New York-based VICTORIA CRUISES, the only Western-managed cruise line sailing the Yangtze River in China, has upgraded its ships and added a new vessel, for a total of six. The ships feature private balconies and full bathtubs in all cabins, and more spacious public areas that include a fitness room and a mini-spa. Each ship has a conference room/business center. AV equipment is available, and all ships have fax and Internet access and services for international phone calls. Itineraries, lasting from four to nine days, can include exploration of the city of Nanjing, with its historical significance as the seat of the imperial court of the first Ming emperor, and shore excursions to cloud-misted Mount Huangshan. One itinerary highlights the Three Gorges Dam site, the world's largest construction project. Excursions can include acupuncture demonstrations, tai chi, calligraphy, and more.

Royal Caribbean's 70,000-ton SPLENDOR OF THE SEAS has moved its home port to Tampa, Fla., where the cruise market has grown by 230 percent over the past five years. SPLENDOR will sail western Caribbean itineraries until April. The ship replaces the 50,000-ton EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, which was repositioned to San Juan in October for sailings in the southern Caribbean. RC's newest ship, JEWEL OF THE SEAS, is now sailing from Fort Lauderdale. JEWEL features 12 decks, six restaurants, and 10 bars and lounges as well as a day spa, a basketball court, a nine-hole miniature golf course, a golf simulator, and a rock-climbing wall.

Three Royal Caribbean ships have undergone extreme makeovers or are under the knife as we speak. The 73,192-ton SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was put into dry dock in November; MONARCH OF THE SEAS, which cruises year-round from Los Angeles, was renovated in June 2003; and EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, formerly the NORDIC EMPRESS, debuted in May at Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J.

Carnival Cruise Lines' CELEBRATION began service in Jacksonville, Fla., in October, giving the city its first year-round cruise ship home-ported here. The 1,486-passenger ship cruises to Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas, and to the east coast of Mexico.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises' 1,374-passenger ZENITH began sailing out of Jacksonville with a series of cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean in November.