Carnival Cruise Lines
The Carnival Fantasy will offer the first year-round cruises from Charleston, SC in 2010. Look for five-, six- and seven-day cruises to The Bahamas and Key West, Fla., in May of 2010.

Princess Cruises
Princess has increased their offerings in Asia next year with three new 14- to 16-day itineraries offered on the newly named Ocean Princess (formerly Tahitian Princess). Plus, the new Ruby Princess will be based in the Caribbean for the winter and Europe for the summer.

Royal Caribbean International
The Enchantment of the Seas will begin their first-ever year-round cruising from Baltimore and will offer five-night Bermuda and nine-night Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Holland America Line
The ms Zaandam will offer two-week Circle Hawaii cruises in the fall of 2010 with 14-day roundtrips from San Diego and a 15-day voyage from Vancouver to San Diego.

Norwegian Cruise Line
The Blue Man Group will be headlining the entertainment on the Norwegian Epic beginning in the summer of 2010. This is a first time ever to see these at-sea performances and will be one of many innovations on the Epic.

Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship will have two new special itineraries in the coming year, roundtrip from Port Canaveral, three- and four-night Bahamas cruises.

MSC Cruises
The first-ever Canada/New England fall foliage cruises for this line will be introduced in 2010 by the MSC Poesia. Afterwards the ship will begin second winter season Caribbean sailings from Port Everglades.

Don't forget!
Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Look for special hotel packages, cruise specials and more in and around this home port. The Opening Ceremony will be in February 2010.

Holiday travel is right around the corner. We’ve researched high and low and came up with our own list of ways to reduce your travel stress.

The Cost Factor.
The best time to shop for domestic air tickets is Tuesday afternoons. Airlines typically release sales Monday evening and other airlines match early Tuesdays. Most discounted airfares expire or are removed from the reservation systems on Friday, leaving higher prices over the weekend.

Hassle-free travel.
Fly during off peak hours. Early morning hours or on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays are less full and often security lines are much shorter. Plus, the first flight of the day is the one least likely to be delayed.

Carry on or pay big bucks.
Baggage fees can end up costing as much as your ticket. Pack light. American Airlines charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second. An excess bag is $100. Whew! Clearly, carry-on is the way to go.

Strollers, car seats and more.
There are no fees for these items. Airport personnel will put those items on the plane for you for free. Yes, FREE when you get to your gate and they will not count against your carry-on allowance.

Delayed or canceled flights.
You’re at the airport and your flight has been canceled or delayed. Many will rush to the ticket counter. Grab your phone and call the airline instead. You’re guaranteed to be help sooner with more accurate information about new departure times and other flights. If your airline or the web site where you bought your ticket offers notification by phone, email or text, sign up. When it comes to flying, you can't have too much information.

Get Comfy.
Be prepared to pamper yourself during the journey. Get noise-canceling headphones and connect with your favorite tunes on an iPod. Or grab a kindle or book that will drift you away. Add an eye mask and your favorite lightweight fleece along for warmth. Voila- hello comfort zone.

Are you looking or booking? It use to be the way to go. You had a dream. You were sipping a Piña Colada out on your balcony. The view ahead was picture perfect. And you quickly ran to your computer to book your cruise online. Your dream became a nightmare when you had questions about the stateroom, the food, the itinerary!

The days of frustrated travel arrangements are over! A new report released by Forrester Research found that many consumers are fed up with the complicated process of planning and booking travel.

The web is a perfect place to research. However, when it comes to booking your dream vacation, why would you rely on a machine? Go to a trusted travel professional.

Sweden: Feast Day of Santa Lucia
On Dec 13 the eldest daughter in the household awakens the family with singing and saffron buns.

Finland: Reindeer Lassoing
Lapland has more reindeer than people, so the perfect place to learn the local skill of reindeer lassoing.

Greenland: Eating Mattak
Mattak is whale skin, normally cut into cubes and eaten raw. This is a favorite of the local cuisine above fermented seabird and seal liver. When in Greenland…

Hawaii: Honolulu City Lights
This festival starts with a parade to City Hall where a barefoot Santa and his wife in a red muumuu await.

The Bahamas: Junkanoo
A street parade, elaborate costumes, music and prizes all happen during this festival in Nassau.

Wales: The Mari Llwyd
A tradition where a villager is chosen to the “Mari llwyd” and travels around town draped in white, carrying a horse skull on a long pole and challenges households to a poem-reciting contest.

Puerto Rico: Asalto
Chicken-and-rice stew, instruments and singing all night long by holiday well-wishers as they go from house to house.