The Cruise Lines & Their Ships

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/greece/0225020154.html


In this section, we describe the ships offering cruises with predominantly Greek

islands itineraries; that is, itineraries where at least half of the port calls are in

Greece and Turkey.

Working with travel agent Sherry Laskin, owner of Florida-based Vacation Shoppe

(tel. 866/727-8473; www.vacationshoppe.com), we present a sample of the actual

prices people are paying for cruises aboard all the ships in this chapter (as opposed

to the often-inflated brochure or cruise-line website fares). We priced summer 2010

cruises in July 2009, and fares are based on two people sharing a cabin, unless

otherwise noted. With a few exceptions, most of these rates were quoted in U.S.

dollars.

The itineraries we list are also for the 2010 season unless otherwise noted. Both

prices and itineraries are subject to change.

We've listed the sizes of ships in two ways: passenger capacity and gross registered

tons (GRTs). Rather than describing actual weight, the latter is a measure of interior

space used to produce revenue on a vessel. One GRT = 100 cubic feet of enclosed,

revenue-generating space.

Note that we've listed Athens as a port of call for many cruises, but in most cases

you'll actually be calling in Piraeus, the port city for Athens. Other popular

embarkation ports include Istanbul, Turkey; Venice, Italy; and Civitavecchia, Italy,

about an hour's drive from Rome.

Celebrity Cruises

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132. tel. 800/437-3111. www.celebrity.com.

Celebrity is a decently priced yet premium U.S. operator that offers eastern

Mediterranean itineraries that, for the most part, operate on Equinox (built in 2009;

2,850 passengers; 118,000 GRTs). The line's biggest ship yet is megasize; a

sophisticated mix of ultramodern and classic, spacious, and sleek, but not

superflashy. Equinox is outfitted in muted woods, beiges, and reds. It has panoramic

ocean views on nearly every cabin, and most staterooms have a veranda. The ship

has plenty of spots in which to relax, including the lawn, spa, elegant bars and

lounges, or the Oasis pool, with its retractable roof. If you're splurging, book a Sky

Suite on Deck 12 for their extralarge, 179-square-foot balconies.

Star Cruises - The-looser-it-s-me

http://www.dropjack.com/Business/star-cruises---the-looser-it-s-me-4/

Star Cruises (SEHK: 678) (SGX: S21), a member of Genting Hong Kong, is the sixth largest [1] cruise line in the world behind companies such asCarnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Star Cruises dominates the Asia-Pacific market and is owned by Genting Hong Kong who also owns 50 % of the Norwegian Cruise Line, and NCL America with a total combined fleet of 17 ships and over 35,000 berths. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange. 

Star Cruises is credited with almost single handedly developing the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Its foray into the global shipping market has allowed it to tap into lucrative and more mature markets in North America and Europe. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well as to North Americans, Europeans and Australians interested in Asian destinations. 

The chairman of Star Cruises is Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, the son of the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the founder of Malaysia's Genting Highlands