Dawn of a New Decade

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year !! All across the world from New York's Time Square to London, just before the clock struck twelve the usual countdown ushered out the old and welcomed in the new decade. Joy and celebration filled the air.

Just 10 years ago, the scene was quite different as people held their breath wondering what Y2K would bring. Would computers fail? We all know now that preparations by companies across the world prevented the majority of the anticipated problems. Computers did not fail, but late in the decade a new crisis surfaced hitting several industries including banking, auto, and housing.

As the clock struck twelve this time, there was a sense of hope that the new decade would bring an end to the economic woes. It will take some time to determine the outcome of changes made late in 2009, unlike the instant realization that all was well on that early morning in the year 2000.

The cruise industry has weathered the bad economic times and continued to deliver an outstanding value to consumers. Several new ships were added to fleets and more are due out in 2010. These new ships bring additional choices to consumers and help increase competition between the cruise lines.

These are exciting times for the cruise industry as a new wave of innovation has gone from the drawing board to reality. You may love or hate the new Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, but you can't help but marvel at the technological accomplishments.

Celebrate the New Year with family and friends and get ready for an exciting decade. I hope that you have a healthy and prosperous New Year and that you'll be creating some new memories on a cruise ship before this year is a memory.