When you want to see a plethora of places, but the toughest decision you want to have to make is how many times to hit the spa or the all-you-can-eat buffet, it’s time to sashay up the gangplank and cruise. These floating resorts with ever-changing views, amazing restaurants, and seemingly infinite numbers of on-board attractions and distractions, are the perfect choice when you want to make your money travel far. Offering multiple destinations, no pesky daily unpacking, one fee for food, accommodations, and entertainment, a cruise is an enticingly easy escape.

With more on-board attractions, more activities, more dining, more destinations, and more decadence: each cruise season pushes the boat further out. Read on to discover what’s hot, hip, in, and new in the world of cruising.

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From entertainment and dining options to sheer size and magnitude, each sailing season brings a batch of bigger and better ships. One such up-and-coming vessel is the Norwegian Epic, scheduled to set sail on its maiden voyage in July 2010. The Epic will boast a multi-slide Aqua Park, two-story Wii wall, 6 bowling lanes, and a sports complex with the first ever squash court and rappelling wall at sea. Other on-board entertainment options are set to include performances by theatrical mainstays Blue Man Group and Cirque Dreams. Billed as a "luxury complex at sea," the ship also features 20 dining options as well as 20 bars and lounges, including the first Ice Bar at sea.

2010 inaugural sailings for the Epic include port calls in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including Philipsburg, St. Maarteen; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Nassau, Bahamas; Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.

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Lots of cruisers have learned to maximize their vacation experience by spending time in their port before and after their cruise adventure, so naturally, companies have heeded their call. Star Clippers offers amazing land tours in the Far East and Europe, giving guests a more in-depth look at some of the most amazing cities in the world for a fraction of the cost. Disney Cruise Lines has also offered this opportunity to countless guests over the years with their popular Land and Sea packages, wherein vacationers can partake in the joys of the Walt Disney World theme parks before or after their at-sea adventure.

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Now more than ever, families are extending past mom, dad and the kids when it comes to making their travel plans, bringing uncles and aunts, grandmas and grandpas, and everyone else who shares a blood line! Why? “There's enough to do on board and ashore to appeal to all different tastes and generations, and then the group can reconnect at mealtime and talk about their day,” says a representative from Star Clippers. The trend has become so popular that Star Clippers reports family clans can sometimes take over a whole ship for traveling reunions.

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Anyone with little ones knows it can be hard to keep them entertained, no matter what the family vacation activity. But many cruise lines have stepped up their kiddie quotient, giving young’uns so much to see and do that you’ll have to fight to spend time with them! Royal Caribbean is launching a Nickelodeon Family Cruise in July and August, and continues to offer their industry-leading kid’s program, Adventure Ocean. Hosting 625,000 kids annually, Carnival ensures happy kids by adding programs for kids (Club 02) and tweens (Circle C), on top of their popular Camp Carnival program for little kids. And then there’s Disney Cruise Lines, which gives kids more playing time by allowing parents to check their offspring in for youth activity programming, delivering them to the dinner table 45 minutes into the meal—perfectly timed for first-course delivery!

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Sure, the ships are great. But hitting port with an adventure in mind makes a cruise all the more fun! While there once was a time where guests were content to sit on a bus and watch the scenery go by, nowadays there’s more of a call for rollicking, white-knuckling, squealing good times. Carnival has expanded their excursion program to include kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, glacier flightseeing and zipline tours, along with the unique opportunity to helmet dive, allowing guests to walk along the ocean floor to view fish. Star Clippers has similar options, including boating, biking, snorkeling, diving, and jeep rides through the forest.

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We’re not talking in-cabin movies! While it’s fun to watch a good flick in the comfort of your room, why not do it outdoors under the stars, where Carnival will share a family-friendly favorite on a 270 square-foot screen, available on certain ships? Disney has taken it a step further by offering first-run Disney films in Disney Digital 3-D, available in two theatres on their Wonder and Magic ships. But that’s if you’re not into their awesome Broadway-style stage shows, taking place in their 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre. Royal Caribbean also offers Broadway-caliber shows, amid other options like ice skating and rock climbing. But Star Clippers approaches entertainment with an educational twist, hosting a marine biologist who lives and works on-board their Royal Clipper ship, conducting experiments and studying the marine biology of the region. Sometimes they host lectures, too.

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Mention a cruise to most people, and they immediately think of Mexico or the Caribbean… and while they’re not far off the mark, most cruise companies are going above and beyond, expanding their routes into territory that lands on many a traveler’s bucket list. Star Clippers is adding itineraries in Costa Rica and Myanmar, while Royal Caribbean just sent a ship to Dubai, and continues to offer destinations such as South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, just to name a few. Disney Cruise Lines is also sending their Magic ship to Europe, granting guests the chance for a 12-night jaunt through Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm, before it hits Warnemunde, Germany and continues on to St. Petersburg, Russia. There are also plans for a Mediterranean cruise departing out of Barcelona, Spain.

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The trend of Girlfriend Getaways has been gaining steam with each passing year, as more and more women get together in twosomes, foursomes and moresomes for some quality, female-friendly rest and relaxation. Carnival has experienced such an influx in girl getaways that they continue to update and expand their spas to accommodate for more pampering. On the Fantasy-class ships they’ve completely renovated their 12,000 square-foot spas, and launched the largest in their fleet on the Splendor. Encompassing 21,000 square-feet, the Cloud 9 Spa has a thalasotherapy pool, thermal suite, spa cabins and more. The Carnival Dream will offer an even larger spa, at 23,750 square feet.

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Though it’s tempting to take off for a couple weeks, a month, or even half a year, many travelers are feeling the economic pinch that has been dominating 09… but not so much that they’re sacrificing their ability to travel! Many are opting for shorter getaways, looking at three and four-day excursions rather than going for a full seven. Carnival offers short jaunts to Ensenada and Catalina from Long Beach, and quickie Caribbean cruises out of Miami throughout the year. Disney Cruise Lines also gives three-night Bahamian cruises. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has abbreviated trips to the Bahamas, Western Caribbean, and for those who are there, Southampton, England.

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Destination weddings have been a hot ticket for years, but many cruise lines have expanded their offerings to make their ships a one-stop shop for the engagement party, wedding and honeymoon all rolled into one! For example, Royal Caribbean launched an Explorer Weddings program that helps couples plan everything down to the letter, from their food and ceremony details, all the way up to their preferred destinations and on-shore excursions. As if that weren’t enough, they even take care of details such as flower arrangements and the photographer, too!

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