warm greeting to all my faithful readers and to those of you joining for the first time. I wish you many happy, healthy and prosperous days in this brand new year. May the year be filled with many sunny days, warm ocean breezes, visits to cruise ports, and relaxing sea days aboard a cruise ship.

Looking ahead .... As in most years, there are plenty of destinations to chose from when planning your 2009 cruise vacations. Alaska and Hawaii mark their 50th anniversaries of statehood this year, so I would recommend putting those on the top of your wish list.

2009 is the year of the new cruise ships. The first ships will be introduced in April with additional entries in the Summer and Fall. The list includes Costa Luminosa, MSC Splendida, Costa Pacifica, Celebrity Equinox, Seabourn Odyssey, Carnival Dream, Project F3 from NCL, Silverseas Spirit, and Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.

This is quite an impressive list of new vessels. Many of you love sailing the inaugural year; others of you may never have done so. Why not give it a try this year?

In upcoming columns, I'll provide additional information about these new ships. First on my list of topics is the conclusion of our Galapagos cruise. I'll also talk about our recent Alaska cruise as well as other surprises. Be sure to visit often.

If you have burning questions about a cruise topic, send me an email and I'd be happy to discuss them in future columns.

Again, Happy New Year to all and Happy Cruising.