A cruise line statement said “the money and backing will enable the line to implement Freestyle 2.0, a series of fleet-wide enhancements announced aboard Norwegian Gem just after its naming ceremony in New York last month”.

NCL has spent massively over the last few years with many new builds as they try and see off the threat of the Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean International. With two F3 prototypes on order at over $1.1 billion per ship, (first one due in 2009) it is no surprise to see some form of outside investment.

So what does this do for Apollo, well in a short period of time they now own 50% of NCL, Oceania Cruises and have agreed to purchase Regent Seven Seas. Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas are to be run independently under the banner of Prestige Cruise Holdings.

Not sure about reaching for the stars but in the cruising world Apollo has landed!

Nobu, as he is known by, is famously linked with Robert De Niro, the actor as they share ownership of the restaurant Nobu in New York.

The port was closed for a few hours as 5 containers and a few new cars were retrieved from the water. This affected Celebrity’s Infinity and Orient Lines Marco Polo, Infinity was unable to leave the port on time, while Marco Polo was unable to enter the port.

Regent Seven Seas was formed by the merger of Radisson Cruises and Seven Seas Cruises in 1992. They currently own four ships and are branded as a 5 star cruise line. Their ships are Paul Gauguin, Seven Seas Navigator, Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager.

Her repositioning cruise will be a 13 night transatlantic crossing departing November 6, 2008. Her itinerary will then be a rotating series of six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Ft. Lauderdale throughout the winter of 2008 and spring of 2009.

At 154,407-ton, and able to carry some 3,634-passengers, the Independence of the Seas joins her sister ships, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas as the largest cruise ships in the world.

Azamara Cruises will operate the two 710 passenger ships in Bermuda, Panama Canal/South America this year, Asia, the Caribbean, South America and Europe in 2008. In 2010 they aim to call at 200 ports in more than 70 countries.

Azamara Journey has just undergone a $19M refit including cabin upgrades and an expanded spa along with two new restaurants.

Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, said: “This new line falls into what we consider the deluxe category – a category between premium and luxury.”

Royal Caribbean Cruise are yet to name either of the ships, but “of the Seas” will be part of it, there is no doubt. Further updates will appear here soon.

Windstar will join Ambassadors’ Majestic America Line. MAL operates noted U.S. river and coastal cruise vessels such as Delta Queen Steamboat, Queen of the West, Empress of the North, and American Queen, among others.

This follows on from Carnival Corp. announcing last year that the Swan Hellenic line was to close, another boutique style cruise line. Carnival seem to be moving to a big is beautiful style of cruise lines.

Majestic America Line are based in Seattle and was created by Ambassadors in 2006 after they acquired two lines: American West Steamboat and the vessels of Delta Queen.

Windstar Cruises’ has three ships, allwith distinctive masts and include the 312-passenger Wind Surf, and the 148-passenger Wind Star and Wind Spirit.